TMD (et al): the Anti-TV

[Grand Inquisitor]

I've enjoyed a few different pieces from this guy.  I automatically thought of this site and my 'free time' spent at home (and OFTEN at work) while reading this article.

http://www.herecomeseverybody.org/2008/04/looking-for-the-mouse.html

"Where do people find the time?" That was her question. And I just kind of snapped. And I said, "No one who works in TV gets to ask that question. You know where the time comes from. It comes from the cognitive surplus you've been masking for 50 years."

Discuss.

[Shock Wave]

Hrm. Here is what I understood, and feel free to correct me if I'm wrong:

- "Cognitive surplus" as the author describes it, is essentially a reference to how we tap into our free time. There is only a cognitive surplus if something productive results from how we spend our free time
- Engaging in an interactive activity (posting a blog, a wiki article, etc.) is of greater benefit than engaging in a non-interactive activity (watching television) because it gives people the a better opportunity to consume, produce and share, thereby creating a "cognitive surplus".
- By spending our free time in a manner which does not qualify as a contribution to "cognitive surplus", we are extending the psychological limbo of the "gin" and "Gilligan's Island" generation

I have opinions about the article, but I'm not positive I've understood the crux of the argument.

[Grand Inquisitor]

"Cognitive surplus" as the author describes it, is essentially a reference to how we tap into our free time. There is only a cognitive surplus if something productive results from how we spend our free time

The surplus isn't even productive use of free time, it's the fact that free time exists at all in large way (a byproduct of post-agrarian society) and that we're cognitive beings (ostensibly  ).

interactive...is of greater benefit than...non-interactive...because it gives people a better opportunity to consume, produce and share, thereby creating a "cognitive surplus".

Everything except the last bit.  People, it seems, enjoy producing and sharing just as much as they do consuming.  It took a screen with a mouse (and tubes connecting it) to realize this.  However, what makes us capable of cognitive surplus is the same je ne sais pas

By spending our free time in a manner which does not qualify as a contribution to "cognitive surplus", we are extending the psychological limbo of the "gin" and "Gilligan's Island" generation

Right, the inverse of this statement is the $50 question.  What will the communications revolution produce?  If it's more like WoW, maybe not much.  If it's more like stuff from that guy in Brazil, maybe great things.

If we run out of oil/electricity soon, definitely not much 

[Necrologia]

That was a really interesting article. Thinking on it, it's potentially quite accurate. A sample size of one proves nothing, but my TV watching has dropped to basically zero over the last few years. At the same time, I spend lots of time online, playing wow, cruising forums, and yes, even editing Wikipedia. It's staggering just how much time people waste watching TV. Even a tiny fraction of that time being tapped in a productive manor could produce some amazing results. Here's to hoping.

[Godder]

My TV time has dropped substantially since I bought my first PC and got my first internet connection (dial-up...), but it's also true that I work evenings and have done since before I got my PC, so it's hard to say which had more effect.