CleverThink - Tech Wit & Wisdom

Tach it up, Tach it up, Buddy gonna shut you down

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 13:39:00 +0000

I've decided to shut down this blog. At this point, I simply don't have the time and energy required to make it something I'm proud of.

In the end I think CleverThink suffered from a lack of focus. Technology and Internet trends are huge topics that other blogs and websites can cover much better than I can. I may dip my toes back into the world of blogging at some point - be it as a solo artist or as part of a group.

It has been a rewarding and educational experience. Thanks for playing.

Best,
Alan

Foot in mouth disease

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 17:57:00 +0000

Following up on my previous post, here's a list I stumbled upon of ill-advised predictions for the technological future.

Where do we go from here?

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 13:41:00 +0000

The advancement of technology always finds a way to surprise us. When I was young, we figured by the year 2000 we'd all be flying around in jet cars with our robot buddies at our side. But no one predicted the Internet and the ways it's being used today. Or the iPhone or GPS Navigation.

It's the nature of technological advancements that we don't often see the most important ones coming. In the 1800s people were trying to design better horse-drawn wagons and trains. Very few saw the automobile coming. In 1977, Ken Olson the Founder of Digital Equipment Company said "There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home." Oops.

It's difficult to look forward and predict where tomorrow's technology will take us. Do we need more than 40,000 songs on iPod? Where can TV go from here considering the human eye can't discern more than 1080 DPI? How many radio stations can we listen to? What will Web 3.0 look like? And perhaps more importantly, what current technology that we take for granted will soon become the next horse-drawn wagon?

"Open the pod bay door, Google."

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 12:22:00 +0000

Here's an interesting article that asks the question, "Is the Internet changing the way our brains work?"

The argument is that the web has rewired our brains and made us all a little ADD. I don't think it's true at all because...hey look at this!"

Friday fun: Clever Clocks

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 13:13:00 +0000

Here are a few interesting and creative ways to display time.

Analogy - Jason Yip has made something something so simple and clever you'll wonder why you didn't think of it.

This Flash clock shows time literally sliding by.

The clock shows that time marches on and overwrites the past.

The World Clock shows up to date global statistics - some of which are alarming and depressing.

The Barcode clock is just what you'd think it would be.

And one of my favorites is Clockr. It uses random images from Flickr to produce the numbers.

The Duckrabbit

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 12:33:00 +0000

I wrote about beauty last year and linked to a great article in the Washington Post on how our perception of art and beauty is shaped by our readiness for it. In the article, a world class violinist plays in a train station and is largely ignored.

The Gestalt school of psychology tells us that we see things as a whole. We try to make sense of a photo (or a painting or a website) not by breaking it down into individual parts but by mentally grouping them all together into a whole - hence the expression "the whole is more than the sum of its parts."

Studies regarding perception have been done for years such as the duckrabbit experiment. The conclusion drawn from these experiments is that we do not merely see a set of lines, we see them as a duck (or as a rabbit). Experiments like this show us that, even when people are seeing the same thing, they can see things very differently.

I used to repeatedly go ten rounds with a co-worker over an issue related to our website. We were both looking at the same metrics but drawing completely opposite conclusions. I think she was seeing a rabbit and I was seeing a duck.

The same can be true when designing (or redesigning) a website. The design and organization and usefulness of the site should not be just about your organization and your perception. If it's going to be successful, it needs to reflect and incorporate the perspective of your website's users.

Our job is to see the duck and the rabbit.

People...People helping people

Fri, 30 May 2008 14:40:00 +0000

I visit one message board pretty regularly. The topic on this particular board: Anything. (Or maybe in true Seinfeld fashion: It's about nothing). Although it's affiliated with my college alma mater, it's basically an open forum for anything from politics to sports to movies. It's a virtual "water cooler" where you never know where the conversation might go next.

In just the last few weeks, posts have been made regarding Canadian tax law, Cape May bed and breakfast recommendations, and the best way to rid your yard of ground-dwelling bees. You'll see everything: new music recommendations, things to see and do in Cancun, finding a good plumber in DC, the best kinds of mulch. For the most part, it's friendly, funny, and often supportive communication.

