I found this part of Tapscott's book to be especially beneficial. Tapscott addresses the foundational change that's occurring in that way that the Net Generation is purchasing goods. This isn't only relevant to the way that I purchase goods but relevant to the business structure that I need to pursue in the consumer market.
It's interesting to see how the Net Generation is tired of being fed one-way information and is more interested in interacting with the information. It was also beneficial to note how short the attention span is of this younger generation and how important it is to "reel them in" immediately if you want your advertising point to drive home. While this has always been an important part of marketing it seems as though it may be of the utmost importance in today's fast paced markets.
Tapscott also points out the information sharing tactic that Net Gener's utilize in order to make purchases. I have found myself doing this more in the last two years than ever before. I like to rely on people that have actually experienced a product and will be able to deliver real information both good and bad. The reviews aren't sales pitches to show you how great product X is, they are "real world environments" that allow for critiques and evaluations of product X. I find that this type of feedback is valuable not only for me, but for companies that produce product X. This allows them instant feedback top produce fixes or make better products in the future.
I also notice that I find myself wanting information faster than ever before. I get impatient if my online connection isn't immediate or web pages don't load fast enough. This seems to ring true for most Net Gener's as well. This points back to my point earlier. Net Gener's want the latest, fastest, and newest products. It's interesting to see that this is the new trend for popularity. It used to be who had the coolest cars, now it's who has the best laptop's, cell phones, and I-pod's.
Overall this would be a great read for anyone wanting to participate in marketing, advertising, and business. It's necessary to understand the trends and how to effectively communicate your message and activate your product within communities.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Tapscott Part 2
Tapscott is definately an optomist at heart. In the second part of the book it was good to see him take a turn back towards reality. He relays to us how the Net Generation learns and absorbs information differently than previous generations.
I do admire Tapscott in his attempts at making everything seem as positive as possible. There were several passages that stood out to me throughout the reading, but one talked specifically about the educational system being the downfall of students, not the Internet. In some ways what Tapscott is saying makes sense. It may not be the teachers fault, the schools fault, or technologies fault, but the underlying issue deals with the way in which youth are being taught.
I see Tapscott's connection between the way that the Net Generation is being wired and how the arcaic way of teaching doesn't seem applicable to them. I agree that there needs to be some sort of reform, not only in the way that we are teaching but in the way that we utilize the technology that has been given to us. We can't expect people to walk up to a computer and start utilizing it without any guidance. As Tapscott states in earlier chapters, many teachers are being taught by the students. We need to have instructors who not only are technologically savvy, but instructors that know how to reach the people through interactive participation.
Tapscott's insight into the video game realm and its abilities to help generate new brain growth seemed to be promising. I have heard that this technique was already being used in places to help kids learn more effectively and that it helped to strengthen the learning process. The statement, "Where traditional learning is based on the execution of carefully graded challenges, accidental learning relies on failure. Virtual environments are safe platforms for trial and error. The chance of failure is high, but the cost is low and lessons learned are immediate" really made me think about how the learning process is changing so much. In my own life I see this happen when I install new software, or play a new video game. I just jump right in and start learning, rather than reading through a bunch of manuals. I suppose that I want "instant gratification". I get pissed if an internet connection takes more than a couple of seconds to start loading a page. Funny enough I'm from the 1200 baud modem days too. My perception of how things should operate has changed over the course of the last few years. That's not to say that I still don't read manuals for things or follow directions, but it does elucidate upon the fact that I am impatient at times and want things to "grab me" immediately.
My brother is currently working for a company who is implementing many of the ideals and ideas that Tapscott is talking about. They have a break room with foosball tables, pool tables, video games, etc... for their employees. The company takes one day (most of the time a half-day) out the week to do something fun with all of it's employees. They use collaboration to work on projects and use these "fun times" as team building exercises. The idea of a fun work environment and positive atmosphere changes the employees perception of work. They are motivated to do a good job because they are constantly rewarded for their efforts. While they still have to work, work seems fun and enjoyable, not boring and sacraficial.
The only thing that I could wish for is that more companies would start taking this approach. Perhaps they would see less turn over, more profits, fewer sick employees, and an overall atmosphere of determination and satisfied employees.
I do admire Tapscott in his attempts at making everything seem as positive as possible. There were several passages that stood out to me throughout the reading, but one talked specifically about the educational system being the downfall of students, not the Internet. In some ways what Tapscott is saying makes sense. It may not be the teachers fault, the schools fault, or technologies fault, but the underlying issue deals with the way in which youth are being taught.
