Reflections on Information Overload
You are currently browsing comments. If you would like to return to the full story, you can read the full entry here: “Reflections on Information Overload”.
Leave a Reply
Subscribe
Sign up for our Newsletter
About the Author
Email:
Web Site: http://www.echelondesigninc.com
Bio: Marketing director at Echelon Design. Social Media evangelist, marketing strategist, graphic artist and tech nerd.
Vote For Us!
Social Media and Events
Recent Posts
Facebook Fan Page
Flickr Photostream
Absolutely I have experienced this! I really relate, Eric. With regard to RSS feeds, I use Google Reader and iGoogle. I have 4 email addresses, and one by one I’m working on unsubscribing to every e-newsletter. I like the RSS feeds better, especially on my iGoogle page, as it’s like having my own newspaper. I can see it all at once and click on what I want, when I want. Each feed only shows 3 headlines at a time, so it never becomes overwhelming.
Information overload is a constant problem, especially for the tech savvy. The more we share tips on ways to manage info effectively, the better off we will all be. Thanks for another thoughtful post!
Eric,
The Economist this week has a special report on data overload; I haven’t read it yet but look forward to seeing what they have to say. However, I don’t fundamentally believe that information overload is a problem. There are plenty of tools and processes out there to help you filter down to what is important, so it is largely a matter of personal discipline, plus maintaining a confidence that you will see what is important to you because the ability to search through information has grown so powerful.
I am a big fan of the GTD system, and would say it has been a real life-changer for me. My colleagues at work are always amazed at my capacity to process information, and its largely because I am quickly able to organize and track commitments and references, using David Allen’s approach.
Hi Eric, I’m also a fan of GTD…but I have to admit have slipped on it and am now experience of feeling of losing control. Structure definitely helps as does getting over the panicky feeling that you might miss something if you don’t read all those blogs you subscribe to and just hit delete every now and again…of course not your blog!
Thanks for the reminder
Thanks Eric. I do in fact feel that I can be inundated with information and its true, I really have to use strategies to digest what it is that I’ve tasted, smelled, touched, heard, saw, and felt each day. There’s a lot going on around us and to observe it without doing anything (organizing, processing, digesting, etc.) it can be wasted information. Thanks for your posts. They’re very meaningful.
Eric:
Nice post.
Here’s a different spin on information overload.
I don’t walk into the library and feel information overload when there are hordes of books, magazines and articles begging to be read. I don’t log on to the Internet and immediately feel overwhelmed by the World Wide Web. I don’t go to Craig’s List and feel overwhelmed by all of the ads. As Clay Shirky says, “It’s not information overload. It’s filter failure.”
I think we blame information overload for something else: the rapid rate of digital change. The speed of change in this digital world requires individuals to learn anew, face novel conditions, and adapt at a record pace. Learning never ends. “How we know something” has changed radically versus “how we used to know something.” What’s right today could be wrong tomorrow. Change is the constant. Our minds are not hard wired for constant change so we have to learn some adaption skills.
Today, we have to be able to unlearn something quickly or suffer the consequences. I believe that we mistakenly blame information overload as the reason we have to change. Today we have to learn how to judge reliable information and sources. It’s not so much about having to learn everything or read everything. It’s about filtering and judging which are important to our lives.
Unlearning is a trait we should all embrace.