What I got for Christmas – a lesson in technology use

Posted on December 26, 2008 by markkolier

Most importantly I got the gift of spending it with family – my wife’s family for that matter.  I have done this for the past 31 Christmases.   The family has changed a great deal but as one of my nieces in college said ‘finding your way to come home for Christmas is something that we should do no matter what’.   

My place has changed going from the young kid to the middle aged uncle, son and brother in-law.  It’s great to see everyone particularly the nieces and nephews who I don’t get to see often enough.     All do different things – some are still students either in high school or college, some work full time.  None are married – out of 9 cousins aged 15 – 27. 

All are consumed with technology.   Everyone has a PDA or phone and if under 30 without exception checked text messages or talked on their mobile phone at least once during the afternoon.    That’s amazingly different since my first Christmas with the family back in 1978.  The technology we had then consisted of a record player, a television (yes it was color) showing the Yule Log (or was that Christmas Eve?) and the long gone Blue-Gray classic college football all star game. 

But now our conversations drift in and out of technology all driven by the younger set.  Facebook, internet forums, YouTube, dominate.  It seems someone is always sitting at the computer near the dining room table before or after dinner checking something.   When I mentioned that I now tweet from time to time there were a few cousins that had no idea what Twitter was!    And when I mentioned to my recent college grad (2007) niece about using LinkedIn to find a new job, she said she just had not gotten into that.   She (like all my nieces and nephews for that matter) does use Facebook regularly but did not see the value in LinkedIn.    What she did not see was how it could be relevant to her. 

I was able to show her how I could find out about the people with whom she was going to interview after the weekend by checking their profile on LinkedIn.   Of course you can Google someone as well to get information but specific to an individual LinkedIn is faster and more accurate since it is user generated.   

What I also was able to articulate is how Facebook allows me to offer up my unfiltered  and genuine thoughts to friends or ‘Friends’ and maybe that helps them draw a better read on me as opposed to the business oriented sides of LinkedIn and Twitter .   Surprisingly my nieces and nephews actually read some of my updates (I did not know that since they never comment) and think they are funny sometimes but revealing more than that.  They get to know me and I get to know them (yes I read their  status updates and rarely comment) in ways that people never could before.  And that might be the best gift I get of them all. 

 

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2009 – the year of better communication – I hope!

Posted on December 22, 2008 by markkolier

Will 2009 be the year of better communication?

As I write this sitting on a plane heading to frigid Chicago 3 days before Christmas it bothers me to no end that in flight internet access is not a regularly available feature on airplanes.  Forget for a moment that the few airlines that are doing it (Lufthansa I think is one) charge passengers for the privilege of wireless web access. 

Of course I can still get a diet coke if I want for free.  I would rather have the internet access by far.  Seeing as I cannot pick up a bottle of internet access at the newsstand (either before or after airport security) I would think that providing free access to the internet on all flights in lieu of free sodas would be a much better deal for the airlines.  Remember the airlines are the folks that have brought us the $ 6 can of Budweiser.  So why not a $ 3 soda?   The point is that the web is ubiquitous and it is more than a mere annoyance that you get to pay hundreds of dollars to sit in a tiny seat on short (under 3 hours) haul flights with no food or in-flight entertainment options (unless you fly Jet Blue).   Now I don’t want to hear Mabel talking on her cell phone to her husband about what time he should be at the airport to pick her up – EVER!   NO CELL PHONES IN FLIGHT.  EVER!  But in the interest of better communication I think the airlines are going about it all wrong.  They don’t tell you when you will land but if there were internet access we could figure out what time we would land and at which gate at the very least!  

While l waited for my flight (it was delayed three hours which happens I understand) the communication was not good at all as to if or when the flight would leave.  Initially it was to be 2 hours late but somewhere along the way the communication stopped and 15 minutes before the flight was to depart a sign finally went up.  Why don’t the airlines have an information officer on the premises to help passengers with information?   The amount of goodwill this would engender would be palpable.  I can get more information in the back of a New York City taxicab now (with internet enabled televisions becoming the norm) than I can in an airport. 

