What's "Lost" in the Google age of Research?
Good morning, For an upcoming paper at an Institute of General Semantics conference, I would be grateful to hear from anyone on this list of your experiences, feelings, or opinions on what, if anything, you've "lost" in this age when we can find answers and information so quickly and easily by going to Google (or to a lesser degree Wikipedia.) I am not focusing on the traditional issues or concerns like information quality, accuracy, comprehensiveness, etc., but more subtle matters, eg, if you have noticed a loss in areas like: * No more unanswered "burning questions"/less mystery in life/less wonder * Loss of what had traditionally been enjoyed/appreciated in a longer, slower research journey and process: eg fewer serendipitous discoveries? Less reflective reading with internal questions and analysis? More going on "Automatic" and less use of your own thinking and less mindfulness, etc? (Feel free to let me know too if you found there really are no losses at all from the Google research age, and that it is really primarily all to the researcher's benefit) Thanks in advance for sharing your experiences. Robert Berkman Associate Professor, Media Studies The New School, New York NY Editor, The Information Advisor www.informationadvisor.com Intelligent Agent Blog www.ia-blog.com ************** AOL Search: Your one stop for directions, recipes and all other Holiday needs. Search Now. (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100000075x1212792382x1200798498/aol?redir=http... y-holidays-from-aol-search/?ncid=emlcntussear00000001)
Good morning, to begin with, I'd strongly recommend that you look at Naomi Baron's _Always On: Language in an Online and Mobile World_ (Oxford U.P., 2008), including her ch. 9, "Gresham's Ghost." This is one of the most thoughtful, well-informed, and carefully argued accounts I've seen of what we've gained and lost as literate culture is rapidly overshadowed by electronic media and attendant practices. More broadly, both Neil Postman's _Amusing Ourselves To Death_ (1984) and Bill McKibben's _The Age of Missing Information_ point to larger frameworks for understanding what's lost, not only in terms of research, but in terms of what we might think of as an epistemological diversity, as easily accessible information tends to drive out the kinds of knowledges and knowledge practices that are more difficult, time-consuming, etc., but, in my view, are essential to acquiring centrally important kinds insight, understanding, and abilities - most grandly, wisdom and a kind of ethical judgment that Aristotle called _phronesis_, a judgment about what sorts of information (including ethical norms, principles, etc.) are indeed relevant to a given context. (Along these lines, this week's _Time_ includes an article on how financial managers are figuring out that they became over-reliant on information as processed for them via sophisticated computer programs, etc - and thereby lost sight of the central importance of human judgment. Perhaps it takes disasters of these sorts to remind us that there's more in the human game besides information?) Where to begin on research that I can't find via Google? Obviously, all of the articles, books, etc. that have yet to be digitized or made freely available - for example, an important article on the history of capitalism in _Dictionary of the History of Ideas_ from the 1970s. This article refuted the then prevailing notion that capitalism and the (alleged) Protestant work ethic were somehow linked, and highlighted instead the (Biblically-rooted) resistance among early Protestant leaders to the emerging institutions of capitalism. Perhaps this is "out there" somewhere now - but I don't know what search string I might have entered to get a result that would show me something that I was not originally looking for ... (tell me "everything I don't already know"? - smile) And, as I teach my students to read the Platonic dialogues - not as "information sources" in a narrow sense, e.g., as if these were transcripts of an ancient debate, etc., but as literary and theatrical pieces that must be looked at again and again in order to tease out important clues about the character and beliefs of specific interlocutors, in order to then begin to discern how these shade specific arguments, etc. - all sorts of insights and "aha's" come forth for them, as they learn to investigate, interpret, argue for an interpretation, and make connections between diverse arguments, interpretations, etc. _on their own_, i.e., as they acquire a kind of intellectual maturity in terms of their own abilities. It seems to me that good research does the same thing for us. It might begin with a casual and easy Google search - one that will turn up some interesting and useful resources (often enough, a Wikipedia article is really, really good!). But for me, at least, the hard work really begins when I confront a coherent article or book, and then begin to critically analyze, interpret, connect, and thereby create a larger intellectual understanding of what's going on. None of this is anything that I can look up - whether in print or online - as easily searchable "information." To paraphrase Postman, we are in love with the technologies of our enslavement. I'm certainly in love with these technologies - so, no thanks to the Chinese boot camp, even though I think there are quite serious issues to discuss along these lines. One of these would be, to paraphrase Naomi's argument in her ch. 9, how far the intellectual equivalent of good currency (and, to stretch the metaphor, the sorts of exchanges it makes possible among us, thereby leading to new and important insights, etc.) is driven out by bad currency - sheer "information" that we prefer not necessarily because of greater accuracy, depth of insight, quality, etc., but simply because it's easier to produce and find, thanks to the affordances of new technologies? Sorry, I really should be doing other things - hope this is more helpful than clutter-ful - with greatest respect, - charles ess
For an upcoming paper at an Institute of General Semantics conference, I would be grateful to hear from anyone on this list of your experiences, feelings, or opinions on what, if anything, you've "lost" in this age when we can find answers and information so quickly and easily by going to Google (or to a lesser degree Wikipedia.)
