We're not quite there

A lot of people ask me the benefits of Twitter, especially in regards to face-to-face interactions. I have a list I can roll off, but often find myself answering "Well, we haven't quite arrived yet." And I think that is true. We aren't there yet. But we are moving closer.

Picture courtesy of Ryan Lane

The question is How do we encourage people to move outside the technology? Here is one idea:

I would like to see a locale-based Twitter system become successful. It would be great to harness the social power of Twitter and refocus it into physical locations. At the very least, it would create more face-to-face interactions. In addition, it could act as a fantastic tourism tool and the equivalent of a text-based two-way radio transceiver.

In a museum, we could discuss and suggest fascinating displays. In a city, we could give traffic alerts. In a concert, we could discuss the music. In an emergency situation, we could quickly organize ourselves. The list goes on.

In reality, Twitter is already being used for all of these purposes. Users tag and filter tweets to listen to a group at a conference or major event. But there are a couple of problems with this approach:

1) I need to somehow know the tag. This isn't always the case, especially in the scenarios I listed above. Even in a more organized situation like a conference, it takes awhile for the members to get on the same page. Tags go through a social darwinistic evolution where only the strong survive. In a less organized situation (a coffee shop), it is downright impossible to find out if anyone in the area is using Twitter.
2) Noise, noise, noise. Twitter is almost too general purpose. There are too many messages flying around. Although users can filter and listen to only a certain batch of tweets, they often don't. I believe that a constraint based system will push innovation within those boundaries.
3) Not sensitive to movement. Right now I'm at the MFA in Boston. But later, I may be at a Radiohead concert. Moving around forces the user to restart the whole process of finding the right tags or search terms.
4) Only good for densely populated areas. What I'm hiking and want to let the people in my vicinity know that there is a bear hunting near one trail. If I am using a Twitter based system, there is no good way to do this. None at all.

It doesn't seem like much of a stretch to create a locale based Twitter system. The technology is already here. The real challenge is making it succeed. Other evices have tried to use bluetooth for similar location communication. As far as I know, the bluetooth features are used sparingly at best. That's why I hope that by piggy-backing onto the wildly successful Twitter network, we might be able to take a second run at this problem.

What are the benefits? A Twitter network that impacts the real world in a deeper way than it already has. I believe it would encourage face-to-face interaction as well as act as a valuable collaboration tool.

Twitter has made a remarkable impact on news networks, media, and emergency communication systems. But it isn't quite there. This idea may help, but it won't solve everything. We need to continue to make it a priority to push the technology outward into our everyday lives.
.

Understanding Technology Policy

With an Obama administration coming right on the heels of the New Year, there is a lot of technology policy on the table you should know about. Here are a couple of interesting reads:

Weighing a Broadband Stimulus Plan

A clip: "In today's deep recession, digital age advocates are trying to persuade President-elect Barack Obama to put billions into a nationwide broadband build-out as part of his planned economic stimulus package ... But how do we make sure that the billions aren't spent creating the 21st century equivalent of ditches to nowhere?"

A little background: The United States is embarrassingly behind other tech-savvy nations in broadband adoption. To over-generalize the situation, our internet is slower, more expensive, and less available than many countries in the world. If you are interested, The Internet Technology & Innovation Foundation has a separate article on the issue.

(click picture for a larger view)

Should Computer Science be Part of a K-12 Education?

A clip: "Computing education benefits all students, not just those interested in pursuing computer science or information technology careers," said Bobby Schnabel, chair of ACM's Education Policy Committee (EPC). "But students often do not have many opportunities to engage in rigorous computer science study at the K-12 level," said Schnabel, dean of the Indiana University School of Informatics. "To meet the nation's educational and professional needs in the face of insufficient numbers of undergraduates majoring in computer science, we need to work harder to increase interest at the K-12 level, and to expand the pipeline supplying the necessary workforce for an information-based economy."

A little background: The Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) is recommending that Obama insert Computer Science into basic K-12 Education. The ACM is "the world’s largest educational and scientific computing society." Anyone who does anything related to computing is probably part of this organization (including me). I tend agree with them, as CS encourages abstract thinking and problem-solving skills that are difficult for children to develop at the elementary level. Also, even a cursory knowledge of programming gives enormous power to students later on in their education. Anyways, read the article and decide for yourself. It probably won't be the last you hear of it.
.

