The 15-Foot Rut

Thanks to Merlin at 43 Folders, I heard this NPR commentary from David Weinberger and I would agree that this is the money quote:

A salad bar that’s 5 miles long is as useless to me as one that’s 3000 miles long because I’m getting all the salad I can eat in the first 15 feet

It sounds somewhat like the 20-minute rule for eating and the point that you can only read so much is well taken. However, I think blog-reading is more like a smorgasbord than a salad bar and part of the joy of reading them is that you may find some new delicacy just on the other side of the 15-foot mark. Anyone reading this can take a look at my sidebar and see the links that I use regularly. Those, you might say, are my staples, and I would argue that we not only go back to those places that entertain us but also to those that reinforce our point of view. And because there's only so much time in a day and so many different ways in which to spend it, we tend to lean towards the familiar and our internet reading - like our regular reading - gets into a rut.

Part of the fun of reading blogs is the joy of discovery. For example, I found 43 Folders by reading Rebecca Blood. I found Rebecca Blood from Time magazine, of all places. Now ask yourself when the last time was you found something new or interesting watching TV or listening to the radio? If you're willing to take the time, it happens in the blogosphere every day.

So, just for today, vary the menu a bit. And here's a good place to start.