Wednesday, April 9, 2014

I thought I was an Askhole,





It turns out though, I'm just annoying :-P

How, You ask, could someone like me....Who is obviously bubbling over with Awesome, be annoying? 
Well, Here's the thing. I would rather ask another human being a question than "Google" it. 
Oh sure, I like to Google SOME questions.. Some things are a tad personal like that time I noticed a.... Well never mind.. Some things are indeed best to look up on our own... But normal stuff? Naw, I'm going to look for someone who knows more than me.

Computers and Internet are Awesome, I can't even imagine my world without them any more. One of the coolest things about them is how they connect us... We can have regular contact with people we haven't seen in decades..  

Questions, however, used to be something that brought us together.. We all know different things and once upon a time, those who knew the most things, were considered wise and even used as resources. Now, if anyone wants to know anything... We just have to hit the Net, and while having the entirety  of the worlds knowledge at our finger tips is convenient.. It takes away from the Human element of connecting with others to gain information.

Up until recently, The Old taught the Young the things that they deemed important. Now the Old for the most part have to keep that knowledge to themselves... Because we have a new generation of People, who can look anything up in fractions of a second.
I'm not saying it's all bad, but I am saying that while we gain, we also lose.

Have you ever wrestled with a question? Something simple like "Where have I seen the actor in that movie?"... You think about it, your brain goes into overdrive, and still,  you don't figure it out. Then something else comes up and you move on, but your brain, even while you are not thinking about it, is still working on the question. Then maybe 2 days later, you are driving to work and BOOM!!!!!! It Pops in your head and you go "AH HA!!!!!". THAT feeling, that euphoria we feel is amazing and only comes from working it out, even if that includes asking other people... It does not ever happen, by having the answer handed to you in 0.00001 seconds after you type the question.

Before the art of seeking knowledge though our fellow person became irritating, it was a way that we could share and feel better about ourselves. We could pass on knowledge(not to be confused with advice), to those who sought it. We felt better about ourselves and bonds grew between us and the one who asked the question.

While that isn't gone entirely, it is fading. In another 100 years when we are all wearing our Google Glasses, or whatever technology brings us that way...  the Art of Question asking will be gone, a thing of the past, but I for one, am not ready to let it go just yet.

So if I see you and ask you what you know about baking bread, or gardening, or even where the nearest Taco Bell is.. There will be no harsh feelings if you tell me to Google it, but those who take the time out of their busy day to answer the question will have both, my admiration, and gratitude. 

After all, What good is all the time that we are(supposedly) saving from having computers do a lot of the hard stuff for us, if we don't use at least some of it to connect with the people around us.

Just something to think about 


 

Peace Kiddies  :o)