Just read this quote by Eric Schmidt, now of Google:
When you say "collaboration," the average forty-five-year-old thinks they know what you're talking about--teams sitting down, having a nice conversation with nice objectives and a nice attitude. That's what collaboration means to most people.
Wikinomics, p18
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Open Source Second Life
Linden Lab opened the Second Life Viewer source in January 2007, and in the past month alone, more than 80 contributions have been accepted from the open source community. From the O'Reilly Media Open Source Convention, July 27 2007.
Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything
Reading Wikinomics now, taking lots of notes.
Wondering about Open Source, and why it is a competitive advantage, and worth the risks.
Why do people not employed by the company, or not even in that industry, care enough to contribute?
Amazon link
Wondering about Open Source, and why it is a competitive advantage, and worth the risks.
Why do people not employed by the company, or not even in that industry, care enough to contribute?
Amazon link
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Ambient Findability by Peter Morville
Ambient Findability by Peter Morville
Here's a book that's a pretty easy read, and it's very interesting on how people look for information. It also offers lots of tips on how information providers can make their info easier to find.
This book is on Sun's Safari list, so if you can log into that, you can read it for free, and also download pdf chapters. Here's the Safari link. (on-SWAN)
If not, and you'd like to read it, here's the Amazon link.
Here's a book that's a pretty easy read, and it's very interesting on how people look for information. It also offers lots of tips on how information providers can make their info easier to find.
This book is on Sun's Safari list, so if you can log into that, you can read it for free, and also download pdf chapters. Here's the Safari link. (on-SWAN)
If not, and you'd like to read it, here's the Amazon link.
WOW: Now serving 9 million
Just saw a note that World of Warcraft (a MMORPG: Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game) has over 9 million subscribers...
WOW: Now serving 9 million
The beast, it thrives. Blizzard today announced that its massively multiplayer online game that needs no introduction has surpassed the 9 million worldwide subscribers mark. Debuting in November 2004, World of Warcraft has consistently been in a league of its own as far as installed user base. Earlier this year, the game's first expansion, The Burning Crusade, set PC-game records by selling a staggering 2.4 million copies within 24 hours of release. The publisher anticipates it will continue to acquire waves of new subscribers, noting The Burning Crusade is currently being prepped for launch in China.
WOW: Now serving 9 million
The beast, it thrives. Blizzard today announced that its massively multiplayer online game that needs no introduction has surpassed the 9 million worldwide subscribers mark. Debuting in November 2004, World of Warcraft has consistently been in a league of its own as far as installed user base. Earlier this year, the game's first expansion, The Burning Crusade, set PC-game records by selling a staggering 2.4 million copies within 24 hours of release. The publisher anticipates it will continue to acquire waves of new subscribers, noting The Burning Crusade is currently being prepped for launch in China.
Video Games at Work
I think the computer applications that do the best job of training users on the fly are video games. I can't imagine that anyone reads the manuals that come with the games. But here's an article on using video games to train employees:
FIRST-PERSON SCOOPER GAMES
Organizations employing the Sesame Street Generation and beyond have begun to use video games to train employees on key, but perhaps not top-of-mind, profitability issues. The ice cream company Cold Stone Creamery uses a simulation video environment to help new employees learn and understand the cost of seemingly minor inaccuracies in portion size. OK, maybe this isn't as fun as some games, but it's not Mervis Beacon Teaches Typing, either.
Persuasive interactives are not only for GenY... who hasn't been slowed down by one of those roadside radar displays?
And the interactives don't need to be full fledged games, they just need to be persuasive by offering the user:
- the situation
- capture of the current decision
- a path to vary "behavior" or "decisions" so that various options can be explored
- interpretable feedback on the impact of their decision
For instance, Fogg (2003) outlines examples in which photocopiers influence behavior by alerting users how much paper they could save with 2-sided printing. (Have you seen those tree-shaped icons?)
If virtual simulation influences social decision-making, driving, ice cream scooping, and photo-copying, it should also work for financial planning, consumer goods product selection, health risk evaluation, career planning, and other serious topics? Why not?
Consider these questions as you start creating "serious games" for your reality.
- What decisions or actions does your site or application try to help people execute?
- Can/do you use or embed interactive, self-directed feedback to help users understand the impact of making various decisions?
- Are the interactive task flows appropriate, available, and obvious at key decision points?
- Are they "walk-up easy" to interact with and use?
- Do the interactives invite you to fiddle with them? Or are they just scary?
- Can users explore alternate strategies effectively?
- Can users translate the feedback to "what-next" action?
- Are the interactives engaging and persuasive... from the customer's perspective?
Something to think about on the beach...
FIRST-PERSON SCOOPER GAMES
Organizations employing the Sesame Street Generation and beyond have begun to use video games to train employees on key, but perhaps not top-of-mind, profitability issues. The ice cream company Cold Stone Creamery uses a simulation video environment to help new employees learn and understand the cost of seemingly minor inaccuracies in portion size. OK, maybe this isn't as fun as some games, but it's not Mervis Beacon Teaches Typing, either.
Persuasive interactives are not only for GenY... who hasn't been slowed down by one of those roadside radar displays?
And the interactives don't need to be full fledged games, they just need to be persuasive by offering the user:
- the situation
- capture of the current decision
- a path to vary "behavior" or "decisions" so that various options can be explored
- interpretable feedback on the impact of their decision
For instance, Fogg (2003) outlines examples in which photocopiers influence behavior by alerting users how much paper they could save with 2-sided printing. (Have you seen those tree-shaped icons?)
If virtual simulation influences social decision-making, driving, ice cream scooping, and photo-copying, it should also work for financial planning, consumer goods product selection, health risk evaluation, career planning, and other serious topics? Why not?
Consider these questions as you start creating "serious games" for your reality.
- What decisions or actions does your site or application try to help people execute?
- Can/do you use or embed interactive, self-directed feedback to help users understand the impact of making various decisions?
- Are the interactive task flows appropriate, available, and obvious at key decision points?
- Are they "walk-up easy" to interact with and use?
- Do the interactives invite you to fiddle with them? Or are they just scary?
- Can users explore alternate strategies effectively?
- Can users translate the feedback to "what-next" action?
- Are the interactives engaging and persuasive... from the customer's perspective?
Something to think about on the beach...
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Charley Brown rose looks great!
Monday, July 16, 2007
Debunking 5 Business Myths about Second Life
Debunking 5 Business Myths about Second Life ...it may very well be that Second Life is over-hyped or ill-conceived for business purposes. Even if so, however, it’s not due to the five probably bogus claims... from GigaOM July 12, 2007
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Griff is also a Grand Champion!
Griff earned his Flyball Grand Champion (FGDCh-30) title at the RFRevolution Patriot Games tournament in Truckee this weekend!
Good job, Griffy!
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