SPECIFIC GUIDELINES
Type Size
All titles will be roughly the size of Heading One. Headings will be in bold capitol letters and subheadings will be bold with the first letters capitolized Text size should be between 10 and 12.
Typeface
I will use Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif for the typeface for all text on the site.
Alignment
All content will be left justified, which is easier on the readers eye. Headings will also be left justified.
Indented Paragraphs
Use blank lines between paragraphs and not indented paragraphs.
Emphasis
To emphasis text I will consistently use bolding, spacing, and lists.

COLOR
Text color is black: #333300.
Background color for the text portion of the page is white.
Banner color for all pages is blue:#9999FF.

PAGE INFORMATION
Lists
When appropriate, I will use bulleted and numbered lists. This will help facilitate scanning.
Layout
There will be a navigation bar on the top of the page containing links to all of the text.
Hyperlinks
When creating hyperlinks, choose a descriptive word or phrase to act as the link and never use a phrase like “click here for more information” as a hyperlink.
Content
Content is grouped together in a logical format and is logically organized and conveniently navigated

VISUAL MATERIALS
Pictures
Pictures and other images will support the text. They will be located appropriately. Pictures and images should try to be placed above the fold.

TERMS
Data Smog
Data Smog will be capitalized at both the beginning of sentences and within the text.
Information Overload
Information Overload will be capitalized at the beginning of sentences and within the text.
Dates
Dates will appear in this order: day, month and year, unless in a citation. This is a more internationally accepted method of writing dates. Periods will also be used in place of slashes. An example of Valentines Day written in this manner is 14.2.05.

Through my work in this course, I am more aware of the difference between writing online and offline. Scanability is an aspect of online writing that I am very aware of. I am also more aware of my writing strengthens and weakness.

What have you learned in the course that you think will prove most useful?

Understanding how to write online so that people can scan the page and get the information they are searching for quickly.

One of the more useful aspects of the course was sharing tips for editing. I used several of the techniques when editing my work, although I was never able to successfully read my work backwards.

What questions remain unanswered for you?

I am still looking for the fail proof editing technique.

How can this course be improved or enhanced?

I think I would have benefited from more peer review and/or writing workshops.

Krispy Kreme has maintained their brand for decades on word-of-mouth advertising. Aside from the occasional billboard, Krispy Kreme does little advertising. Their Senior Vice President of marketing points to the Krispy Kreme in-store experience as their main branding asset. He said, “You can eat them hot. That’s a huge brand-building asset for us.”

Krispy Kreme’s self-appointed competition includes Dunkin’ Donuts, Starbucks, and New World Coffee. This helps transform the small company into the underdog of doughnut-makers. Additionally, their retro-cool image that has not changed since 1937 when they first opened their doors authenticates the company’s longstanding history.

Krispy Kreme does an excellent job at creating a buzz around new store openings, offering samples to their customers, and building a community. By limiting their store locations, they maintain a level of mystique and the scarcity helps to drive up demand.

Projecting Krispy Kreme’s image:

Krispy Kreme spends close to nothing on advertising and still their brand is well known. Television, radio, and print media give them free press by covering their store openings, which are reminiscent of a Black Friday at Wal-Mart; hundreds of people lined up just to see the sheet of glaze drop down onto the conveyer belt of dough. Additionally, to generate publicly, they offer free samples before opening one store per community.

Over the past few years, consumers have seen boxes of Krispy Kreme doughnuts in their local grocery stores. While this makes the product available to more people, it undermines the scarcity of Krispy Kremes and diminishes the Krispy Kreme experience. For a product that depends so greatly on the in-store experience and word-of-mouth for their advertising, this product placement is dangerous.

Meeting the information needs or wants of its target audiences:

Krispy Kreme’s target audience has changed in the last few years. After going public in early 2000, their popularity soared. However, by 2004, the honeymoon was over and their stock began to drop. Regardless of the reasons, this added a new category to their target audience: investors.

Krispy Kreme continues to meet the needs of their traditional target audience though their grand openings and free giveaways. Krispy Kreme still relies on word-of-mouth and free press coverage, but now, they play an active role in communicating to their target audiences with press releases, events, and their website. This integrated system, although not as sophisticated as others, is an improvement in meeting the needs of their target audiences.

