From Now On The Educational Technology Journal

Vol 9|No 7|March|2000

Selectivity A book provides an offering of the most pertinent and reliable information. Less is more. With the advent of the Internet we note the noise to signal ratio rising at an alarming rate. Many complain that info-glut and info-garbage interfere with the search for insight. Data Smog: Surviving the Information Glut by David Shenk (Harpercollins, 1997 We expect that our author will focus upon certain essential questions and issues. We go looking for a book likely to match our own questions. Like Sherlock Holmes, our investigator looks for clues, evidence and information of high quality, pertinence and value. Researching to cast light on significant matters, our surrogate sorts and sifts in service to the questions at hand. We don't want a roving or random spotlight. We expect illumination. We buy the book - "hire" the author, if you will - because we cannot devote two years of our lives to replicating the research. We want a high signal to noise ratio. We trust the researcher to throw away the garbage and show us just the best information. We seek findings, gleanings and discoveries. We expect treasures and nuggets. Back to When the Book Credits: The photographs were shot by Jamie McKenzie. Icons from Jay Boersma at (http://www.ECNet.Net/users/gas52r0/Jay/home.html)Copyright Policy: Materials published in From Now On may be duplicated in hard copy format if unchanged in format and content for educational, nonprofit school district and university use only and may also be sent from person to person by e-mail. This copyright statement must be included. All other uses, transmissions and duplications are prohibited unless permission is granted expressly. Showing these pages remotely through frames is not permitted. FNO is applying for formal copyright registration for articles. From Now On Index Page