Information overload, and a feature that should be available on ats.

I think many if not most of us atsers suffer from this: Info-biological inadequacy syndrome - A form of anxiety brought on when a person wishes he or she could absorb information at a rate some what faster than the level that was hard-wired into human DNA back in the paleolithic era.

I've been treating my brain like I treat my laptop, and it just isn't working out. I came across this clever little book called Data Smog [Surviving the information glut] by David Shenk. It explains how "information gluttony" basically annihilates your memory, and DULLS your brain. Information overload has dozens of other perils that many of us haven't even taken into consideration. If you're a conscious, breathing human being alive especially in this day and age of information technology I highly recommend this book. It may be just a tad bit outdated but still iss extremely insightful, and probably life changing if you suffer from "Info-biological inadequacy syndrome".

I think that 'New topics' should have a customizable filter. For instance lets say you don't want to see topics from the forums Religion, faith, and theology, Rant, and Aliens and ufo's; so you filter them out. This feature would also be great for the sensitive people that want to stay posted on alternative news but don't wish to hear about things like children being murdered. I hope someone takes it into consideration.

reply to post by RightInTwo


That's a pretty cool idea. I know exactly what you mean about information overload too... That's why meditation is nice, clear your mind

Good info.

I'll venture to say that my ADD isn't helping either...

Sorry, what were you saying? ooh...there goes another thread....and another...and another....woo-hoo!

S&F

reply to post by RightInTwo


On the recent posts page, you can eliminate any forum just by clicking the red (-) next to a thread in that forum. Just remember, this eliminates the whole forum from your list, not just the one annoying thread so use it wisely.


If you later regret your decision, you can hit "show hidden forums" at the top of the page and then hit the green (+) next to a deleted forum and it will show up again on your list of recent posts.

Originally posted by SpreadLoveNotHate
reply to post by RightInTwo

 

That's a pretty cool idea. I know exactly what you mean about information overload too... That's why meditation is nice, clear your mind

Meditation or Medication? hmm, always wondered at them being so similar in spelling.

Ever try to meditate with ADD? Not easy. Kinda like an private argument that no one wins.

You make a good point And I think we should all watch ourselves and monitor our informati that we take in each day each week. We have to have self care so we don;t forget the research and information and new insights thatw e have learned so we don;t explode

Originally posted by American-philosopher
You make a good point And I think we should all watch ourselves and monitor our informati that we take in each day each week. We have to have self care so we don;t forget the research and information and new insights thatw e have learned so we don;t explode

There was a thread yesterday I believe about so much info overload that it was getting difficult for some to put everything into an organized thought and many are feeling lost in their abilities to think because of info coming at us at such a high rate.

I remember waaaayyy back when the NET was 'Pull' instead of 'Push' meaning we had to pull the info out of it. Now it gets pushed at us with vids, ads, feeds etc.

This is part of the issue I believe.

Originally posted by jude11
Good info.

I'll venture to say that my ADD isn't helping either...

Sorry, what were you saying? ooh...there goes another thread....and another...and another....woo-hoo!

S&F

I've heard that information overload from information technology itself can cause a form of add referred to as "culturally induced add". Hearing that gave me a good laugh.

reply to post by jude11


Okay okay hold on. yeah I agree that adds and what not are pushed on us daily every minute. Thats an issue. But it is just like my philosophic stance on the saying "I don;t have time to do that" you know people say that. when there busy or whatever. You don;t have time? we control our time. We can;t let time break us and control us.

So we can say hey I have reached my limit on the amount of knowledge I can or should recieve today. Time to unwind go into a video game or play cards or whatever.

I am like that to though because I get into a mode where I say have to have as much wisdom as much knowledge as possible. But I know this is unrealistic.

Originally posted by RightInTwo

Originally posted by jude11
Good info.

I'll venture to say that my ADD isn't helping either...

Sorry, what were you saying? ooh...there goes another thread....and another...and another....woo-hoo!

S&F

I've heard that information overload from information technology itself can cause a form of add referred to as "culturally induced add". Hearing that gave me a good laugh.

hmmm..."Culturally Induced Add" CIA?

Don't know if I like that.

Originally posted by RightInTwo
I think that 'New topics' should have a customizable filter.

That has existed for months.

Originally posted by FortAnthem
reply to post by RightInTwo

 

On the recent posts page, you can eliminate any forum just by clicking the red (-) next to a thread in that forum. Just remember, this eliminates the whole forum from your list, not just the one annoying thread so use it wisely.


