The Diary
of
Anne Ku

2 October 2000 Monday

AT MY FINGERTIPS

Information at my fingertips. That's what I want. That's what I strive for. That is why I have so much organising to do.

I have to go through piles of magazines, printouts, clippings, and newsletters. I have to reorder my bookmarks. I have to reshuffle my bookshelf.

Before PC's were networked, before the Internet age, I could just about manage with my little address book. I read everything on-time. The speed of INPUT (into my in-tray and then my brain) and the speed of OUTPUT (out-tray and understanding) were equal.

Now everything has changed. Information arrives more rapidly than my physical ability to digest it. So much ends up being "skimmed" or "scanned." You can't judge a book by its cover, but in Internet time, you have to.

How can I have information at my fingertips when my fingers are wading through the piles and my feet are trying to stay afloat?

Yesterday

Tomorrow

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Information Overload