[Publib] "Is Google making us stupid?"

Wed Jun 18 13:15:50 EDT 2008

Google aims to make libraries of printed works superfluous by scanning all texts into their enormous databases,
and a number of major research libraries are assisting them to do so.  Does this mean that the staff at these 
institutions are already stupid?  Is this a stupid question?

Philip Cheney

South Carolina> Subject: RE: [Publib] "Is Google making us stupid?"> Date: Wed, 18 Jun 2008 11:10:16 -0500> From: Marianne.Follis at cityofcarrollton.com> To: kstipek at aclib.us; jsanderson at nngov.com; jschallan at yahoo.com> CC: publib at webjunction.org> > Exactly. A tool is neither good nor evil; the answers to our prayers,> or the downfall of our intellect. It is a tool. How it is used is up> to the user. > > I couldn't have said it better myself. > > Thank you!> > Marianne > > -----Original Message-----> From: Kathleen Stipek [mailto:kstipek at aclib.us] > Sent: Wednesday, June 18, 2008 12:01 PM> To: Marianne Follis; jsanderson at nngov.com; jschallan at yahoo.com> Cc: Publib> Subject: RE: [Publib] "Is Google making us stupid?"> > And why not seem hostile to something one might dislike intensely? We> have been so rigorously conditioned to be nonjudgmental, open,> accepting--pick your own 'golly I'm tolerant' term--that except for the> commentariat on the tube and radio nobody expresses a strong opinion> strongly. The ones who do, right and left, simply play theme and> variations on their personal prejudices and how some person, place, or> thing either harmonizes or clashes with them so they don't even do it> intelligently. Also, the headline is what they call in the narrative> trade a 'hook' meant to grab a potential reader and haul him or her in.> In this case, I think both the pro- and anti-Google forces who bit got a> surprise that Google is neither as wonderful or evil as they thought,> given their prejudices. Our profession is all about not judging a book> by its cover. Let us not judge an essay by its hook.> > Kathleen Stipek> Alachua County Library District> 401 East University Avenue> Gainesville, Florida 32601> 352-334-3931 (fax) 352-334-3948> > --Non, merci.> Cyrano de Bergerac> > > -----Original Message-----> From: publib-bounces at webjunction.org> [mailto:publib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Marianne Follis> Sent: Tuesday, June 17, 2008 1:12 PM> To: jsanderson at nngov.com; jschallan at yahoo.com> Cc: Publib> Subject: RE: [Publib] "Is Google making us stupid?"> > And yet the title isn't "Is the Internet changing the way we think?," it> is "Is Google making us stupid?" The title alone seems to condemn,> which to many may seem hostile.> > -----Original Message-----> From: jsanderson at nngov.com [mailto:jsanderson at nngov.com]> Sent: Tuesday, June 17, 2008 12:33 PM> To: jschallan at yahoo.com> Cc: Publib; Marianne Follis> Subject: RE: [Publib] "Is Google making us stupid?"> > Having now read the entire article I have to say I found it stimulating> and informative. It asks us to consider the long term effects of our> ever greater use/dependence on technology based information searching.> It is never wrong to reflect on how are world is changing both to the> good and to the bad. Which is which may be open to discussion (and> isn't one of the points that we need to have that discussion and that it> is not possible without reflection?) The article seems to ask us to> consider important things like the difference between knowledge and> wisdom, fact gathering and thinking. I do not see it as condeming> technology as a fact gathering tool, but it does ask that we be aware of> the impact it may have, an impact we may not notice on a day to day> basis. To ask serious questions about important trends (and technologiey> certainly qualifies) is not to condemn the trend and should not be seen> as hostility.> > As to music, did they write any after Beethoven?> (Just kidding, I like the Beatles) Jim> On Mon, 16 Jun 2008 23:52:08 -0700 (PDT), Joe Schallan> <jschallan at yahoo.com> wrote:> > On Monday, 6/16/08, Marianne Follis> <Marianne.Follis at cityofcarrollton.com>> > wrote:> > > >> And I have to say I think longing for the good old days will get you > >> no where. Didn't the adults of the 50's think that Rock n Roll was > >> going to lead to the downfall of our nation's youth?> > > > Hmmm. Even as I wrote my post, I thought that it was only a matter of> time> > before someone dragged out the old-fogey card and played it.> > > > This is very close to Godwin's Law, and I shall take credit and call> it> > Schallan's Law -- whenever someone expresses skepticism about> technology,> > meaningful discussion ends when the skeptic is implied to be an old> fogey,> > resistant to change. Library managers, freshly back from conference> with> > New Ideas to complicate our service to our patrons, regularly employ > > Schallan's Law to put the kibosh on closer examination.> > > > I have reread my posts, and nowhere do I express longing for the good> old> > days. In my case, those were the 60s, and I think I made it clear that> I> > think though they now be old days indeed, they were never very good> days.> > > > > >> Please don't tell me you don't like rock!> > > > > > I don't like rock.> > > > I find it hopelessly short form and infantile, written expressly for> the> > attention-challenged and fatuous. In a nutshell, Sinatra sings for> adults;> > rockers sing for juveniles.> > > > Though no one should take offense at my opinion. De gustibus non > > disputandum est.> > > > How I came to dislike rock is interesting insofar as it relates to> Carr's> > thesis that the style in which information is delivered can reprogram> our> > brains for better or worse.> > > > Having come of age in the 60s and early 70s (my dad even putting the > > kibosh on my scheme to take his truck/camper across country to attend > > Woodstock), I was a guy who loved rock. Among my favorites: Jimi> Hendrix,> > Jim Morrison and the Doors, the Stones, Cream (Disraeli Gears and> Wheels> > of Fire), CSN&Y, The Band, Led Zeppelin, Buffalo Springfield, Jethro> Tull,> > and many others, and most of all, Bruce Springsteen. Interestingly, I> > > especially liked "long-form," thematic rock, and thus Pink Floyd, the > > Moody Blues, Tommy. The seven-minute "Light My Fire" was the only> version> > that interested me.> > > > And then, late on, I discovered opera, and I have to say it killed> most> of> > rock for me, as well as most of orchestral classical music, although> not> > jazz, Sinatra, or some country. I just didn't hear the stuff like I> used> > to, and could not believe that I had ever taken it seriously.> > > > So when Carr says a medium has the ability to reprogram our brains,> the> > point resonates with me. A style of music sure as heck reprogrammed> my> > brain.> > > > I would go on to a passioned defense of deep reading, but Karen has > > already done it eloquently, and I again refer you to> Freerangelibrarian.> > > > How does Carr's thesis relate to what we do as librarians? It relates> to> > what we promote and endorse. For my part, I will be a long-form > > evangelist, and try to make converts. I will have no part in> programming> > that makes war on reading.> > > > What we do isn't a profession; it is a calling. We must carefully> consider> > what we are incentivizing with the limited resources at our disposal.> We> > aren't removing gallstones or laying pipe; we are ministering to> minds.> > > > > > > > Brothers and sisters, you may now take your hands off the computer.> > > > Joe Schallan> > Phoenix> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________> > Publib mailing list> > Publib at webjunction.org> > http://lists.webjunction.org/mailman/listinfo/publib> > > > > _______________________________________________> Publib mailing list> Publib at webjunction.org> http://lists.webjunction.org/mailman/listinfo/publib> > > > > > _______________________________________________> Publib mailing list> Publib at webjunction.org> http://lists.webjunction.org/mailman/listinfo/publib> 
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