The Future of Social Networking

So a few weeks back (pre-Christmas) I wrote about what the “future” of education might be, with a dash of iPod wishing thrown in for good measure!  (I’m still waiting for my email from Steve Jobs…)  But, I got a number of emails regarding this vision of things to come, asking about my take on other stuff. I must admit, creating the vision of the future is fun…mental gymnastics as it may be, but fun all the same. One of the requests surrounded social networks. You know, Web 2.0 stuff.

I genuinely like talking about Web 2.0.  I realize for some it’s already old news, but in the education circles I work with, it’s pretty high tech.  (If we can only get teachers to see that Web 2.0 is SO much bigger than wikis and blogs…)  But the power and flexibility the tools offer is pretty impressive.  I like that they offer new opportunities for learners to take more control of their learning and access their own customized information, resources, tools and services.  I think it’s great that they encourage a wider range of expressive capability.  How great that they help facilitate more collaborative ways of working, community creation, dialogue and knowledge sharing.  And ultimately, I appreciate social networking tools ability to furnish a setting for learner achievements to attract an authentic audience.

So what will these tools look like in the future?  Well, I think the Open Source movement will help pave some of the way.  First, I would be surprised if the tools we use today don’t talk to each other, allowing us to have multiple tools sharing content and alerts with each other.  Websites like Ning are starting to get towards this notion, but instead of the feeds all coming from the same website, they would all talk together.  Essentially, you’d have a page of widgets that held all of your good stuff! 

Second, these interoperable talking points would be smarter.  It would become easier to share them in all the appropriate spots.  For example, if I were to write a killer book (or Kindle) review of “Disrupting Class” (which I will do soon…) on my blog, that would be great for the 500 or 1000 people who read it.  BUT, wouldn’t it serve everyone better if it were on Amazon’s site?  My subscription to Twitter could be used to tell me where to check the full articles and my wiki might get picked up on Digg where it would do more good for the collective!

Lastly, (I know that there will be a lot more cool stuff than three things, but I’m pacing myself…) I would bet that these networks talking to each other would will be even more useful as the mobile world explodes.  You can already see the impact as the iPhone’s apps and Windows Mobile stream more and more rss elements.  But imagine this:  I’m a blogger who writes a blog about how I love ice cream.  I also happen to have a GPS phone that sends me my daily reads from Fark while telling my friends on Loopt where I am and what I’m doing.  But, since my coffee blog was tagged by Web 3.0 (the Semantic Web), it’s now associating me with ice cream.   So one day I’m walking down 16^th Street Mall in Denver when I get a text message.  It’s a buy one get one free coupon for the new ice cream shoppe that just went in about a block away.  Will I use it?  Of course I will!!!  Will I thank technology for the great coupon and introduction?  Of course I will!!!  Will I enjoy their delicious vanilla based ice cream with peanut butter ribbon, fudge ribbon, peanut butter candy, and chocolate chunks?  What do you think?  (You’re welcome Ben & Jerry…can you call it PB & Jeff?)

Want to hear more about the future of technology?  Want to tie it to education, productivity, or industry for your group?  Contact jborden@jeffpresents.com immediately!

Things Worth Knowing

Before I begin, I’d like to thank all of you for the wonderful outreach of support and kind words from last week’s blog.  Keena is less than 1 week away from surgery and each day brings both hope and fear.  I’ll keep you informed!

One of my best friends likes to call me a Renaissance Man.  I’m flattered by the spirit of the remark, even though it suggests Jack of all trades, master of none…but I’ll get over that.  However, as a flourishing college professor, a renounced stand-up comic, a wanna-be musician, an undiscovered writer, and a fairly successful business person, one of my favorite past times is dreaming up courses to teach at the college level.  You know, the kind of course you’ll never see at ITT Tech because it’s not in the intended curriculum or program of study to help students design games for a living.  The kind of course that just makes you a better human or a better _________ than you are today.  A course that should be as interesting for students as it is fun to teach by professors. 

Often these courses (in my mind) infuse communication with media, history with music, or education with film.  I think they could be powerful and successful.  But lately I’ve had another one on my brain.  You know those lists of “10 things every student should know” or “The Top 5 Things Every Parent Should Teach Their Children?”  It’s along those lines. 

I have heard a lot lately (I go to way too many conferences…) that education is behind the times.  To hear some talk, it’s WAY behind the times.  But a lot of people note that education will never be current and should never be “bleeding” edge.  That’s because education is about critical thought – we can teach students to think the way they need to in order to get current.  But my course might help bridge the gap a bit.  See what you think.

I think every college should offer a seminar called, “A Decade Of Innovation Worth Knowing.”  As I see it, every decade has information that changes the world.  Things happen that educated people should not only be aware of, but actually study to see how to use it or make it better.  What’s great about a class like this would be the potential research by students to create and find life-changing, world-changing events.  So, in the spirit of open-source education (Open Source would be something worth studying in a course like this…even as it is starting to relate to things other than technology.  See Crowdsourcing) here are a few “nuggets” of information that anyone trying to make it in the world should know.

1. The Tipping Point.  Malcolm Gladwell introduced us to a concept that we all probably understand on a basic level, but nobody had thought to turn it into a focus for business.  The TP essentially explains how trends are created and, more importantly, take hold.  Moving words like “stickiness” into everyday business vernacular, The Tipping Point is a must-read for anyone who wants to do anything at their company besides stay put.
2. The Semantic Web.  Web 2.0 is over…sorry.  Trying to stay out in front of technology is tough.  Most people don’t have time to dedicate to it and even if you do, what good is trying to figure out what’s really going to work and stick?  (I’d recommend reading Wired on a monthly basis juts to keep you grounded…)  But most experts agree that we are moving out of Web 2.0, a wonderful marketing term created by Tim O’Reilly that really resonated with people, and into the world of the Semantic Web.  Effectively, the Semantic Web will be a technological world where computers not only help us do things, but help us use technology to do it!  It’s creating semantics in and around the tools to allow computers to search, locate, and inform us about which technologies to use or incorporate.  It’s an extension of artificial intelligence that ultimately could make our lives a lot easier.
3. Blue Ocean Strategy.  For anyone with a “Big Idea”, this is a concept you should know.  Blue Oceans are the new, untapped, often niche markets that need to be created.  Essentially, Blue Oceans create a market for a product or service, rather than filling an already present need.  Blue Man Group, Nintendo Wii, and Home Depot are examples of Blue Ocean Organizations that were quite successful.

So there are three…out of a decade of impressive thoughts, ideas, books, and concepts.  What else should go in a course like that?  Well, hire me to teach it and we’ll talk…

Do you want to hear more about how innovation ties into our daily lives?  Need someone to speak about past, current, or future ideas at your organization or conference? Contact jborden@jeffpresents.com for more information!