I am not focusing on the traditional issues or concerns like information quality, accuracy, comprehensiveness, etc., but more subtle matters, eg, if you have noticed a loss in areas like:
* No more unanswered "burning questions"/less mystery in life/less wonder * Loss of what had traditionally been enjoyed/appreciated in a longer, slower research journey and process: eg fewer serendipitous discoveries? Less reflective reading with internal questions and analysis? More going on "Automatic" and less use of your own thinking and less mindfulness, etc?
(Feel free to let me know too if you found there really are no losses at all from the Google research age, and that it is really primarily all to the researcher's benefit)
Thanks in advance for sharing your experiences.
Robert Berkman Associate Professor, Media Studies The New School, New York NY Editor, The Information Advisor www.informationadvisor.com Intelligent Agent Blog www.ia-blog.com
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Distinguished Research Professor, Interdisciplinary Studies Center <http://www.drury.edu/gp21> Drury University Springfield, MO 65802 USA President, Association of Internet Researchers <www.aoir.org> Co-Editor, International Journal of Internet Research Ethics http://ijire.uwm.edu Co-chair, CATaC conferences <www.catacconference.org> Exemplary persons seek harmony, not sameness. -- Analects 13.23
The University of Google by Tara Brabazon 2007 is a good look about the university and the google age of research. Mind you it is only slightly about google and the Internet scholarship is not the best if it ever could be. But she is bang on about academia and the Internet's effect on that. She connects lack of funding for schools with all the buying of computers for campuses. First year students who only use the net for research. As my boss is writing in an unrelated paper "just because information is out there doesn't help we are not all self learners" Peter paraphrasing Leroy Stone
In 2002, Tara Brabazon wrote a treatise called "Digital Hemlock" and in that book she disected Powerpoint and its dominant role in the 'new' classroom. Interesting that now she's onto google . . . I suppose there's 'bad' technology, then there's the poor use of 'bad' technology, then there's 'good' technology, then there's the poor use or implementation of 'good technology' . . . . There is some evidence that students want more than web-based instruction - the point was made by Phil Agre in his chapter in "Digital Acdeme" in 2002 and I wonder if that point can still be made in 2008? Cheers, Denise Denise N. Rall, PhD. Internationalisation Project Officer Southern Cross University, Lismore NSW 2480 AUSTRALIA Office: Room T2.17, +61 (0)2 6620 3577 Mobile 0438 233 344 http://www.scu.edu.au/schools/esm/staff/pages/drall/ Presenter, Internet Research 9.0, 15-18 October 2008, Copenhagen, DK --- On Tue, 11/11/08, Peter Timusk <ptimusk@sympatico.ca> wrote: Find your perfect match today at the new Yahoo!7 Dating. Get Started http://au.dating.yahoo.com/?cid=53151&pid=1012
Tara made some good points in Digital Hemlock, but it seemed to me that she muddled up the push to technology in universities with a lot of political agendas, implying that it would be the death of good teacher-student relations, then told us how brilliant she was as a teacher, and how fabulous her online discussions were. If hers were so good, why shouldn't there be more of it? Or maybe she has such a special gift that no-one else could pull it off? As we know, so many people assume anything 'on the web' to be a kind of second best to 'the real thing', whether it be Facebook friendships, YouTube videos, or education. There is quite lot of 'good' use of all kinds of technology going on, at least at the uni I work in. For example, I have managed the creation of lecturer-requested resources to prepare students for stuff they will do in science, like field trips and abattoir visits. The students also use these later for revision. These sites aren't meant to replace the experience, but rather to deepen the student's ability to understand what is going on while they are there. I don't think anyone now would argue that *all* instruction should be web-based. I haven't seen anyone make that argument, at least not for a while. But there seems to me there is no doubt that 'good' web-based resources can really help students become more independent learners. M-H On 12/11/08 3:55 PM, "Denise N. Rall" <denrall@yahoo.com> wrote:
In 2002, Tara Brabazon wrote a treatise called "Digital Hemlock" and in that book she disected Powerpoint and its dominant role in the 'new' classroom. Interesting that now she's onto google . . .