Looking Holistically: TV, Print, and New Media

Krispy Kreme does very little to advertising on television, in print, or on-line. They rely almost completely on word-of-mouth, product scarcity, and the Krispy Kreme experience to sell their product. With the growth of the company and their recent pitfalls, this strategy needs an overhaul. Krispy Kreme will have to begin using traditional combined with new media to remain a competitive business.

Looking Specifically: Analysis of online strategies and uses of Websites

Krispy Kreme’s website is very well designed. The images online are consistent with their signs and stores. They both project the look and feel of the 1930-50 eras with the use of fonts, colors, and images. Their menu bar communicates exactly who they are: Krispy Kreme, Doughnuts, and Coffee. Capitalizing on their back-to-the-past charm, they clearly communicate their charisma in a historical section using images and short paragraphs relevant to that decade.

The Krispy Kreme website lacks interaction and fails to provide an online experience that could mirror the in-store experience. They have an online press kit and they update their press releases, but you cannot sigh up to receive notices. A browser can purchase toy trucks, look for the nearest store, and send emails to the company but that is the extent of the interaction.

Compare the New Media Use with Old Media Use:

When you ‘google’ Krispy Kreme, the first three hits are for the organization, after that, you find other news sources. It is clear that Krispy Kreme continues to rely on word-of-mouth both on-line and off-line for their advertisements.

Suggestions for better leverage of their website abilities to serve their target audience:

1. More online interaction to simulate the in-store experience online in needed. For example an online competition to redesign the flimsy box the doughnuts come in or a game that lets you manipulate the glaze as it falls over the doughnuts

2. Continuous website updates – not just the press releases.

How this site identifies its publics
The UNECE website does not clearly identify their publics, although from the content of the page, the reader would have to be interested in Europe, Europe’s Economics, or the Commission if they were going to stay on the website for very long.

How this site services those publics
UNECE does a very good job of getting information to the public. The homepage is broken down into three columns: Programs on the left, Special Events on the right and in the center (the largest column) Latest News. The Special Events column has a link for the event’s press release. The Latest News column lists in order of date short snippets of information that actually link to a press release.

When the reader clicks on the tab Information Resources located in the middle of the navigation bar, they are taken to a page that lists UNECE’s informational resources including: press releases, publications, the UNECE Weekly, Legal Instruments, The UNECE in your daily life, Photo gallery, and Youth Corner. There is also a large text box encouraging the reader to learn about UNECE’s latest developments, and giving the reader a breakdown of the resources.

How this site encourages repeat visits
The navigation and clear layout of information and links is surprisingly easy to use. I have found most UN websites to be difficult to navigate. This site is clean, scannable, and has a simplistic look that encourage repeat visits.

Additionally, they update their website consistently. For the latest information on the UNECE’s meetings, decisions, and publications, their website is the perfect source for the information.

How this site serves specifically the Press/News Media
UNECE’s site clearly offers information on their meetings, decisions, and publications in press releases that are accessible from the sites homepage and the Information Resources page. Additionally, readers have access to their weekly newsletter. They update their information regularly.

Overall
The page layout and site structure assist the reader in finding current information. There are no obvious barriers to access information. The UNECE’s corporate image stays at the top of the page throughout the site’s many pages without hindering navigation. Aside from not clearly defining its publics, the UNECE’s site is a wealth of accessible information.

Organization: United Nations Development Programme

How this site identifies its publics
Like UNECE, UNDP does not clearly define its publics. They target everyone who is interested in the UN’s development work in democratic governances, poverty reduction, crisis prevention and recovery, energy and environment, and HIV/AIDS.

How this site services those publics
The UNDP homepage is divided into three columns. On the left is a text box with recent publications and special reports listed. In the middle the reader finds the latest UNDP information, without a subject title. On the left is information about the UNDP’s 2004 Arab Human Development Report and how to purchase the report.

The navigation bar, located above the banner containing the UNDP name and logo, the reader can easily find the Newsroom link. The Newsroom page setup is more congested than the UNECE’s site, but information is still labeled clearly and easily navigated.

How this site encourages repeat visits
The UNDP site encourages visits by updating their page with relevant information. Unlike the UNECE site, UNDP offers anyone who desires the ability to subscribe (and unsubscribe) to news bulletins with an online form. Additionally, the contact details of the UNDP individuals responsible for information dissemination are available on the left side of the Newsroom page and listed in order of their region.

How this site serves specifically the Press/News Media
In the center of the Newsroom page is dated information that links directly to the press release. Speeches and Statements are provided for the reader, listed by the year and theme. There is also a like to Biographies that takes the reader to the About UNDP page where they can learn more about UNDP Administrators.

