If one finds one cannot endure the lure of the “little orange thingy” which informs one of new “likes/comments/follows,” &c, then the following solution should be undertaken:

1. Log out of your account
2. Create another user i.e. “davidemeronII”
3. Set its primary blog to Private
4. change the user’s display name to something like “REMOVE THIS NOW”
5. Log out of this account and log back into your “real” account
6. From each blog you use, invite your user (i.e. “davidemeronII”) to be an EDITOR.
7. Log out and log back into your new account
8. Check the email for the new account and accept all invitations you sent.
9. Now, you can edit drafts already posted and nothing will change
10. It is best to put the Author widget toward the top of the “Add New Post” page.
11. Because it will default to user “REMOVE THIS NOW”
12. Never post as this user
13. Never comment as this user
14. If you do, edit the comments or posts to reflect your normal username i.e.  “David Emeron”
15. You will never receive any notifications while logged in this way.
16. You can answer comments on this account, without affecting this
17. IF you always remember to change the user when you are posting.
18. SO IT IS BEST NOT TO DO THIS.
19. When you are ready for the cacauphany of comments, likes, follows, &c, just:
20. LOG OUT, and log back into your regular user account, and do whatever you wish.

(This post was published in this manner, my “little grey thingy” never changed into a “little orange thingy.”)

This is much better, and is far less nerdy, than using script blocking techniques.  I would much prefer that wordpress allow you to turn all notification OFF, but, until they do, this works perfectly.