Yesterday morning I posted a brief review on Kevin Kelly’s new book, What Technology Wants.  Greg Smith remarked that he’s half-way through it.  In a Twitter exchange with Kent Bottles later in the day I shared that I just started Sherry Turkle’s Alone Together.  Turns out he just finished it.

Serendipity?  Hardly.  It’s synchronicity with people who share my ideas and values.  Among other things, we share an interest in reading books that expand our understanding of where all this technology is headed.  And I know that when see a link or book recommendation from Kent, Greg or any number of the people with values I trust, I’m going to find something consistent with my interests.

These more-than-coincidence book comments are evidence that I’ve tuned my human signal to just where I need it.  This is why I get the information I need from Twitter rather than any kind of aggregating home page.  Those I follow provide a unique degree of customization unavailable anywhere else.

Of course the danger of such a scheme is the creation of an echochamber where you hear only what you want to hear – a type of social health psychomanipulation.  But I think recognition of this possibility is the first step to prevention.

While I’d tell all of you to follow Kent, Greg, me or whomever, do it only if they bring you what you need.  My signal’s not your signal.

The link to Alone Together is an Amazon affiliate link.  The image comes via Double-J design.