And once you get to your destination you know what you get to experience.  The likelihood of paying for internet connections at your hotel!   And the more expensive the hotel the more likely you will have to shell out $ 10.95 or more for 24 hours of internet access.  When traveling on business I often stay at Marriott Courtyards for the primary reason that they offer free internet access.  And it is far less expensive to stay there than at most other hotels.  I just don’t get this do you?  If we are living in the information age why is so much access behind the iron curtain?  

3G networks are on the rise and soon (but not soon enough for me) your internet enabled phone/pda will be able to access the web from anywhere and at great speeds (even in the air!) so eventually all this stupidity on charging for internet access will go away.  Unfortunately you will still have to pay for checking your bags on most airlines (this is not going away sadly) and eventually pay for your soda too.  It’s coming sooner and not later.  2009 may offer a little better communication than 2008 but we still have a long way to go.

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Mobile contract up time for a new phone right? What to do?

Posted on December 16, 2008 by markkolier

Not that easy.  I have a Blackberry Pearl.  It is small.  I can still see the letters and type pretty well with my right hand thumb.  Of course I can only have the T-Mobile network.  There are many places in Connecticut where there is simply no service.  It does work well in New York and most other cities to which I travel.  And it is enabled such that when I travel abroad I can get service quite easily (although I do move to a local SIM card).  I do use it primarily for email and phone calls but find myself using the internet function more and more.  And it has no music player (ok it is 2 years old now or nearly).

So feeling that I am BB leaning guy I went to Verizon to check out the new BB Storm.  How T-Mobile does not sell this phone is a mystery to me.  What is it with phone manufacturers that they feel compelled to single provide service (i.e. Apple/AT & T for a long time and BB Storm Verizon)???    And Verizon can crow about its 3G service all it wants but we Nutmeg state residents won’t see 3G in Connecticut until mid-year 2009 at best I am told. 

We have a family type plan and at present the rest of the family are on Verizon and they seem to love the service.   Of course Verizon is more expensive.  And they want to charge for the Storm but T-Mobile who does NOT have the phone I want will offer the phone for free with a contract sign up.   OK – I HATE THIS GAME. 

Now the Apple cultists will come out and implore me to come out of the dark side and come over to the iPhone because it is the greatest thing EVER.   What is it about Apple/Mac/iPhone people that make them appear like they are all one step away from wearing long robes and singing kumbaya?  Apple is cool – the Mac is a good operating system as is the iPhone a good phone.  But both are far from perfect and believe it or not the Blackberry Storm has some things to offer that the iPhone cannot touch like a really good email set up.  The touch screen seems adaptable and something I would get used to fairly quickly.  But the BB Storm music player is far from an i-Pod application (MP3’s are so yesterday) and the internet browser is a better experience on the iPhone than the Storm.

So what to do?  You can probably tell that I am leaning to going with the BB Storm and consequently Verizon service.   But this is not the kind of choice I think we should be faced with.  What say you?

 

 

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Let’s all go out and howl at the full moon this Friday December 12th

Posted on December 11, 2008 by markkolier

As we are smack in the middle of the 2008 holiday selling season the bad news seems to be a constant.   Corruption scandals (can you believe the still Governor of Illinois’ audacity!) layoffs, workforce reductions, terrible sales and earnings reports – it’s enough to make you want to go out and howl at the moon.    Well now you have even more opportunity since on December 12th the full Moon is the biggest and brightest full Moon of the year.  And it will be 14% bigger than usual. 

I know I feel like howling a bit so here’s what I suggest.  Go outside at 11PM (EDT so it will be dark pretty all across Europe, the continental U.S. and Alaska (sorry Hawaii) and give your best howl to release just a bit of that pent up frustration that resides in us all. 

A good howl will not fix your problems but I guarantee that you will feel much better after doing it and every little bit of feeling better can only be a good thing!  Make it a good one – I want to hear you.  And let me know how it felt! 

