Reading in the Information Age and FIU

My dad and I once discussed the differences between e-books and physical books. I mentioned that the biggest advantage of e-books is their search functionality, which reflects the new reading style of the information age and the internet era. Unlike Li Ao, who would tear books apart to read them, we can now easily “dissect” almost any book using computers and the internet.

The new reading style of the internet era will inevitably lead to a completely different knowledge structure for people like us. Each link breaks down our knowledge into smaller fragments. In this era, we no longer value the size of each piece of knowledge, but rather the number of links between them. Most of the time, we don’t need to remember all the content of a particular piece of knowledge; instead, we only need to grasp a general outline. The internet and computers are like a treasure trove of knowledge, and we only need to link our knowledge to the network or hard drive.

Living in this era, the thick books on our bookshelves no longer seem as important. We require quick access to content, and each book eventually becomes a collection of tags. We use our computers to connect the tags in physical books to the knowledge treasure trove through search engines. What’s important is no longer the content of the tags, but the tags themselves.

Take this article I’m writing, for example. When I want to cite Li Ao’s example, I don’t need to remember how he tore books apart or where I read about it. All I need to do is find the link between the tags “Li Ao” and “tearing books” in my mind, and then use search engines to verify the link.

With the help of computers and the internet, people who can recite book content from memory are no longer the most knowledgeable. Anyone can reproduce content through search and download, and share it with others through the internet. The “wise” people of today are those who can establish numerous links between pieces of knowledge. The development of future semantic networks may redefine this concept.

In this era of information explosion, only those who master new reading methods can extract the necessary nutrients from the vast ocean of information. FIU (Free Incremental Updating) is one such method. Below is a quote from someone’s comment on Douban, which I hope will be enlightening:

FIU is a non-linear reading method that involves jumping and divergent thinking, which is far superior to traditional linear reading and thinking. Currently, mind maps and divergent memory thinking training aim to develop people’s non-linear intuitive thinking abilities. The next generation, who are accustomed to non-linear hyperlinked reading on the internet, will have a vastly different thought pattern from those who engage in linear reading. Their thinking will be more diverse and adaptable.

In the initial stages of non-linear reading, FIU may seem superficial and lacking in coherence. However, when you focus on a particular domain and engage in FIU within that domain, the concepts will eventually form a network of ideas, which can be thought of as the territory of your mind. This network will become more familiar and intuitive as you continue to FIU, and it will remain open and continuously updated, keeping your mind forever young.