| Information overload (aka information flood or | | | | Only drop your address when essential. Don't |
| information asphyxiation) is a term that is usually | | | | check your mail all the time (schedule a evening |
| used in conjunction with various forms of | | | | and a morning check).When sending e-mails, write |
| computer mediated communications. It refers to | | | | informative subject lines, assume that the |
| the state of having too much information to | | | | recipient is too busy to open messages with lame |
| make a decision or remain informed about a topic. | | | | titles like "hi". Also, try to ignore the messages |
| Fighting the data asphyxiation is difficult, but not | | | | without important subjects. |
| impossible. | | | | Avoid instant messaging (IM) as much as possible, |
| The typical business manager is said to read one | | | | unless real-time interaction will truly add value to |
| million words per week (the equivalent of one and | | | | the communication process. A one-minute |
| a half full length novels per day). A Sunday edition | | | | interruption of someone will cost them ten |
| of the New York Times has more information | | | | minutes of productivity, as they reestablish the |
| than the average 19th-century citizen accessed in | | | | mental context and get back into the work flow. |
| his entire life. Think about these facts. | | | | Set priorities and allocate the bulk of your time to |
| The information overload has become a | | | | tasks that are crucial to meeting your goals. |
| worldwide issue, affecting more and more people | | | | Minimize interruptions and spend big chunks of |
| each year. Its symptoms are the following: | | | | your time on productive and creative activities. |
| Increased cardiovascular stress, due to a rise in | | | | Reduce paper. Touch a piece of paper only once - |
| blood pressure; | | | | either file it or toss it away. |
| Weakened vision (a Japanese study predicts a | | | | Use your printer. This somewhat conflicts with the |
| nearly-universal near-sightedness in the close | | | | previous statement, but it's so easy to become |
| future); | | | | distracted by enticing link after link. Print the |
| Confusion and frustration; | | | | information that you need and file it. Saves |
| Impaired judgment; | | | | reading time, and you can find it easier. |
| Decreased benevolence to others; | | | | Newsgroups can consume your life. Use them |
| Constant feeling of tiredness; | | | | only for research and targeting specific answers. |
| Short attention span; | | | | Filter the information. |
| Constant feeling of helplessness. | | | | Take control over the flow of information that |
| There is a common piece of wisdom which holds | | | | you allow to come your way. |
| that any given fact can be twisted to fit one's | | | | Attempt to recognize only quality data. |
| needs. And it's totally true. Let's take the global | | | | Accept that not all data can be examined when |
| warming issue as an example. It is really such a | | | | information volumes are exceedingly high. |
| great threat to our lives or not? The answer, of | | | | Unsubscribe the newsletters and RSS feeds that |
| course, depends on whose report you read, and | | | | aren't going to help you achieve any of your |
| there are so many reports emerging on a | | | | goals. |
| constant basis that one is left not knowing what | | | | Develop an information management strategy |
| to believe. This is a condition that is sometimes | | | | that works for you. |
| referred to as "paralysis by analysis", and it may | | | | And to make things easier, here's a "Don't Do" list: |
| account for some of the decline in the American | | | | Don't take cell phones or computers when you're |
| (and not only) health. | | | | on vacation. |
| The web presents huge amounts of information | | | | Don't let information take control of you. |
| to its users, cable and satellite TV offer dozens | | | | Don't attempt to examine every piece of data |
| of channels of meaningless drivel and the | | | | available. |
| newspapers and magazines also try to feed us | | | | Don't focus on things that are beyond your |
| with lots of information. The problem is that our | | | | control. |
| brains didn't evolve as much as the | | | | The things we need to know are now drowning in |
| communication methods and information quantities | | | | an ocean of irrelevant information. This erodes |
| have grown. | | | | our work efficiency, family functioning, and |
| The key decision that one has to take is: "when | | | | increases crime rates. It also lowers our |
| do I have enough?". | | | | information processing skills that we need in order |
| Because we can't look at everything, we've got | | | | to elect responsible leaders and counter the |
| to establish some boundaries and deadlines, we've | | | | countless waves of propaganda. |
| got to recognize what quality is and filter all the | | | | The risk of information asphyxiation touches us all |
| information coming our way. In short, we have to | | | | - from managers and web surfers to the lazy |
| take control. | | | | couch tubers. Recent scientific research suggests |
| Key to information management is focusing on | | | | that exposing individuals to an information |
| the quality of the data that you receive. Decrease | | | | overloaded environment results in lower IQ than |
| quantity, increase quality. | | | | exposing individuals to marijuana. The same study |
| Do help you do that, I've compiled a short list | | | | notes that a night without sleep can be as |
| which can serve as a guide in your information | | | | debilitating as over-exposure to information. |
| management process. | | | | Excessive word count and worthless details are |
| What to do: | | | | making it harder for people to extract useful |
| Starting with the obvious: decrease quantity, | | | | information. We should all keep in mind that saying |
| increase quality. | | | | less communicates more. |
| Be careful with your phone time. Call only with | | | | Each little piece of useless chatter is relatively |
| planned discussions and teach your friends and | | | | innocent and only robs us of a few seconds, but |
| family to do the same. It's important to keep calls | | | | the cumulative effect is much worse. |
| short and focused. | | | | Most information manuals are filled with |
| Get organised, clean your desk. | | | | "important" safety tips against obvious stupidities |
| Kill your television. Or at least lower the time that | | | | burying the actual dangers in a huge mass of |
| you spend watching it. Is watching TV a good use | | | | irrelevancy. This only makes them less safe, |
| of your time? I don't think so. Even television | | | | because people no longer take time to read the |
| news is mostly designed more to sell commercials | | | | safety precautions. |
| rather than to educate the public. The U.S. | | | | Studies of content usability find that by removing |
| Department of Health and Home Services has | | | | half of a websites words will double the amount |
| published findings that TV might actually cause | | | | of information users actually get. |
| learning disorders. | | | | Let's start cleaning our information environment |
| E-mail can be a dangerous virus in it's own right. | | | | today. Take control now! |