Overall
The UNDP website, although filled with more images, colors, and lists that could be distracting than the UNECE website is still easy to navigate and offers all of their readers information about UNDP, the UN, and issues surrounding their main themes. The one thing that the UNDP site does not do is give the reader an idea of when the site will be updated next.

Organization: United Nations Children’s Fund

How this site identifies its publics
Like UNECE and UNDP, UNICEF does not clearly define its publics. They assume that if you are on their site you are interested in their priorities: girl’s education, immunizations, child protection, HIV/AIDS and early childhood.

How this site services those publics
This site uses images and color better then both UNECE and UNDP. Located on the left side of the homepage is a column dedicated to headlines From the Press Center. The Press Center has a link from the navigation bar at the top of the page.

Again, the use of color makes all the difference when comparing UNICEF’s Press Center page to that of UNECE’s or UNDP’s. With a blue background, the latest news is located in the center of the page in a whit box. The title of the box, Latest News is a burnt red to help grab the readers attention. The reader is also able to sort though all of the press releases by date, subject and region.

On the right side of the Press Center page the reader can easily find additional information listed under Tools, Hot Topics, and Our Positions. One the left, the user can access video clips relevant to UNICEF.

How this site encourages repeat visits
UNICEF, like UNDP, allows all visitors to register for e-Alerts, which they promise is a low volume mail distribution. They say that this list is intended for journalists but it is open to anyone. Additionally, the contact details of the UNICEF’s communication department are available on the site, making access to them easy.

How this site serves specifically the Press/News Media
The Press Center is an excellent site for the press and news media. Under Tools, they provide likns to audio features, publications, pictures and more. Additionally, UNICEF provides information on what they consider to be their Hot Topics, making it easy for the press to gain access to these stories. However, most beneficial is the Our Positions category that clearly outlines UNIFEC’s take on specific issues.

Overall
I believe that UNIFEC has the most effective website for communicating to the press and the public at large. Their categories are invaluable when navigating through the information. Their use of color and images effectively adds depth and interest to their stories without distracting the reader from the information.

The regulations for political communication are complicated and tedious. Ambiguity from Congress on the definition of public communication, does not help to clarify this matter. Congress defines public communication as any "broadcast, cable or satellite communication, newspaper, magazine, outdoor advertising facility, mass mailing or telephone bank to the general public, or any other form of general public political advertising." This definition fails to specifically mention the Internet.

With this loophole, it was expected and we saw, political candidates moving from traditional broadcast mediums to the Internet to avoid the communication regulations for the 2004 elections.

During the 2004 elections advocacy groups and wealthy individuals could coordinate online advertising without having it count as a contribution, an act expressly prohibited for traditional media: television and newspapers.

However, a ruling in September by US District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly which said the FEC’s exclusion of the Internet from other regulated coordinated communications undermines the law’s purpose has caused the FEC to reexamine their stance.

The Politics as it Applies to Bloggers:
Earlier this March in an interview, Bradley Smith discussed the implications the new regulations would have on bloggers. For Bradley Smith, one of the six commissioners at the FEC, it boils down to a question of contributions. Can a link to a politician’s website be considered a contribution? If yes, then what is the value and what happens if the linker has already contributed the legal maximum?

Another issue at stake is whether or not to give bloggers the press exemption, which currently covers broadcasting stations, newspapers, magazines or other periodical publications. The press exemption does not cover bloggers because the Internet is not clearly defined as a periodical or broadcast medium. Additionally, there is no standard for becoming a blogger.

Earlier this week, the FEC proposed that all bloggers should be given press exemption making them immune from laws that would count their political endorsements as contributions.

The FEC is looking for a way to "ensure that political committees properly finance and disclose their Internet communications, without impeding individual citizens from using the Internet to speak freely regarding candidates and elections."

Most bloggers and politicians are happy with these draft rules, but they realize that they raise more questions than offer answer.

Additionally, bloggers are finding themselves in unique predicament. Growing numbers of bloggers are incorporating to protect themselves from civil suits, which would then prohibit them from political activities, unless they can qualify as legitimate journalists.

What’s Next:
We are at a point where the government is beginning to define the Internet and the way we can legally use it. The public has 60 days to comment on the proposed regulations, and the FEC will accept comments by email (Internet@fed.gov) as well as hold a public meeting on June 28th.