I see Tapscott's connection between the way that the Net Generation is being wired and how the arcaic way of teaching doesn't seem applicable to them. I agree that there needs to be some sort of reform, not only in the way that we are teaching but in the way that we utilize the technology that has been given to us. We can't expect people to walk up to a computer and start utilizing it without any guidance. As Tapscott states in earlier chapters, many teachers are being taught by the students. We need to have instructors who not only are technologically savvy, but instructors that know how to reach the people through interactive participation.
Tapscott's insight into the video game realm and its abilities to help generate new brain growth seemed to be promising. I have heard that this technique was already being used in places to help kids learn more effectively and that it helped to strengthen the learning process. The statement, "Where traditional learning is based on the execution of carefully graded challenges, accidental learning relies on failure. Virtual environments are safe platforms for trial and error. The chance of failure is high, but the cost is low and lessons learned are immediate" really made me think about how the learning process is changing so much. In my own life I see this happen when I install new software, or play a new video game. I just jump right in and start learning, rather than reading through a bunch of manuals. I suppose that I want "instant gratification". I get pissed if an internet connection takes more than a couple of seconds to start loading a page. Funny enough I'm from the 1200 baud modem days too. My perception of how things should operate has changed over the course of the last few years. That's not to say that I still don't read manuals for things or follow directions, but it does elucidate upon the fact that I am impatient at times and want things to "grab me" immediately.
My brother is currently working for a company who is implementing many of the ideals and ideas that Tapscott is talking about. They have a break room with foosball tables, pool tables, video games, etc... for their employees. The company takes one day (most of the time a half-day) out the week to do something fun with all of it's employees. They use collaboration to work on projects and use these "fun times" as team building exercises. The idea of a fun work environment and positive atmosphere changes the employees perception of work. They are motivated to do a good job because they are constantly rewarded for their efforts. While they still have to work, work seems fun and enjoyable, not boring and sacraficial.
The only thing that I could wish for is that more companies would start taking this approach. Perhaps they would see less turn over, more profits, fewer sick employees, and an overall atmosphere of determination and satisfied employees.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Growing up Digital (Part 1)
Tapscott's book, Grown up Digital has so far proved to be one of the best books that I've read while attending W.S.U.
Before I go any further though, I might say that Tapscott opinionates some of his research based upon his own children. Although it appears that he does have some statistical data to relay his notions, I found that he often utilized examples from his own offspring, thus possibly skewing his viewpoint in a manner that he may not have otherwised experienced if he had utilized other examples...Just a thought.
Ironically I found myself attracted to the book's message because of my own children. Tapscott's message was very easy to follow and I found myself agreeing with many of the points he was making in the book. While I found it very interesting when relating his points to my own children, I found it to be of great benefit to myself as well.
Tapscott's statement on pg. 29: "The successful companies will be those that recognize that networked structures work more effectively than old-fashioned hierarchies. Peer collaboration drives innovation and new approaches to management and government."
This particular statemet really resounded with me. It's not only important to understand why my own children act or have behave differently than I may have at their given ages, but relevant in the job markets as well. Tapscott points out that large businesses (especially the high-tech industry) are already starting to shift their perspectives and adopting this new business model. While I haven't personally seen this model in any of my work environments I wonder how long it will be until this is more of a mainstream philosophy in most business models.
I found Tapscott's "Eight Net-Generation Norms" to be very benefical as well. It really relates to my field of study in a remarkable way. By seeing these norms I was able to understand what this generation wants and is looking for in products and business practices. It is echoed in the statement, "Businesses targeting the Net Gen should expect and welcome intense scrutiny of its products, promotional efforts, and corporate practices. The Net Gen knows that their market power allows them to demand more of companies, which goes for employers as well." The first thing that I thought of when I read this was the new Dominoe's Pizza advertising campaign. see link :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AH5R56jILag
This small documentary was turned into an advertising campaign and hits what Tapscott is saying square on the head!! A great example.
This shows how Dominoe's is trying to gain confidence from the Net Generation. They are showing that they have LISTENED to what people are saying, ADMITTED their failures, AND HAVE DONE SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!
I really appreciated Tapscott's insight into how the Net Gen is so unabashed in their privacy issues. It shows how I may be able to help protect my kids to a greater degree in the future.
