BS: Homepage contributes to ADD

Subject: RE: BS: Homepage contributes to ADD
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 20 Feb 11 - 08:12 AM

It's all a self-perpetuating spiraling feedback loop. If, say, a marketer wants to call attention to his advertisements during commercial breaks in a television program, he has to make the stand out. They need to be brighter, brasher, noisier, and more kinetic than the actual television programming which forms their background. But after a couple minutes of highly energized advertising, the program itself seems dull and plodding by comparison. So, the program's producers alter their production techniques. They begin to include more frequent camera cuts and other tricks the advertisers have been using which, of course, means the advertisers have to up the ante by using even more tricks, which results in the program producers adding more effects, ad infinitum.

The same principle applies to Web-page design. Once a webmaster decides to allow marketers to imbed animated content on a page, he'll eventually have to redesign the page to capture visitors' interest back away from his own advertisers.

Eventually, we'll probably wind up with visual media which are so disjointed and frenetic that half the population won't be able to actually tell you what they just watched or read on a TV or computer screen, and the other half won't be able to watch at all for fear of experiencing induced epileptic seizures.

Subject: RE: BS: Homepage contributes to ADD
From: Janie
Date: 19 Feb 11 - 11:03 PM

What LH said.

Subject: RE: BS: Homepage contributes to ADD
From: Little Hawk
Date: 19 Feb 11 - 07:32 PM

Well said, Eliza.

Subject: RE: BS: Homepage contributes to ADD
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 19 Feb 11 - 01:58 PM

As a retired teacher, I know that children need periods of quiet and reflection, doing nothing but thinking. But also, they need stimuli to encourage their brains to absorb and deal with new experiences and data. It's a question of balance. Continual bombardment by Xbox games and computer screens is overload. The one thing I think is lacking is physical activity, sport, exercise etc. If one could achieve a happy balance of all three, the child would develop to its full potential. And the same more or less applies to us adults. You can tell I'm a Libran!

Subject: RE: BS: Homepage contributes to ADD
From: Janie
Date: 19 Feb 11 - 02:00 AM

The two different experiences certainly have different effects on cognitive development.

Subject: RE: BS: Homepage contributes to ADD
From: Little Hawk
Date: 18 Feb 11 - 11:13 PM

They should try having some children spend a few years in a Buddhist ashram learning self-discipline, patience, silence, focus, meditation, and concentration, and see what it does for their cognitive development.

Subject: RE: BS: Homepage contributes to ADD
From: Janie
Date: 18 Feb 11 - 11:06 PM

There is a significant amount of research that is clearly headed in the direction of demonstrating changes in brain and cognitive development in our children compared to previous generations from their intense involvement with computer and internet technologies.

Subject: RE: BS: Homepage contributes to ADD
From: GUEST,Guest from Sanity
Date: 18 Feb 11 - 08:30 PM

Eliza: "Guest from Sanity, oh no, I would never prescribe a political policy for everyone, what right would I have to do that?"

I'm in love!!!

Little Hawk: "What you're referring to, of course, is the windy rhetoric of various individuals in the American Left, correct? That's more like the old "I'm more righteous than you are" routine "and if you just do it my way then we'll all be better off". Well, people on both the Right and the Left in America do that too, but they focus on different trigger issues when they do it, that's all. One side agitates for gay marriage rights, the other side agitates for protecting the unborn, and so it goes...they all do it with an eye toward protecting someone."

See fellow Mudcatters, intelligence in not harmful to your health!!!!
Well said, Hawk!

GfS

Two great posts!!

Subject: RE: BS: Homepage contributes to ADD
From: Little Hawk
Date: 18 Feb 11 - 08:11 PM

He's never owned a computer, Jennie, but he has stolen a couple of them from time to time. Yes, he sort of knows how to turn a computer on. Mostly he borrows the use of computers...either from some neighborhood "liberry" or from Don's latest girlfriend (if she has a computer and if she lets him use it). Shane has extensive experience in cruising certain types of online "entertainment" sites...experience which has helped get him banned from entering several local "liberries".

Subject: RE: BS: Homepage contributes to ADD
From: JennieG
Date: 18 Feb 11 - 07:30 PM

I'd be curious to know what Shane's home page is. Do you suppose he knows how to turn on a computer yet?

