[Sigiii-l] Plaza: What needs to be investigated

[Michel J. Menou]

With his kind permission I am reproducing here a note which Walter
Krumholz sent me in an other occasion. I do feel it is
pointing to yet another area where information science could both
concentrate a bit more and team up with other disciplines.
Michel


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The Ignorance about the Physiological Limits of Man
to Absorb Information.
Walter Krumholz
krumholz at t-online.de


1       Like other living beings, Man needs communication, signals,
impulses (whatever you may call it, I call it 'information'.) from his
environment, and by these he obtains (acquires) knowledge of varied
significance for his life.  His physiological capabilities to receive
(absorb) information are, however, little explored and known but
incompletely.

2       All social systems depend on the exchange of information.
Without information, their members can neither create social systems
nor can such systems exist.  Yet innovations within this sector are
hardly ever accompanied by knowledge or by statements of whether such
technical developments are really suited to improve the life and the
sphere of life associated with individual Man or with the social
systems created by Man.

3        Man always tried to amplify by technical means the acoustic,
optic and mechanical signals which affect him.  By these endeavours he
strives to maintain or even enhance his position in life and within
the social systems, which are created by Man.

4       Research into the reciprocal interdependence of Man, his
social systems with their information needs and their capability to
absorb information on the one hand, and the technically required and
institutionalised processing of information as well as the
dissemination of information to the 'addressees'',are primarily
carried out with a view towards an aspect of economical and political
quantitative interest.

5       Although there is an awareness of the problems of the
overwhelming flooding of Man with information and moreover with the
range of effects of information overloaded with distorted signals,
there is hardly any interest in what effect these have on Man and on
Man's behaviour.  This may be so because information is used, either
unconsciously or specifically, as an instrument of power and of
manipulation of Man.

--
Walter Krumholz