Additional Information
The FEC's proposed regulations also say:

Political spam must be labeled, a relaxation of a current regulation that requires disclaimers when more than 500 bulk messages endorse or attack a political candidate. Now only such e-mail sent to addresses purchased "through a commercial transaction" must sport disclaimers.

Linking to a campaign's Web site will not be counted as an "expenditure" that could trigger campaign finance law unless money changes hands. Also exempt are "distributing banner messages" and "blogging."

Someone simply running their own Web site from their own computer or hosted on a service like Blogger.com does "not make a contribution or expenditure" that must be reported as a campaign contribution.

Forwarding e-mail from a political candidate "would not constitute republication of campaign materials," which could have triggered another complex section of campaign finance law.

This is a working Bibliography for my research paper: Our Relationship with Information in the ITR - Out of control or not? I am confident that I will find additional sources of information to add to this list.

In addition to the guidelines set fourth in our course’s Study Book and the APA manual, I used the UNC-CH Libraries Citing Information.

Brown, John Seely & Duguid, Paul. (2002). The Social Life of Information. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.

This book provides an excellent insight into the limits of information and discusses the aspect of tunnel vision.

Shenk, David. (1997). Data Smog: Surviving the information glut. London: Little, Brown and Company.

This book provides the foundation for my discussion of Data Smog. Shenk provides statistical information about the jump in average word read over the years (although dated) as well as information on how society as a whole handles Data Smog.

LEXISNEXIS

Getting a grip on our information overload. (2004, August 9) Investment News, p. 8. Jim Pavia. Retrieved March 6, 2005 from LexisNexis Academic database.

This article has some interesting statistical information that should be useful in my research.

How to prevent information overload. (2004, May 1) Direct. p. 6. Paul Bradley. Retrieved March 6, 2005 from LexisNexis Academic database.

This article briefly describes the importance for companies to data mine - a set of techniques and methodologies that can detect patterns and trends in large data sets. The idea being that if companies have technology to help them organize their date, they can use it more effectively.

Information overload: understanding the type of learner you are to better handle the day-to-day barrage of information effectively. (2004, May 22) Edmonton Sun Alberta, Canada. p. 68. Anita Bruzzese. Retrieved March 6, 2005 from LexisNexis Academic database.

This article is helpful in defining how different learners can deal with information overload.

So many pages, such feeble search; Microsoft is just the latest tech outfit to tackle the info-overload problem. It's joining a host of others that have miles to go. (2004, July 16). Business Week Online. Steve Hamm. Retrieved March 6, 2005 from LexisNexis Academic database.

This article describes the need for Microsoft and Google to do more to put the information individuals look for in their hands quickly. I do not anticipate using this article, but it has some interesting statistics on how much money organizations spend on trying to create a system that more effectively gets relevant information into users.

Turn it off. (2004, April 25). Sunday Mail Queensland, Australia p. 4. Joanna Bounds Retrieved March 6, 2005 from LexisNexis Academic database.

This newspaper article has interesting statistics on the amount of new webpages are added to the Internet. It also discusses the need people have to process information, even if it is an overwhelming amount of information.

Unplugging the addiction to information overload; professor urges protection of psychic space, quiet time. (2004, May 10) The Washington Post, p. A03. Anonymous. Retrieved March 6, 2005 from LexisNexis Academic database.

This article might be helpful as an example of a person who tries to balance Information Overload and life. The specific example here is the subject’s observance of the Jewish Sabbath – when he is not allowed to use the computer.

WEBSITES

Anonymous. (2004, May 1). Managing Information Overload -- A conversation with Erik Brynjolfsson of the MIT Center for eBusiness. Retrieved March 8, 2005, from CMP Optimize Online Magazine Website: http://www.optimizemag.com/article/showArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=ZGIYZVT3WEDW0QSNDBCSKHSCJUMEKJVN?articleId=19502343&pgno=2

This interview with Erik Brynjolfsson discusses the how business can manage Information Overload without loosing productivity by discussing his research. Erik studied the communication between headhunters and executive recruiters over a two years by tracking their emails, questionnaires, and interviews.

David Shenk. (date unlisted). David Shenk. Retrieved March 8, 2005. Website: http://host190.ipowerweb.com/~davidshe/index.html

This website lists all of Shenk’s publications and interviews and will be useful as a secondary source for his Data Smog book.

