read a lot (Article 1 Response)

HAL

Below lies my response to the extremely long article I was forced to read. About..... attention span and such. Enjoy.

The first line grabbed my attention because I've seen 2001: A Space Odyssey so the quotes went through my mind like HAL's voice. Creepy. I'm hoping the rest of the article makes obscure references I may understand.

Wow. I absolutely agree with his views on his mind changing. It used to be that you couldn't see me without a book in my hand. Now? I've barely finished one in the school year. It may be a part of growing up, of having other things to do. School to worry about, responsibilities weighing down. I'm still working to get out of this slump.

Maybe the Internet is to blame.

I skim things to get information. Journalism's inverted pyramids have corrupted me. I seriously doubt if anyone is going to read this entire blog post!

addicted to easy

"It is clear that users are not reading online in the traditional sense; indeed there are signs that new forms of “reading” are emerging as users “power browse” horizontally through titles, contents pages and abstracts going for quick wins. It almost seems that they go online to avoid reading in the traditional sense."

Absolutely.

I just caught myself skimming through the next four paragraphs, and I have no will to go back and read it.

Just read something about Google HQ being a church and the ambition of Google to have quick and easy information out to internet users. All hail Google.

I think the author of this article is skeptical of his skepticism... But is still standing firm with it. Yet telling us to be skeptical about it. Now who's attention span is messed up?

AND HE BRINGS IT BACK TO HAL called it. That part of the movie is creepy, and sad. HAL is afraid (even in his creepy computer voice) and you feel for him. You feel for a machine that was trying to kill you.

Wow, tangent. The Space Odyssey reference distracted me the whole time. Despite having the LONGEST and MOST BORING beginning, the movie has a lot to say about technology being capable of bringing pain and destruction - even on the mind.

Cheers if you read this entire thing,
Michelle

P.S. I consciously wrote a few sentences beginning with "and" and "but" to break that imaginary rule that has been dictating my idea of the proper sentence most of my life.