Ho, Ho, Hum......

Hello All:

One week to go until Christmas, and with everything that has been going on this year it has been very hard to get into the holiday spirit. I never turn on the news without hearing something bad: lay-offs, foreclosures, bank bailouts, auto bailouts, OPEC, and on-and-on-and-on. I know, this is news and the public has the right to know...and we should. But, I haven't seen one item of good news in the media for a long time. Well, unless you count Tom Cruse being humble on the Today show....touching.

I have learned from some great instructors and mentors at Drake over the past year the value of reflection. However, occasionally the reflection in the mirror is not how I envisioned it. So when I applied reflection time to this holday, I started thinking about others. About the hardships of all those who are less fortunate (financially, medically, opportunities, etc.), soldiers who are spending the holidays in another land, and their families who have to spend the holidays wondering if Mom or Dad are OK.

I guess my point is the same as many others. Just providing you insight which may or may not cause some reflection for you. Maybe if enough people would do this the country would not be in the shape it is? Who knows? Anything is possible during the holidays....right?

Community Book Club Site

I had the chance to review a site called Community Book Club (Link below), which provides you an opportunity to join and share your reflections from the various reading.

According to the site's welcome page: "The purpose of the book club web site is to provide information, tools, and discussion points to participants who are reading a book on leadership, training, management and other topics that are applicable to the corporate environment."

Reflections are captured through the use of a blog, which I have also posted the link to below. If you have trouble accessing the website, I would add a note to the blog with your email, and the leader of the group will add you to the list. If you need further assistance, please contact me and I can direct you.

I suggest you check it out if you are into the book club scene!

Community Book Club

Community Book Club Blog

Second Life Paper

As promised, I have provided a link to my paper which reflects my thoughts and research on Second Life. Please feel free to send me comments and suggestions about the paper, and please share what you have seen, read, or experienced on the subject as well.

Second Life Paper

Governor in Trouble...

I know I promised to stay on technology for a few posts, and have done a pretty good job, but this story is just too good to pass up. I promise my next post will include something about technology, and a link to my final paper on Second Life.

I guess I could make the arguement that this is part of technology, as I read a story on it on the Internet, but that's a weak link at best. At least I gave it a try...right? Anyway, I read that the Governor of Illinois was arrested today on charges he attempted to make money by selling President-elect Obama's old Senate Seat to the highest bidder.

Just when I thought things were getting a little better: a new president, gas below $2.00, and stocks rallying some, then this. What can I say, someone is always out to make a buck....even our public servants. Not that this is anything new, especially in Illinois. Heck, if this were 1958 instead in 2008 it probably wouldn't be an issue.

Unfortunately for the governor, it is, and thankfully so. Selling a Senate seat to the highest bidder? I honestly thought we got over this type of thing years ago, and unfortunately this is probably more the norm than I care to admit. I had a police officer tell me once that there are hundreds of speeders I don't catch, but I caught you. The same goes for this incident. There are probably hundreds of backdoor deals in political offices, but we only catch one or two.

Although President-elect Obama was not connected to this in anyway, it certainly puts a damper on the start of what could be a great presidency. It makes one wonder if Mr. Obama somehow bought the seat a couple of years earlier? I certainly hope not....for all of our sakes.

Second Life PodCast / MP3

To go along with my blog post today on Second Life, I have created a PodCast to provide some additional information. Please click on the link below if you would like to listen to the PodCast.

Second Life

Second Life

Although my project and audio post will be on Second Life, I can't help but take a few minutes to write about the potential this has as a tool for businesses and educational institutions.

The fact that someone can create a virtual world where a person (user) can create a virtual being they control and can do anything they want (limited only by the rules of Linden Labs...the creators) is simply amazing to me. Maybe it's because I'm an old guy....I don't know. But there is some real potential to reach people here.

From an HR perspective, Second Life can be a way to reach the young people, or people interested in this technology within your organization. Imagine holding virtual benefits meetings, focus groups, day-to-day meetings, and training? Think of the time and money saved on travel alone.

It can also provide a way to get employees engaged and interested in attending meetings. The possibilities are limited only by your imagination and creativity.

Recession...Really?

Now I have been trying to keep this blog on the topic of emerging technology as much as possible, but I just can't contain myself on this one. This morning I get a news flash from CNN that reads, "The U.S. entered a recession in December 2007, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research." Really? No? Really? Well that's news to me....

Of all the dumb things I have seen in the news, this has to be the best....By Far! I thought it was a joke at first, then I get online and there it is again. Like it is some big news or something. The honest, hardworking people of this country have known this since December of 2007, and most likely before....so where is the big news?