Peter Lyman, Hal R. Varian. (2003, October 27). How Much Information? 2003. Retrieved March 8, 2005, from The University of California Website: http://www.sims.berkeley.edu/research/projects/how-much-info-2003/

This site offers a number of statistics that will be useful in illustrating the jump in formation we process. Also, I can use this site as an example of a research project that effectively uses hyperlinks and is appropriately laid out on a website.

One thing that I can’t seem to let go if is my computer and the Internet, which is ironic because in addition to work issues keeping me glued to the Internet is my research for this class on Data Smog and Information Overload.

One of the things my research brings to light is the importance of balancing information with life. I hope this week I can be successful at it, because I haven’t done all those lunges and squats to strengthen my legs to sit inside and email!

We store signs and metaphors in our minds and can apply their meanings effectively when prompted. For example, two browsers Netscape and Explorer both use similar interface designs that make good use of metaphors.

• Both use ‘home’ buttons to take the user back to their homepage.
• Both us a stop symbol to allow the user to stop a page from loading.
• Both use colorful moving icons to show the user that a page is loading.

However, the interface design between websites and blogs is not always this similar and does not always effectively use iconic metaphors. This is to be expected on some level as different sites and blogs strive to be unique. However, the lack of memorable metaphors slows down communication while the user is forced to learn another set of buttons or tries to remember the sites metaphors.

Webpages within the same site and blogs should be homogeneous. The repetitive use of metaphors within a site reminds the user where the and helps to create better communication between the site and the user.

Article abstract: The article introduces life in Greenwich Connecticut and explores the issues surrounding life in an exceedingly wealthy town including egos and arrogance. In Greenwich, the fight between old and new money has become a social equalizer.

Greenwich Facts from the Article:
• Zip Code: 06830
• Population of Zip Code: 24,552
• Homes worth a million or more: Nearly 2,000, or 47%
• Median Family Income: $105,500
• People Living Below Poverty Line: 1,350
• Located just over an hour from Manhattan by train
• Today, only 28 percent of today's residents were born in Connecticut

Ego and Arrogance
In Greenwich, there is a sense of longstanding privilege evident in the very structure of their city. Appearance is so important to some people, that they feel obligated to drive out-of-towners through a working-class neighborhood, where they point out the Boys and Girls Club building – a project supported completely by private donations.

Town residents say, “There is ego here, but almost no arrogance.” Appropriate for a place where there is always someone with a more, and older, money.

Old Money and New Money – Social Equalizer
Greenwich’s wealth, specifically Old Money, is in instances older than our Nation. However, Old Money is on the out as new investment firms take root in Greenwich, creating a hedge fund capital rivaling Manhattan.

With this increase of firms and people with New Money, astronomical wealth has become a social equalizer.

Everyone in Greenwich is rich.

Summary
Greenwich is a symbol of the Republic’s promise.

Visually, the article needs more than just a girl in a beautiful dress on an elegant stairwell and a picture of a large estate. Graphs illustrating their wealth compared to Middle America and a picture of the town’s ego and arrogance would be helpful.

How the information changed for my version.

I had to leave out a lot of the language that made me want to visit Greenwich. The language in the original article illustrated the uniqueness of the city and created an image of people who just happened to be extraordinarily wealthy. I wanted to be able to visit Greenwich and marvel at the wealth. For this version, I hope that people researching Greenwich as a vacation spot, will see it as the city that captured the American Dream.

Lynch, Patrick J., & Horton, Sarah (2001). Web Style Guide. New Haven: Yale University Press.

The design will be simple and uncomplicated. Pictures and other visual elements will break up and support the text. There will be no dead-end pages, each page will be able to stand on its own, and there will be minimal vertical scrolling and no horizontal scrolling. This will place the majority of the text above the fold and increasing usability. The text will be divided in a logical format.

Specific Guidelines

Typeface

Type Size
All titles will be roughly the size of Heading One. Subheadings will be one size smaller, Heading Two. Text size should be between 10 and 12.
Typeface
I will use Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif for the typeface for all text on the site.
Alignment
All content will be left justified, which is easier on the readers eye. Headings will also be left justified.
Line Length
To make the site readable and to avoid eyestrain, I want the line length to be roughly three inches wide.
Indented Paragraphs
I will use blank lines between paragraphs and not indented paragraphs.
Emphasis
To emphasis text I will consistently use bolding, spacing, and lists. Italics, underlining, capitalization are all methods of emphasizing, but none are appropriate for this subject matter.
Color
Text color is black: #333300.

