Information Overload

POSTED BY: dreamtrove
UPDATED: Tuesday, January 13, 2009 22:45
VIEWED: 6362
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DREAMTROVE

Tuesday, December 16, 2008 12:58 AM

Okay. I'm sick, in bed, and it's time for this thread.

We live in an era of too much information. In fact, an infinite quantity. So much that you can spend all day consuming arguments, opinions, ass jokes, or only things that agree with what you already believe.

The art of communicating effectively through the morass of noise is one which will take some time to master, but only those who do will be heard of the din of six billion voices babbling on billions of sites across the net.

I want to devote a thread to this concept, and please, no politics, personal attacks, etc. Sure, such things will come up, but stick to the topic of communicating effectively.

FREMDFIRMA

Tuesday, December 16, 2008 3:31 AM

Add just enough incisive snark to draw attention, keep it simple, and do not over explain.

I call it "Garden Pathing" as in, lead down one.

Some of the stuff I discuss is kinda horrific, and it's not my policy to inflict nightmare causing kinda stuff on folks who do not consent, and sooo...

I give enough clues that someone who WANTS to know, can go digging, and those who don't, can go away.

And in a subtle or cryptic fashion that plays to folks sense of mystery and yanks the same curiosity chain that drives folk to stick their nose into all manner of stuff.

It's the text based version of the stagewhisper, instead of shouting, you slowly lower your voice over time till folks are leaning forward, straining to hear, and by that effort, driving your message deeper in their minds that it would otherwise go.

It's the whisper that carries like a scream.

-Frem
"I am the Whistler, and I know many things, for I walk by night. I know many strange tales, hidden in the hearts of men and women who have stepped into the shadows. Yes ... I know the nameless terrors of which they dare not speak."

RUE

Tuesday, December 16, 2008 3:36 AM

In the age of discourse being reduced to two-word gotcha' phrases, generally, shorter is better ...

OR

You have to have a hook to really draw people in ...

OR

You have to make your point such that people really feel the choices ...

OR

You have to be able to line up your argument so coherently, so smoothly, so simply, that people will easily follow along to the end.

***************************************************************

Silence is consent.

DREAMTROVE

Tuesday, December 16, 2008 3:49 AM

Frem,

I basically agree with this strategy. Everything should be layered in bite sized nuggets. Each leads to a new level of discovery.

The short is I fail to catch the follow through, if it's there, so show me if you can, but take the point home. Lead by example, and if you can, define "incisive snark" without using the word boojum.

On the horror, I doubt you can shake me, but I never get any follow up when I ask you. Or when I ask anyone about anything. I think this is part of the reason for my interest in communication skills. I thought I was pretty good at it, but I don't have the skills that I need. It's not why I started the thread. I want a real debate on information theory. I think we live in a time when the quantity of information is staggering.

I just posted on another thread I was avoiding to do an analysis of the communication going on. Generally, here, everything ends in argument, which is probably the most pointless form of communication, at least in the manner displayed in, say, partisan politics.

Here's another issue: My post right now is too long. It should be <200 words, but I'm way too tired to edit. To be honest, I don't read a lot of your post's to the end. Even fewer of PN's. The quantity of text is a little too high, and like a story, if it doesn't snag me in the opening line, and then continue to draw me in, I'm lost. I try not to ignore people on the forum, but I'll admit there are a couple who have nothing to say, and a couple more who have things to say, but choose to bicker rather than say them.

I would guess that a lot of people abandon mine.

DREAMTROVE

Tuesday, December 16, 2008 3:54 AM

Rue,

on point three, please explain?

RUE

Tuesday, December 16, 2008 4:05 AM

This one ? "You have to make your point such that people really feel the choices ..."

For example, the journalist who threw his shoes. You can say it as a statement of fact, which is pretty dry and uninteresting. Or you draw the understanding that he knew he would be at least arrested and beaten up and maybe disappeared and killed, and, when the moment arrived, threw his shoes anyway. It was a choice he made. And it is helpful if you can make people feel what it would be like if they had to make that choice themselves. It increases understanding.