If you later regret your decision, you can hit "show hidden forums" at the top of the page and then hit the green (+) next to a deleted forum and it will show up again on your list of recent posts.

edit on 6/13/11 by FortAnthem because:

I feel dumb. My noob is showing! :

Originally posted by RightInTwo


I feel dumb. My noob is showing!

:

Don't feel bad, they didn't have this feature 'till recently. I only learned about it when I hit the (-) button next to an annoying thread and found out it got rid of that whole forum.

I had to go to the ATS 2010 updates thread to find out how to get the forum back.

BTW, interesting topic of discussion, I posted a thread along these lines a while back with a more humorous title:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Originally posted by RightInTwo
I think that 'New topics' should have a customizable filter...

OK. SO we've established that ATS does provide some kind of filter mechanism (not that I've ever noticed it; not interested in filtering, personally).

Let's get back to some of the other points in the post.

Originally posted by RightInTwo
...when a person wishes he or she could absorb information at a rate somewhat faster than the level that was hard-wired into human DNA back in the paleolithic era.

Now, we can laugh about this concept on a social level. But we should also realize that it could be a lie. Why should paleolithic DNA have anything to do with our ability to absorb information? For this to be true, you would have to assume that inherited DNA is the only possible source for our this-life mental abilities. Well, it has been suggested by some research that most animals, including hominids, are basically telepathic. Why hasn't this mental ability survived as a natural ability in all humans? We're talking more than DNA here.

Originally posted by RightInTwo
..."information gluttony" basically annihilates your memory, and DULLS your brain.

So, what does a "dull brain" have to do with our ability to process information? Again, we are back to potentially false assumptions. The genetics boys have been working for years now to convince us that our biology is genetically determined. This idea has some workability and is seen daily in how children resemble their parents, etc., so most people take it as fact, even though there is ample evidence that it is not totally true.

And the mind boys have also been working hard to "prove" to us the all mental phenomena are essentially biological. This has been a harder pill to swallow. If you go for this one, then this "information overload" tactic is definitely working on you! Because huge amounts of evidence exist that could not be explained by this idea. I don't wish to be offensive, but we do need to wake up: Only the dullest of humans would actually believe that they are their brains. So let's just get over that one. All those great ancient teachers, as well as many modern ones, did not have the destruction of human kind as we know it as the end result of their agendas. So stop listening to those who do. Like I am becoming more fond of saying recently: Try turning off your TV. That will handle a lot of "information overload" right there.

The definition is a concept to be laughed at on a social level and not really anything more No one said anything about abilities to process information. Sorry we aren't all as strong and mentally acute as you are my lord. . many of us human beings get overwhelmed, sometimes without even knowing it. It's almost impossible not to be in this generation with all of this information being thrown at us everywhere we turn, it's mostly about all of the extra junk that we don't need. . . ads and mindless information. I posted this with the intent of maybe giving people some insightful information, not to be challenged by either trolls with nothing but the arrogant intent to prove everyone wrong, or people that like to throw the fact that they are well studied in peoples faces, or maybe they sit higher on the autism spectrum than the average bear. I rarely ever watch tv. 'I don't wish to be offensive' but maybe try relaxing a bit.

OP, I am so glad you started this thread.
I had been thinking on this subject for
about 2 days now already and had thought
about making a thread entitled:

Can ATS cause Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome ???

but this seems more likely a thread which will
permeate with the masses.

I will have to say that when I first came here,
this place was nuts. It was like being in the middle
of a firefight with bullets whizzing past your head
and troll bombs going off every few minutes. It
was so disorienting and confusing at the pace
this place kept up.

Over the past months your brain becomes
attuned and some become so in sync with
the place they become an ATS Warrior.
Bullets and bombs no longer affect us.
It is mission accomplished despite all
the distractions. These battle hardened
veterans help shape ATS Strategy in
the forums and it basically becomes
like Neo in the Matrix after he is shot
and wakes back up. Everything slows
down to a snails pace. I wouldn't call it
data overload, I would call it data overdrive.
Set that bad boy on cruise control
and let's roll

But as we all see, eventually ATS Warriors
fade out and hit that PTSS and crash and burn.
Some recup and return for a 2nd tour of duty
and others do not. It takes a special breed
of individual to make it on ATS day after day
and keep their sanity. Such are the ATS Warriors.

reply to post by boondock-saint

Well, I hadn't thought of it quite that way before boondock. An interesting angle.

I've used this ( - ) feature in recent posts, and have noticed that the forums I hide still come up on 'New Topics'. That's disappointing.