Blob
>the personal blog of david n wallace
[aka Dave the Lifekludger]

I have been spending alot of time thinking about the notes on Linda Stone’s article at Supernova 2005. I’ve decided to put my thoughts up here rather than refine them any further.

The article goes from the position of needing to “Filter the NOISE from the SIGNAL” at the start of the article to “Filter SIGNAL from the NOISE” towards the end. The focus moves from the SIGNAL to the NOISE as the thing that’s been getting (or swamping) our attention - yet all along, as humans, I believe it’s really the SIGNAL we want to focus on. So I think it’s time for a re-emergence of the SIGNAL - time to shut-up the NOISE.

Some cut snippets from the article I wanted to highlight and sumarise:

We want to ensure our place as a live node on the network, we feel alive when we’re connected. To be busy and to be connected is to be alive.

a tension between collective and individual

C1-1945-1965: organization/insitution center of gravity
Trusted experts in authority to filter the noise from the signal, to give us the information that matters.

C2-1965-1985: me and self-expression. Self and self-expression new center of gravity
Trusted ourselves … Multitasking was an adaptive [to filter noise from the signal]

C3-1985-2005: Network center of gravity
Trust network intelligence. Scan for opportunity.

Continuous partial attention isn’t motivated by productivity, it’s motivated by being connected.

As the article points out we are on the cusp of a new cycle. Here’s my observations/predictions for next cycle : (C4)

.Centre of gravity will be around individual. Individual trust gateway.
.Need to Filter SIGNAL from NOISE
.Deal with the NOISE and Focus on your own SIGNAL (what’s important to individual)
.Just as C2 saw rise of individual freedom of expression as reaction against suppressed individual of C1, C4 will see rise of tailoring and enhancement of individual lifestyle.
.Rather than seeking what ‘network’ can provide to ‘broaden’ opportunities (network effect), will seek what ‘network’ (mesh) can provide to ‘narrow’ threats to existing or desired focus (signal).
.Creativity explosion as ‘openness’ of web/technology enhances our ability to express our human desire to ‘connect’ and interact.
.More individual ’speciality’ as focus on signal - individual connectedness.
.Social constructs and capacity building will move from ‘portals’ (collective) to a ‘mesh’ (individuals - geodecic) following way web is moving.
.What I’m terming a mesh will form as ‘networks’ expand and focus changes.
.Signal will be found in the interstice of the ‘mesh’ (personal space, focus, ‘meshing‘).

Supernova article: http://radar.oreilly.com/archives/2005/06/supernova_2005_2.html
Linda Stone: http://research.microsoft.com/workshops/SCS2005/speakers/Stone.aspx
My blog post: http://dnwallace.com/blog/2005/12/31/post-multitasking-adaptive-behaviour/