This goes to show you that the elite in the media in this country are just as bad as politicians when it comes to "getting it" as far as real people are concerned. They live in Fantasyland, attend elite parties for the rich, and only when their friends have to downgrade from a Lotus to a BMW do they really start thinking that there might be some people hurting out there...probably not, but it's nice to think they do.

What is going on with this country? Why is this news? Everyone knows what's going on, especially those who will not be able to buy much for their children this holiday season because the bread-winner(s) in the family are facing down-sizing and lay-offs. Common on people, let's wake-up and get to work fixing this problem. The more press conferences I see promising action, the more I think nothing is coming.

Where is FDR when we need him?

It's That Time of Year Again....

Well, Thanksgiving Day has come and gone, and we are now ready to begin the homestretch to the remainder of the holiday season for 2008. The year has gone quickly, and with it the end of one political era, and the start of another. But that's all I'm going to say about that for now....

Anyway, this shopping season, and the looming economic situation make me wonder how much people are actually going to spend this year. Even more interesting is the question: Are they going to buy much of what they get online?

In recent years we have seen a significant number of people buying online, and I must admit, my family rarely buys anything for Christmas in the stores. We have been online for many years, and see no reason to stop now. But with the economic situation, there are advantages to buying in the store.

I read a number of articles about the deals retailers like Walmart and Best Buy were offering, and how people waited in line 12-24 hours in order to get one of these lost-leaders. But this doesn't come without a price, as one Walmart store clerk was killed when eager shoppers rushed the store. Wouldn't have happen online....

I'm not trying to make light of this horrible death, been am trying to point out the ignorance of it. Have we gotten to the point in our society where buying little Johnny that $350 laptop is so important that we would kill for it? It's not like caveman days when fighting for food meant living or dying. Now we are fighting over laptops in a digital age...maybe that is just as important...but I doubt it.

Come on people, technology is more important than I ever imagined and offers a wealth of possibilities. Yet, we still cling to the old Black Friday rituals of getting up at 4am in the morning, being rude to fellow shoppers, and fighting over dolls and other toys to get the spoiled little one whatever he or she wants. Strange society.....

Wow, it's been a little while

Sorry it has taken me a little while to get back to blogging, but I just returned from a trip to Las Vegas where I gave a presentation, went to a conference, and generally had a good time. Yes, good....not great. It was a little different this time. Service people weren't nearly as friendly, and the casinos were about half full. When I enquired about this the person at the front desk informed me that the economy has taken a real toll on jobs and real estate in the town. Fewer people are visiting "Sin City" and those that are just aren't spending what they use to...I know I wasn't.

It got me to thinking about technology and the economy....yes, it really did. As I sat in the sports bar watching the Chiefs lose again and enjoying an adult beverage I got to thinking about technology, and if all this neat stuff we can do with mass collaboration has cost our country too many jobs?

I know that due to technology some of the customer service jobs that use to be done here are now in countries like India. So are some of the tax preparation, drafting, and other jobs that require more science than art. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining...just making an observation.

We're being out done by countries that can do the business faster, cheaper, and smarter. Daniel Pink noted this in the book "A Whole New Mind" and although he wasn't right about everything (who ever is?), he was right about many things. Regardless, globaliztion is here to stay, and our economy and businesses must learn to embrass it or die.

Second Life?

When I first heard that a site like Second Life existed, I have to be honest in saying I thought it sounded like a big waste of time. I'm one of those parents who tells his son two or three times a night to "Get off the computer, and get outside and meet people." Now he can do both....

I don't advocate he spend his entire night on the computer in Second Life, but at least his time spent there would be interacting with "real" people...sort-of. Second Life is a site where you can actually live and interact as a different person. You create a vitual person that walks, runs, flies, or is magically teleported from one location to the next.

You can buy property, build homes, hold a job, get married, buy clothes, furniture, or anything you have enough money to afford...just as in real life. The implication in education and training are endless, and for me begin with the idea that an instructor, school, trainer, etc. can reach non-traditional students who are spending their time in Second Life.

Any organization can set-up a virtual classroom to hold classes or provide training for those unwilling or unable to attend in the traditional format. For me, I enjoy the personal interaction that comes with attending classes in-person, but for others, it might be the perfect solution to get additional knowledge without the need to leave their home.

Let's Talk About Something Else...For A Little Bit Anyway

I have spent a considerable amount of time on this blog discussing the election and politics over the last several weeks. Occasionally I have pointed out the worth of the technology I am learning in the Emerging Technologies class at Drake University, but want to spend a little more time on that in the next several posts.

I did not avoid writing on the issue of technology because I fail to see value in this learning, but rather because I am not very good at self-reflection. Don't get me wrong, I am a strong supporter of its use. I just have the same excuse as everyone else...I have a lot to do, and writing on a familiar topic is easier than reflecting on the use of technology in my life.