For information on the upcoming event:   

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/09dec_fullmoon.htm?list89147

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No limits….but there should be

Posted on December 9, 2008 by markkolier

I saw the advertisement in this morning’s NY Times on Michael Phelps’ new book entitled ‘No Limits’ which is to be released today.  This is his second book – somehow I missed the first one.  Like so many Americans (and dare I say even non-Americans) I was enthralled with Mr. Phelps’ performance at the Beijing Olympics this past summer.  It’s even ok that he is now the new Subway sandwich endorser (bye-bye Jared).  But with at the ripe old age of 23 I have serious doubts about what Mr. Phelps would have to say about his ‘life experience’.  Ok we all know that he can swim really fast.  Faster than just about anyone maybe ever.  Yet what has he done except get wet alot and eat a big breakfast? 

I wonder how the book might read?  ‘I got up early (again) had a big breakfast (again) and went swimming.  Had a big lunch, went to school, went swimming again.  Then had a big dinner (again) and did some homework then played video games.  I did this for 22 years.  My mom is a saint and offers many interesting facial expressions when the camera is on her on television.’ 

I cannot figure where else a book like this will go.  What else could he have to say that would be even remotely interesting?  I am sure Michael Phelps is a nice guy and maybe even a cool dude.  And he has millions of fans and many of them will clamor to read his recent effort (since he has so much more life experience now than before his first book).  Celebrity offers much to those that do great things (and sometimes not great things).  Here’s hoping that Michael Phelps decides to donate a good portion if not all of the proceeds to people in need.   He got $ 10 million to endorse Subway so I am guessing he could afford to do so. 

And don’t get me started on the reported $ 7 million advance offered to Gov. Sarah Palin for her story.  Sure to be an engrossing read. If she cannot see Russia from her bedroom, she can surely make out the ATM.

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Did TSA change their policy with the 3-1-1 plastic bag deal?

Posted on December 3, 2008 by markkolier

I flew out on Monday from a NYC area airport and forgot not only that I did not have my 3 ounces or less liquids in my little one quart plastic bag.  Not only that I left all the liquids in my carry-on.  Went right through security having never given it a thought.  Hmmm. I thought was there a change in policy from TSA?  I don’t recall hearing about it.  I removed my shoes but did not seem to recall if other travelers were doing the same. (When I was in Tokyo a couple of years ago the agents could not understand what I was doing taking off my shoes!).  I also remember right after 9/11 flying someplace and having an overzealous TSA agent confiscate a nice cigar cutter I had received as a gift.

So on the return flight out of Cincinnati I did not have time to get the proverbial plastic bag but I also noticed that they did not have the 3-1-1 signs or the constant drone of what to do with your shoes etc.  They did talk about jackets needing to come off and several travelers had to stand in the special scanner that blew on you.  Somehow I was not asked to do this.  Just lucky I guess.  But once again my bag went right through with my toiletries etc. inside my carry-on not in a plastic bag.  

So what gives?  It appears I missed some change in TSA policy (by the way at both airports I spent less than three minutes going through airport security so what does one really need the ‘Clear’ for anyway?). 

The next thing you know you will not need to remove your shoes!  Also I found the TSA personnel to be pleasant and as usual professional.  Interesting since there was a heightened sense of concern over the holiday weekend due to recent world events and even local to NYC threats. 

All in all it made for a pleasant traveling experience (yes I traveled coach or second class as my sister used to say).  Was I just lucky?  Is the TSA going a little soft?  I will be flying again a couple of times this month to different cities and will be sure to notice if this is a trend or just an anomoly.

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Twitter highlights Citizen Journalism in India

Posted on December 1, 2008 by markkolier

When the terrorists struck on November 26th in Mumbai news media feeds and reports were sketchy at best.  The tweets that came out first were real time and as it turns out accurate reports as to what was going on moment-by-moment as more than 170 people would ultimately perish. 

I have commented that mundane things like ‘what am are you doing right now’ will possibly choke the growth of Twitter as followers may drown in a sea of irrelevant information.  But on the other hand what happened in Mumbai is a fantastic illustration of how social networking combined with Citizen Journalism can be completely relevant and important all at the same time. 

There’s a certain amount of faith that has to be laid out to start with regard to the person tweeting.  But once that person develops a following and as such a reputation for truth and genuine content, the immediacy of Twitter will supplant any ‘news’ feed since it will not be filtered by an editor.