Business Time

I have not chatted with you in awhile. For those of you who keep tabs on my writing, I apologize. My notebook is filled with two-sentence thoughts and blurbs, but none of them have been flushed out enough to write a full article. Lets get some coffee sometime. Maybe that will make up for it.

photo by Leonard Cillo

On that note, I'd like to change the pace of this place a bit. In the past, I've felt compelled (for no good reason) to write at least three, lengthy paragraphs before pushing the post button. Well, that is not working. And to be honest, that approach undermines some of my intentions for this space. I don't mean this to be a space where readers are drowned in one more over-opinionated voice. If you want that, turn on the news. Instead, this should be a place where thoughts and ideas, all of which may be raw and unpolished, can be gleaned and formed by someone else.

This isn't my job and I don't want to pretend like I hold authoritative views in the subject matter.

Some things to look forward to:
- Short, "wouldn't it be nice" technology ideas
- Lists of interesting articles I've been reading
- Launching pads to larger discussions
- The same sort of articles as before.

Have a wonderful Christmas season. Cheers!
.

How We've Created a Culture Where Kids Need Facebook.

Generation Y/Z needs Facebook.

You've read countless articles and press releases bemoaning the appeal of virtual networks to adolescent youth. We wonder why they communicate leaving Facebook messages instead of long conversations over campfires. We struggle to see the appeal of virtual networks over pickup baseball games in crackling autumn wheather. Our knee-jerk reaction is to revert back to the habits of every generation before us and vomit a phrase like "back when I was a kid," or launch into nostalgia saturated stories of running around the neighborhood, cliff jumping, and kissing girls under bleachers. 

photo by lunawhimsy

People are absolutely right when they say "back when I was a kid," but it isn't the kids that have changed. It's the world around them. Here are four reasons why "get out of the house and play" just doesn't work anymore. 

1. Kids don't have cars. This one isn't too revolutionary. In fact, there has never been a generation of Americans who had cars at 13 years old. So what's the difference? Most Americans don't live in tight-knit communities anymore. I grew up in suburbia, was voted "Most Personable" of my high school class, but was only within walking distance of a handful of my friends. "Best friends" aren't necessarily defined by locale anymore. Most teens can't see their friends without car rides, or long bike rides (but ....).

2. Parents don't trust the world. The last 50 years has seen an increase in one of the most terrible epidemics of American society - freakishly over-protective parents. Don't go anywhere far. Don't go anywhere alone. Don't go anywhere late. Don't go anywhere early. Don't go anywhere without phone numbers. Don't go anywhere without supervision. Don't go anywhere without knee-pads, a helmet, and protective entourage. Half of our American teenagers are practically under house-arrest. 

3. The world doesn't trust teenagers. Name a place where all the local teenagers hang out. Nope. Nope. Well, they used to go there. The reality is that many businesses have banned tribal packs of hormones from their premises. The mall used to be a popular gathering place, but apparently the collective whole of Generation Y is a lying, rude, shop-lifting punk. Oh, and those tattoos don't mesh well with other paying customers. By all measures, I was a good kid in high school, and I can still remember numerous "get out of here" chats with local police. 

4. Many teens are over-scheduled. What is high-school for? I'll tell you what it's for - leading 15 clubs, participating in 3 varsity sports, maintaining a 4.0 GPA, and serving the community for 20 hours a week. That way you can go to a good college and have a good life (affording college may be the real issue here). Teens are increasingly over-committed. It is near impossible to coordinate the chaos of 10 conflicting schedules. 

What does this all mean? 

So far, we've concluded that teenagers don't have a place to go, a way to get there, or even time to spend there. If by some minor miracle they have all three of those requirements, they may not be allowed to go. But one thing hasn't changed - teenagers still desire community. If I did an informal poll, I woudn't be surprised to see it fall somewhere between ending poverty and establishing world peace. 

So where can teens go to form some semblance of community that can be controlled, that isn't in a physical location, that is away from disapproving adults, and that can be done in short 10 minute packages?

Facebook. MySpace. Twitter. Social Media. 

I'm not saying it's good. I'm not saying it's bad. In fact, there are plenty of teenagers who can go anywhere and do anything, and still spend absurd amounts of time on Facebook. I'm just saying that our culture hasn't created messed up teenagers (at least not more messed up than any other generation), it has created a messed up environment that they live in. The teenagers are simply adapting in the only way they know how. 

[ Note: The reasons in this article are roughly based on a talk by danah boyd. The opinionated commentary is all my fault. Don't blame her. danah has fantastic things to say about Web2.0 and kids. Go read some of her stuff ] 

.