That being said, I would like to focus on what new technologies I have learned, and the uses I see for them them in my personal, business, and educational career. The first such learning is on the use of collaborative tools such as Wiki's, and Google Docs.

In past jobs I was required to manage employees who did not work in the same office, and on one occasion, the same state. For this reason it was often difficult to collaborate on projects within the team. Many times we would pass documents from one person to another via email, and would have to appoint one individual to be the "point person". The "point person" would be the one to receive revised documents from team members, and combine these revisions into a "master" copy.

This way of collecting feedback was time consuming, and often led to errors in the final product. The collaboration tools I have learned and used will allow me to better communicate in a business setting by providing a way to share documents without the need to email them. The documents can be stored in one place and each team member can view, download, and edit them.

From an educational perspective I have been able to use this technology recently by creating a wiki site for another class. The input from class members during our sessions are inputed onto the wiki, and access is given to all members. They can view and revise this material at anytime, and provides them materials that would not otherwise be available to them. It also acts as a place members can go to add information or comments they feel is valuable.

In all, the usefulness of these tools could be documented in far greater detail than what I have been able to do here. The important thing to remember is that these tools are free, and their use opens up a greater level of collaboration with people than was ever thought possible just a few years ago. Gone are the days when individuals could only collaborate with those in their circle (e.g. coworkers, friends, classmate, etc.). Now with the use of these tools, individuals can collaborate with people all over the world...even with those they do not know.

Technology can be a wonderful thing....

What Now?

I was surprised to hear Obama's speech on Tuesday night. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for change, but it just seemed like he was lowering the expectations for his first term within an hour of being elected president. He ran on the platform of positive change, and I think hearing that our problems might not be solved in his first term came as a surprise to a lot of people.

Unfortunately, the problems facing this country may take more than two terms to solve. The amount of money for the bailout alone will take ten to twenty years...or longer to recover from. We may never get it back. The days of easy money are over, and to the "want it now" generation this may be a big problem. The new generation is use to having everything now, and it's going to be hard for them to understand that they will no longer be able to get everything they want, when they want it.

We are looking at a big social adjustment, and maybe that was what Obama was really talking about? Maybe the ideals of our fathers: hard work, stable job, conservative financial investments, etc. was not so wrong after all?

Election Day!

It’s Election Day and we are on the verge of the most important point in our history. Yes, we have been through difficult times before, and it can be argued that this election is no more important than the ones during the great depression, but in the end we have so many different issues facing us that it all blends into one great big noise. Because of this, I believe this election is by far the most important.

We have the various economic problems (mortgage loans, bank bailouts, credit card crisis); the issues with education (no child left behind, affordable college, tuition loans, private schools); the national debt; the issues with healthcare (affordable care for all); the issues with the environment (relatively unnoticed due to other problems); and let’s not forget the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.

Do I believe we can turn this around…yes, but it’s going to take a long time and will take more than just money to solve the issues we face. The citizens of this country have lost confidence in our system, and we need is someone who can restore our faith. That is truly the stabilizing force in our system…not money, and whether any of the two candidates running for president can do this remains to be seen.

My parents often told me when I was growing up that nice people don’t run for president. That the person in that job must be willing to get dirty and step on toes. I think there is some truth to that, and the reason many qualified people do not run for president anymore. The media coverage is just too much to hide from, and the dirty laundry of the past eventually is found.

Do I advocate criminals in office…of course not! We need someone who has kicked ass and taken names to get things done; a true leader. Instead we get the people that follow polls and have no clear vision for the future. Those are not the people I want in office. Don’t tell me what I want to hear, tell me what I need to hear and why...that’s what I want.

What is the Answer?

After my last post I had someone comment to ask what the answer was to all this, and honestly I have no idea. I guess that's one of the benefits of having a blog...you can complain all you want, but never have any answers. Without sounding like a complete revolutionist I could advocate that we move to a system similar to that in England, but they have their issues as well. Could we just ask everyone to cooperate a little bit better? We could, but it wouldn't do any good.

As with many people these days, those in government keep moving the line of acceptable behavior. We always argued about the issues, but it rarely became personal. Now we have all sorts of name-calling on both sides, and it just keeps getting worse. Maybe we should adopt the mafia's, "It's not personal, it's just business" saying for government? If we did that, maybe people wouldn't feel the need to dig so deep?

Who knows? I stay in the middle of the road on most issues, so who am I to talk? Many of my friends tell me that I don't have the right to complain because I never really take a stand. I tell them that it's not that I don't have opinions, I just don't tell everyone what my opinions are when it comes to which side I'm on. I would much rather discuss issues of ethics and fairness than to call names. The big picture is a lot more important to me than who the favor-of-the-month is...and that's all this election is about.

