« Return to Thread: Article: "Is Google Making Us Stoopid?" from The Atlantic.com
Re: Article: "Is Google Making Us Stoopid?" from TheAtlantic.com
by Christine Boese
::
Rate this Message:
Generally, none of those adjectives readily describe Atlantic Monthly
articles (which also regularly hew to a requisite length-- 2,000 to 5,000
words-- I used to submit essays, and have the yellowing rejection slips to
prove it-- of which readers of the New Yorker and Harpers are also
accustomed).
Sensationalistic, bad research, bad writing. I've heard the Atlantic
criticized for being too conservative, too over-researched, too constipated
(that last one comes from me, over the past 20 years), but RARELY would
anyone hear it called "sensationalistic," and this is old school magazine
writing, fact-checked to death over a full month or more. The Atlantic is
known for publishing some of the best writing in the country.
I'm just saying. Putting the Atlantic Monthly in the same category with,
say, a Murdoch publication, begs absurdity.
On the other hand, I may have come across a error in it myself, but it may
be more along the quibble my old journalism prof had with saying a student
"graduated" instead of "was graduated." I take special joy in finding these
things, mostly because my wonderful old prof has passed away, and somebody
ought to still be able to do what he did, quibble, just to keep his memory
alive.
Chris
On Tue, Jul 15, 2008 at 4:02 PM, Will Evans <will@...>
wrote:
> There are so many ways in which this article is bad. Bad research, bad
> writing, faulty conclusions based on shakey premises. The title alone
> should
> shy people away - it's sensationalistic. First - the author has no ability
> to discern the difference between intellect/intelligence and literacy, or
> intelligence and focus. This is not merely a matter of semantics. To use
> the
> word 'stupid' implies that google indeed reduces I.Q. yet the author never
> discusses intelligence anywhere in the article - he discusses focus, and
> literacy. Further, his issue is not with Google qua Google - but with
> Hypertext. Very, very different things. A well researched criticism of
> hypertext as a medium, and it's effects on cognition would have been
> interesting. This was not.
>
> On Tue, Jul 15, 2008 at 3:54 PM, Sebi Tauciuc <stauciuc@...> wrote:
>
> > Too long for me. Gave up reading up after two paragraphs. Does this prove
> > the article's point?
> >
> > Sebi
> >
> > On Tue, Jul 15, 2008 at 10:18 PM, Jackie O'Hare <Jackie@...
> >
> > wrote:
> >
> > >
> > > "Incidentally, I found the article too wordy for the ideas it
> described,
> > > but emotionally satisfying (just like I found 'War and Peace' too
> wordy,
> > > when I have read it long time ago)."
> > > ----------------------
> > >
> > > I totally agree. I found myself wondering whether it was done
> > > intentionally - as though the author was providing an example of the
> > > types of articles that we are inclined to glean for meaning. It seemed
> > > a little "meta" in that way.
> > >
> > > I also found reading this article online a very interesting experience.
> > > I wonder how the experience of reading it would be different if you
> were
> > > reading the print article in the physical magazine.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > --
> > Sergiu Sebastian Tauciuc
> > http://www.sergiutauciuc.ro/en/
> > ________________________________________________________________
> > Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)!
> > To post to this list ....... discuss@...
> > Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe
> > List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines
> > List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
> >
>
>
>
> --
> ~ will
>
> "Where you innovate, how you innovate,
> and what you innovate are design problems"
>
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Will Evans | User Experience Architect
> tel +1.617.281.1281 | will@...
> twitter: https://twitter.com/semanticwill
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ________________________________________________________________
> Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)!
> To post to this list ....... discuss@...
> Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe
> List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines
> List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
>________________________________________________________________
Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)!
To post to this list ....... discuss@...
Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe
List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines
List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
articles (which also regularly hew to a requisite length-- 2,000 to 5,000
words-- I used to submit essays, and have the yellowing rejection slips to
prove it-- of which readers of the New Yorker and Harpers are also
accustomed).
Sensationalistic, bad research, bad writing. I've heard the Atlantic
criticized for being too conservative, too over-researched, too constipated
(that last one comes from me, over the past 20 years), but RARELY would
anyone hear it called "sensationalistic," and this is old school magazine
writing, fact-checked to death over a full month or more. The Atlantic is
known for publishing some of the best writing in the country.
I'm just saying. Putting the Atlantic Monthly in the same category with,
say, a Murdoch publication, begs absurdity.
On the other hand, I may have come across a error in it myself, but it may
be more along the quibble my old journalism prof had with saying a student
"graduated" instead of "was graduated." I take special joy in finding these
things, mostly because my wonderful old prof has passed away, and somebody
ought to still be able to do what he did, quibble, just to keep his memory
alive.
Chris
On Tue, Jul 15, 2008 at 4:02 PM, Will Evans <will@...>
wrote:
> There are so many ways in which this article is bad. Bad research, bad
> writing, faulty conclusions based on shakey premises. The title alone
> should
> shy people away - it's sensationalistic. First - the author has no ability
> to discern the difference between intellect/intelligence and literacy, or
> intelligence and focus. This is not merely a matter of semantics. To use
> the
> word 'stupid' implies that google indeed reduces I.Q. yet the author never
> discusses intelligence anywhere in the article - he discusses focus, and
> literacy. Further, his issue is not with Google qua Google - but with
> Hypertext. Very, very different things. A well researched criticism of
> hypertext as a medium, and it's effects on cognition would have been
> interesting. This was not.
>
> On Tue, Jul 15, 2008 at 3:54 PM, Sebi Tauciuc <stauciuc@...> wrote:
>
> > Too long for me. Gave up reading up after two paragraphs. Does this prove
> > the article's point?
> >
> > Sebi
> >
> > On Tue, Jul 15, 2008 at 10:18 PM, Jackie O'Hare <Jackie@...
> >
> > wrote:
> >
> > >
> > > "Incidentally, I found the article too wordy for the ideas it
> described,
> > > but emotionally satisfying (just like I found 'War and Peace' too
> wordy,
> > > when I have read it long time ago)."
> > > ----------------------
> > >
> > > I totally agree. I found myself wondering whether it was done
> > > intentionally - as though the author was providing an example of the
> > > types of articles that we are inclined to glean for meaning. It seemed
> > > a little "meta" in that way.
> > >
> > > I also found reading this article online a very interesting experience.
> > > I wonder how the experience of reading it would be different if you
> were
> > > reading the print article in the physical magazine.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > --
> > Sergiu Sebastian Tauciuc
> > http://www.sergiutauciuc.ro/en/
> > ________________________________________________________________
> > Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)!
> > To post to this list ....... discuss@...
> > Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe
> > List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines
> > List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
> >
>
>
>
> --
> ~ will
>
> "Where you innovate, how you innovate,
> and what you innovate are design problems"
>
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Will Evans | User Experience Architect
> tel +1.617.281.1281 | will@...
> twitter: https://twitter.com/semanticwill
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ________________________________________________________________
> Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)!
> To post to this list ....... discuss@...
> Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe
> List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines
> List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
>
Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)!
To post to this list ....... discuss@...
Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe
List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines
List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
« Return to Thread: Article: "Is Google Making Us Stoopid?" from The Atlantic.com
| Free embeddable forum powered by Nabble | Forum Help |
