Is filter failure a better explanation than information overload for societies changing usage of information

According to Moore's Law (1), "the number of transistors on a given chip can be doubled every two years."  This is corresponds to similar trend in the increase in the amount of information over time which supports the idea of information overload.  However, society should focus on addressing filter failure instead of just information overload.  In the assigned video,Mr Shirky makes valid points that support filter failure and criticize information overload as an explanation of society's trends.  In the assigned video, Mr Shirky proposed that we are in and have been in a state of information overload for the last 600 years. The amount of avalible information has increased since the printing press was introduced.  During this time period, distributing information required large amounts of money.  This forced producers to filter for quality. In fact, now, information overload is no longer the most relevent reason we are changing the way we recieve information.  The cost of distributing information has decreased to the point that quality of information is becoming a global problem.  

An example, given in the video, of unwanted and unsolicited online information that ideally should be filtered is spam email.   

Spammers have developed advanced techniques to bypass filters meant to block their spam.  According to mydigitallife.info/,"Spammers have come up with ways to avoid detection or filters. The use of JPG or GIF images rather than text messages can elude image filters as there are no two images that are the same. The images are randomly produced through colored dots in the background. Spammers even use 3-D images which totally fool image filters."

The effects of spam on the global and national economy are staggering.  According to wikipedia ,"A 2004 survey estimated that lost productivity costs Internet users in the United States $21.58 billion annually, while another reported the cost at $17 billion, up from $11 billion in 2003. In 2004, the worldwide productivity cost of spam has been estimated to be $50 billion in 2005.^[49] An estimate of the percentage cost borne by the sender of marketing junk mail (snail mail) is 88%, whereas in 2001 one spam was estimated to cost $0.10 for the receiver and $0.00001 (0.01% of the cost) for the sender.^[7]"

According to www.theregister.co.uk,"Spammers can make lucrative living even though only 50 in every million people respond to unsolicited commercial email.  While spamming cost are negligible the potential payoffs are "huge and very profitable", according to a paper by Andrew Leung of Canadian telco firm Telus."

Also notably, "Leung argues that spam makes economic sense, despite minuscule response rates, because spam can be sent at "virtually no cost to spammers". Spam, unlike conventional junk mail, is growing exponentially because it costs virtually nothing to send and all the costs of dealing with spam are dumped on its recipients."

These examples lead us to the conclusion that filture failure is a better explanation to the problems that internet users are encountering with respect to information.   

We are now faced with the possibility with misinformation and have to keep a close eye on the credibility of online information.

 

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The future of online information and the limits of privacy

We as society should focus on more information that is GPS location based.  It has some potential for abuse, but the benefits outweigh the risks.  Information that is GPS location based can be very beneficial to the user.  It can provide real time alerts in dangerous circumstances that could be potentially life saving.  Also information like nearby taxis or detailed weather reports that can help users plan when to spend time outdoors.  Also, perhaps, it could alert the user when they are nearby to a friend.  If a person feels that their device is being used to invade their privacy, they do not have to bring it with them everywhere they go or stop using the device.  On the other hand, law enforcement can use this new platform to catch criminals.  Don’t get me wrong, it is disturbing that the website google dot com has recently begun collecting internet browsing information about the users. 

There are several things we can do to manage the technology.  We need to stay aware of privacy policy of the devices and websites that we are using.  It is important to have a balanced healthy life which will be tested as technology engulfs more of our lives.  It would help if society valued exercise a bit more.  Of course technology has the potential to provide accurate information for users that want to be more healthy. 

It could be great for researchers to investigate any potential problems of technology from a psychological point of view like what is a healthy amount of time to spend with technology.  Also, they can help us answer the question: what is the future of human technology interaction?  There are many exciting possibilities like prosthetic eye to treat blindness and brain interface devices. 

I enjoyed the glass video and can see that many of the new technological advanced can be very beneficial to users.  I especially liked the possibility of watching a cooking video while cooking.  Although not mentioned in this video, I welcome the possibility of autonomous vehicles.  There is no need for a driver.  All of the passengers now have time to do anything imaginable, read, write, and use more technology.  If a user needs a ride, the car can drive without a driver to their location using GPS technology.