Time and the Internet

I have noticed that some of the students in the class have noted the time constraints that they might be under. I do not dispute that, and I often feel exactly the same way. I am reminded of a couple of things that I have seen/read recently, though, and I think those things may be relevant to the course.

First is a video of Clay Shirky, who writes on topics of the Internet, new media, and others. Recently, he has been talking about the "cognitive surplus," by which he means the extra free time that has been created by our prosperity and the various time-saving things it has produced. A student sent me this video from a couple of years ago:



Among the tings he talks about the issue of "where do we find the time for that."

The other thing that I am reminded of is a a small book for professors (especially in psychology but it applies to most of us) on "How to Write a Lot." The usual excuse given for not writing is that we "can't find the time." The author reminds us that it is not a matter of searching for time, it is a matter of allotting time to what we really think is important.

Hmmm, maybe not directly about this course, but still....