I have come to discover that one of the nicest things that happens when you are away from family and friends and all that you know is that you get to spend a lot of time with yourself.
And when you do that, you tend to behave in the way that is natural to you: some people sleep a lot, others go out in the city, others do all sorts of crazy things, and people like myself spend a lot of time browsing through the internet.
It is called "browsing", but I notice that for me it is a particular recurring pattern that I will call "topic jumping" (which I begun to refine starting at around the time I entered university).
As an example, I start by reading about something related to the mortgage crisis, go to Wikipedia to research it, then see an interesting link about a certain historical figure- click_open in new window-, then read about him and see an interesting link about undersea life- click_open in new window- then reading about that I see another thing about an impressionist painter- click_open in new window- and on it goes.
After about one hour of topic jumping I get a dozen new windows open, each about a different subject.
And then the fun part starts for me.
Having those browser windows open, in each of them I open tabs while reading more and more information (and I will never be grateful enough for Mozilla and its ability to restore your session in case your comp. crashes).
At this point, I stop "topic jumping" and just read a lot about that subject, until I get to understand it at least at a conceptual level.
Of course, in case I need that info in the future, I nicely bookmark the websites in a neatly categorized bookmark folder system (with a live back-up on the web) .
Four hours later I look at the clock and its already 2am :)
I have no idea if it is just me or everyone does it, but I see it connected with my "encyclopedic" way of thinking and understanding the world around me.
And yes, I am aware that being and encyclopedic person used to be "posh" in the 1800s.
Current paradigm is "expertise", with everyone insisting on you being specialized and focused on a specific and narrow area of expertise.
Truth is that I cannot really spend my time thinking about one single thing. I focus and do things, but then my mind wanders in different places. Kinda like this guy.
I like to learn a lot of things about everything, from growing orchids to model rockets and building your own steam powered boat.
I am sure that overall, looking at what is appreciated in the world right now, there are few chances for me to become "a true" expert on anything.
On the other hand, you should only do the things that make you feel good and screw the popular thinking :)
So, here is what I discovered tonight.
Although I am not a fan on Microsoft, after WorldWideTelescope I have begun to take a different view on their work.
Now, with Photosynth, I think I am very close to becoming one :)
Here is a TED talk about Photosynth
and one about the WorldWideTelescope, if you did not happen to be in my mailing list a few months ago.
2 comments:
Topic Jumping...
I do that :P
hey man, I was looking at your "hobby" and it reminds me a story that my mother used to tell me when I was very young. I don't know if it is going to make any sense in english and written, but I can try.
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Two guys are talking in a house. Then, one of them, talking about their subjects says: Ahh! Then it is just to take the milk from the cow.
The other replies: "Cow?? What is a Cow?"
The first: It's that animals that eats gress.
The second: Gress? What is gress?
The first: it's this green thing that grows on the ground.
The second: Ground? What is ground?
The first: it's this thing that you're standing at.
And the second finally answers: "Hummm now I know what is a cow!" hehehe
I don't know if it makes any sense for you... but it's like topic jumping. In the end you're reading about the moon, when you started to research about guitars....
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