Friday, October 31, 2008
Blackberries make the best pies...and should be reserved for that!
A friend recently forwarded to me an item she had written.... sort of
about... how modern techno-toys are invading our lives with bad
results.
Here follows my reply:
I think you're missing some things.
There is a generational thing happening, to be sure.
Every new generation has a brave new world of technology that they
have grown up with... and that has changed life as we know it... to a
great extent.
These new tools all go through, what I would call, "a play time
period".... a honeymoon of sorts... when they first come out.
Do you remember when everyone was FAX-ing in their lunch order to the
restaurant...?
Remember when having an email address suddenly became more important
than having a fax number...?
Remember when having a fax number on your business card become
old-fashioned and obsolete...?
Every time a new technology comes out, all the geeks jump on it....
and play with it.
And, quickly, a few things happen:
(1) They quickly get bored with the simple novelty of it.
and ...
(2) They figure out what this new technology could actually BEST be
used for... (even if not the purpose it was originally touted for)
Blackberries and iPhones are some of the latest toys of the present.
They will continue to evolve.... and improve. They will become
intuitively easy to use... Until every human can use them as easily
as using an elevator or a toaster.
There's not going to be any avoiding them, or not using them... Just
as it's virtually impossible to NOT use a telephone.... in modern
life.
However, they do not, and will not, replace personal interaction.
They only AUGMENT our lives. Like every new technology, life will
settle in to it... and it will find its comfortable place... (until
it is replaced with the next great new thing)...
Fighting it, like the old geezer out on Route 3 who still refuses to
subscribe to a telephone line, is useless. It's a losing strategy no
matter how you look at it.
The best strategy is to embrace it. Understand it. Figure out how
it could actually benefit your life. Figure out how it could help
you... and what it will NOT replace...
Fit it in, as comfortably, and quickly, as you can.
This will make the transition more painless, and beneficial, all the way around.
There is also a very real need for the masses to understand, at least
a bit, about this brave new world we are entering... because, if the
public has no concept of what is happening around them ---- and is as
bewildered by it as a rain forest tribe dropped into Times Square ---
then we will have serious problems. Threats, even, to freedom and
democracy, etc., etc., etc.
If the public has no concept of what Twitter is, for example, then
they will have no concept of how twittering is instantaneously
influencing the election, for example. And then, they will be easily
fooled and manipulated. ...leading to very bad consequences.
One of my personal "callings" (or self-assigned "jobs"), is to help
people do just that.
With the television shows Ed & I are working on, one of the major
categories will be "Personal Technology"... which I define very
broadly, as.... Pretty much anything that can make your life
simpler, better, easier, more productive, profitable, and fun. The
main focus is NOT going to be on what's new... or what has the most
new buttons.... No. The focus will be on what is the BEST at
improving your life.... And act as a "How To"... to TEACH people
simple ways that they can implement these tools --- both the new and
old --- both high-tech and low-tech --- into their lives. ...in
plain simple English, by the way.
I hope we can help massive numbers of people in profound ways. That
is our goal.
:-)
Only Love,
Bruce
about... how modern techno-toys are invading our lives with bad
results.
Here follows my reply:
I think you're missing some things.
There is a generational thing happening, to be sure.
Every new generation has a brave new world of technology that they
have grown up with... and that has changed life as we know it... to a
great extent.
These new tools all go through, what I would call, "a play time
period".... a honeymoon of sorts... when they first come out.
Do you remember when everyone was FAX-ing in their lunch order to the
restaurant...?
Remember when having an email address suddenly became more important
than having a fax number...?
Remember when having a fax number on your business card become
old-fashioned and obsolete...?
Every time a new technology comes out, all the geeks jump on it....
and play with it.
And, quickly, a few things happen:
(1) They quickly get bored with the simple novelty of it.
and ...
(2) They figure out what this new technology could actually BEST be
used for... (even if not the purpose it was originally touted for)
Blackberries and iPhones are some of the latest toys of the present.
They will continue to evolve.... and improve. They will become
intuitively easy to use... Until every human can use them as easily
as using an elevator or a toaster.
There's not going to be any avoiding them, or not using them... Just
as it's virtually impossible to NOT use a telephone.... in modern
life.
However, they do not, and will not, replace personal interaction.
They only AUGMENT our lives. Like every new technology, life will
settle in to it... and it will find its comfortable place... (until
it is replaced with the next great new thing)...
Fighting it, like the old geezer out on Route 3 who still refuses to
subscribe to a telephone line, is useless. It's a losing strategy no
matter how you look at it.
The best strategy is to embrace it. Understand it. Figure out how
it could actually benefit your life. Figure out how it could help
you... and what it will NOT replace...
Fit it in, as comfortably, and quickly, as you can.
This will make the transition more painless, and beneficial, all the way around.
There is also a very real need for the masses to understand, at least
a bit, about this brave new world we are entering... because, if the
public has no concept of what is happening around them ---- and is as
bewildered by it as a rain forest tribe dropped into Times Square ---
then we will have serious problems. Threats, even, to freedom and
democracy, etc., etc., etc.
