cni-directories: Re: Information overload
Re: Information overload
ganderso@ATHENA.MIT.EDU
Thu, 30 Jan 1992 11:48:41 EST
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 1992 11:48:41 EST
From: ganderso@ATHENA.MIT.EDU
Subject: Re: Information overload
In-Reply-To: Your message of Thu,
30 Jan 92 07:21:07 -0500. <9201301434.AA20870@Athena.MIT.EDU>
When we talk about "information overload", I fear that we use
the conditions of increased information creation, flow, and
availability as an excuse in the same way we hear our local
utilities explain away billing errors as "the computer made a
mistake".
I agree that we are faced with the awareness of the existence of
much greater quantities of information, and because we are aware
that this information exists, we want to do something with it.
Still, we seem to be denying our own responsibility to understand
and analyze where the problem really lies: the manner in which
we present information seems to be the real culprit.
Envisioning Information by Edward R. Tufte is a beautifully
designed presentation of information (it's a BOOK!), and it poses
some interesting thoughts:
"Confusion and clutter are failures of design, not attributes of
information. And so the point is to find design strategies that
reveal detail and complexity -- rather than to fault the data
for an excess of complication."
There is also an unpleasant comment about the user when we
speak of "information overload" that seems to imply that the
reader is incapable. Maybe its our design and presentation
that overloads and prevents the reader from using information
appropriately.
Thanks,
Greg Anderson
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