Friday
Oct282005
A Little Learning
Friday, October 28, 2005 at 02:37PM A little learning is a dang’rous thing;
Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring:
There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain,
And drinking largely sobers us again. - Alexander Pope
A somewhat interesting (but on reflection, not unusual) chain of events happened last night as I was checking my BlogLines feeds just before going to bed.
- I read Will Richardson’s Weblogg–ed blog entry that…
- Referenced David Weinberger's Jo-Ho blog (that I added to my feeds) that…
- Referenced Karen Schneider’s Free Range Librarian blog (that I added to my feeds) that…
- Linked to an article she wrote for Library Journal on blogging ethics that referenced…
- A Bloggers' Code of Ethics on CYBERJOURNALIST.NET and
- Michael Stephen’s Tame the Web blog (that I added to my feeds) and his The Library Blogger's Personal Protocols.
Now I’ve admitted that blogliness, like e-mail, exacerbates my ADD, but maybe things are simply getting out of hand. It’s starting to feel that I can exercise about the same degree of control over this sort of spontaneous reading that I have over my caramel corn consumption – I can't stop once I've started.
What I really am wondering is how is my reading time is best spent – snacking on blogs or feasting on books when I have time to do but one or the other in an evening. Strangly enough. I'm developing an ever greater degree of sympathy for the Net Genners who “satisfice” to meet their informational needs.
I’m pretty sure that reading Kurzweil’s book is good for me. Nice know just how much computing power a 2.2 pound rock contains should scientists ever figure out how to harness the processing power of atomic particles. I guess. Such a thick book certainly makes me look smart when I carry it about. And there is a genuine sense of accomplishment when I finish such a tome, much like a 4th grader feels after finishing a Harry Potter.
On the other hand, by blogging around last night, I stumbled on a relevant, important topic (blogging ethics) that I had not thought about before, and after reading three short articles, I now probably know more about the topic than than 95% of the rest of the blogging world– which I am quite sure qualifies me as an expert. Oh, and the knowledge gained will immediately guide my practice.
Is “a little learning” more important in a fast-paced world than "drinking deep?" Would Pope now have to write A little learning is a ness'ry thing? And just why would one want to be sober anyway, Mr. Pope?
Out of curiosity, did you make it through this entry without clicking on an external link? Adding a new RSS feed? Are your kids' “hypertext” learning styles rubbing off on you? Shouldn't you be off reading a good book?