I don't expect much from anyone who becomes president, they are crazy for wanting the job in the first place. They live at the will of Congress, and are constantly taking responsibility for things they have no control over. They make decisions based on what will get them elected, or add to their war-chest. They do nothing for the common person. Why would they? Most of them come from rich families, with no idea what it is like to struggle paycheck to paycheck.

Bottom line: When you don't know how many homes you own...you have too much damn money!

Checks & Balances / Electoral College

Checks & Balances

Sound like a breakfast cereal right? Probably should be, but if it were anything like our form of government it would never have the same flavor, would have lies and distortions on the packaging, and you would not be able to find it in stock when you needed it. That’s the way things go…..

Now, I want to be the first to say I am very proud to be an American, and our system may not be the best, but it’s better than any place else I can think of. Well…Sweden would be good, but only if I lived next door to the Swedish bikini team…. Anyway, the point to all this is that I want to preface my remarks about this country by also giving my allegiance to it. As a citizen I have a right…nay obligation to question my government, and the system we live under. But often we confuse questioning with standing up against, and I want to make that distinction clear from the beginning.

Anyway, I believe the checks and balances that were built into our system served its purpose a long time ago. It prevented one person or party from gaining too much power. That being said, the executive and legislative branches of our system function too close together to really provide a check and balance. It’s more like a punch and run. The Supreme Court on the other hand sits up on high, and watches the fray while rarely, if ever, getting in the mix. You rarely hear a senator or representative bashing a supreme about the problems in our country, but they attack the president daily.

A true check and balance would have at least three completely separate but equal branches. Since senators and representatives can run for president, who better to clash with? Who better to blame, or point fingers at? Who better to make life miserable for? That’s the problem, our elected officials are so concerned about their job or next one that they fail to take care of the people they serve.
However, because senators and representatives rarely if ever become a supreme, the court stands separate and is respected for the position it holds. If being a supreme required a vote, they would be in the same mess that the legislative and executive branches are in.

Electoral College

This brings me to the Electoral College. The first time a teacher told me that the person with the most votes may not win the presidency I was shocked! Who could possibly feel that anything but a majority vote should win public office in our society? Well, that’s the way it is here….as we all know from the 2000 election. I can hear all the different reasons behind the matter, but to me it is just a way for the elite to throw an election should a person they don’t want wins the popular vote. I know that sounds like a conspiracy, which by definition it is. But I’m not a conspiracy nut, and know the rules of the election upfront, so that helps.

But why doesn’t the popular vote in our country decide who is president? Why some convoluted system of electors, when a simple majority will do? Half plus one always works for me. Instead, electors are assigned based on the vote of the people, and these folks get together at their respective state capitals to vote on who the president will be. Hopefully the elector will cast his/her ballot for the candidate based on the vote of the people they represent, but they don’t have to! Why create a system that may not give the country the results it wants? Well, our founding fathers were anything if not open to options. And this gave the system a way to supposedly correct mistakes. It never has, but who knows?

The Election is Almost Here!

It's that time again, the time when we get to choose who gets to screw-up the country for the next four years. That's not really fair; actually the president has very little authority over our form of government. Yes, he does get to make some decisions (Supreme Court Appointments, Presidential Orders, etc.), but the big plans come from the guys and gals down the street in Congress. The president, though a check and balance, has very little say in what this legislative body does. In years when the president has a majority he is more likely to get the laws passed that he wants. Otherwise, it is a constant battle between the two parties with the American people in the middle.

Wouldn't we be better off if the person that controlled the White House also had a majority in Congress? England does it that way....so it can't be all bad....right? It makes sense that the majority party should be allowed to steer the country in the direction the people want it to go...so says their vote anyway. If the majority messes-up the people correct it on the next election cycle, and the new ruling party is put in place and they "have a go at it" (a little lingo from across the pond).

Either way, the parties could still fight each other; they just wouldn't have governmental policy and the American people in the middle. The policy would be aligned with the party in office, so whether it sank or swam we would know who to blame. In the last four years we have blamed President Bush (rightfully so in many instances). However, the Democrats are not completely powerless (House of Representatives). How much blame do we place on them for this mess as well?

Honestly, no one knows. Questions like this are answered by what political affiliation one belongs to, and not the reality of the situation. Were checks and balances a good idea or just a way to keep our system in turmoil?

I Don't Mean To Sound Negative

I don't mean to sound negative, but after another 500+ point loss on the NYSE I just don't see things getting better anytime soon. As millions of families suffer through one of the largest losses of personal wealth in the history of this country, no one seems to have many answers...save for the government who is giving our hard-earned tax dollars to bankers who made terrible decisions about their businesses. Who is helping the little guy in this equation?

