Thought of the Day: A Virtual Walden's Pond?

With the virtues that online social networking may offer for education, a thought for today is to consider a strategy to give yourself a respite from the frantic, nonstop pace of Facebook, Twitter, Digg and any other virtual world that sucks you in. A curious new software (counterculture?) called "Anti-Social*" has emerged that offers the user this:

"You'll choose an allotment of time for Anti-Social to block your access to sites like Twitter, Facebook, Digg and whatever else you deem distracting (LOLdawgz.org), decide whether you'll need access to your email, and then start the fade to black (click "OK"). Up to eight hours later, you'll emerge from your cocoon level-headed and ready to make the world a better place."

Of course, such a tool is unnecessary if one has sufficient discipline to achieve a balance of using these powerful tools along with all of the other priorities in our lives. I am not advocating this new tool, but would love to hear your response to the idea of a "counter culture" software tool as a way to manage the "feral beast" of the world of blogging and online social networking.

*Cavaet: Mac only
Photo source: URL: http://mrg.bz/4Irtf5