Babel

A couple of weeks ago, I thought I'd publish a list of my favorite writing prompts in this blog. Out of curiousity, I Googled "writing prompts" and almost 3 million references popped up. When I see numbers like that connected to a relatively obscure subject I wonder, are we global humans so busy generating sources of information that there is no one and no time left for consumption of that info? Are there more generators than consumers of information? If we are all talking who is listening? Is the internet the modern day Tower of Babel?

That brings me to the question, certainly not a new one in the short history of the world wide web, is quality of info and research drowning in a sea of cyber trash? Is fact becoming so obscure as to be next to impossible to glean from the muck? Throughout history educators and researchers have provided human kind with the information that has moved civilization forward. True, many were influenced by the agenda of governments and religion. Even so they provided a source that could fairly easily be checked out. Today the average guy or gal is exposed to information at the touch of the button. We can in our delight with the instant response forget to consider, as my mother loved to say, "the source," and accept on our computer screen information that does not reflect quality of research or reliability of source.

We are already living in a world where the line between fact and fiction, entertainment and news, advertising and product capability is blurred. I find the possibility that we are all talking and no one is listening, all writing and no one editing, a frightening prospect.
Copyright © 2007 by Martie LaCasse