Information overload
I joined Facebook yesterday, and subscribed to a few RSS feeds using Newswire. I also downloaded a couple of podcasts to listen to on the way to the Mobile Learning 2009 conference next week. And I'm blogging.
But I need help. I am completely overwhelmed with all of the information moving in my direction and don't really know how to filter it. I used to know how to filter information--when it was on paper and microfilm. There were a limited number of books or journal articles to look at--and it was relatively easy to figure out who the experts were in specific areas (citation indexes are a wonderful thing). But now, there's just too much. I scan blogs and want to read everything that a person has posted and everything that they link to. There seems to be an endless number of podcasts that look interesting. And I don't know at all how to get started with Facebook--I "friended" some people I know and looked at their Facebook pages--but I'm not sure what comes next.
I spoke with a "digital native" about this yesterday--and he told me to start with one or two people's blogs--which I did. But they link to SO much interesting stuff--and there are only so many hours in the day.
How do people keep from going insane with information overload?
But I need help. I am completely overwhelmed with all of the information moving in my direction and don't really know how to filter it. I used to know how to filter information--when it was on paper and microfilm. There were a limited number of books or journal articles to look at--and it was relatively easy to figure out who the experts were in specific areas (citation indexes are a wonderful thing). But now, there's just too much. I scan blogs and want to read everything that a person has posted and everything that they link to. There seems to be an endless number of podcasts that look interesting. And I don't know at all how to get started with Facebook--I "friended" some people I know and looked at their Facebook pages--but I'm not sure what comes next.
I spoke with a "digital native" about this yesterday--and he told me to start with one or two people's blogs--which I did. But they link to SO much interesting stuff--and there are only so many hours in the day.
How do people keep from going insane with information overload?
posted by Gayle Stein at
11:05 AM
3 Comments:
learn to 'satisfice'. You need to unlearn your normal form of reading for depth. You scan. You skip. You acknowledge that you can't know it all/can't read it all. And you use tools like delicious to record the things that you like.
I've never quite understood delicious. Would I put links there as a way to keep track of them for when I have time to read?
In my job as a CIO, I've been working on tackling information overload with mixed results. My company, a professional services firm, suffers more than most because of a couple of infrastructure problems that arose from a couple of mergers.
I've been trying to get my colleagues to acknowledge that attacking our information overload problem will improve our overall knowledge sharing collaboration efforts and also contribute to our bottom line. But some people here just don't understand the extent of the problem.
I just read about information overload awarenesss day and I've signed up our company as a participant and designated site - I hope this will get my point across to my colleagues and help them understand what we can do to improve our overall position relative to information overload. For others in my position (and I'm sure there are many of you) I encourage you to do the same, Information is available at www.informationoverloadday.com
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