If the public has no concept of what Twitter is, for example, then
they will have no concept of how twittering is instantaneously
influencing the election, for example. And then, they will be easily
fooled and manipulated. ...leading to very bad consequences.
One of my personal "callings" (or self-assigned "jobs"), is to help
people do just that.
With the television shows Ed & I are working on, one of the major
categories will be "Personal Technology"... which I define very
broadly, as.... Pretty much anything that can make your life
simpler, better, easier, more productive, profitable, and fun. The
main focus is NOT going to be on what's new... or what has the most
new buttons.... No. The focus will be on what is the BEST at
improving your life.... And act as a "How To"... to TEACH people
simple ways that they can implement these tools --- both the new and
old --- both high-tech and low-tech --- into their lives. ...in
plain simple English, by the way.
I hope we can help massive numbers of people in profound ways. That
is our goal.
:-)
Only Love,
Bruce
Blackberries make the best pies...and should be reserved for that!
A friend recently forwarded to me an item she had written.... sort of
about... how modern techno-toys are invading our lives with bad
results.
Here follows my reply:
I think you're missing some things.
There is a generational thing happening, to be sure.
Every new generation has a brave new world of technology that they
have grown up with... and that has changed life as we know it... to a
great extent.
These new tools all go through, what I would call, "a play time
period".... a honeymoon of sorts... when they first come out.
Do you remember when everyone was FAX-ing in their lunch order to the
restaurant...?
Remember when having an email address suddenly became more important
than having a fax number...?
Remember when having a fax number on your business card become
old-fashioned and obsolete...?
Every time a new technology comes out, all the geeks jump on it....
and play with it.
And, quickly, a few things happen:
(1) They quickly get bored with the simple novelty of it.
and ...
(2) They figure out what this new technology could actually BEST be
used for... (even if not the purpose it was originally touted for)
Blackberries and iPhones are some of the latest toys of the present.
They will continue to evolve.... and improve. They will become
intuitively easy to use... Until every human can use them as easily
as using an elevator or a toaster.
There's not going to be any avoiding them, or not using them... Just
as it's virtually impossible to NOT use a telephone.... in modern
life.
However, they do not, and will not, replace personal interaction.
They only AUGMENT our lives. Like every new technology, life will
settle in to it... and it will find its comfortable place... (until
it is replaced with the next great new thing)...
Fighting it, like the old geezer out on Route 3 who still refuses to
subscribe to a telephone line, is useless. It's a losing strategy no
matter how you look at it.
The best strategy is to embrace it. Understand it. Figure out how
it could actually benefit your life. Figure out how it could help
you... and what it will NOT replace...
Fit it in, as comfortably, and quickly, as you can.
This will make the transition more painless, and beneficial, all the way around.
There is also a very real need for the masses to understand, at least
a bit, about this brave new world we are entering... because, if the
public has no concept of what is happening around them
about... how modern techno-toys are invading our lives with bad
results.
Here follows my reply:
I think you're missing some things.
There is a generational thing happening, to be sure.
Every new generation has a brave new world of technology that they
have grown up with... and that has changed life as we know it... to a
great extent.
These new tools all go through, what I would call, "a play time
period".... a honeymoon of sorts... when they first come out.
Do you remember when everyone was FAX-ing in their lunch order to the
restaurant...?
Remember when having an email address suddenly became more important
than having a fax number...?
Remember when having a fax number on your business card become
old-fashioned and obsolete...?
Every time a new technology comes out, all the geeks jump on it....
and play with it.
And, quickly, a few things happen:
(1) They quickly get bored with the simple novelty of it.
and ...
(2) They figure out what this new technology could actually BEST be
used for... (even if not the purpose it was originally touted for)
Blackberries and iPhones are some of the latest toys of the present.
They will continue to evolve.... and improve. They will become
intuitively easy to use... Until every human can use them as easily
as using an elevator or a toaster.
There's not going to be any avoiding them, or not using them... Just
as it's virtually impossible to NOT use a telephone.... in modern
life.
However, they do not, and will not, replace personal interaction.
They only AUGMENT our lives. Like every new technology, life will
settle in to it... and it will find its comfortable place... (until
it is replaced with the next great new thing)...
Fighting it, like the old geezer out on Route 3 who still refuses to
subscribe to a telephone line, is useless. It's a losing strategy no
matter how you look at it.
The best strategy is to embrace it. Understand it. Figure out how
it could actually benefit your life. Figure out how it could help
you... and what it will NOT replace...
Fit it in, as comfortably, and quickly, as you can.
This will make the transition more painless, and beneficial, all the way around.
There is also a very real need for the masses to understand, at least
a bit, about this brave new world we are entering... because, if the
public has no concept of what is happening around them
Oct 31 mini-release from Ning
Last night's "mini-release" mini-
update of Ning.com - the defacto standard in white label social
network providers - was an important one.
