A thought that could also be titled “Thinking vs. Blinking”.
A while back, when I first tried to read every item in every feed I subscribed to I made a mental note to myself. “Self”, I said, “You cannot handle a constant flow of content for very long, as you love information too much to try and consume it on a constant basis. You will in turn be consumed by information indigestion and mental weight gain. You will be less nimble because of all that you must consume. Instead, you must process and exercise with what you consume so that you become stronger.”
So that’s not exactly how it went, but it’s what it meant.
As we approach the reality of a real time web, I think it is important to remember what real time provides. As strange as it may sound, I think it is important to avoid what real time provides as well. I’m not sure that good can come from a society of users that is obsessed with the stream of information flowing in front of their eyes. Some people will manage fine, but I don’t think everyone can handle it. I know for a fact that I can’t.
Instead, I will focus on the real time web as a tool that is available when needed. Information will be distributed to all outlets the instant it is published and consumers of that information will access it when they decide to.
And it will be fun. 🙂