Another very relevant issue that is addressed in the first portion of the book is that of broadcasting. It was insightful because it showed how the effects of one way communication were diminishing and before long may completely fade away. It definately rings another bell for businesses trying to compete for future consumers. As the cell phone is currently one of the leading information tools currently I see consumerism heading in that direction. I feel that if companies are to stay afloat that they must embrace a strategy that utilzes this current medium and be on the lookout for the next big wave in an interactive communication medium.
All in all, I'm very excited to read the rest of this book. I think that it will help lay a ground foundation and understanding for me personally into how the Net Gen will purchase and consume/dictate information. It's exciting to think about how these changes will directly impact my kids and I.
Before I go any further though, I might say that Tapscott opinionates some of his research based upon his own children. Although it appears that he does have some statistical data to relay his notions, I found that he often utilized examples from his own offspring, thus possibly skewing his viewpoint in a manner that he may not have otherwised experienced if he had utilized other examples...Just a thought.
Ironically I found myself attracted to the book's message because of my own children. Tapscott's message was very easy to follow and I found myself agreeing with many of the points he was making in the book. While I found it very interesting when relating his points to my own children, I found it to be of great benefit to myself as well.
Tapscott's statement on pg. 29: "The successful companies will be those that recognize that networked structures work more effectively than old-fashioned hierarchies. Peer collaboration drives innovation and new approaches to management and government."
This particular statemet really resounded with me. It's not only important to understand why my own children act or have behave differently than I may have at their given ages, but relevant in the job markets as well. Tapscott points out that large businesses (especially the high-tech industry) are already starting to shift their perspectives and adopting this new business model. While I haven't personally seen this model in any of my work environments I wonder how long it will be until this is more of a mainstream philosophy in most business models.
I found Tapscott's "Eight Net-Generation Norms" to be very benefical as well. It really relates to my field of study in a remarkable way. By seeing these norms I was able to understand what this generation wants and is looking for in products and business practices. It is echoed in the statement, "Businesses targeting the Net Gen should expect and welcome intense scrutiny of its products, promotional efforts, and corporate practices. The Net Gen knows that their market power allows them to demand more of companies, which goes for employers as well." The first thing that I thought of when I read this was the new Dominoe's Pizza advertising campaign. see link :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AH5R56jILag
This small documentary was turned into an advertising campaign and hits what Tapscott is saying square on the head!! A great example.
This shows how Dominoe's is trying to gain confidence from the Net Generation. They are showing that they have LISTENED to what people are saying, ADMITTED their failures, AND HAVE DONE SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!
I really appreciated Tapscott's insight into how the Net Gen is so unabashed in their privacy issues. It shows how I may be able to help protect my kids to a greater degree in the future.
Another very relevant issue that is addressed in the first portion of the book is that of broadcasting. It was insightful because it showed how the effects of one way communication were diminishing and before long may completely fade away. It definately rings another bell for businesses trying to compete for future consumers. As the cell phone is currently one of the leading information tools currently I see consumerism heading in that direction. I feel that if companies are to stay afloat that they must embrace a strategy that utilzes this current medium and be on the lookout for the next big wave in an interactive communication medium.
All in all, I'm very excited to read the rest of this book. I think that it will help lay a ground foundation and understanding for me personally into how the Net Gen will purchase and consume/dictate information. It's exciting to think about how these changes will directly impact my kids and I.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Review on "A better Pencil" (Chapter 7-12)
A great read. Barron finished the book well. There were a few things that I found throughout the text that left me asking myself some questions.
First, he notes on pg. 133 that there were an "estimated twenty-four thousand variations in so standard a text as the King James Bible-also called the "Authorized Version", a name which itself all but guarantees some uniformity-between its initial publication in 1611 and 1830 (Johns 1998, 91)."
The interesting thing here is that he doesn't specify what those variations are. Are they variations in translation? Are they variations in spelling? Are they variations in dialect? Barron leaves us grasping a bit here. Without being somewhat specific about the variations, he leaves the sentence open as a possible undertoned statement.
I found his statement on pg. 134, "So prevalent is online shopping, trading, banking, and bill paying today that the signature, the long-trusted validator of documents ranging in import from declarations of independence to greeting cards and personal checks, and the one last survivor of the decline in handwriting, may soon go the way of the clay tablets and quill pens." to be very profound.
