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Umair sets it straight.

May 19, 2006 by Jim Parker in media, technology

Boy have I got a lot to learn…

On his site, Umair made a comment on one of my a recent posts.  My post included this:

“…Things like search cost and distribution cost and microchunking cost (sorry umair ) don’t add up to a hill of beans when it comes to true entertainment value.” jim parker

Umair added:

“What is microchunking, from a functional point of view? The ability for people to be more creative, without having to pay the costs of buying a block of mass media time.”

 …which is exactly true.  I was missing the point…which is this:  As we mitigate the costs of such powerful tools such as search, distribution, and microchunking, these tools will be much more desired by people who want to create (because they have become/will become cheap and easy to use).  People would rather play an active role in their entertainment - they don’t actually want to sit passively, (err sleeping), watching “a block of mass media time”.  They want to contribute, interact, meet people, make relationships, all in the name of fun entertainment.  That’s what super high-tech and super usable search, distribution, microchunking, etc, etc affords them.

It’s entertainment that develops you.  Improves you.  Excites you.  And it’s custom made just for you.

I don’t know why, but I have a huge, huge respect for “the tools of economics”.  Thanks for that Umair.

So I suggest this:  The people will, indeed, have the power.  We just need to get them the tools ASAP.  They are waiting on us right now.

jim

Comments (1)

Are millions of people Wrong?

May 18, 2006 by Jim Parker in blogging

A comment via email from Sundar (an Indian Buddy of mine):

Please explain me blogging…
Who has got time…to let alone write it….but to read all those…I do not get it…with all the flood of content around in the web… why would people spend time to read blogs… I know it is just me… there are already thousands of people already absorbed in blogs…

Actually, it is 10’s of millions involved in blogging.

Anyhow, it’s all about one simple thing:  Contribution.  See my first post:   http://www.attentiongrab.com/?p=11
…or maybe it’s about two things…Contribution & Relationships…Oh yeah, relationships are key.

Your questions above are exactly what I was asking before I started a blog.  Why would somebody ever read what so and so (who may know nothing) has to say about so and so???  Who’s got the time to sift through the crap?  Why do people read this nonsense?

Yes, there is tons and tons of content all over the web.  But it’s not just about the content.  It’s about the person behind the content.  Nobody reads blogs just looking for content value.  People read blogs looking for people they like.

When I read something I really, really enjoy and respect and learn from, automatically, I consider the person writing the blog to be a good person…a person that I can relate to.  I might contact that person.  I might write a comment in their blog.  But the key thing is that I have formed a relationship with that person.  It is now a person that I could walk up to on a street and have a conversation with.

Here are some examples of interaction via blogging:

I just received a thank you from Danah Boyd.  Danah is quite a celebrity in the blogging world.  She’s been on National cable news as an expert talking head on Bill O’Reilly’s show.  And she’s sending me a thank you note for me sending her a music recommendation.  Obviously I will never meet Danah face to face (though I wouldn’t mind it).  She’s not my best friend.  She’s not even a friend, really.  Yet, we have a connection.  And yes, it is a small, minuscule, tiny connection.  But a connection is a connection.  Something is always better than nothing, right?

And…There’s this experienced VC guy in Manhattan (Union Square - 14th and Broadway) whom I am a big fan of.  I read all about his business and his perspective on technology in the US.  I also read about his family.  I look at their vacations in Seattle, Vale, hiking, biking, skiing.  I see his kid’s baseball games.  I hear the music he likes.  I know where his office is and I know one of his favorite places to have lunch in the summer time.  He’s opened up his entire life to the world.  And what that buys him and his family is familiarity.  That is, people all over the world are familiar with the family.  And familiarity opens doors.  When you know a lot about someone, it is easier to find something in common with that person.  When you find something in common with them, you can more easily relate and communicate with them………so………. Forget MySpace and Facebook.  Fred Wilson has created the ultimate social networking platform for families!  See http://avc.blogs.com .

So it’s not about reading and getting information.  It’s about building a relationship with someone you respect.  I can’t build a relationship with CNN.  But I can build a relationship with another blogger if I want to.  Blogging is much more than passive content.  It is a conversation.  Now that’s entertainment!

