This evening I ventured out of the house with three children in tow to frequent the pool the family is a member of. After a couple of hours enjoying playing in the pool, we returned home. Listening to the conversation of three children was quite interesting on the return home. My children were recounting tales of pets and their adventures, but what caught me off guard was that these were not pets they had known. They were pets my mother had at my birth or growing up. The stories were ones I heard growing up, and now my children are hearing them as they grow up.
In an age where antiquated yearbooks (bound pages with photos) that are declining because of instant access to real-time status updates thanks to things like Facebook, it's refreshing to see that oral histories are still alive and well. I am thankful that children love riding in the car with my mother and request to hear her stories. I recall sitting at my own paternal grandmother's feet as a young boy, and regaling in the stories of the exploits of my own father as a young boy and of my grandmother's plight as a young woman in the Army. To hear my own children speak of these stories as if they were there is simply mind blowing. It warms my heart to know that this oral tradition is being past to the next generation and I look forward to the opportunity to share in this tradition with my own grandchildren some day.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Value to the Conversation
Several weeks ago I was attending a conference, when I approached a colleague who was very excited about how our conference was generating chatter on twitter. To be specific, it was described to me as "tweeting it up". Curious, I inquired for more information, and received a three minute tutorial about twitter, hash tags, etc.
A week later I joined the social network of twitter, and began exploring the nuances of tweeting. I searched various events I'd attended in the previous months, and was interested in the comments offered on twitter users. I then began the process of following folks I was familiar with to observe how they were utilizing this tool. In my research, I quickly learned that some folks use twitter as a bull horn to broadcast what they are doing, thinking, etc regardless of who is listening. Others on the other hand, leverage the tweets as a tool to share web resources they've come across.
Over the course of these weeks, I've come to the conclusion that like many aspects of conversations and social interactions, regardless of the communication vehicle, the real question is whether you are bringing value to the conversation. So how do you bring value to the a conversation in a limited amount of characters and limited context? One way is to establish context, which is where hash tags come in. At a recent industry trade show, I participated with several other twitter users in commenting on presentations and the exhibit hall, and tagged the tweets with trade show name. I arrived at the trade show a day and half late, and actually utilized twitter to follow (by searching twitter for the hash tag of the event) the proceedings before I arrived as a means to establish context for what was going on. On days that I'm not attending a conference, trade show, etc, I attempt to find articles, blog posts, etc that I find interesting and offer links this information.
Is it valuable? If you compare it to some of the posts I've seen I consider valuable. A link to an videos from the ABC late night show Nightline on a debate of Hell I believe is more valuable than a post about someone leaving Dallas to drive back home. Of course there is an argument that value like beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
A week later I joined the social network of twitter, and began exploring the nuances of tweeting. I searched various events I'd attended in the previous months, and was interested in the comments offered on twitter users. I then began the process of following folks I was familiar with to observe how they were utilizing this tool. In my research, I quickly learned that some folks use twitter as a bull horn to broadcast what they are doing, thinking, etc regardless of who is listening. Others on the other hand, leverage the tweets as a tool to share web resources they've come across.
Over the course of these weeks, I've come to the conclusion that like many aspects of conversations and social interactions, regardless of the communication vehicle, the real question is whether you are bringing value to the conversation. So how do you bring value to the a conversation in a limited amount of characters and limited context? One way is to establish context, which is where hash tags come in. At a recent industry trade show, I participated with several other twitter users in commenting on presentations and the exhibit hall, and tagged the tweets with trade show name. I arrived at the trade show a day and half late, and actually utilized twitter to follow (by searching twitter for the hash tag of the event) the proceedings before I arrived as a means to establish context for what was going on. On days that I'm not attending a conference, trade show, etc, I attempt to find articles, blog posts, etc that I find interesting and offer links this information.
Is it valuable? If you compare it to some of the posts I've seen I consider valuable. A link to an videos from the ABC late night show Nightline on a debate of Hell I believe is more valuable than a post about someone leaving Dallas to drive back home. Of course there is an argument that value like beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Proud of my Kids
On Wednesdays, my beautiful bride has a weekly meeting as part of one of her three jobs. During the winter, my mother-in-law cares for our youngest during these meetings. However, the in-laws haven't returned from their Colorado summer, so in the mean time, I have the great opportunity to entertain my youngest for a couple of hours each week. During this time, I have my youngest in the office and following me around while I work.
Today we stopped by the office of a co-worker, who just praised my son for his well behavior. With each compliment, I took great pride in my son. He is well behaved, at least most of the time. During our brief couple of hours each week, he rarely complains about the computer work I'm typically involved with or an improptu meeting that erupts in my office. We typically share a sandwich and chips, and he takes great pride in walking up the stairs to choose a drink during his stay.
Obviously some credit is awarded to me for my son's behavior. While I do believe I have some influence, I extend the majority of these accolades to my lovely wife. For the better part of each day, she is the model my children observe. Her love and care for the children can not be challenged, and I'm honored by how well she has modeled, nurtured, and prepared both our children and me as her husband and their father.