These changes are pretty significant.
Especially the Google Indexing implications... We've always had
problems with Google NOT indexing content - even with an open network.
Now we know why. And now, it has supposedly been solved.
Ya gotta love those folks at Ning!
See http://ping.fm/fGpEd
update of Ning.com - the defacto standard in white label social
network providers - was an important one.
These changes are pretty significant.
Especially the Google Indexing implications... We've always had
problems with Google NOT indexing content - even with an open network.
Now we know why. And now, it has supposedly been solved.
Ya gotta love those folks at Ning!
See http://ping.fm/fGpEd
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Are blogs dead? Should they be replaced by Twitter, Flickr, & Facebook?
Recently, my friend, Matthew Cornell of http://ping.fm/GfcjZ Personal Productivity Specialist, asked me via LinkedIn....
______________
Are blogs dead? Should they be replaced by Twitter, Flickr, & Facebook?
I have a blog with a few thousand subscribers, and I've played with Twitter and Facebook, so I was surprised to read Paul Boutin's Wired article "Twitter, Flickr, Facebook Make Blogs Look So 2004" [1] where he argues that blogs are a thing of the past for most of us. Do you agree? Should consultants like me drop their blogs, some of which we've poured 100s of hours of effort into? What's your best advice re: where to put invest our social collateral?
[1] http://ping.fm/erMg8
______________
Yes!
and....
No!
I think that question is like.... Are books dead... now that we have movies?
Or.... Will video conferencing eliminate travel?
No.... Of course not. These are all newer, more refined, different technologies... Filling different, if related, needs.
Blogs are perfect for longer-form articles.
Micro-blogging (Twitter et al) are perfect for short-form blogging. (As well as status updates, location updates, etc.)
I just discovered http://Ping.FM and I am IN LOVE!!!!!
It lets me write..... Short form.... or Long form... Blog..... Micro-blog... Status updates.... Location updates.... Even uploading Photo Albums.... all from one single console.... (the nicest one I've seen so far, btw)..... to
EVERY SITE OUT THERE!!!!!!
In one fell swooop....
I cannot emphasize the power of this enough.
This capability is as important as...... Remember back when EMAIL was separate...? Compuserve had email. The Source had email. And Genie had email. But none of them talked to each other....???
THIS IS BIG.
Centralized posting.
All of these tools just give you:
Broader Reach
More Flexibility in the Form you want to Express Yourself In
Sometimes, all you have time for..... in a quick one-liner....
Sometimes, all you have so far, are the pics....
Sometimes, you've taken the time to write a brilliant "article" on a topic...
I am now using http://Ping.FM to post ALL of those things.... to ALL of those places.
You will see ALL of it.... no matter whether you are one of my Wordpress Blog readers, a Facebook junkie, a Blogger reader, a MySpace freak, a Twitter Geek, a LinkedIn know-it-all :-) .....or whatever!
I am Everywhere! :-)
______________
Are blogs dead? Should they be replaced by Twitter, Flickr, & Facebook?
I have a blog with a few thousand subscribers, and I've played with Twitter and Facebook, so I was surprised to read Paul Boutin's Wired article "Twitter, Flickr, Facebook Make Blogs Look So 2004" [1] where he argues that blogs are a thing of the past for most of us. Do you agree? Should consultants like me drop their blogs, some of which we've poured 100s of hours of effort into? What's your best advice re: where to put invest our social collateral?
[1] http://ping.fm/erMg8
______________
Yes!
and....
No!
I think that question is like.... Are books dead... now that we have movies?
Or.... Will video conferencing eliminate travel?
No.... Of course not. These are all newer, more refined, different technologies... Filling different, if related, needs.
Blogs are perfect for longer-form articles.
Micro-blogging (Twitter et al) are perfect for short-form blogging. (As well as status updates, location updates, etc.)
I just discovered http://Ping.FM and I am IN LOVE!!!!!
It lets me write..... Short form.... or Long form... Blog..... Micro-blog... Status updates.... Location updates.... Even uploading Photo Albums.... all from one single console.... (the nicest one I've seen so far, btw)..... to
EVERY SITE OUT THERE!!!!!!
In one fell swooop....
I cannot emphasize the power of this enough.
This capability is as important as...... Remember back when EMAIL was separate...? Compuserve had email. The Source had email. And Genie had email. But none of them talked to each other....???
THIS IS BIG.
Centralized posting.
All of these tools just give you:
Broader Reach
More Flexibility in the Form you want to Express Yourself In
Sometimes, all you have time for..... in a quick one-liner....
Sometimes, all you have so far, are the pics....
Sometimes, you've taken the time to write a brilliant "article" on a topic...
I am now using http://Ping.FM to post ALL of those things.... to ALL of those places.
You will see ALL of it.... no matter whether you are one of my Wordpress Blog readers, a Facebook junkie, a Blogger reader, a MySpace freak, a Twitter Geek, a LinkedIn know-it-all :-) .....or whatever!
I am Everywhere! :-)
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