Attention Surplus Syndrome: Definitions and Warning Signs, Part 2

Although the condition lacks the resources of a well-established disorder, those that develop it can make a total A.S.S. out of themselves with little to no outside intervention. In fact the total A.S.S. is not overwhelmed by TMI or intimidated by non-sequiturs. Au contraire.

The A.S.S. populace finds comfort, even a calling, in being able to box, package, group, intercept, and ultimately classify the frequency and nature of persistent, flowing, and overabundant information. Any virtual folder, RSS feed, or content bucket will do. Name the content management system or the virtual community and the total A.S.S. will go the distance, naming the buckets before tracking the frequency and defining the nature of what fills them -- evenly of course.

The H.I.T.s ("high information thresholds") sustained by these deviant thinkers can result in some improbable but productive outcomes. Attention measurement systems are the design of A.S.S. thinking applied to the problem of closure around TMI -- namely how do I logoff with confidence when I don't have the option of being on a call, at a site, in a meeting, over a barrel, and under the wraps of any potential wrinkle that could interrupt or complicate my work day, career goals, or someplace inbetween.

Want to split the difference?

Even when they are not this practical a good attention measurement system helps business analysts and media watchers to apply meaningful standards to market behaviors and the corporate spending done to promote and discourage them.

The bottomline is that if you're about to meet a person (who you know way more about from Googling them online) the more you need to announce your candidacy for attention surplus status. There's no need for a treatment or community awareness -- just the freedom to make a total A.S.S. out of yourself.