i want me one of these: an email sabbatical

danah boyd explains the rationale behind her forthcoming month-long email sabbatical. How refreshing to come back from holidays and not have to spend the first days/weeks catching up on email. If I was dealing with 500-700 personally addressed emails a day, I think I’d be doing the same (and I thought my current onslaught was overwhelming!).

Those of you who know me know I’m a chronic email checker / Twitterer / Facebooker / blog reader / yadda yadda… I own two laptops because my preferred laptop (a MacBook) is too big to throw in my handbag, have a mobile wireless connection for backup and have been known to check webmail on my mobile when my morning coffee stop is taking too long.

It’s nothing compared to a month of rejecting emails, but I’m aiming for a totally interwebs free week starting Christmas day. My phone will only be used for proper phone tasks – no surreptitious checking of anything – and my laptops will be gathering dust. It’s sad, but true, that I cannot remember a single day in the last five years where I haven’t been connected to the interwebs. No, wait. I think having my wisdom teeth out might have meant a web free day. But only one.

So, a disconnected week? Hmmm… It will be a challenge, but one that I’m looking forward to.