---
title: "Fragmenting Attention"
date: 2006-02-16
author: "Richard MacManus"
categories:
  - name: "ReadWriteWeb"
    url: "/category/readwriteweb.md"
tags:
  - name: "2006"
    url: "/tag/2006.md"
---

# Fragmenting Attention

![FF](https://web.archive.org/web/20091205012146im_/http://static.flickr.com/35/73318379_19ae0fb019_m.jpg)Excellent quote [from Joshua Schachter](https://web.archive.org/web/20091205012146/http://simon.incutio.com/notes/2006/summit/schachter.txt) of del.icio.us:

“Aggregation is often a focus of attention (latest, most active, etc.)

As the population gets larger, the bias drifts; del.icio.us/popular becomes less interesting to the original community members. Work out ways to let the system fragment in to different areas of attention.”

This sums up why 2006 is for me The Year of the Filter, building on 2005’s The Year of the Aggregator. Note that Joshua’s wise words apply also to [blogging in general](https://web.archive.org/web/20091205012146/http://www.sifry.com/alerts/archives/000420.html), as well as to [news tracking](https://web.archive.org/web/20091205012146/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/personalized_cl.php) and those things currently being lumped under the moniker of [Attention](https://web.archive.org/web/20091205012146/http://blogs.msdn.com/alexbarn/archive/2006/02/08/528380.aspx).

Fragment, Filter – two ‘F’ words to remember 😉

NB: Flickr pic is [by stripedmelon](https://web.archive.org/web/20091205012146/http://www.flickr.com/photos/striped_melon/73318379/) and is from a Foo Fighters concert last year, in my home town of Wellington New Zealand.

*Originally published on ReadWriteWeb ([archived copy](https://web.archive.org/web/20020204040018/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/fragmenting_att.php))*