As I observe (and sometimes participate in) this community, the takeaway for me is the amazing willingness of strangers to help each other. People who don't know each other are willing to take time out of their day and write a thoughtful, helpful, sometimes encouraging post to someone else in need.

The sense of community is a powerful force. Psychologists McMillan & Chavis define a sense of community as "a feeling that members have of belonging, a feeling that members matter to one another and to the group, and a shared faith that members' needs will be met through their commitment to be together."

The reasons for belonging to and participating in an online community can be seen in psychologist Abraham Maslow's famous Hierarchy of Needs. Maslow hierarchy is often depicted as a pyramid with five levels of needs. With the exception of the basic physical needs on the lowest level (food, water, sleep), each of Maslow's levels is addressed when people are active participants in an online community. For example:

Safety - not physical safety, but for a community to be effective, people need to feel secure that their participation is welcomed and that the environment is supportive.

Love/Belonging - People want to feel like they are part of something larger. People often make friends online. They share their ideas and want to exposed to others.

Esteem - People want to be correct, smart, funny and they want to feel good about themselves. Just like the cliques that develop in high school, finding an online community where you "fit in" is important.

Self-actualization - People need to engage with others to gain recognition and have an activity that gives them a sense of contribution, to feel accepted and self-valued.

As "the social web" continues to become a more important business opportunity, fostering a sense of community with and amongst your customers is a vitally important challenge most organizations are facing.

Friday Fun: Brand New Day

Fri, 23 May 2008 12:40:00 +0000

Here's a really clever post from "Jane." Basically she portrays her day visually through her interaction with products and brands.

I'd need a lot of Diet Coke logos for mine.

Photo resources

Thu, 22 May 2008 12:37:00 +0000

Here's a nice collection of online services for your digital photos - everything from image search to hosting and sharing to photo editing.

Check out Photo Services on the "new to me" resource WebServicesWiki.org.

Friday fun(s)

Fri, 16 May 2008 12:25:00 +0000

Here are a few recent finds for this week's Friday Fun:

Print this randomly-generated Buzzword Bingo card for your next meeting.

Here's a fun and informative site about the visual blind spots we all have and the interesting ways our brains and eyes work.

Castaway - this is what computer games used to be like.

Gadgets and Inventions - I like the wheelbarrow bench.

Interstitial ads: Too much of a bad thing?

Wed, 14 May 2008 13:03:00 +0000

Gerry McGovern wrote recently that finding is the new advertising. Not a new concept really - search moguls Google and Yahoo have been making money for years now displaying targeted ads - not the advertising to the masses that gets done in newspapers, radio, and TV.

But what's really new is the level of ad-receptiveness, or lack of it really. Today we are advertising averse. Ad-blind.

My wife thinks watching the previews is one of the best parts of going to the movies. Why? We expect it. We are receptive to it. We want it. It's entertaining and enticing. It's the Free Prize. Most people are not annoyed by the previews - most of the people that I know like them.

Interstitial ads are all the rage online. But they make you wait for what you want. In contrast, no one I know likes watching these ads and usually looks to see if there's a "skip this ad" button.

The web has brought new powers and capabilities to advertisers to reach people in new ways. The web allows marketers to target niche audiences that would have been cost prohibitive to reach in the past. The incredible success of the Google Adwords program is due to two main factors: (1) they can be incredibly granular and targeted allowing for great relevancy; and (2) they are at times very beneficial - providing useful links to the information, product or service the user was searching for.

In the short life of the web, online advertising has already seen several trends come and go. Pop-ups and banner ads, while still somewhat effective, are considered "old school." The interstitial ads, while very popular now, seem too much like television to me. They are the non-targeted, non-relevant, in most cases non-interesting commercial before the show. They are the painful, annoying opposite of a free prize.

One thing is for certain: online advertising is here to stay. New techniques and technologies will undoubtedly bring us new forms of advertising. But it's obvious we have a ways to go before we figure out exactly how content and advertising will live together in online harmony.