I suppose there's 'bad' technology, then there's the poor use of 'bad' technology, then there's 'good' technology, then there's the poor use or implementation of 'good technology' . . . .
There is some evidence that students want more than web-based instruction - the point was made by Phil Agre in his chapter in "Digital Acdeme" in 2002 and I wonder if that point can still be made in 2008?
Cheers, Denise
Denise N. Rall, PhD. Internationalisation Project Officer Southern Cross University, Lismore NSW 2480 AUSTRALIA Office: Room T2.17, +61 (0)2 6620 3577 Mobile 0438 233 344 http://www.scu.edu.au/schools/esm/staff/pages/drall/ Presenter, Internet Research 9.0, 15-18 October 2008, Copenhagen, DK
--- On Tue, 11/11/08, Peter Timusk <ptimusk@sympatico.ca> wrote:
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For those in the NYC area, you're welcome to attend all or part of these upcoming events this coming weekend. Schedule for the Institute of General Semantics 56th Annual Alfred Korzybski Memorial Lecture and the Symposium "Creating the Future: Conscious Time-binding for a Better Tomorrow" co-sponsored by the Institute of General Semantics New York Society for General Semantics Media Ecology Association Lifwynn Foundation for Social Research Friends of the Institute of Noetic Sciences Fordham University's Department of Communication and Media Studies November 14-16, 2008 All events are open to the public and free of charge with the exception of the AKML dinner which is $90. Friday Nov. 14 Alfred Korzybski Memorial Lecture at the Princeton Club of New York, 15 West 43rd Street, (between 5th and 6th Avenues) 6:00 PM Dinner (reservations through http://www.generalsemantics.org) 8:00 PM Program Moderator: Lance Strate, Fordham University, Executive Director of the Institute of General Semantics, President of the Media Ecology Association Presentation of the J. Talbot Winchell Award Martin Levinson, President of the Institute of General Semantics, Vice-President of the New York Society for General Semantics Allen Flagg, Trustee of the Institute of General Semantics, President of the New York Society for General Semantics The Fifty-Sixth Alfred Korzybski Memorial Lecture Douglas Rushkoff, New York University, "Playing the Future: Towards a Creative Society" Sat. Nov. 15 – Sun. Nov. 16 Symposium Creating the Future: Conscious Time-binding for a Better Tomorrow Fordham University, Lincoln Center Campus Saturday Nov. 15 8:30 AM Breakfast and Registration Outside of McNally Auditorium, Law School Building on 62nd St. off Columbus Ave., between Columbus and Amsterdam Morning Session in McNally Auditorium Moderators: Lance Strate, Fordham University Jacqueline Rudig, Institute of General Semantics Martin Levinson, Institute of General Semantics 9-9:30 Kathleen Sweeney, The New School, "Beyond iCelebrities: Social Networking and Social Activism on the Internet" 9:30-10 David Berreby, Institute of General Semantics, "Rhetorical Overload" 10-10:30 Tom de Zengotita, New York University/Dalton School, "Mediation and Fusion: The Case of Barack Obama" 10:30-11 Dick Meyer, National Public Radio, "Why We Hate Us: American Discontent in the New Milllennium" 11-11:30 Frank Scardilli, Institute of General Semantics, "What Every Thinking Person Should Know About Law, Lawyers and the Tyranny of Illusion" 11:30-12 Alex Wright, New York Times, "Glut: Mastering Information through the Ages" 12-12:30 Tyler Volk, New York University, "What is a Sphere?: Metapatterns and Scale-Transcending Functional Principles" 12:30-1 Bruce Kodish, Institute of General Semantics, "What Did Alfred Want? A Biographer's Notes on Korzybski's Life and Work" 1-2:30 Lunch Break Afternoon Sessions Simultaneously in McNally Auditorium and McMahon Hall Lounge (McMahon is a residence hall on 60th St. off Amersterdam Ave., between Columbus and Amsterdam) 2:30-3:45 in McNally Auditorium Program: Activism as Conscious Time-Binding Moderator: David Linton, Marymount Manhattan College Jeanne Posner, Western Connecticut State University, "Consciousness Without Activism is Ceding the Future" Paull Young, Converseon, "Social Networking and the Campaign Against Astroturfing" Bosco Ebere Amakwe, HFSN, Seton Hall University, "Empowerment of Women in Africa: The Role of Media Technology" Donna Flayhan, State University of New York, New Paltz, "Post 9/11 Health Crisis: Reactions of the Whole Organism, Delayed Reaction of the Culture" 2:30-3:45 in McMahon