It's amazing to think that in many way Barron may be right. I think about how often I electronically sign something. I'm constantly doing this and so are millions of others throughout the world.
Barron says, "The impending death of the signature is just one of the new wrinkles that the computer has brought to the process of creating and evaluating the written word..."
The signature however, is something that I believe will never go away entirely. It is something that is too personal and has too much significance within our culture. That's why we have hand writing experts....We can't put them out of a job. :-)
Barron's section regarding blogs and their consequences was fascinating. It not only entertained but informed me tremendously. I was unaware of the "Supreme Court's ruling which states that students may lose their First Amendment rights if their speech is potentially disruptive" within the discourse of their blogs. I had always thought of the First Amendment as solid and unbreakable, not something that was malleable and changeable. To learn that their were consequences due to free speech seemed socialistic and communistic, rather than democratic.
The reading also tied in with my DTC 475 class when it talked about the way of language and its destination in technology, past, present, and future. Barron succinctly embodies his book when he talks candidly about how our languages and interactions are directly affected by our technologies and ephemeral social landscapes. His fluid style takes us through these ephemeral social spaces and lets us see first hand how they have a direct impact in our own lives and on the lives of others.
His closing words in the book definately resonated with me. The classes that I'm in now, currently talk about things of the past and possible things of the future, but who really knows what we'll be talking about tomorrow. Who knows how we'll be communicating with one another in a few more years. Who will we be communicating with? Will our interactions with others be different or will they be the same? Will we live in a virtual environment? Will we have a communication breakdown? Will things just fall apart?
First, he notes on pg. 133 that there were an "estimated twenty-four thousand variations in so standard a text as the King James Bible-also called the "Authorized Version", a name which itself all but guarantees some uniformity-between its initial publication in 1611 and 1830 (Johns 1998, 91)."
The interesting thing here is that he doesn't specify what those variations are. Are they variations in translation? Are they variations in spelling? Are they variations in dialect? Barron leaves us grasping a bit here. Without being somewhat specific about the variations, he leaves the sentence open as a possible undertoned statement.
I found his statement on pg. 134, "So prevalent is online shopping, trading, banking, and bill paying today that the signature, the long-trusted validator of documents ranging in import from declarations of independence to greeting cards and personal checks, and the one last survivor of the decline in handwriting, may soon go the way of the clay tablets and quill pens." to be very profound.
It's amazing to think that in many way Barron may be right. I think about how often I electronically sign something. I'm constantly doing this and so are millions of others throughout the world.
Barron says, "The impending death of the signature is just one of the new wrinkles that the computer has brought to the process of creating and evaluating the written word..."
The signature however, is something that I believe will never go away entirely. It is something that is too personal and has too much significance within our culture. That's why we have hand writing experts....We can't put them out of a job. :-)
Barron's section regarding blogs and their consequences was fascinating. It not only entertained but informed me tremendously. I was unaware of the "Supreme Court's ruling which states that students may lose their First Amendment rights if their speech is potentially disruptive" within the discourse of their blogs. I had always thought of the First Amendment as solid and unbreakable, not something that was malleable and changeable. To learn that their were consequences due to free speech seemed socialistic and communistic, rather than democratic.
The reading also tied in with my DTC 475 class when it talked about the way of language and its destination in technology, past, present, and future. Barron succinctly embodies his book when he talks candidly about how our languages and interactions are directly affected by our technologies and ephemeral social landscapes. His fluid style takes us through these ephemeral social spaces and lets us see first hand how they have a direct impact in our own lives and on the lives of others.
His closing words in the book definately resonated with me. The classes that I'm in now, currently talk about things of the past and possible things of the future, but who really knows what we'll be talking about tomorrow. Who knows how we'll be communicating with one another in a few more years. Who will we be communicating with? Will our interactions with others be different or will they be the same? Will we live in a virtual environment? Will we have a communication breakdown? Will things just fall apart?
Monday, February 1, 2010
Review on "A Better Pencil" (Ch. 1, 3, & 5)
I really appreciate Baron's writing style. His tone and historic examples (which are also very relevant) give the reader a context that is easily received and understandable.
It was enjoyable to read about Henry Thoreau's graphite and pencil industry. I was unaware that he was a business man and entrepreneur. My limited knowledge of the man had always made me think of him as "just a poet".