We send money to AIG, who after the bailout sends it's executives on a $500,000 retreat. I now read that some of the bailed out banks are stopping golden parachute payments to former executives. We all know in the end the guys or gals are going to get the dough. You don't stop payments that large without getting someone's attention...legal attention. These people were smart enough to have contracts...yes, something you and I never get. The company is contractually obligated to make these payments...so who are they trying to fool?

Just because the government tells the company not to pay them does not keep the company from honoring a legal and binding contract...unless the company files bankruptcy of course....which our bailout allowed them to avoid. A "Catch 22" I would say. Now we have an election coming up, and neither guy has an idea of what to do to help us out of this crunch. Maybe the best thing would have been to let the banks collapse, and then start over. Don't know many other inductries in this country that would get the sort of help that airlines, railroads, and banks get.

Yes, I know they are important to our country, but if they can't stand on their own two feet...well, maybe they are not meant to be around...capitalism right?

Education v. Training

I have been working on a project for another class, and the topic of education v. training came up. For some reason this interested me. I guess it's because I never looked at them as two different things....training is education right? Well for this discussion education was defined as gaining conceptual or historical knowledge; while training is designed to learn a specific task. In general, learning why is considered education, and learning how woud be training. I debated whether a learning event could be both elements of education and training, and overall I believe they could contain both. Others I have talked to from a business perspective basically say they could care less if the event is training or education, as long as the objective of making the company better is achieved.

I partially agree, which I guess means I disagree. Business is about making money, plain and simple. Teaching an assembler in a factory how to put together a product might provide you a good worker, but I contend that teaching the same assembler why the parts fit together a certain way gets you an engaged employee and someone you can count on to see errors in the process. So in the end, should an organization train, educate or both train and educate employees? Does it matter what industry you are in?

As for self-directed learning, do you learn best by being trained or being educated? Are their times when you only want to know how to do something, but not why? My wife would argue that because I never read the instructions to anything I'm after what I perceive to be the fastest way to put something together....in other words, show me how to do it and get out of my way. But in the end, shouldn't I want to know why parts are going together a certain way...that is if I want to be able to tell if the item is going together correctly. Maybe that's why many supervisors and managers never bother to provide detailed instructions to their employees....maybe that's why I never did? If we never want direction isn't it logical to assume that nobody else does either? Well, I was wrong....

Just some food for thought....

Today, a Little More Fun.....

As a second installment of my two-part series on other blogs I enjoy....hey, I have a series...cool! Anyway, this post will focus on some of my interests and a writer I enoy. No, I won't be telling you my favorite color, food, football team (KC Chiefs)...ok, off track just for a second, but I do want to provide you with a few sites I think are pretty interesting. That is, if you enjoy some of the same topics I do. This also falls within the category of self-learning, so this might be part three of a multi-part series.... Regardless, I learn everyday, some of it useful, some of it just interesting. Either way, I have some new knowledge to share, or just let rattle around in my mind a while. The three other sites I really enjoy are:

Dave Barry (Writer for the MIami Herald): Often humor type stuff, but he makes me think.
-blogs.herald.com/dave_barry_blog

Everyday Science (General blog for all things science): I often share this stuff with the kids, especially my 11 year-old daughter who's into science.
-blog.everydayscientist.com

Wired Science (Another general science blog)
-blog.wired.com/wiredscience

As you can tell, I enjoy the sciences....never been good at them, but I enjoy reading about them. Hope this gives you a few interesting places to visit.

Enjoy these as well!

Off Self-Directed Learning for a Minute...Maybe

When I sat down to write this post today my goal was to provide you some of the blogs I have been in the habit of reading since the last emerging technologies class. As I began to write how this post would not pertain to self-directed learning I had to stop myself. I remembered that much of the learning we do is self-directed and are things we do everyday that we are not even aware of....reading the paper, watching the tv news, talking with informed friends and associates, and yes....reading blogs.

With that said, here are some sites that I enjoy keeping up with. I do this through the Blogger Dashboard and not the Google Reader we learned about in class. I will say that the Blogger Dashboard does not have all the features of Google Reader, but it does allow me the opportunity to "one stop shop" for both the blogs I want to read, and for the blog I want to update. Anyway, here are the sites and a brief description:

Mark Cuban (Owner of Dell Computers and the Dallas Mavericks NBA Team): blogmaverick.com

Jonathan Schwartz (CEO/President of Sun MIcrosystems):
blogs.sun.com/jonathan

Rex Hammock (President/Founder of Hammock, Inc.):
rexblog.com

Davis Sifry (CEO of Technorati; CTO of Sputnik; & Founding Board Memember of Linux International):
sifry.com

These blogs tend to focus more on business and technology (an interest of mine), though Cuban does get into some of the inner-workings of his basketball team and the NBA. I will offer some of my favorite entertainment blogs shortly.

Enjoy!

