In his recent book (Infotopia), Sunstein suggests that we may think we are digging deeply into a topic by participating in an online participatory community, but we must take care that we are not actually echoing and perhaps moving to even more extreme positions by following the premises around which the group is organized (my interpretation).
I have my own remedy. I attempt to purposefully explore contrasting extremes. I have done this in the past sequentially by reading one book and then reading a second book criticized in the book I just finished.
I am now going to try this process in parallel. Two book arrived in a box from Barnes and Noble today.
My next project is to read Palfrey and Gasser’s “Born digital” and Bauerlein’s “The dumbest generation” in parallel. I should have tried this last summer when I had fewer other commitments. Perhaps if I announce my intentions I will make more progress. I am guessing several posts will follow.
Anything to keep my mind off the stock market.
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