For a mix of reasons I perceive the digital world getting worse.

Not just the services and applications but also all the regulatory things coming down the pipeline; likely wider-spread mandatory age verification, a recent example. Many others.

Though it can be sometimes frustrating, I have found “real world” domain stuff very relaxing and cathartic. You will have noticed my DIY game rising lately.

Rounding over the edges of a bit of oak is wonderfully “analogue”.

And tangible; physical.

I am lucky to have a workshop to do these things in. But I suspect there are physical-domain hobbies that almost anyone could do, without needing much space and tools.

I find I feel better about “digital” once it is a smaller component of a wider life.

Perhaps an unintended consequence of governmental fiddling will be a return to an approach more like dialup days, where you sat down for a contained amount of time, used “the internet” then stopped and went back to doing something else?

@bloor I think you make a great point, but I wonder how many people have workshops, or even a space to do this kind of thing in?

My *feeling* ( so unsupported by research or evidence ) is that more people are living together in the UK than they did before due to still living with parents or renting with friends and so on, and houses/rooms are generally smaller in more modern houses, so people just don't have the room for this kind of activity?

@SonOfSunTzu @bloor This is why hackspaces, mens sheds and similar are important!

@nav @SonOfSunTzu Andrews & Arnold doesn't just pontificate about this.

We provide broadband, free of charge, to a lot of Hack/Makerspaces. It's a small way we can help.

@bloor @SonOfSunTzu As a member of @lhs I am very grateful for this! Thankyou!