Self-Directed Learning

Over the last several weeks I have been doing a considerable amount of reading on the topic of self-directed learning in adults. An interesting concept, and one that has made me do a lot of thinking. I know that people learn on a continuous basis, and much of it is unplanned, but what caught my attention was the question of how businesses and schools go about teaching adult learners. For all the many trainings I have had in my professional career not one attempted to be effective, efficient, and engaging. Instead, data was thrown out at a very fast pace and those who got it were in good shape. For those who did not....well they were left to flop around like a newly caught fish on the river bank. Businesses in a hurry to get people out of training and back to work fail in almost every attempt to train their employees new things, and I was one of the biggest offenders. The old routine of putting everything on a Powerpoint just doesn't work anymore....heck, it never worked for the most part. It looks nice and neat, but not very effective in teaching something new.

Our school systems also fail our young adults in this regard. Many high school students are ready to be taught in a different manner, yet our schools continue to teach in the lecture format. Sometimes that works, sometimes (most of the time) it does not. We need to change our view of education and training in this society. Just because someone has to learn something to do their jobs does not mean they will. What's the answer? We'll I have many suggestions....stay tuned for more.

What is this world coming to?

I was having lunch today with a good friend and the topic of the economy came up. Well, it just didn't "come up" it was the topic of conversation from the moment we sat down. The questions back and forth ranged from what we thought was going to happen in the next 2-3 months, to the stability of our jobs, to the financial future of our children. But this was no ordinary conversation, in fact it was unlike any conversation we have had in the nearly 20 years since we first met. What made it different was the fact that neither one of us had any answers, nor pretended to have any. To almost every question revolving around the country's future and this economy we exchanged nothing but blank stares. Now this wasn't like a meeting of the Federal Reserve, and the fact that 2 fat old guys would not have a clue about the future of our economy would rarely surprise anyone. But the real issue is that we should at least have an opinion...shouldn't we?

We should have some feeling of confidence in our country and our way of life...but we don't. We don't have the answers, and unlike past conversation we were both too nervous to venture a guess on what is going to happen. This is unlike the baseball and football games we badger each other about on a regular basis. This is about eating or not eating....survival. This country has spent to many years living the good life on credit...credit that was given out too freely and to everyone....especially to those who could least afford to pay it back. Now it's time to pay for our bad choices, and the one's to be hardest hit will be those that always get hit the hardest...the middle class. The poor will always get help, the rich will have their money, but the middleclass is the group that struggles to do just a little better than those that came before them....and because of some bad choices by the wealthiest people in our society we are going to have to pay for our dreams.

We're not paying for a cause worth fighting for like feeding the poor, comforting children, or helping abused animals....we're coming to the rescue of banks and financial instituations....God Bless America!

The World Financial Crisis....Our Fault?

Well I am finally back on to do more ranting about pretty much everything. Not because I enjoy it mind you....well, I enjoy it a little, but because it's hard to believe how things in this world are going now. I read yesterday that various countries are blaming us for the world's financial crisis, and I must say that bothers me. Not because it's true, but because no one person, group, organization, or government ever takes responsibility for their actions. Yes, the financial institutions in our country made some very bad choices, but that does not mean the rest of the world had to follow us. They could have made their own decisions, and chose to stay out of the US markets. When times are good and we send money overseas in the form of aid the U.S. gets accused of meddling in other countries affairs. When we don't send money we are a cold hearted country that does not care if people starve. It's a no win situation. Now the world is going through an economic crisis, and they want to blame us for that as well.

I am not an isolationist by nature, and agree we need to help people in other countries. We just do not do enough on the world stage to pat ourselves on the back for it. We never build any political capital over our world aid, and thus we hae none to use when times are tough. We need to set a new course in regards to our overseas giving as a nation, and demand the political capital we deserve when we do help another country. We need a leader with a clear vision; one who can set a course and communicate it to the masses. I doubt we'll ever get such a person, but it is certainly nice to dream about.

Let's Just Add More.....

As most of you have probably heard, the Bailout Legislation passed the Senate last night with some pretty major addions in order to get the House to buy into it. The word is still out on whether or not this will work, but we just keep pouring more money into failed business practices. If we really are going to pick-up the problems of major corporations shouldn't there be some type of legislation that prohibits them from doing this again? What is to stop bank and mortgage brokers from offering easy money to borrowers who can least afford to make the payments? We would like to think that the industry would correct itself, but what promises do we really have. I'm all for a free market system with less regulation, but when an industry has shown a lack of restraint don't you think we should have the sense to not let them do it again?

Here is an area I might be willing to see more government regulation in the future. We need to safeguard the American public from the industries that prey on the average person. You would think that lenders would want to make sure that people can actually afford the mortgage they are giving them...maybe I'm being to simplistic?