The real meat and potatoes in our reading assignment came in chapter five. Utilizing clay as a writing medium, Barron relayed a great deal of importance and significance when he asked his students to consider the following:
- "how writing-whether on clay or on computers-forces them to deal with the technology at the same time that they are trying to get the writing done;
- "how technology affects the content of their writing as well as the writing process;
- "how the type of writing they are doing influences the technology they are using;
- "and finally, how the technology affects the way that they read a document or text."
Reading through these considerations forced me to look at the points he was trying to make. There were many aspects in his points that I hadn't thought of before.
I had never thought of myself "dealing with the technology" as I used it. Once I learned how to use a certain technology or technologies, I would have said that I assimilated to it.
Barron's second point is one that I felt that I was already familiar with. I have utilized a caligraphy pen and inkwell, pencil, pen, typwriter, and computer. I have even written with a quill and inkwell. I definately relate to how each technology differs and the effect that it has on your style and speed during the writing process.
The third point was one that I hadn't thought of before. Perhaps the reason that I hadn't thought about it before was because I felt that the technology "assimilated" to me and I to it; a balancing act if you will. There are boundaries on all of our writing surfaces both physical and virtual. There are lines on paper, margins in word processors, finite amounts of space on hard drives, sheets of paper that only fit so much on them, etc.... What it really boils down to here is how you craft your writing into the technology. An example would be, how you space letters (linearly and lateraly) or how you punctuate. I feel that we as writers are the ones that determine how the information is constructed, but there still remains a limiting boundary that we stay within.
The last point is one that I've learned more about since I've been attending W.S.U. It seems to relate to Marshall McLuhan's "The medium is the message." You can have the same content in different mediums and it will present itself differently each time within the differing mediums. A billboard may contain a message that says, "Slow down!", however if I were to read the same thing on a sheet of paper that someone handed me, it wouldn't have the same relevance or intitiate the same response from me.
All in all I would say that I gathered more from these specific ideas and considerations than I did through the combined three chapters. These considerations or viewpoints enabled me to critically think about my own writing experiences and really tied together what he was trying to get at in the rest of the reading.
It was enjoyable to read about Henry Thoreau's graphite and pencil industry. I was unaware that he was a business man and entrepreneur. My limited knowledge of the man had always made me think of him as "just a poet".
The real meat and potatoes in our reading assignment came in chapter five. Utilizing clay as a writing medium, Barron relayed a great deal of importance and significance when he asked his students to consider the following:
- "how writing-whether on clay or on computers-forces them to deal with the technology at the same time that they are trying to get the writing done;
- "how technology affects the content of their writing as well as the writing process;
- "how the type of writing they are doing influences the technology they are using;
- "and finally, how the technology affects the way that they read a document or text."
Reading through these considerations forced me to look at the points he was trying to make. There were many aspects in his points that I hadn't thought of before.
I had never thought of myself "dealing with the technology" as I used it. Once I learned how to use a certain technology or technologies, I would have said that I assimilated to it.
Barron's second point is one that I felt that I was already familiar with. I have utilized a caligraphy pen and inkwell, pencil, pen, typwriter, and computer. I have even written with a quill and inkwell. I definately relate to how each technology differs and the effect that it has on your style and speed during the writing process.
The third point was one that I hadn't thought of before. Perhaps the reason that I hadn't thought about it before was because I felt that the technology "assimilated" to me and I to it; a balancing act if you will. There are boundaries on all of our writing surfaces both physical and virtual. There are lines on paper, margins in word processors, finite amounts of space on hard drives, sheets of paper that only fit so much on them, etc.... What it really boils down to here is how you craft your writing into the technology. An example would be, how you space letters (linearly and lateraly) or how you punctuate. I feel that we as writers are the ones that determine how the information is constructed, but there still remains a limiting boundary that we stay within.
The last point is one that I've learned more about since I've been attending W.S.U. It seems to relate to Marshall McLuhan's "The medium is the message." You can have the same content in different mediums and it will present itself differently each time within the differing mediums. A billboard may contain a message that says, "Slow down!", however if I were to read the same thing on a sheet of paper that someone handed me, it wouldn't have the same relevance or intitiate the same response from me.
All in all I would say that I gathered more from these specific ideas and considerations than I did through the combined three chapters. These considerations or viewpoints enabled me to critically think about my own writing experiences and really tied together what he was trying to get at in the rest of the reading.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