Background Color

Page Information

Design
Corante’s page design crates a strong and consistent visual hierarchy, emphasizing important elements and logically organizing context. The pages are broken down into three sections that effectively use contrasting background colors, headlines, color and images. The page design is balanced. Headers and font color are used effectively as are the dropdown menus. This design applied to all of the pages within the site, making the site consistent and allowing each page to stand on its own. This supports the sites credibility.

Organization
I do not like the site’s organization of information. Corante has a lot of information, but I believe that listing Industry Insiders and Weblog Columns is not the most effective way to break down the information. I could not find a site map anywhere in the website. I think that the site is too non-linear and confusing. Currently, the Regional section is listed under Industry Insiders. I am sure that New York is not the only region with Industry Insiders (a number of their own editors and writers work on the west coast).

How could the content be better presented?
Because the page design is clear and easy to navigate, the information should be as well.

One suggestion might be to move the information from the dropdown menus to the left column and to separate out Regions. Then, for example, when the reader moves the mouse over the Industries Insiders link, the Web Columns and Regional links would move down and the Industry Insiders links appear as a secondary list. If they did this, then they could move the Corante Blog to the right table and get the shameless advertisement off the homepage. Buy Corante Reprints is a poor use of this space.

What would I suggest to improve the site?

On the homepage have Back to Top links or shorten the page. Scrolling takes away from the usability. The Text Size function should be applicable to the dropdown boxes.

What works?
The Text Size in the upper right corner of the homepage is a great function. Also, the grey boxes on the homepage with More, Recent, and Entries for each new article makes scanning easy.

Visual – 13
For me, I thought this score would be higher. I believe that I am a visual learner. Most times, I need to see pictures and images in order to grasp a concept.

Aural – 14
I am actually surprised how high this score is. I use to play the trumpet and I enjoy attending concerts from the symphony at Duke to the Walnut Creek Amphitheater, but I would have never guessed that I would use this in my learning.

Verbal – 11
I enjoy public speaking, but I know my vocabulary needs improving, so this is not a surprise.

Physical – 16
I can understand how this relates back to the use of images. If I can physically touch something, then I can usually understand how it works. I also get some of my best ideas working-out.

Logical – 9
This score surprises me. I thought I used logic quite a bit in my learning. Perhaps my logic does not fall in line with ‘normal’ logical learning?

Social – 18
This score does not surprise me at all. As difficult as group work can be, I enjoy working with small groups. I miss being in a classroom setting, and feel that online courses miss out on opportunities to engage in class discussions because the interaction is not immediate.

Solitary – 16
This score does not surprise me either. As much as I enjoy working with groups and being apart of the ground, I need my time alone. I take pride in things that I accomplish on my own. I have never been one to participate successfully in a study group. I would prefer to go to the group, get my assignment, finish it on my own and then bring my work back to the group.


How the results might affect how I plan my content
As previously mentioned, I believe that it is important to try to understand not only where I am coming from in my learning style, but also where others are coming from. These test results will defiantly influence the way I present my content.

Data Smog is an issue that needs to be address concisely. This will require several drafts and rewrites on my part. Additionally, the subject requires a logical organizational design – another issue for me that will require an additional set of eyes. Visually, Data Smog is an interesting concept to work with. Do people need to see information in a cluttered mess and then in a clean format to understand the idea of smog? As a person who learns with pictures and images, I will include them - but will try to do so in a fashion that complements the text instead of substituting. For example, the numbers illustrating the jump in average word-per-day read by individuals would make a wonderful graft. This use of images would help illustrate where we were ten years ago compared to where we are today.

2. Where did we begin and where are we now?

a. I want to find data (Ideally from the UN/US Government/etc) charting the amount of information we are exposed

i. I want to prove that there really is more information available today than before

b. I want to discuss the people that believe that technology solves all issues and answers all questions versus the other extreme – the people who don’t engage with IT at all

i. I think it’s important to give both sides a (short) voice in the debate.

a. What are the limits of information / are we better off / more productive?

b. How do we process the information?

a. How our information is divided

i. No more card catalogue to peruse when looking for paper topics

b. How our society is divided

i. Consumer tribes, online communities, market targeting.

Resources for now include:

Shenk, David. (1997). Data Smog: Surviving the information glut. London: Little, Brown and Company.

Brown, John Seely & Duguid, Paul. (2002). The Social Life of Information. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.