Cheers
JennieG

Subject: RE: BS: Homepage contributes to ADD
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 18 Feb 11 - 06:09 PM

Firefox has several 'home page substitute' addons that act as 'hot buttons'. I use Speed Dial. It has The Cat, Facebook, etc as hot links with buttons. FF also has a Search bar - I default it to Google, but you can also get dozens of addons to add extra search engines, too.

Far less distractions. Now, what are all these other people in this thread blathering on about?


:-P

Subject: RE: BS: Homepage contributes to ADD
From: Little Hawk
Date: 18 Feb 11 - 05:36 PM

I just had a thought here, GfS. You mentioned that the Far Left likes to make something "a political policy for everyone". Yeah, that's historically been true of both the Far Left and the Far Right...and of basically all extremely authoritative religions or political regimes. They want everyone to kowtow and obey the policy, regardless.

What you're referring to, of course, is the windy rhetoric of various individuals in the American Left, correct? That's more like the old "I'm more righteous than you are" routine "and if you just do it my way then we'll all be better off". Well, people on both the Right and the Left in America do that too, but they focus on different trigger issues when they do it, that's all. One side agitates for gay marriage rights, the other side agitates for protecting the unborn, and so it goes...they all do it with an eye toward protecting someone.

Subject: RE: BS: Homepage contributes to ADD
From: Little Hawk
Date: 18 Feb 11 - 05:28 PM

Done. Google is now my Homepage.

We'll see if Rogers pesters me about it or not.

Subject: RE: BS: Homepage contributes to ADD
From: Little Hawk
Date: 18 Feb 11 - 05:26 PM

GfS - There are only a few very basic things I want to make a political policy for everyone and I think they have all been covered already by the ordinary laws that we have long had against murder, theft, fraud, drunk and reckless driving, assault, rape, and stuff like that. ;-) Those laws sometimes need to be enforced a little more effectively or wisely than they are now, but it's basically all there.

Subject: RE: BS: Homepage contributes to ADD
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 18 Feb 11 - 05:12 PM

Guest from Sanity, oh no, I would never prescribe a political policy for everyone, what right would I have to do that? Many folk I know would be horrified to have to live such a simple life, without their technology and constant stimulation. I just wanted to say that for me, solitude and peace are delightful. I must add, my Ivorian husband would be absolutely disgusted if I suggested we move back to Africa to live. He's enchanted with all that modern technology has to offer, computers, iPod, mobile, laptop, TV, etc etc. Funnily enough, we each accept the other's tastes & preferences, and live & let live quite happily together!

Subject: RE: BS: Homepage contributes to ADD
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 18 Feb 11 - 05:10 PM

Somewhere, Little Hawk, you will find a way to change your home page to one of your own choice.

My computer opens to the home page of my ISP. It doesn't speak, wiggle, or flash. In fact it's completely static and quite boring. The text only changes about once every six months because the nice young Chads and Brads who run the company seem to forget all about it.

I'd be tempted to go with something more aesthetic, but it has the log-in boxes for my e-mail right there. And besides, I feel a mild affection for the Chads and Brads, who help me out in clear English whenever I have a problem.

Subject: RE: BS: Homepage contributes to ADD
From: GUEST,Guest from Sanity
Date: 18 Feb 11 - 02:45 PM

Liza: "Little Hawk, I too find peace in less-developed countries, eg Casamance in Senegal. No electricity, just the stars and the different calls of birds and insects. I could live there, I really could. It is indeed life as it's meant to be..........................I'm not hyped up by technology whizzing about in my brain. Like you, I like to discover facts on my computer....."

Elza: "....but to be honest, I could live without that as well."

If you feel that way, I think a lot of people would agree, and feel with you....If you want to make it a political policy for everyone, you should join the 'far left'!

The rest speaks for itself....(wink!)

GfS

Subject: RE: BS: Homepage contributes to ADD
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 18 Feb 11 - 02:24 PM

Little Hawk, I too find peace in less-developed countries, eg Casamance in Senegal. No electricity, just the stars and the different calls of birds and insects. I could live there, I really could. It is indeed life as it's meant to be . I don't have a mobile phone, and I don't watch TV much. And I never have any trouble sleeping, because I'm not hyped up by technology whizzing about in my brain. Like you, I like to discover facts on my computer, but to be honest, I could live without that as well.