Class & Economy, Economy

Well Good Morning to everyone, it was a busy but great weekend in class. I learned a lot about emerging technology, and am wondering how I will ever have time to take advantage of all the resources I was exposed to. This was probably one of the best class sessions I have had in the program, and it certainly went above and beyond in terms of my expectations. Anyway, I am nervous about some of the assignments....especially the PodCast, but I'm sure it's just because I am not use to creating anthing like that. It is certainly a challenging class.

I know you would be disappointed if I didn't at least write a few lines about the Bailout Legislation that failed in the House yeasterday,,,but really I am at a loss for what to say. I would like to think we are a free market society, and businesses have to sink or swim on the decisions they make...including the ones that offer prime mortgages to subprime borrowers. However, this issue isn't just about one company that made a poor decision, and is paying for it. It is about our whole financial system. You would think that government would keep a tighter rope on an industry that has the ability to cripple our country. Instead they are left to pick up the pieces after something bad happens...shame on us.

What is even more sad is the fact that the Bail Legislation really did nothing to help the people who need it more....those borrowers who are in over their heads. Yes, personal responsibility would tell you not to borrow more than you can afford, but is that the fault of the borrower or the lender? Either way the financial industry gets a bailout, and the family of five gets no relief from oppressive mortgage payments. We must do a better job at directing the money where it will do the most good, and that's at the bottom of the chain not the top. What if the government took $700 Billion and began helping families refinance their homes to fit their current income and value of their house? This would still decrease the burden on the financial industry, but would also help the consumer. The difference would be that the focus would be on bailing out the consumer and not the financial industry.

In cases where a lender allowed a family to buy a home which was grossly above their ability to pay, the government could step in to help the family purchase a cheaper home, and allow the more expensive home to go to the irresponsible lender. Again, the consumer would be helped first, and the financial industry would be stuck with their really bad decisions. The bottom line is: we have to help those families who are in terrible financial shape, and worry less about the banks and financial institutions.

Wikinomics Economy

Well, watching the fools in Washington trying to figure an end to the country's financial trouble makes me wonder how technology can save us....or anything for that matter. Of all the organizations that should be open, peering, sharing, and acting globally I can think of none better than our government. Maybe if all the decisions in this country were made by the mass population things wouldn't be so bad....well, they couldn't get much worse can they? If some chemist can cook up an invention in his basement lab to make millions for some chemical company, why can't some concerned citizen think of a way out of a financial crisis in his underwear on the living room couch? Why not? It beats a bunch of rich snobs in the nation's capital doing it.

We don't have to enact every idea of mass coolaboration, just the ones that make sense....right? Instead of a group of 50 or 100, how about a team of a million or two? Now don't give me the bull about writing or e-mailing my ideas to my elected representatives....been there, done that, and got the cheesy form letter with the fake signature. That's all that town is good for, preprinted ideas with phony signatures. Maybe we should spend the time we are taking to fix this crisis and come up with a way to create a department that does nothing but accepts and enacts ideas written for the people and by the people. No more weak legislation from the politicians. Heck, we could even get to the point where we vote online for our legislation, and get rid of the waste of time, effort and money we call Washington.

I know we need some sense of structure as a country, and we need a figure head to represent us to the world. I can handle that. But do we really need the system we have in place when we are capable of so much more? Great ideas aren't just for making money, they are also for saving a nation. Time and time again we prove to ourselves that our system is flawed, and changes need to be made. However, instead of taking the bold steps necessary to correct our problems and making this system better through technology, we continue to run the givernment the old fashioned way....slow and ineffective. Do elected officials need to travel to Washington when teleconferencing will do? Maybe while we are looking at the financial structure of our system we should look at the governmental one as well.....

A Different View

For those of you who have read the last couple of posts you might be saying to yourself, “Who is this guy and what rock did he crawl out from under”? I admit that some of my writing over the last couple of days appears to condemn technology, mass collaboration, and everything that has to do with Wikinomics; but that is far from the case. I simply have questions on how all of this is really going to work from the common person perspective. We have had many problems with the economy over the last several months, and now we are on the verge of a major economic bailout by the federal government. All this because of a new economic revolution where we saw cheap variable interest rate mortgages, and 125% mortgages that allowed millions of consumers who could not afford a home to own one. Good in principle, but bad in reality.

The same could be true of this thinking. Mass collaboration is great as long as all the equity in intellectual property is shared with everyone. However, what I see is large corporations taking advantage of mass collaboration as a way to acquire new inventions worth millions of dollars for little investment. Good for the corporation, but potentially unfair to the creator. One of the examples in the book Wikinomics by Don Tapscott and Anthony D. Williams outline the practices of Proctor & Gamble. Companies can create ways to reward inventors for new creations, and in there example one chemist was paid $25,000 for his creation. But how much has the company made on the invention? Many could argue that the payment satisfied the chemist, and was what he accepted reasonable for his work. But whether or not it was fair compensation was never discussed, and thus my questions about this new way of doing business.

