Comments on: We Live in an “Open Book” World, the Lie of Information Overload

By: tralice

tralice — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 19:57:52 +0000

Is memorizing really unimportant? How can one achieve their goals without being able to memorize some form of data or information? I understand the fact that for many professions out in the work place the need to memorize information is a lesser need than to be able to analyze and process such information. The example used to illustrate that memorization isn’t entirely relevant, a lawyer, is a hasty generalization. To be a good lawyer one must be able to memorize and in fact be really good at that given skill. In order to become a lawyer, one must attend years and years of school. School in present day, is based almost entirely on memorizing. As a junior at the University of Washington, I have spent my entire life memorizing. Memorizing multiplication tables, grammar, spelling, themes of books, not even mentioning all the everyday tasks needed in today’s society. The ability to memorize given information is a skill needed to succeed in the world in which we inhabit.
With the creation of the internet, the world has slowly become more and more ‘virtual’. Vast amounts of information have been uploaded onto countless web pages, and all of which are easily accessed by search engines. Does this ability to access all this information really make it more useful? Or has the information always been useful but in present times more people are now able to access all this information? The uploading of information to online resources doesn’t make it any more useful, in fact it just allows for more people to access such data. This ability to obtain information creates a world in which everyone is able to retrieve and use this information in order to enhance one’s own knowledge. Does going ‘virtual’ lead to other issues, like that of posting false information? In the past all information and knowledge is passed through that of books, magazines and other paper sources, and in order for your book to be printed the information within it had to be edited and approved by a given publishing company. This process allowed for a buffer step where if the information was in fact of untrue nature, the information wouldn’t be published. With everything going ‘virtual’ and no editing is required to post such information, a new era where anyone can put anything up and say it’s true has arrived. Back to the question of is ‘virtual’ information more useful because of the speed in which one can access it, no. This virtual world has just opened up the possibility for people of all geographic locations and means the ability to access information, nothing more.

By: Mark Jones

Mark Jones — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 21:08:46 +0000

I totally believe having questions answered and information available right away improves my life and anyone else\'s and no doubt with Google and others out there I\'m having a great time - \'information overload\' is getting the wrong information or no information to the questions we need answered I feel less loaded today than I used to.

I also think if you need to learn something from scratch you still have to discipline to do it in a heirarchical from easy to intermediate approach i.e. a beginner book or tutorial not the web but I think people fight that more these days because the more associative free way you can do it on the Web is addictive - but once you get over that the Web will get you to excellent fast if you use it.

By: Christelle

Christelle — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 02:46:01 +0000

Hi !

I have just understood ! I must click on \"next 20 comments\" ! lol !

ROFLMAO... ! Can an admin delete the messages 26 and 27 (and also this latest) for me please ? Thanks !

By: Christelle

Christelle — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 10:31:39 +0000

I don\'t understand... When I confirm my comment by clicking on the URL in the confirmation e-mail, my comment appear.

But, if I shut off Internet Explorer et reopen the web-site my comment don\'t appear.

Then, I have posted twice the same comment... Those 2 comments have appeared in the confirmation e-mail, but no one at all appear after shut off Internet...

I am really sorry... Can an admin delete one of my two comments and also explain me the problem, please. Thank you !!

By: Christelle

Christelle — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 07:48:04 +0000

25. Simply be as much selective as you can when you do research in the Internet. Example, if you type animal in Google... lol... your nights without sleeping will not suffice to proceed all the info... If you type cat, it is already a littly better. But, cat + food + cares is far more better.

My example seems laughable, but it is the true when we search something on the internet... !

By: Christelle

Christelle — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 07:37:42 +0000

Simply be as much selective as you can when you do research in the Internet. Example, if you type animal in Google… lol… your nights without sleeping will not suffice to proceed all the info… If you type cat, it is already a littly better. But, cat + food + cares is far more better.

My example seems laughable, but it is the true when we search something on the internet… !

By: Patricia Beck

Patricia Beck — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 00:55:14 +0000

Times have really changed and will only keep changing very quickly. I like having all the information at the tip of my fingertips but all of the information available can be overwhelming.

By: IndyAgent

IndyAgent — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 18:08:51 +0000

While it\’s true the internet gives us right now information when we need it, I\’m not certain it has lessened the effects of information overload. Processing the information into applicable knowledge seems to be missing in our technologically advanced society. It is a rare occurence to have a luncheon meeting or dinner where someone is not beeping or ringing. Email, SMS and texting have replaced converstaion. Maybe it\’s not information overload, but sensory overload, which prevents us from processing the information.

By: George Tallabas

George Tallabas — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 11:30:38 +0000

Gregory makes a very, very interesting point. With the vast amount of information that is out there (good and bad) it makes it possible for a person to get the information he or she wants in amazing speed. I recently purchased a new notebook computer and when I took it home and tried to add a printer I found out the manufacturer failed to load the proper files that would enable me to add a printer. I was pretty dissappointed and thought for sure I would need to take it in for tech support.

I then decided to Google the term \"How to add a printer to Windows Vista\" and within 10 minutes I learned how to add the files that would then allow me to add a printer to my computer. It was comlex enough that I could not have done it without a step by step guidline.

Not that long ago one would have had to rely on tech support to accomplish what I was able to accomplish in 10 minutes. I agree with Gregory when he asks what is the value of a college degree when this vast amount of information is available to anyone that has access to the internet?

I have witnessed high school dropouts and high school graduates do very well in the business world in my community. I am not advocating dropping out of high school and I am certainly not devaluing the value of a college degree but it is a very interesting subject and causes one to pause and think.

By: Ivanovic Tennis

Ivanovic Tennis — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 16:35:32 +0000

Open-book = free and available, the meaning of nowadays Internet, free online tv, news, sports scores, reading Blog Maverick, the whole world in your computer screen.