Information Anxiety

The Internet makes available a lot of information, and its democratizing effect really is unbelievable. If you are at all curious about or hungry for what is out there, though, the sheer amount and variety of information can be overwhelming.

So this is my plug for Google Reader. It takes a modest amount of time to familiarize yourself with all of the tools, but it allows you to conveniently centralize your information consumption and to keep up with sources that you might not visit with high frequency.

The information flow is still a bit overwhelming. I currently have 256 new items. But Google Reader allows you to manage the flow with some efficiency. The function that I am most excited about is the "Share" function. Rather than have an anonymous crowd filter Internet content, you can have those people whose opinions you respect and interests you share perform a filtering function. In this way, you get to see quality articles that you would never have seen otherwise. Plus, the "Share" function doubles as an archiving tool.

Now, the thing to do is get on Google Reader and find a group of people that will actively share. As with all network ideas, the "Share" function becomes effective only after reaching some critical mass. I have not reached the critical mass yet, and that is why I am writing this entry.

Bringing my connectivity up a notch...Many thanks to one James and one Benjamin for directing me to Google Reader.