31
July
2005
|
21:36 PM
America/Los_Angeles

Information overload is nothing compared with conversation overload

. . . life in Internet 2.0


By Tom Foremski for SiliconValleyWatcher


Chatter.jpgWith the first phase of the Internet, a common issue was one of "information overload."


In this second phase of the Internet, which is marked by the use of two-way media technologies such as blogging, the issue will be one of "conversation overload."


I can deal with information overload—I've resigned myself to the fact that I can/will never be able to read/know all the things I think I should read/know. I can live with that.


But, conversation overload is different, because I *want* to have all these conversations. They are important to me.


These conversations are in email; they are in the comments written by readers of SVW and left on this and other sites; there are phone conversations to respond to; there are conversations with my kids, with my family, with my friends. With my business partners, with my colleagues, with my peers. And the conversations I have with myself.


All are important. Yet most seem started and rarely finished. Or is it just me? I think this could become a much more common issue in this Internet 2.0 phase.