Reflections concerning "infoxication"

Abstract

Thoughts on information services strategies to fit with the routines of personal information management that users adopt in a digital information overload (infoxication) setting. The patterns of information use, as well as the breaking points of the information use routines that serve as creative instants of reorganization and streamlining of the burden of stored personal information, are the starting point of the proposed debate on responses to infoxication, both in terms of planning for resources and services and of guiding and training users. The conclusion is reached that in this information overload setting, regular archiving or discarding of information adds value to the information retained, but infoxication happens just at a time when no action is imperative to optimize limited analog space, given the marginal costs of digital storage or access.