Subject: RE: BS: Homepage contributes to ADD
From: gnu
Date: 18 Feb 11 - 01:22 PM

LH... I just have the Environment Canada weather for Moncton set as my home page. Of course, that can often lead to stress as well.

Now... here's my beef about Rogers Cable... even with the popup blocker on, they popup an ad, no matter where I am, that says I have to upgrade my security to protect my PC. When clicked it says I can upgrade to something I don't need (I have the free Rogers security now) for $5 a month.

Now, here's the real beef. If I set my internet access rules so that Rogers Update Manager is turned off, Rogers sends me a security alert and I have to close that. The next time I reboot, Rogers resets my access rule and sends me the ad again... sometimes a half dozen times a day.

Some thread drift, but I felt the need to rant.

Subject: RE: BS: Homepage contributes to ADD
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 18 Feb 11 - 01:12 PM

If you want a page that will stimulate your imagination in a more intellectual direction try this one:

Arts and Letters Daily
http://www.aldaily.com/

WARNING: This page will link you to good articles you will actually have to read, to get maximum benefit from them. Mostly they are articles not written for people with short attention spans. Reading takes time.

If you want absolute minimum distraction, the Google "classic" home page is pretty close to ideal: http://www.google.com, but if you create an account, and log in, it changes to iGoogle. Then you can start modifying your homepage, and then it can get quite complicated. But at least you have some control over what it shows.

Subject: RE: BS: Homepage contributes to ADD
From: GUEST,Guest from Sanity
Date: 18 Feb 11 - 12:10 PM

Ohhh, at the risk of having tomatoes thrown at me...you can go to a thread, in the music section of the forum, and click on some of the 'Youtube' videos of Mudcatters......you'll get sleep!

GfS

Subject: RE: BS: Homepage contributes to ADD
From: Little Hawk
Date: 18 Feb 11 - 12:05 PM

GfS - LOL! Gawd, I am just DYING to know what's up with Lindsay Lohan! And Miley Cyrus! Billy Ray Cyrus was agonizing the other day about her coming under the influence of bad people in the entertainment business. Imagine that. I haven't slept well for 3 nights now, thinking about it.

Subject: RE: BS: Homepage contributes to ADD
From: Little Hawk
Date: 18 Feb 11 - 12:01 PM

You could solve your problems in a similarly elegant and simple way, Mario, if you just got yourself a Dachshund! ;-)

On the other hand, with no problems...would the average person be in danger of losing the very sense of identity they have grown comfortable with? And would they feel they'd been deprived of something? Quite possibly. This can apply well to people who constantly complain about just about anything. ;-)

I am definitely considering changing my homepage to Google, so I may take your advice.

Subject: RE: BS: Homepage contributes to ADD
From: GUEST,Guest from Sanity
Date: 18 Feb 11 - 11:57 AM

Yo-ho!!. Hey, I thought your post was great, and witty, too. Now after reading it, my mind is diffused, with all the different topics you brought up. One thing that is easily digested though, is "Obama to consecrate urinal in Blind River"..that could be taken a couple of different ways, depending on how much cheap beer, he just downed, or, the how much he needed to grab from the budget, to make the trip for the ceremony..and that was just to pay for Michelle's entourage!!!...and assistant wipers!!....for the other assistant 'flushers'!
In any event, like all his noble 'programs, to wipe out the private sector, it will all end up 'down the drain', anyway!
I guess what makes it a newsworthy item, to suck up your Homepage, will be all the pundits speculating on what gets sucked down the 'tubes' first, the beer, or the free private sector, before the closing sound of 'glawk-glawk'!!!

See, now even your clutter Homepage sucked up my time UNNECESSARILY!!!........By the way, while you're on your Homepage, any new developments on Lindsey Lohan????..I'm just dying to know!!!!!

Warmest Regards, of Course,

GfS

Subject: RE: BS: Homepage contributes to ADD
From: Little Hawk
Date: 18 Feb 11 - 11:56 AM

The "old days" were real life, Eliza, as it's meant to be. I can re-experience that now if I go to some 3rd World country (and pick the right place to be when I'm there)...or if I'm out in the country and I get away from all the electronic devices. The only one that has me hooked is the computer. When I go to Cuba or Trinidad, I get away from it too.