Hall Lounge Program: On the Logic and Illogic of Symbols Moderator: Margot Hardenbergh, Fordham University Gerald Erion, Medaille College, "Visual Propositions" Philip Ardery, Louisville (KY) Sustainability Forum, "Deleting 'I', Updating 'We'" Zhenbin Sun, Fairleigh Dickinson University, "Language, Dao, Etc." Martin Levinson, Institute of General Semantics, Practical Fairy Tales for Everyday Living 4 -5:15 in McNally Auditorium Program: Dispatches from the Global Village Moderator: Robert Albrecht, New Jersey City University Vanessa Biard-Schaeffer, Institute of General Semantics, " "A New French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, Brings About a Style of Leadership Very New to the French. Where Does He Come From? What Are His Strategies? Any Different from Other European or American Leaders? Etc.!" Prafulla Kar, Director, Centre for Contemporary Theory and General Semantics, Baroda, India, "General Semantics in India" Devkumar Trivedi, Centre for Contemporary Theory and General Semantics, Baroda, India, "The Epistemoscope: From Time-binding to Space-minding" Eva Berger, School of Media Studies, The College of Management, Israel, "In Praise of Delayed Reactions: Israel and the Culture of Talkbacks" 4 -5:15 in McMahon Hall Lounge Program: The Contents and Discontents of the New Media Environment Moderator: Paul Lippert, East Stroudsburg University Mary Ann Allison, Hofstra University, "Why We Need Cyberspace: A Response to Neil Postman’s Essay 'Cyberspace, Shmyberspace'" Robert Berkman, The New School, "Navigating Life in the Age of Google and Garmin: Answers and Directions vs. Wonder and Mystery" Stephanie Bennett, Palm Beach Atlantic University, "Crazy Talk, Stupid Talk: Revisiting Postman and the Relational Dynamics in the Emergent Semantic Environment of 21st Century Digital Media" Janet Sternberg, Fordham University, "Creating a Civil Culture: The Need to Resist Trash Talk in Contemporary Media" Evening Program in McNally Auditorium Moderators: Allen Flagg, Institute of General Semantics Janet Sternberg, Fordham University 5:30-6 Paul Guzzardo, The Geddes Institute for Urban Research, David Walczyk, Pratt Institute, and Alicia Gibb, NYC Resistors and Bug Labs, "The Green Flaneur" 6-6:30 Andrew Postman, Media Ecology Association, "How to Live in the 21st Century Without Multi-Tasking" 6:30-7 Terence P. Moran, New York University, "General Semantics Writ Large" 7-7:30 Milton Dawes, Institute of General Semantics, "Tools for Creating Better Futures" Sunday, Nov. 16 All Sessions in McMahon Hall Lounge 8:30 AM Breakfast and Registration 9-10:15 Program: Media Futures Moderator: Brian Cogan, Molloy College Thom Gencarelli, Manhattan College, "The End of Intellectual Property" Robert Blechman, St. George's University, "Things Come in Fours" Jessica K. Crowell, Fordham University, "The Umbilical Cord: Corrections, Connections and the Role of Media in America's Prisons" 10:30-12 Program: Science Fiction: Sequels and Adaptations Moderator, Meir Ribalow, Fordham University John C. Wright, Tor Books, "Null-A Continuum " Marleen Barr, Fordham University, "Science Fiction Tells Us Why the Obama Family is a Sequel to The Cosby Show" Paul Levinson, Fordham University, "From the Page to the Screen" 12-1:30 Lunch Break 1:30-2:45 Multimedia Performance Moderator: Jacqueline Rudig, Institute of General Semantics Eric Goodman, Institute of General Semantics, "Thus Spoke the Spectacle" 3-4:15 Program: Teaching General Semantics Moderator: Margaret Cassidy, Adelphi University Frank Gastner, Institute of General Semantics Renée Cherow-O'Leary, Teachers College, Columbia University William Petkanas, Western Connecticut State University 4:30-5:45 Program: The Future of General Semantics Moderator: Vanessa Biard-Schaeffer, Institute of General Semantics Ben Hauck, Institute of General Semantics, “A Better Tomorrow for General Semantics” Lloyd Gilden, Lifwynn Foundation for Social Research, "Development of the Ability to Experience Greater Integration with the Environment" Hillel Schiller, Institute of General Semantics, "Time-binding, Yes! But Time-bound, No! Change is Universal, But So is Stability" Allen Flagg, Institute of General Semantics, "Con II: The Future of Consciousness" ****************
participants (6)
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Charles Ess -
Denise N. Rall -
Janet Sternberg -
mhward -
Peter Timusk -
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