The information revolution has set off a million car bombs of random knowledge at once, spraying info fragments through the marketplace of ideas.

cacophonous cornucopia of communication.

"a virtual New York City, a dense, antimatter-like place"

"Is this a good thing? It depends on whether your commitment to democracy, transparency and openness outweighs your desire not to be flooded with noise about Paris Hilton, Brazilian bikini waxing and the profiles on MySpace."

What made this discussion different, and what many readers rightfully found offensive, is that it was a public discussion of a deeply private matter -- the very definition of callousness. But the letter writers who criticized the Yaskulkas clearly did not see the family as being private anymore: Because they were the subjects of an online story, they were fair game.