***************************************************************

Silence is consent.

FREMDFIRMA

Tuesday, December 16, 2008 11:11 AM

Damn, plugged sinuses must have clogged your processes a bit there, DT - perhaps you should consider trepanation ?

*THAT* is incisive snark, aka doing the dozens, talking some smack, or whatever you chose to call verbal slammery with no actual hostility behind it.

Done right, it sets a certain tone to a thread and often by the snark itself reveals the direction imma try to pull the discussion.

I am subtle, in a very oblique kinda way.

As for lack of follow up on horrific topics, are you really that damn sure you wanna know ?

I warn you, much, MUCH more than 200 words, so if you're gonna just skim it, don't bother.

http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.asp?b=18&t=35435

Third post from the bottom, with links.
You want more details, I can provide - moreso than you ever wanted to know, only excepting current cases in progress.

I do also tend to post highlights of some stuff here, from time to time.
http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.asp?b=18&t=30966

That's just some starters, you'd have to ask for specifics, since I got like two decades worth of data on the topic.

-Frem

It cannot be said enough, those who do not learn from history, are doomed to endlessly repeat it

SWISH

Tuesday, December 16, 2008 11:49 AM

Here's an ironic thing - Frem, you almost always have good things to say, but pretty often I have a hard time reading your posts. Like in this thread, they tend to be many single sentence paragraphs, with no grouping to sort it. Especially on a long post - it's all these single separate ideas flying at me, and it takes work to sort them out.

Myself, I'm more for one idea, one paragraph. The reader can get the idea of what I'm saying from the first sentence, then skim/skip ahead if they think I've got TMI. It's just less work for them. And at the end, they can see I had, in this case, 3 points to make and that's easy to remember and to reply to.

I'm not sure if this is what DT had in mind for this thread. But I've been wanting to say it for a while, and this is too convenient LOL! And please, no offense, Frem. I really do like what you have to say. It's just those long posts of short paragraphs that do me in!

SWISH

Tuesday, December 16, 2008 11:50 AM

Because I'm a dork and like to experiment, I want to compare my above post to:

Here's an ironic thing - Frem, you almost always have good things to say, but pretty often I have a hard time reading your posts.

Like in this thread, they tend to be many single sentence paragraphs, with no grouping to sort it.

Especially on a long post - it's all these single separate ideas flying at me, and it takes work to sort them out.

Myself, I'm more for one idea, one paragraph.

The reader can get the idea of what I'm saying from the first sentence, then skim/skip ahead if they think I've got TMI.

It's just less work for them.

And at the end, they can see I had, in this case, 3 points to make and that's easy to remember and to reply to.

I'm not sure if this is what DT had in mind for this thread. But I've been wanting to say it for a while, and this is too convenient LOL!

And please, no offense, Frem.

I really do like what you have to say. It's just those long posts of short paragraphs that do me in!

ETA: And with that I'm off to work. I'll check in again tonight!

RIVERLOVE

Tuesday, December 16, 2008 1:07 PM

Interesting topic, and for my two cents I have to agree that the overall quality of our lives has not improved from the onslaught of news and information from the web and cable tv. All these 2 or 3 day news cycle "stories" infect our consciousness to the point where we become numb or jaded. We don't really feel anything anymore, we just react. I find the daily news atmosphere in this country sickening. It's sloppy gotcha journalism, with almost all of it ideologically and agenda driven. I am most at peace with myself when I ignore the news and stay off the internet. It's a wonderful feeling sometimes NOT TO KNOW. I take an early Sunday walk every week, and I just focus on my many blessings, and what is important to me and my family. Almost nothing we post here comes into mind. Stopping to admire a family of ducks with their new babies near the pond, or looking up to see an ultra-light floating across the sky above, and things like that add to the joy of your life. Being over-involved or emotionally invested in current events is very silly when you think about it. You get all worked up over things you have no control over, what's the point? The world still is a beautiful place if you go out and look at it. So keep your cars parked on the weekend, and go out and walk or ride a bike.

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