Thus, you can’t possibly understand blogging until you blog.  Blogging is not one-way old communication where you have a producer and a consumer.  It is interactive.  It is conversational.

Become a blogger.  Then you will understand.

And it’s easy to do.  You don’t have to worry about the fact that you’re not a world class writer (which obviously I am not).  You don’t have to be concerned if you don’t get more than 20 people reading  your blog.  All you have to worry about is getting one single reader/contributer - somebody who comes back often and leaves comments.

So how do you do it?  You simply write about what you like…or don’t like…or what you love…what makes you happy or sad…what’s important to you…what’s silly to you…just all about you.  Now you may think that nobody cares about such nonsense.  That is actually untrue.  People who know you will want to know more about you.  And when several people start paying attention others will start to notice.  Maybe even people  you don’t know.  Either way, people will read - they always do… just as long as you keep giving them something to come back for.  So give them more.  Lots more!

And encourage your friends to write blogs too.  Next thing you know, they’ll be asking you to comment on their blogs.  Ah-HAH!!!  You’ve just created a network.  Now you know what it means to blog.

There is nothing wrong with going out and grabbing some attention.  Please come back to Attention Grab and tell us how you did it.

Comments (4)

The God Code

May 17, 2006 by Jim Parker in media

I must say I am a little frightened by the title of this book The God Part of the Brain by Matthew Alper that a bright friend of mine lent me.  He lent it to me two months ago - and yet it just sits there, continually staring at me.

Interestingly, I am currently engrossed in yet another book that also fully explores the God Part of the Brain - or at least the God part of life in the universe (which by default includes the brain).  It is called Contact - by Carl Sagan - a book which by the way is 1000 times more significant than the movie made from it. 

Nevertheless, the current flap about Nostradamus, err, I mean Da Vinci Code, got me thinking about the best story about a Code ever.  And that story is contained at the end of Contact, the book (not the movie).  It changed the way I look at life.

Read it, and you will never look at a circle the same again in your entire life.

Comments (0)

Enough is enough

by Jim Parker in humanity

There is no question on how much huge value immigrants of all kinds add to our Society.  However, as our country grows and matures, we need to properly maintain the flood gates allowing people into this country.  Loss of control of our boarders indicates that we don’t value enough of what we’ve got.  We need to stop diluting our quality of life and stop diluting our capital expenditures.

This isn’t nearly as harsh as it sounds:  Here’s a good analogy.  Say I had a house.  And say I knew of a couple of second cousins who through some circumstance became homeless.  I would be willing to help these folks.  I’d share my resources (home, car, yard, computer, etc, etc) in order to get them on their own two feet.  As a matter of fact, if I am able, it would be my obligation to help them.  This I would do happily.

However, what if 10 cousins needed help?  Would I be willing to take 10 cousins in?  That’s a lot more than two.  Of course I would do what I could to help.  But I might not be able to help 10 people very effectively without considerably affecting my standard of life.  Is that OK or not? 

Personally, I think I have a responsibility to my own family first.  Then I help others as needed.

I think that’s where the USA is right now.  We’ve been helping for quite a while - taking these folks in.  And we (and them) are better off for it for sure.  However, I think we may be reaching the limit of people we can absorb effectively.

There’s nothing wrong with saying “Enough is enough”.  Otherwise, Mexico is never going to mature itself.  It is important for global stability that Mexico stands on its own two feet.

It’s important also that the USA take care of those entrusted to us - that is, ALL of the people already here.  Citizens and non-Citizens.  Thus, if we control our borders, we can get our house in order - and then maybe in the future when we are better off and when Mexico has grown a bit on its own, we let people in again.

Comments (2)

Flavor of the week

by Jim Parker in Internet Business

Is Microsoft coming back?  No.

Is Google the next Microsoft (Microsoft which eventually doesn’t come back)?  Yes.

Will Google be anywhere around $500/share in 5 years?  No.

Is Apple the next Google which is the next Microsoft which eventually doesn’t come back?  Yes.

Do I still wanna be the next Apple?  Yes.

Comments (0)

Attention Grab Author

• Jim Parker
  I enjoy watching all of the changes in the world that are caused by us trying to figure out technology.
• Jim Parker