HM: The problem for me is that one comes at the expense of the other. The more time I spend looking at my computer screen, the less time I spend reading books. Further, the more time I spend on my computer, the more difficulty I have reading books. My mind wanders, I cannot concentrate, I want to check my email. I have not finished a book in months.

I’m not happy with that.

I don’t think reading books can be compared to staring at textual media they are ultimately quite different.

I would never absorb a website the way I would a book.

In fact to quote you:

“New, surface, ephemeral information, constantly updated and replaced by more.”

Is something a good book never should be, so why compare the two activities.

@mtl3p: quite right. i will wait.

;-)

I able to understand my industry (the technology industry at it were) in a way that would not be possible otherwise. Further, through online tools and social connectivity, I am able to go beyond my field of interest and discover things I might not ever have discovered.

I am able to share my thinking with others, and as a result, improve my ability to articulate thought.

I am (quite easily) able to lead an existence that goes beyond my apartment’s four walls, and touches many people and many places around the world — as many as I feel I can meaningfully manage.

Yes, at times, I find myself (my mind, my eyeballs) rotting in front of the screen; dazed, stalled, drowned in noise, hyperactively unproductive.

Despite all, the net result is a large positive for me.