Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Jeff Cole's Talk

Last night we had our first APOC Intro class in Santa Monica at the "Center for the Digital Future." How catchy is that title? --makes me feel as though we're part of some major movement (which might be their point). Jeff Cole came in to speak with us and gave us an overview of Web 2.0 and some of the changes we're going to see in the future Web 3.0. Since Broadband has taken over, three major things have been happening: 1. schedules are disappearing. We know longer wait 24 hrs for the hard copy edition of the WSJ on our doorstep. Why should we when we can access the updated information we need in 30 seconds on our computer or mobile device. 2. There are too many choices in the world. Take cable: they’re screaming help! Consumers don’t want to pay the extra $25-$30 for channels they don't even watch. Instead, we want to be able to directly purchase the 8-15 channels we watch. I don't care about Hannah Montana and the Disney Channel--I just want my Food Network, please! 3. Platforms are shifting. The perception is: going digital is not a polluter. Let's not waste paper and buy books, get a Kindle instead.

So what do we do with all these changes? Jeff discusses some ways we're going to get it back together. Since Broadband has changed everything, we're going to see consolidation and an increase in brand importance. Instead of having multiple newspapers, they'll eventually consolidate down to 5 or 6, representing the world's "global voices." In college, we'll no longer have to take general education/prerequisite intro classes with random professors that will have no connection with your academic career. We'll be able to take Intro classes from the BEST professors around the world rated by other students and professors. (By the way, whatever happened to studentsenatecourseguide.com to rate professors at 'SC?--I had to guess which professor to choose my last semester!). We’ll then go to the university campus to take our specialty classes in our specific concentration.

Now with all these social networks, Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and blog sites, Brand becomes important. Social media networks can kill a brand in less than a day. They can also get the word out there really, really...really fast. I was listening to NPR the other morning and Academy Award Campaigners were being interviewed for their work marketing their movies. One of the campaigners explained the importance of digital media, and sites like Twitter to get people talking about a movie--and this has become marketing.

Jeff's talk last night about all that’s happened in a decade and what's going to happen in half a decade gets my mind turning. The digital world is changing so fast and requires one to stay connected constantly in order to keep up with it. But I wonder if we're humanly capable to carry on at this increasing pace?

4 comments:

  1. Interesting. I never thought about how much media our students are looking at. Well I have, but I haven't really applied any teaching lessons to them. Hmmmm...Makes you wonder if home schooling as an option for low SES kids with an internet connection might be the way to go?

    Thanks for turning some wheels in my noggin'!

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  2. really good post
    enhorabuena!! y tienes razon yo cuando necesito estudiar para un examen lo hago en power point que busco en google
    y yo la television ni la enciendo tengo lo que quiero en internet y ademas sin pagar

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  3. Your final question is an interesting one. I think about someone who might have been born in, say, 1890 and lived 70 years. At their birth primary transport would have been by horses, and by their death man was walking on the moon.

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  4. Thanks for this great roundup of our first week of class. ... Regarding your last question, my answer... Yes, we are 100% capable of adjusting to the new changes, and we need to because the rate of change is going to get FASTER and FASTER. If you wanna trip out, google "SIngularity" and "Wired Magazine" for an article on Singularity, a concept that is absolutely nuts... until you look at it and think it's likely.

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