Undergraduate Street-Smarts (Part 1)

Your professors won't make you succeed, even if you do everything they tell you to. They will give you tools, give you lectures, and give you knowledge, but it isn't enough. I've collected some of the most important things I've done/wish I had done during my undergraduate years. 

photo by David Goehring

Don't just be an academic. Have academic street smarts.

1. Join your professional association.
For CS students, join the ACM - something you can do the first day of college. It may cost you a few bucks, but it's worth it.

Why? Access to tremendous resources, the opportunity to keep a watchful eye on your field, and a resume check mark which shows that you engage in your field. It may also give you a heads up for interesting speeches and conference. More on that later.

2. Make a "net presence" for yourself.
Sadly, this revelation came to me only after my graduation. Create a Twitter account and find people to follow in your field. Create a LinkedIn account and start making connections. Create a blog. Even if you update it once a week, write a paragraph about what you are thinking about.

Why Twitter? Think of Twitter as a more productive instant message. If you follow the right people you a) get up to the minute updates in your field (or points of interest) and b) are suddenly included in a network with "all the right people." Bonus: There are lots of Twitter gatherings at restaurants that can give you an opportunity to get face time with influential people (at least, more influential than you). Networking, networking, networking. 

Why LinkedIn? LinkedIn is a professional Facebook. There aren't wall messages, there are recommendations. You don't post music, you post your resume. Even more crucial, important people use LinkedIn, not just your college buddies. More networking, more connections = good.

Why Blog? Since I've started blogging, not only has it increased my awareness in the field, but it has made me more articulate when I speak about issues that are relevant to my area of study. Need another good reason? Many top-notch graduate schools don't even have time to interview you. Their only exposure comes through your application. If you have a blog, you create an opportunity for graduate schools to hear more of what you have to say. I found that some applications didn't cater to my strengths at all. It is good to have a place that does.

Overall Why? If I say the name "Barack Obama", you know who it is. Why? It is because his face, his words, and his opinions are everywhere. The names you know are the names you see. Expand your network and give yourself a soap box to stand on. Even if think you don't have anything important to share, start building connections for when you do. I have been fully engaged with social media for only a couple months, but Googling Evan Peck now lays me claimto 6 of the top 8 entries on the results list. Not bad. Once you have found something you really want to say, you'll want that public arena, so start building it now.

3. Take Some Writing Courses
I don't care what you do. Your major doesn't matter. Learn to write well. The better you write, the more people pay attention. Take a poetry class. Take a fiction class. Take a non-fiction class.

Why? As a computer science graduate student, surveying the writing proficiency in the field is pathetic. It's one thing to write so that your colleagues understand it (and sadly, this is enough of a challenge for many people), it is another to write so that it is accessible to the larger public. If 1,000 people are excited about an idea, it moves a lot quicker than if the 10 people in your class think it's cool. To put it simply: Ideas don't go anywhere if they aren't communicated well. If you want to go to grad school, you'll be writing journal articles. As I mentioned ealier, a graduate school's only exposure to you as a person comes through your personal statement. You'd better be capable of making it good. 

4. Learn Basic Design Principles.
I cannot stress this enough. Don't be the guy who uses Vegas colors. Don't be the guy who uses Comic Sans in his papers. If you can take a class, fantastic. If not, just take some time to look over design portfolios online. Try to learn a little about typography. Focus on simplicity.

Why? It is downright amazing how great ideas can be sunk by terrible design. Personally, it's much harder for me to respect an application if it has a poor visual design, even if it is functionally perfect. We are visually inclined. That's why we like sunsets and deep canyons. It's why attractive politicians do better than unattractive ones (sad, but true). So design well, or at least, make friends that can design well.

5. Present Well. Present Often.

Present every chance you get. If you are in collaborative projects, offer to be the speaker. Create lots of PowerPoint presentations. Take a public speaking class. Present in comfortable situations, then present in uncomfortable situations. Present on things you know about and present on things you know absolutely nothing about. 

Why? You should present well for many of the same reasons you should write well. You become exponentially more valuable if you a strong presenter. I've seen whole hordes of people get excited by terrible ideas that were presented brilliantly. Presenting well also means that you get to meet more people - you get to go to more conferences, you get more face time in front of key individuals, and you can even excite people outside of your field's sphere of influence. Take the opportunity to hone those skills now, when presentations in front of 15 half-awake students don't matter. Experiment a bit and see what works. 

Hope you enjoyed the post. If you have any thoughts of your own, let me know.