Is this the end for books?

[Rich_D]

I prefer the irony in the fact that all the pro-book comments to a "newspaper" article were posted by people reading the online version...

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by Kali Yuga

Actually, it's been demonstrated in several studies that multitasking most likely does degrade cognitive functioning.

Some of the smack talk is probably exaggerated, but I see no problems with the general premise that constantly switching your focus may be psychologically satisfying while degrading our ability to perform most types of cognitive tasks.

As I said, it may be true of most people today; it doesn't mean people won't learn to deal with it better tomorrow.

Originally Posted by pilotbob

So, yes multi-tasking slows productivity due to the context switching overhead.. but it isn't computers that "cause it" they just allow it or make it easier.

I think this topic is quite covered in Covy's getting things done. Part of his system is organizing tasks so that you do all your like task together so you are context shifting less often. Do all your email, then do all your phone calls, then do your word processing, then your research, etc.

Or, in other words, learn how to multitask in an orderly fashion. And it's a good point: Multitasking has always been with us; but some people handle it better than others. That's hardly the computer's fault. And it doesn't mean people can't learn to do better through proper procedures and practice.

[anamardoll]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

I got bored reading that article so clicked on a flashing link to go somewhere more fun.

The problem is not my attention span, it is your boring article that is saying nothing new and piling speculation on top of speculation that is backed by speculation.

BOb

Oh my god, this so many times. I am so tired of hearing that the internet is making us all ADHD jumpy morons who can't concentrate for ten seconds.

[DiapDealer]

Yeah, all this talk of degrading cognitive functioning doesn't take into account........ Oh look, a squirrel!

[anamardoll]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Yeah, all this talk of degrading cognitive functioning doesn't take into account........ Oh look, a squirrel!

What startled me most was some of the comments. "I'd never burn a book, but I'd happily smash a Kindle!" What??

I was amused by someone who said that eReaders are just status toys. I've been using mine wrong by reading in the house instead of ostentatiously on the bus. I gotta work on that.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by anamardoll

What startled me most was some of the comments. "I'd never burn a book, but I'd happily smash a Kindle!" What??

I was amused by someone who said that eReaders are just status toys. I've been using mine wrong by reading in the house instead of ostentatiously on the bus. I gotta work on that.

Did that comment have...

-- posted from my iPhone

underneath it?

BOb

[anamardoll]

Alas, it did not. But that would have been hilarious, I agree.

[MrsJoseph]

Originally Posted by anamardoll

What startled me most was some of the comments. "I'd never burn a book, but I'd happily smash a Kindle!" What??

I was amused by someone who said that eReaders are just status toys. I've been using mine wrong by reading in the house instead of ostentatiously on the bus. I gotta work on that.

Status toys??!! I've had "status" and I'm just now finding out.

And here I am thinking that eReaders were just a way for me to port around my library the way other people port their music.

[Ankh]

Originally Posted by Steven Lyle Jordan

The only point worth discussing is the author's contention that computer-inspired multitasking is, in fact, a drain on intelligence, suggesting people cannot "focus" on important items for long in the computer environment.

Somehow I missed the moment when author took a stand on that issue.
Quote from the article, emphasis mine :

There are two main schools of thought. One is that modern culture is making us cleverer. In Everything Bad Is Good for You, Steven Johnson observes that IQ scores in the west are rising, and argues that pop culture – from soaps to video games to the web – is responsible. In the other corner is Nicholas Carr, author of The Shallows: How the Internet Is Changing the Way We Think, Read and Remember. He thinks the web is making us more stupid. We surf the shallows in a state of permanent distraction, and concentrate on no single thing for long enough to engage properly with it. Since much of our mental energy is spent processing the medium, little is left for the message. Carr, then, is a descendent of Plato, who mistrusted writing because he thought people would stop bothering to know anything if it was all there in books.

[carpetmojo]

Originally Posted by DonaldL.

Is this the end for books?

NO...

[anamardoll]

Originally Posted by MrsJoseph

Status toys??!! I've had "status" and I'm just now finding out.

And here I am thinking that eReaders were just a way for me to port around my library the way other people port their music.

This. It's the difference between having 1,000 songs on an MP3 player and 1,000 CDs and a player in your backpack. (Not even touching the vinyl issue. )

I also liked the people saying that with eReaders you CAN'T BROWSE MUSTY BOOK STORES! My allergies are so sad about that.

[MrsJoseph]

Originally Posted by anamardoll

This. It's the difference between having 1,000 songs on an MP3 player and 1,000 CDs and a player in your backpack. (Not even touching the vinyl issue. )

Now try that while going 80. Status symbol.


FREEDOM. It's whats on my eReader.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by anamardoll

I also liked the people saying that with eReaders you CAN'T BROWSE MUSTY BOOK STORES! My allergies are so sad about that.

I have a kindle, and I didn't explode the last time I went into a book store.

BOb

[cfrizz]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

I got bored reading that article so clicked on a flashing link to go somewhere more fun.

The problem is not my attention span, it is your boring article that is saying nothing new and piling speculation on top of speculation that is backed by speculation.

BOb

That's almost what I did, I just clicked my back button to come back here for intelligent discussion.

[pocoreader]

No more books? Oh, man! I'm still getting over the loss of scrolls.