I have been working on this post for several weeks. Writing, rewriting, re-rewriting. I still don't think I have my thoughts centered, or really getting my point across, but decided to move my "thoughts in process" to my blog and let nature take its course. Fair warning before continuing: these are my tragically uncool, but authentic thoughts...
The "bug in my shorts" is that there is way too much data and information available today to be consumed by the typical person...for that matter, even by the extraordinary person. Everywhere you turn, there is data on the web, new information on wikipedia, a new blog, new business books. There is good information. There is bad information. What is the basis for discerning the two apart? Experience? Knowledge? How do I get information that is relevant to me and helps me solve problems, develop knowledge, and gain wisdom?
Is the answer technology? I have 10GB of information in the knowledge base on my laptop. Google Desktop helped me organized. But it is still too much. Technology is too linear. Seth recently touched on a couple software breakthroughs that are closer than the horizon: 1) programs live on the web instead of your desktop and 2) desktop software that is truly web aware. The data exists and is getting more rich everyday. Our current bottleneck is the software. However, as the software evolves it will stress and break the all the boundaries and rules by which we operate today. We are moving at an exponential pace from a linear model with foundational business rules and delayed local connectedness to an nth-dimensional euclidean model with instantaneous global connectedness, where the rules are created, broken, and rewritten - not by us, but by the machines that have learned from us. We can no longer feed at the trough of data overload. The machines become us, constantly learning and choosing the data we are fed. Technology has been linear. Life is not linear. As technology embeds more into our lives, it will need to become more like our lives. Less linear.
Or, is the answer in simply turning the channels off? Quietly disconnect to reconnect. Focus. Have you ever sat quietly, reflectively, with no disturbances for an hour? For 30 minutes? 10 minutes? Clarity. Peace. Depth. Understanding.
The Truth remains constant. Everything else changes.
Postlog on technology: Michael Wesch does an astounding job showing the evolution and impact of technology. A quick "hat tip" to my cousin Bryan Davidson for turning me on to this video.
Whoa.
Your words are timely and timeless. It's something I've been thinking about A LOT.
From a noise-a-holic,
Bryan
Posted by: Bryan Davidson | October 29, 2007 at 01:03 PM