In contrast to all the questions I have about Wikinomics, there are many advantages to acting globally. There is no way around the fact that the world is closing in, and it just gets easier and easier to communicate with people throughout the world. The days of where a persons’ sphere of influence at work and home was bound by the number of people he or she knew from face to face interaction is a thing of the past. This new environment provides a great environment for teams from around the world to participate in projects, become close, and create trust without ever meeting in person.

Wikinomics...I Don't Mean to Rant

As the comedian Dennis Miller use to say, “I don’t mean to get into a rant here” but I really have to be honest about my beliefs whenever I read a book about revolutions. I’m not trying to be negative, nor do I believe that everything written in Wikinomics by Don Tapscott and Anthony D. Williams is wrong. To the contrary, I think a lot of what they have to say makes a lot of sense, especially when it comes to the “Principles of Wikinomics”. Their ideas on, “Being open, peering, sharing, and acting globally” are good ones. But the key question everyone should be asking is: Does this represent something truly inventive, or is just the speed in which everything is done that has really changed? Yes, I admit we didn’t always have the internet, IPods, and cellular telephones, but does that mean that people didn’t communicate?

I found it incredibly ironic that one of the words Tapscott and Williams uses to define peering is socializing. I know I’m old, but when I grew up socializing meant something completely different than it does today. Today many people socialize without ever meeting a person or leaving the comfort of their living room. Is this really a positive thing, and something we should adjust to? And if it is, does this revolution discount the work on emotional intelligence made famous Daniel Goleman in the 1990’s? I mean, if I never have to leave the house to socialize, why should I aspire to become emotionally intelligent? For that matter, why should anyone study leadership, or do anything that can be done faster or better by a machine?

One could argue that the more technologically dependent our society becomes, the less intelligent we become. In sports coaches focus on the basics….a baseball player can’t hit a homerun before they learn the mechanics of how to hit a ball. Yes, chicks love the long-ball, but you can’t hit one if you don’t know how to play baseball. The same with life, how can someone hit a homerun in life if they don’t know the basics? Society will always need garage collectors, home builders, manufacturers, taxi drivers, and so on. How will the Wikinomics revolution make life better for those people? It is easy to wax philosophical about the benefits for organizations, and yes, the new technology does offer great new ways to make more money for some. But what benefit for the rest of us?

Many of the examples Tapscott and Williams point to are organizations and people that already have the benefit of great wealth. In the opening of their book they point to Rob McEwen, the CEO of Goldcorp, Inc. as an example of the new thinking. Mr. McEwen was a former mutual fund manager who through a hostile takeover became the majority owner of the company. His new idea was to offer $575,000 in prize money for ideas on ways for his organization to find more gold on its property in Canada. Great idea, but hardly something the Average Joe could take advantage of. So, where does the average person find life betterment and enrichment in all this? I might be able to answer that question later…or maybe not.

Wikinomics Reality

Although the advantages of mass collaboration in many things is well known, the assumption that it is a world changing event remains to be seen and something that I not easily subscribe to. Every idea that offers the promise of so many advantages by its very nature also offers many disadvantages. It’s the notion of equal and opposite reactions…..for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. For every good that is offered, there is a balancing negative. I know this sound pessimistic, but it the reality of the world….what comes up, must come down; what goes in, must come out; life is circular….you get the point.

Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t believe humankind should still be sitting in the cave chiseling on stone tablets. Mass collaboration is a great thing and something I am 100% in favor of. I just have trouble believing that the world is going to automatically change just because people start collaborating with each other over the internet. Will we amass a great deal of data? Yes. Will some of it be helpful to humankind in a way never before seen? Yes. But is it the second coming of the savior? I doubt it. People are good at collecting data, but not always good about using it….and that’s my point. And the more information we collect, the less obvious the right answers are.

Wikipedia is a great example of this notion. Although it provides a wealth of information and is just as accurate as any other source, it still contains the elements of imperfection. Yes we can collaborate on where to find gold, on what the facts of our past are, science, medicine, and many other positive ventures. However, there are many that use the technology to collaborate on child pornography, drugs, sex, and many other unmentionable ventures. Does that mean that we should stop mass collaboration? No. But what it does mean is that because some humans use these positive forms of communication in less than useful ways, the time we could be spending using the positive data for good has to be spent filtering out the negative. Thus, the advantages are not as positive as we might think.

Yes, Wikipedia provides a good place to seek information for anyone with the means to access it, but can we be assured the information is correct? The site employs five full-time people whose job it is to filter out the negative. Is mass collaboration that exciting when we have to filter out negatives?