My Journey from Facebook to Quora: A Deep Dive into My Web Addiction

To tell you the truth, my past internet adventures are more of a hazed memory. When I look back, I can only remember engaging in activities that, while entertaining, weren't necessarily enriching.

The Silicon Valley of My Past

YouTube has long been a part of my online experience. While it's a vast repository of information, the majority of the videos I consumed were not deeply intellectually stimulating. However, the reflective period after indulging in YouTube revealed a desire for more meaningful content. This is what led me to the platform Quora, where each question seemingly digs deeper into the fabric of knowledge and wisdom.

Quora has been in my life for several years now. Despite its entertainment value, it offers a form of productive engagement that is both addictive and intellectually engaging. There are moments when I find myself scrolling through quora pages, losing track of time while immersed in stimulating discussions and insights.

My Online Interests Before Quora

Before Quora, my primary space for sharing knowledge and answering questions was LinkedIn. However, their question-and-answer feature was eventually shut down, making way for other platforms like Quora.

I was also extremely active on Twitter during its early years. I participated in numerous weekly Twitter chats, which provided a forum for engaging with a community of like-minded individuals. But as Twitter grew, it became cluttered, leading me to explore other platforms.

From Twitter to Photography and Music

Before heading to Twitter, I spent quite a bit of time on Pownce, a social networking platform that was popular before its closure in 2008. After Pownce's shutdown, I shifted my focus to StumbleUpon and YouTube for inspiration and content consumption.

I’ve always maintained a deep interest in photography. Facebook was also a space I frequented, but my interactions were limited to sharing photos and occasionally consuming news. Prior to its expansion, Facebook was mainly occupied by college students and gradually grew to a more diverse user base. As it opened up to the public, I found the influx of content overwhelming and decided to distance myself from active use.

A Web Developer’s Perspective

As a web developer, staying informed about the latest trends and social media platforms is crucial. While I don’t devote as much time to each platform, I still find it useful to explore different sites to provide informed advice to my clients.

Additionally, I regularly engage with StackExchange for more technical insights and read blogs from a news aggregator tool like Feedly. I also tune into several podcasts to stay updated on diverse topics. This multifaceted approach to consuming and producing content keeps me engaged and informed, though it is also a time-consuming endeavor.