Wednesday, December 12, 2007

The Solution to Information Overload

Edward Abbey is quoted as having said, “The best cure for the ills of democracy is more democracy.”

In this world of blogs, wikis, social networking, RSS, and Twitter, I'd like to appropriate the phrasing and say that: the answer to information or content overload is... to create more content.

Why is that? Because in the act of creation, our relationship with information changes. In becoming a producer as well as a consumer, we start to ride the beast instead of just being dragged along by it.

There is no stopping information. The explosion we have seen will pale in comparison, I believe, to what is coming. And being part of its creation will give us both meaning and context.

3 comments:

  1. Well said Steve...At first it seems counter intuitive but in reality it is the only answer. I needed to read this because my reader is full and life is overwhelming. I was feeling disconnected and not sure how to engage all the while missing the conversation.
    So heres to riding the beast!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I think, also, when we start contributing we feel some freedom from needing to read everything.

    When we are a consumer of information, our value is in knowing/following *everything*. Or at least, that's how I've often viewed my participation when I'm not a contributor.

    But the act of contributing gives much more "meaning" to what we do, and that meaning allows us some comfort in contributing where we can, but not having to be everywhere, or to know everything.

    This is paradoxical, isn't it?!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous8:22 PM

    Great post, Steve. I love your blog and look forward to reading and learning form you in 2008. Happy New Year!

    ReplyDelete

I hate having to moderate comments, but have to do so because of spam... :(