Today we stopped by the office of a co-worker, who just praised my son for his well behavior. With each compliment, I took great pride in my son. He is well behaved, at least most of the time. During our brief couple of hours each week, he rarely complains about the computer work I'm typically involved with or an improptu meeting that erupts in my office. We typically share a sandwich and chips, and he takes great pride in walking up the stairs to choose a drink during his stay.
Obviously some credit is awarded to me for my son's behavior. While I do believe I have some influence, I extend the majority of these accolades to my lovely wife. For the better part of each day, she is the model my children observe. Her love and care for the children can not be challenged, and I'm honored by how well she has modeled, nurtured, and prepared both our children and me as her husband and their father.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
10 Days
During the month of July 2008 I spent just 10 days in the office. A quick glance at the calendar informs us that I was out of the office 54% of the month. This is impressive considering that I typically loose vacation days at the end of the year. It's also a bite awkward given the number of projects on my plate and the deadline for many of these was the first day of August.
While I'd like to say that all these days out were vacation days, one week was actually business related as I attended a conference. None the less, each of the two weeks I was in the office was filled with both catch up work as well as extra work preparing for the weeks that I was out of the office. My recommendation is that if at all possible try to avoid being gone more days than you are in.
While I'd like to say that all these days out were vacation days, one week was actually business related as I attended a conference. None the less, each of the two weeks I was in the office was filled with both catch up work as well as extra work preparing for the weeks that I was out of the office. My recommendation is that if at all possible try to avoid being gone more days than you are in.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Vacation Planning
This next month the family is planning a vacation trip to the mountains. The destination is the in-laws, and the kids are excited. As I've contemplated the lengthy drive, I've been feverishly scanning the web for data on gas prices along the way. Given the poor fuel economy of my bride's mini-van, my calculations has us spending roughly $400 on petro round trip. Staggering is it. My dad called me today and offered his vehicle for the trip, which gets at least 5 miles per gallon better than the "grocery getter" as my sister would refer to it. The question I struggled with was compromising fuel economy for space for the family to spread out. Given the duration of the trip, I opted for the space.
As I placed the vacation notice on the calendaring system at the office, I received a couple of inquiries whether I'd have access to email while I was away. The job has several significant projects in the pipeline, and often my consultation is requested. So I quickly evaluated the cellular coverage at the vacation destination to determine whether I could pull email from the crackberry often attached to my hip. As I surveyed the pixelated coverage map, it occurred to me that if I was checking email, would I really be vacationing. The last time I took the family to the mountains, I was sitting by a private pond when my treo rang. It was the office with a project crisis. For the next fifteen minutes I listened to the complaints being transmitted, and finally offered the observation that I was fishing and couldn't do anything but request the team figure it out. So even if I could receive emails on the crackberry, I'm not certain I should. I should leave the stupid thing at home, however it's my primary cell phone as well.
I hope that I spend more time fishing than responding to emails or gassing up the minivan on this vacation.
As I placed the vacation notice on the calendaring system at the office, I received a couple of inquiries whether I'd have access to email while I was away. The job has several significant projects in the pipeline, and often my consultation is requested. So I quickly evaluated the cellular coverage at the vacation destination to determine whether I could pull email from the crackberry often attached to my hip. As I surveyed the pixelated coverage map, it occurred to me that if I was checking email, would I really be vacationing. The last time I took the family to the mountains, I was sitting by a private pond when my treo rang. It was the office with a project crisis. For the next fifteen minutes I listened to the complaints being transmitted, and finally offered the observation that I was fishing and couldn't do anything but request the team figure it out. So even if I could receive emails on the crackberry, I'm not certain I should. I should leave the stupid thing at home, however it's my primary cell phone as well.
I hope that I spend more time fishing than responding to emails or gassing up the minivan on this vacation.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Digital Singage
Maybe you've come across a television screen mounted in the gas pump with some brief news clips tucked in between commercials about discount drinks or the latest gas treatment that will increase your fuel economy. Perhaps you have been the the mall and noticed that the fab clothing retailer has replaced the mannequins in the windows for large plasma displays highlighting the latest sale. This is just two examples of digital signage, and in 2007 it was reported to be a billion dollar business. Retail, Hospitality, Healthcare, Banking, and Education are all markets that this industry is targeting.
Marketers were once focused on print media as the primary avenue to entice customers to shop their brands, but now there are multiple avenues available to promote, persuade, and engage customers. Digital signage is one such avenue that continues to gain traction. This is evident by the displays that have cropped up at the gas pump, the check counter at the local grocery store, and the front door of meeting spaces. Offering both information and advertisements, these active (and in some cases interactive) signs have become common place.
From a technology standpoint, installing digital signs is the easy part. What most people find difficult is keeping the content fresh and up-to-date. Taking cues from the web media, individuals who have employed digital signs will testify that to ensure you continue to draw attention to these signs you have to keep the content current. If a person believes the information is out of date, they will immediate start to ignore the signs. To this end, content providers have sprung up offering networks and streams with news crawls, commercials, and other type fillers in order to lessen the burden of finding compelling content to fill the 42 inch or greater visual real estate.