What is Web 2.0?

Mon, 12 May 2008 13:10:00 +0000

I feel it's not always helpful to use these terms since people have defined them differently. But the folks at Resourceful Idiot do a good job explaining the difference between Web 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0.

ACME Catalog

Fri, 02 May 2008 13:41:00 +0000

Are you out of anvils? Need any iron birdseed? How about some rocket-powered roller skates? Although this parody could be improved with a "e-commerce-style" redesign, you have to give credit to the fantastic idea.

Check out the Original Illustrated Catalog of ACME Products.

There's a book on the subject too.

The Flip Side of Technology

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 13:57:00 +0000

I recently bought a new Flip video camera like the one pictured here. It's great for capturing videos of my kids. And while I like it a lot, when it comes to the quality of the videos it captures, it's certainly not the best camera on the market. But it fits in my pocket, is super easy to use and cost half of what a "real" video camera would cost. It's a perfect camera for a generation of Youtubers who want a simple way to capture and share videos - not make "movies."

What amazed me about the product was how simple it is to use. I never even opened the manual and yet in less than 5 minutes I figured out how to do everything I needed to do. It has a simple, minimalist interface, with just a few buttons. Point and shoot. Its iPod-ish looks and ease-of-use makes me think it's the video camera that Apple would build. (iCamera anyone?)

Okay, so why do I bring this up... It turns out the Flip has captured 13% of the market for video cameras. Just as everyone was moving high tech and high definition, and getting super-sophisticated, along comes simple. A product with good usability can win out over a superior product that is a negative experience to use.

Something magical happens when products make out lives simpler and easy. When you can make my music portable you get the Walkman. When you can make watching and recording taped shows easy, you get TiVo. Make it easy for me to load and unload the film from my camera, you get the Kodak Instamatic.

Many of the web's most successful sites are successful because they make our lives easier in some way. They help save us money or make it easy to order books. They help us find things or help us all stay in touch with our friends. Again, many of these sites are not the most beautifully-designed nor are they the most technologically advanced. (Think Craigslist and eBay.)

It just goes to show that when it comes to humans interacting with technology, you can often be more successful by focusing on the humans more than the technology.

Young Me, Now Me

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 12:18:00 +0000

Here's a fun collection of winning photos from a contest where the object was to mimic a photo from your childhood. I really like this one, that one, and the one over here.

Movie talk

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:06:00 +0000

Did you know...In the Arnold Swarzenegger "Terminator" films, director James Cameron's original vision for the Terminator was the "liquid metal" (T-1000) version we see in the Terminator 2 sequel. But in 1984 when Cameron made the first film, special effects and computer-generated imagery weren't advanced enough to render his vision the way he wanted.

Along the same movie-making lines, I saw a great documentary the other night on Pixar, the ingenious animation studio responsible for Toy Story, Finding Nemo, Monsters Inc. and others. The documentary did a nice job of showing the history of the company, how they built an incredibly creative culture, and how, against heavy odds, they championed their vision for how good computer animation could be. I highly recommend it.

CNN Sells Out

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 14:23:00 +0000

What is CNN thinking? They began hawking headline t-shirts on their homepage today (see the little t-shirt icon next to a headline).

So let me get this straight...In the name of turning a profit and looking edgy, one of the most-respected brands in the news business has begun selling t-shirts of their own clever headlines. I don't think I'm overstating it when I say it's a sad day for journalism.

I love the whole world...

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 13:21:00 +0000

I really like this commercial for the Discovery Channel. Oomdeeada oomdeeada. Well done!

Goal Oriented Design

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:21:00 +0000

Here's some recommended reading...Ben Hunt makes the case for something called "Goal Oriented Design." It's a clever twist on the famous Jesse James Garrett model that highlights the importance of understanding the difference between user needs and site objectives.

Users, publishers, and advertisers all have goals. Focusing on and balancing the goals of each group is a vital component of effective web design.

