Popling seems to me a horrible idea -- pop ups that interrupt your already-swamped concentration. However, if it could be set to pop up "work items" when you were "surfing the web", then it might be a good thing...

Yep - people who are already overloaded by information, rather than looking for a (full-fledged) skill to solve the problem, simply grasp at more and more snacks of information.

I also like that Popling says "hey, you're someone who has no motivation [to solve your problem]" - so stick with us! Funny that that's enough of a selling point to be in their tag line.

I really like the idea of popling. I work in a capability organization of a large company and we are always looking for ways to simplify our training opportunities. With the newer workforce in a constant state of multi-tasking, this feels like a natural way to help them learn while on the job. I personally like it, and respect that it may not be for everyone.

Hi all. Popling doesn't interrupt anyone's workflow. The app presents a small notification window that quickly goes away if you don't click on it, much like a MSN chat notification, or Growl. You can choose how often it pops, as well as turn it off temporarily. If you are really busy, just quit the app for the day.

Take a minute to view a screencast, it'll provide a clear picture of how unobtrusive the application is. http://vimeo.com/2447257

I actually love the 'snacky culture' reference and Mark, I think you would agree that helping someone find the motivation to learn to say something as simple as Hello in another language is a good thing, even if they do not become fluent in the language.

As far as depth goes, because Popling is a flash card system, it's infinately expandable. You could use it to learn simple multiplication tables or something as advanced as organic chemistry vocabulary. And like anything else in life, you'll get out of it, what you put into it, Popling simply reminds you to put more into it, once every few minutes.

Thanks for taking the time to write and comment about my service.

Snacky is the right word. Information obesity abounds. We are swimming in info-calories but lack info-nourishment.

Thanks, Rob, appreciate the clarification. Like any tool, the outcome mostly depends on how people use it. Good luck with Popling -

Snack culture is definitely a response to an over load of data, but is it necessarily bad?

I don't think people will stop diving into subjects in depth, they'll simply have more exposure to the broad range of topics available. They may even make better decisions as to what life path to take by being exposed to many cultures and ideas.

Thanks for the encouragement Mark, I really dig your blog and will be stopping by regularly.

From one of your favorite books (in line with the book agent citation):

Perhaps because of these changes the stream of national consciousness moves faster now, and is broader, but it seems to run less deep. The old channels cannot contain it and in its search for new ones there seems to be growing havoc and destruction along its banks. In this Chautauqua I would like not to cut any new channels of consciousness but simply dig deeper into old ones that have become silted in with the debris of thoughts grown stale and platitudes too often repeated. "What’s new?" is an interesting and broadening eternal question, but one which if pursued exclusively, results only in an endless parade of trivia and fashion, the silt of tomorrow.

:-) I assume it is one of your favourite books Mark, because of the citation in the beginning of your book.

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zen_and_the_Art_of_Motorcycle_Maintenance

Seems to me that most problems don't need a full-fledged skill to solve them.

I mean, if I have to fix a leaky faucet, I don't need to learn Plumbing; I just need to know how to replace the washer, and I can learn how to solder two copper pipes together properly later, if it ever comes up.

As Mr. Rhyne said, I think (indeed, know from personal and interpersonal experience) that people will continue to learn in depth... those things that interest them, or that they have some need to know in depth.

"As far as depth goes, because Popling is a flash card system ... Popling simply reminds you to put more into it, once every few minutes."

Don't people usually sit down with a deck and flash cards and go through them until they feel they've mastered them? Being presented with a single one and random times doesn't seem similar to me.

Zephyer, looking at generic logs of usage shows that many people study 100s of cards in a sitting. Some study 5 at a time, some only one. Also, the time isn't random. Popling is flexible in that regard.