Redefinition of Terms

I haven't quite known what to do with this blog lately, and so there hasn't been much to say.


After consideration, I find that I have these things to say:

• Purpose of this blog
• Who I think you are
• Why you would choose to stay tuned

Purpose of the blog: In this space I will contribute perspective on the emergence of technology (particularly Information Technology) and its impact on our lives, our culture, and our future. I also hope to draw your feedback, insight, and viewpoints in commentary. If this content is read, discussed, and shared -- then I've done my job.

Here is who I perceive the audience to be:

Who You Are: You are someone who has an active interest in technology. You may work in a technology company (like many of my students) or you may have a passion for building, or you may be a recidivist gadget lover.  You might read TechCrunch or Slashdot or Wired online. You probably have a Facebook and LinkedIn account, and you might have a Twitter account that you use actively. Certainly you know enough about Twitter to dismiss the common misperceptions about it.

You have more than one area of your life that forces you to be immersed in technology. (If you use a cell phone for anything besides conversations, and if you read email daily, you already qualify!)  You may believe, as I do, that the interesting corporations right now are Google, TiVo, Apple, Motorola, eBay, and Salesforce. Whether you are a consultant, an on-staff guru in enterprise, or someone who is destined to continually look for the Next Big Thing upon which to base a company, you can't get enough of technology talk.

I suppose that doesn't define who you are, it's just a snapshot of some likely characteristics.

Why You'll Stay Tuned: In the coming weeks, you'll read about technologies that are impacting us today in our workplace, and in our classrooms. Segments on these topics are scheduled to appear: 

• Second Life Classroom - Tip of the Iceberg
• Loving the Cloud - Salesforce, Google, Microsoft, and Oracle
• Social Media This Year - interconnection and specialization
• The Death of Wave - How Long Can we Be Visionary

You can do two things that will enrich this space.  The first is to subscribe. When a blog has an active subscriber base, it calls for participation not only by its authors and contributors, but also by other readers. Obviously the most direct form of subscription is that of using your Blogger ID (or your Google ID) to become a direct blog subscriber. Another form of subscription that is valuable would be to use the RSS feed to prime your newsreader software or to enhance the content at another blog. Even regularly tweeting the URL for new articles (or retweeting our updates) constitutes a form of subscription to the content. (Do all of those for extra credit!)

The second thing you can do is to participate actively. You can comment, reply, argue, flame, bait, or otherwise provoke the conversation. We welcome all forms of responsible participation.

So c'mon! Let's get this conversation rolling again.  The pump is primed and the march of technology will not fail to give us ample material in the coming times.