The Aesthetic of "Too Much"

Finally, a way to access the information on all the web sites I would wish to visit, but only needing to visit one site. What a time saver. It reminds me of how the Internet used to be back in the 90s, with hardly any graphic content, constant invasive advertising or design layout to get in the way of gleaning the information.

As the Internet continues to grow deeper and wider, allowing greater access to more information in even more sensorially stimulating ways, I sometimes feel in my advancing maturity that it is becoming almost too much for me to want to deal with, not having the time to keep up with it all. It seems to have its own obsessive obligation: the more one has more access to more information in a more real-time, the more one would be missing out or encouraging ones own ignorance by not taking opportunity to take advantage. A newsreader like Bloglines helps me to feel like I am on top of the information that I want instead of floundering in the overwhelming quantity of it.

The Global Village

Having travelled some and even worked abroad, I have always had an interest in non-U.S. culture. One nice thing about modern technology and the internet is the way it makes gathering information about and communication with others in other areas of the world (and ones own country) so immediate. I just came back from visiting the U.K. for two weeks; and while I was there, I fell in love with some of the programing they play on BBC2 Radio. Thanks to the internet, I can download podcasts of my favorite shows or even listen to it live. Yes, this not a very extreme example; but it does show how technology does bring us together, allowing me to expose myself to another (although sometimes very similar and pop oriented) cultures in real time.


Someatimes I think that technology (communication via the internet) has a rather equalizing affect. As long as one has access to and a moderate amount of equipment, regardelss of class, education, religious or political beliefes, one can electronically explore the world and find space to express oneself for all (who have access) to see and hear. Yet while watching a journalist on CNN or BBC news the other day, she reported from some small village in India or Pakistan while shoeless children with soiled clothes and no assurance of three meals a day as the price of rice doubles gather around her and one can here cell phones ringing in their midst. Yes, technology is finding its way to the remotest parts of the planet, but that doesn't necessarily mean it brings equality in socio-economic ways. Curious how one can aquire access to cell phones and computers yet still be concerned about finding enough food and adiquate healthcare.