‘Wasting’ time looking for information
DonnaM — “So then I thought of what I have been doing for the past 2 hours. I have been sitting in front of my computer looking for information. Non-stop. I haven’t moved, not even to get a drink or chocolate. But not one second of that time has been a waste.”
This is a very good point. In the past, people talked about surfing the internet. Years ago, the internet was new and exciting, and people needed to look around at random. Far fewer people surf the internet these days, although at first glance it might seem that way. In any case, surfing is productive because people are learning how to use the web. Furthermore, when people use the web nowadays, they mostly hunt for information. Taken as a whole, not as much time has been wasted on the web as some people would like you to believe.
September 2nd, 2004 at 5:59 pm
I don’t agree.
Perhaps I just can’t craft decent search strings, but I’ve wasted plenty of time going through Google results and not finding what I want. There are times where I don’t mind this fruitless hunt, but there are other times where it’s simply frustrating.
Yes, sometimes the search takes you on a “journey”, enjoying the views, and soaking up relevant information like a sponge. However, to be devil’s advovate on that point, such an experience is not much different than reading a book or watching a movie — it’s mostly entertainment. Is that wasted time? Define “waste”. :)
Jay
Use Case