Patently Absurd

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 12:41:00 +0000

At Totally Absurd Inventions you can take a stroll through an archive of some of the weirdest inventions and ideas ever to receive a patent.

The Putt 'N Reel. Now why didn't I think of that?

My So-Called Digital Life

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 14:15:00 +0000

I only know about 5 phone numbers by heart. I simply don't need to know them anymore. I store them in my phone once and then don't think about them again. Just as easily I can look up email addresses, get directions, define a word, find that actor's name - all with just a click or two.

The Internet used to be dominated by plain ol' information - an incredible stockpile of searchable facts. (I use the term facts loosely). But it was information about stuff, things, places, famous people. Today it is increasingly about us. Often the information we seek online is now our information in our e-mails, our pictures on Flickr, our videos on YouTube, our friends on MySpace, even that phone number I can never remember.

An old boss of mine was a huge fan of Franklin Covey organizers. She wrote everything down and had tabs for different categories of her information - phone numbers, appointments, meetings, photos, etc. Her life was in the pages of her organizer.

So the idea of "outsourcing our memories" isn't new. People have used paper and pen for years to help them remember things. But today our lives are increasingly online. And the ubiquitous nature of technology and the Web has made organizing and accessing this information easier than ever.

A brand new day

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 13:31:00 +0000

A brand is a powerful thing. A strong branding message ("Just Do It" from Nike or the Energizer Bunny) can say a lot about your product and convey to your customers what they can expect. Your brand can convey to your customers and your external audience what it is you stand for.

But a good brand can also have a tremendous effect internally. A strong brand message (GE: We bring good things to life; Apple: Think Different; Ford: Quality is Job 1) can define an organizational culture and affect how employees feel about the company.

Clarksville, Tennesee just unveiled a new logo and slogan for the city and all of its marketing efforts. Clarksville, which is Tennessee's northern-most city, is now "Tennessee's Top Spot." It's a nice double-entendre that will work well in marketing the city as a destination. But what is interesting is how excited people at the unveiling are about the brand - not only as a marketing tool but how it makes them feel about themselves and where they live.

As with any change, there can be naysayers. Some in Clarksville are saying it's a huge waste of money and Clarksville is not truly tops in anything. It's true, a new slogan and a new logo won't change the city overnight. It doesn't fix potholes or build schools. But a strong brand can not only reflect the current situation, but it can set a tone for the future. A brand can not only communicate who you are today but who you strive to become.

Clarksville, Tennessee: Just Do It.

Hug it out

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 12:20:00 +0000

With over 25 million views, the Free Hugs Campaign is a Youtube phenomenon. As Michele Miller writes:

It's a perfect parallel to building a viral campaign for your business. Watch the video and observe:

* People's resistance to anything free... even if it's a hug

* The breakthrough that happens when one random individual decides to try one

* A tsunami of response once people watch the experience of others

* The fight to defend their right to hug when barriers are erected by "authorities"

If you believe strongly enough in your product or service, give it away for free. In the beginning, no one will believe you. Stick with it long enough, experience breakthrough, and you'll have more business than you know what to do with. And you'll have a band of merry men (and women) who will be your brand evangelists.

I want my WebTV

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 15:27:00 +0000

Oprah did an entire show last month dedicated to Youtube. News programs are often showing web videos. CBS Sports recently made video of the entire NCAA basketball tournament available for free on their website. Political pundit shows quote bloggers and vice versa.

For years people have been predicting a "technological convergence" - the Web and television becoming one. Convergence is actually upon us, but not in the way we thought. It's not the devices that are converging, but the content.

The obituary of the newspaper

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 12:40:00 +0000

The New Yorker has a very interesting article on the death of the newspaper.

Excerpt:

"Today, almost all serious newspapers are scrambling to adapt themselves to the technological and community-building opportunities offered by digital news delivery, including individual blogs, video reports, and "chat" opportunities for readers. Some, like the Times and the Post, will likely survive this moment of technological transformation in different form, cutting staff while increasing their depth and presence online. Others will seek to focus themselves locally. Newspaper editors now say that they 'get it.'"