As for the phone, I ignore it and just let it take messages. I check them later. I have no TV. I have no radio. And I have no cell phone. I may be almost the only person left around here who has no cell phone.

I like the computer, because it doesn't decide on the programming, I decide on the programming...as long as I remember not to let my homepage hijack my train of thought.

Subject: RE: BS: Homepage contributes to ADD
From: MMario
Date: 18 Feb 11 - 11:53 AM

so change your home page to something static and innocuous.

Subject: RE: BS: Homepage contributes to ADD
From: Little Hawk
Date: 18 Feb 11 - 11:49 AM

Hmmm. That is a pretty bad one, Bill. It's not set up in quite as clever a way as the Yahoo Page, though, in regards to the pictures. Yahoo always makes sure to have a nice colorful headline picture right at the top of the screen that will grab your attention first. It's like the nice juicy worm on the hook, dangling right in front of the fish's open mouth. You can see from this how and why fish get caught.

Subject: RE: BS: Homepage contributes to ADD
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 18 Feb 11 - 11:47 AM

I agree wholeheartedly, Little Hawk. It's bad enough for me to stay 'on task' without all these diversions. And as I have a naturally curious and nosy nature, I've just GOT to know what it's all about. Isn't it strange to remember 'in days of yore' when there was nothing, no computer, mobile phone, not even a television, and one could read a newspaper or a book with total concentration. The radio was on the Home Service, once its valves had warmed up, and not even the sound of a car broke the peace and quiet. (There weren't any privately owned cars going past when I was a girl) Children are all of a gig and fidget, and you're right, it's due to over-stimulation. It makes me twitch with all these bleeps, ringtones and flashing images in the Shopping Mall, I get very tired.

Subject: RE: BS: Homepage contributes to ADD
From: Bill D
Date: 18 Feb 11 - 11:44 AM

I can make it better...or worse, depending on your strength of character.

Try this one http://www.refdesk.com/

Subject: BS: Homepage contributes to ADD
From: Little Hawk
Date: 18 Feb 11 - 11:37 AM

It's getting so people have a shorter and shorter attention span in this society, cos there's too much media and communications stuff coming at them in short bursts and distracting them. Television has almost certainly been the biggest offender in that regard with its constant commercial interruptions of programming, and movies are being filmed in a way that fragments one's attention also (multiple sudden quick cuts from one image to another to another to another...), and cell phones interrupt people EVERYWHERE, but what about the computer?

What I find is occurring in particular is this...my Homepage is derailing my train of thought almost every time I open it. I decide to go look for something on Google, but first I need to open a new page on the screen...and up pops my Homepage, which is RogersYahoo...and what appears on that Homepage?

A picture of some girl reporter who lapsed into gibberish on air...and a story about why it happened. (Do I care?) Below that, more stories about: "Wrestler forfeits against girl", "Canadian travel trend on the rise", "Parents can't take baby home", "Wall Street treads water", "Britney Spears eats her poodle", "Obama to consecrate urinal in Blind River", etc....

(Okay, I made a couple of those up...)

Anyway, you get the general picture.

Now, If I say to you, "There's an elephant in the driveway!", what do you start thinking about? You start thinking about an elephant in the driveway, and you can't help it. Your mind instantly focuses on the latest sensory input in an automatic fashion....and loses its focus on previous input or intention...and may even forget previous input or intention, specially if the new input sparks some kind of interest, even at the most trivial level of idle curiosity.

Thus my Homepage in a second or less, has diverted my thoughts from whatever the hell it was that I opened a new page for in the first place and has led me off down some blind alley of probably useless information that I'd never have spent a moment's time on if I'd had a chance to decide ahead of time about the matter. After I finally get back from that blind alley, it may take me quite some time to remember what in the world it was that I really opened the new page FOR!!! Or I may not succeed in remembering it at all...and that's really annoying.

Thus are the brains of a nation gradually turned to chowder. ;-D It's very good for advertisors, very bad for the general public in my opinion, and it has to be contributing to the rise of attention deficit disorder.

I think I have a remedy. If I change my homepage from the RogersYahoo page to just plain Google, that would solve this particular problem. I wonder if my Rogers provider will object?

Then too, will I be able to bear being deprived of staying right up to date on all the latest "news" about Britney Spears, the girl who lapsed into gibberish on air, and the wrestler who just lost his title to an eggplant?

It's a tough one....