Saturday, April 17, 2010

What happens when you gather all the information available in the World in one place?

How many times has it happened to you?

You see a reference to something on the internet and then remember, "Hey, I was just thinking about that last night?" (or yesterday or last week...)

I'm not talking about trending news stories or commonly discussed items -- but something out of the blue, that you probably haven't thought about in ages, popping up coincidentally in two or more places in an unrelated manner.

Is it a coincidence? Or just logic?

Example One:

A.) Drew Barrymore has directed a movie "Whip It" -- the ads for it make it look really good to me. Anyway, I heard a radio review and it noted that it was about roller derby.

B.) Now I haven't heard about roller derby in ages. It made me think about one of my favourite movies as a kid - Kansas City Bomber. That movie starred Raquel Welch as a roller derby star. Jodie Foster is her daughter. It's fantastic 70's movies stuff.

C.) So I was thinking about Raquel Welch and how well she's aged and wondered if she was still acting and what she was up to -- but I didn't have time to look into this and that was that -- BUT...

D.) This morning I checked my daily email from Oprah. Please note I normally trash these WITHOUT reading them because I don't have time, but I noticed this one was about Oprah's favourite books, so I took a peak. At the bottom of the newsletter there's a heading "Celebrity Page Turners" and listed three books by celebs, the third "Bombshell Raquel Welch takes you Beyond the Cleavage"

SPOOKY! Isn't it?! Or is it?

Is it just that there is so much information on the internet and in traditional media that it's all bound to converge at certain points?

Is it because I am a media hound constantly on Twitter, listening to radio talk shows, reading Oprah newsletters, etc. that all this information is going to meet up all over the place?

Is it natural feminine intuition that leads me to follow information to these connections? (or a bit of noisiness and know-it-all-ness?)

Am I just so in tune with the psyches of the universe that I draw this information to come together?


I'd kinda like to think one of the latter two is the case, but as I am such a media hound and constantly juggling work, family and other interests; it is unlikely that I am that in tune with anything!

In the past these coincidences would happen from time to time, but lately it's happening more and more -- and very often related to information I pick up on Twitter.

Is it just that the people and media channels -- and the items posted that capture my interests -- are spot on with my tastes, past history, etc.?

That it's just inevitable that these connections occur?

Example Two:

A. Yesterday, I noticed a tweet from one of my 'friends' on Twitter - someone I've never actually met but chat with online occasionally, as is the case for most of my friends. She notes that she is waiting in the Driver's License office to renew her license. Now this is the kind of information that Twitter haters use to berate Twitter lovers with - inane daily occurrences; but this is what I think makes Twitter great:

Occurrences and activities in life that are common to most of us, interpreted in interesting or meaningful ways. Through sharing this information it brings us together, makes us feel normal and special at the same time.

B. OK, so we're back with my Twitter 'friend' waiting at the Driving License office and I'm thinking, "Poor girl, having to wait in a horrible place like that, for who knows how long. Can't you do that online? Why aren't they good for life? Wonder when my license is due for renewal?"

C. That same day when I return home from the office, the post is waiting inside my door and there's one envelope addressed to me, which is fairly rare - apart from bills and bank statements. Have you guessed it? It was a letter notifying me that my driving license is due for renewal!

Now THAT is spooky!!!

So is it just pure logic?

The internet has gathered data from billions of sources together in one place.

Now with all the social media networks online, it is also gathering all of our personal thoughts together in this one vast space, easy to access from your favourite browser!

Filter that information down to those people and things that you are most interested in and are most like you.

It appears to be a psychic phenomena, but in reality it is just life as it happens.

So join me in line at the Drivers License office via Twitter in the next couple of weeks - cos I don't want to do it all alone!

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