If the future of Twitter is to be an immediate and relevant source of information on topics of importance (subjective) and interest (doubly subjective!) long live Twitter and Tweets!

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Why would Facebook want to buy Twitter?

Posted on November 26, 2008 by markkolier

Twitter turned them down.  $ 500 million in stock was the price tag.  $ 15 billion was the valuation on Twitter.  Twitter has 6,000,000 registrations and did not want to sell on the first offer.  Marc Zuckerberg (Facebook’s founder) said Twitter was an ‘elegant model’.  Now I am on both Facebook and Twitter (don’t have a huge amount of Facebook ‘friends’ nor do I have any real following on Twitter). 

I still have trouble understanding how either Facebook or Twitter will make money.  And maybe because I am an older guy I have difficulty understanding why people would want to know what I am doing ‘right now’.  I admit I probably just don’t get it. Folks it is not all that exciting most of the time – I mean it’s fine for me but why would anyone care about some of the posts I read on both?  I realize I am far from being any kind of fascinating person but I also feel that most of the posts I read are self-aggrandizing and frivolous. 

As I have noted before unless companies like Facebook and Twitter (and LinkedIn etc.) figure out a revenue model I have my doubts about their long term viability.  Will we look back in five years at all this moment to moment posting of life events as extraneous and TMI?  My guess is yes to a certain degree but what also is likely to happen is that these social networking sites will mature and morph into something we (or maybe it’s just me) cannot quite see at the moment. 

I’m off to NYC for meetings a lunch.  Yes I know you don’t care.  Why should you?

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A different type of social media with TRUE engagement

Posted on November 15, 2008 by markkolier
I did not think if it this way until I read about the new expansion pack (Wrath of the Lich King) and the buzz it created for World of Warcraft (WOW). Thursday this week Blizzard Entertainment released the new expansion pack Check out the link to see the buzz and video coverage – http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7725328.stm

Ok these people are SUPER engaged. Some might term it fanatical and others might call it more than that. WOW players collaborate on line in the world’s most popular MMORPG (if you have to ask then you won’t understand) that has 11 million members (that pay a monthly fee to access servers around the planet). The players can talk and share in real time, the content is truly genuine and the engagement motives are simple to understand – they just want to play the game.

It can be addictive for sure and there are even support groups for those that cannot control themselves since they can play for 16 hours per day or more. It would be easy to pass off this group as a bunch of computer geeks with no life if there were not so many of them. But their sheer numbers and committment level make them a formidable force.

Let’s see 11,000,000 people who actually PAY something to network with one another both verbally and in writing sharing a real-time experience with participants worldwide. Facebook and MySpace may have more members but neither has figured out any kind of sustainable revenue model.

WOW proves that true user engagement combined with revenue can coexist after all! It’s just a different kind of social network.

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A different type of social media with TRUE engagement

Posted on November 15, 2008 by markkolier
I did not think if it this way until I read about the new expansion pack (Wrath of the Lich King) and the buzz it created for World of Warcraft (WOW). Thursday this week Blizzard Entertainment released the new expansion pack Check out the link to see the buzz and video coverage – http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7725328.stm

Ok these people are SUPER engaged. Some might term it fanatical and others might call it more than that. WOW players collaborate on line in the world’s most popular MMORPG (if you have to ask then you won’t understand) that has 11 million members (that pay a monthly fee to access servers around the planet). The players can talk and share in real time, the content is truly genuine and the engagement motives are simple to understand – they just want to play the game.

It can be addictive for sure and there are even support groups for those that cannot control themselves since they can play for 16 hours per day or more. It would be easy to pass off this group as a bunch of computer geeks with no life if there were not so many of them. But their sheer numbers and committment level make them a formidable force.

Let’s see 11,000,000 people who actually PAY something to network with one another both verbally and in writing sharing a real-time experience with participants worldwide. Facebook and MySpace may have more members but neither has figured out any kind of sustainable revenue model.

WOW proves that true user engagement combined with revenue can coexist after all! It’s just a different kind of social network.

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