While these providers do offer up to the minute elements, the question I submit is whether they detract from the message of the digital sign owner. Does a display detailing the schedule of a facility really need to occupy a display with CNN headlines scrolling at the bottom? Even in your fancier hotel chains, the local weather forecast is still printed each morning and placed in a clear sleeve in the elevators. The information is current and the overhead is small (assuming the hotel doesn't have thirty plus elevators). Sure a digital sign would work in this case, and offer more viewable options than the forecast. If gas pump digital signs weren't around, then we wouldn't have those humorous segments on the Tonight Show featuring the gas pump digital signs at the Burbank Costco.
Marketers were once focused on print media as the primary avenue to entice customers to shop their brands, but now there are multiple avenues available to promote, persuade, and engage customers. Digital signage is one such avenue that continues to gain traction. This is evident by the displays that have cropped up at the gas pump, the check counter at the local grocery store, and the front door of meeting spaces. Offering both information and advertisements, these active (and in some cases interactive) signs have become common place.
From a technology standpoint, installing digital signs is the easy part. What most people find difficult is keeping the content fresh and up-to-date. Taking cues from the web media, individuals who have employed digital signs will testify that to ensure you continue to draw attention to these signs you have to keep the content current. If a person believes the information is out of date, they will immediate start to ignore the signs. To this end, content providers have sprung up offering networks and streams with news crawls, commercials, and other type fillers in order to lessen the burden of finding compelling content to fill the 42 inch or greater visual real estate.
While these providers do offer up to the minute elements, the question I submit is whether they detract from the message of the digital sign owner. Does a display detailing the schedule of a facility really need to occupy a display with CNN headlines scrolling at the bottom? Even in your fancier hotel chains, the local weather forecast is still printed each morning and placed in a clear sleeve in the elevators. The information is current and the overhead is small (assuming the hotel doesn't have thirty plus elevators). Sure a digital sign would work in this case, and offer more viewable options than the forecast. If gas pump digital signs weren't around, then we wouldn't have those humorous segments on the Tonight Show featuring the gas pump digital signs at the Burbank Costco.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Bunko
This evening my wife hosted her Bunko group at our house. As occurs each time my bride hosts Bunko, I exit stage left with the kids in tow to give her full reign for her gathering. However, for the last couple of weeks the entire family has been in Bunko preparation mode.
My lovely bride decided she wanted to have Bunko outside since it's been so nice the last couple of weeks. Mind you, today we knocked at the door of the century mark, but none the less she was convicted to have the group outside for their event. So the family focused on sprucing up the yard. We trimmed bushes, evacuated weeds from the flower beds, laid mulch in various flower beds, edged the lawn, even sprayed some bug repellent over the whole yard. I broke out the clear Christmas lights to created a lighted canopy around a section of the yard to create some ambiance.
My wife and our son made various treats today for the party, and we cleaned the house from head to toe. My middle child questioned all the activity last night when she was instructed to pick up her room. Her rational was that if the party was outdoors, why then did she have to clean her room. Mother's rebuttal was that those destined for the bathroom would have the chance of observing the child's room. Needless to say our middle child was not too happy with this line of thinking, as she complied with the request.
It strikes me as neat how the family pulls together for each other. Although myself and our three little ones did not get the fully enjoy the preparations, we still provided assistance and input. The kids assisted in planting flowers, and ensuring everything was properly arranged. I did my part in mowing the lawn, hanging lights, and even spraying the yard last night at 10pm. All our efforts were afford so that mom could have a successful party. As the last guest left and the last card table was broken down, the smile on my bride's face was payment for all the energies the family had expended. Her pride shown not merely in the visual affects she had so carefully crafted, but I believe it was also in the manner in which the family came together for her benefit.
My lovely bride decided she wanted to have Bunko outside since it's been so nice the last couple of weeks. Mind you, today we knocked at the door of the century mark, but none the less she was convicted to have the group outside for their event. So the family focused on sprucing up the yard. We trimmed bushes, evacuated weeds from the flower beds, laid mulch in various flower beds, edged the lawn, even sprayed some bug repellent over the whole yard. I broke out the clear Christmas lights to created a lighted canopy around a section of the yard to create some ambiance.
My wife and our son made various treats today for the party, and we cleaned the house from head to toe. My middle child questioned all the activity last night when she was instructed to pick up her room. Her rational was that if the party was outdoors, why then did she have to clean her room. Mother's rebuttal was that those destined for the bathroom would have the chance of observing the child's room. Needless to say our middle child was not too happy with this line of thinking, as she complied with the request.
It strikes me as neat how the family pulls together for each other. Although myself and our three little ones did not get the fully enjoy the preparations, we still provided assistance and input. The kids assisted in planting flowers, and ensuring everything was properly arranged. I did my part in mowing the lawn, hanging lights, and even spraying the yard last night at 10pm. All our efforts were afford so that mom could have a successful party. As the last guest left and the last card table was broken down, the smile on my bride's face was payment for all the energies the family had expended. Her pride shown not merely in the visual affects she had so carefully crafted, but I believe it was also in the manner in which the family came together for her benefit.
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