As communications speed up, driven by technology advancements, there is always a trade off - detail for speed, or speed for detail. Most people opt for speed, which of course means little time for context and understanding. And one thing critical for tight and concise communication and understanding over time, exformation (explicitly discarded information) doesn't really occur.
This means that the biggest issue for technology improved communications (more speed seems to be the choice and emphasis), is that there is less and less understanding of what is being communicated faster and faster, with still the expectation of instantaneous response.
This is just one of the implications of the pervasive pressure of Expectations of Instantaneous Response.
The pervasive expectation of instantaneous response can prevent analysis (of any kind) or promotes flawed analysis, promotes ill-considered decisions and actions, etc., especially when there is conflicting analysis and opinions. And if you throw intuition into the mix, well, it gets even messier. Yet as noted above, in the age of fast communications speed, we expect instantaneous response, even demand it, and even when communicating face to face.
How many times have you been sitting talking to someone or a group, and an answer, analysis, or opinion is asked for, and people expect an answer right then - without considering the idea that maybe, just maybe, it needs some thoughtful consideration? And clearer understanding?
We all feel this very real pressure, but nothing has come close to capturing all sides of the aspects of it, much less giving it a name, until I came across the concept while I was recently reading The Eternity Artifact, by L. E. Mondesitt, Jr. He devotes a nice section to the idea, using a dialogue between professor and students, within a well developed context (see Chapter 1, entitled "Fitzhugh", pages 19-22 in the hardback edition). But read the whole book so you can see the theme developed.
His main points include:
· When we used to do most of our communicating face to face, or even over the phone, communications speed was relatively slow, and more detail was not only facilitated, it was expected.
· Low tech actually promoted more detail and understanding in what was being communicated - if you had to, you could talk about it until there was understanding, between two individuals or a group, etc.
· High tech communications almost always opt for speed over detail - even though improving communications technology results in greater societal and infrastructue complexity
· The faster the communication, the more people expect instantaneous response - even though as more detail is required, the more communication must slow
Considering all of this, what do we need to happen in our communications, as either giver or receiver? Well, as context builds within conversation and communications over time, information bits and pieces are cast away, since they are no longer needed. Communication can speed up with understanding continuing to develop (the process of exformation).
Now this doesn't mean we should give up increasing speed in communications, but we should recognize when a slow down needs to occur.
So, we should not be afraid to force a slowing down communications, regardless of the medium. Make sure that context is developed – your friends, co-workers, and readers will breathe a sigh of belief and applaud you. And, you’ll begin to notice that they are doing it too!
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