groundwork

Reboot: Groundwork Blog

I have been personally neglectful in posting on this particular page for quite some time now.  It is not because I do not have the desire to do so.  On the contrary, I would like to post something here on a daily basis. 

The truth is that this is not the only website that I have the responsibility to maintain.  And I am attempting to produce content to use in a variety of purposes.

Net Reach

A brand new article appeared today that indicates that the Internet has surpassed the reach of TV.  Admittedly, the article Many Europeans choose Internet over TV focuses on data from Europe.  But I don't think that those of us in the US are all that different in our use of the web.

What caught my attention in this article were the following paragraphs:

The survey found that in the 10 nations, 169 million people now go "frequently online."

They spend "a lengthy 11.9 hours online each week and nearly a third are recognized as 'heavy internet users as they spend an average of 16 hours or more online each week, representing more than 48 million people," said the survey.

It said 87 percent seek information online, followed by e-mailing (81 percent); social networking, (42), instant messaging (37), music downloading and listening to radio (both 31), watching TV, film or video (30); checking ratings and reviews (27), forums (26) and downloading film or video (20).

Those that are 'frequently online' are there for primarily information.  I also found that social networking (i.e. myspace, facebook, friendster) is an increasingly important part of the daily online experience.

These numbers reveal the great potential that organizations have in reaching people all over the globe.  It is going to be interesting to see where all of this leads!  I think I have a glimpse - but I am comfortable in waiting to see the eventual outcome.

an attitude of thanks

I would be the first to admit that I loathe the loss of daylight savings time.  The sun seems to set sometime around 2 PM leaving the rest of the day in the chilly fog of evening.  But I have found that I do look forward to a couple of bright spots during the depressing month of November.

One of the bright spots is that my wife and I will be celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary later this month. Why did we get married at the end of November?  Well that is another story to tell.  But the other bright spot for me is the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.

Thanksgiving has always been a highlight for my family.  Some of my favorite memories of my parents and brothers seem to be connected to the annual celebration of the holiday.  We would sometimes travel to a relative's house to enjoy an afternoon of dry as dirt turkey (it needed a lot of gravy), instant mashed potatoes, and football (of course). 

It was not until I was older that I thought about the purpose of Thanksgiving.  The meaning of the day was not a part of our discussions around the dinner table.  In recent years, I have attempted to add this missing dimension to our own celebration.

There is a new article posted on the Vision website on the subject of Thanksgiving.  The article takes a helpful look at the subject of genuine thankfulness.  I especially appreciated the following paragraph near the end of the article:

An attitude of thankfulness puts us in a humble frame of mind. It teaches us to whom we are in debt for all that we have. There is no room for pride when we are in the thankful mode.

I encourage you to read the article Thanks, but No Thanks during the next few days!

I wish all of you a genuine and thankful celebration of the upcoming holiday.  We do have much that we can be truly grateful for at this time.

proceeding with caution

                                                                   Postings come down but never really disappear. They sit, like land mines, in the digital archives.  - Ellen Goodman

Blogging is now a part of the media fabric of our world.  The sheer number of them that exist on the web attest to their popularity.  It is relatively easy to set up a blog - sit down at your computer - and type away at your heart's content. 

The main power behind a blog is that it nothing but an extension of a much older mode of communication.

Columnist Rode Fishburne wrote in a San Francisco Chronicle article about the force behind a personal blog.

"The truth is blogs are nothing more than one of our oldest known communication forms: the letter. Think of blogs as personal letters, and letters as conversations, and you've grasped blogs' immediacy and power. Blogs have become so popular so quickly because they are personality driven. We all have access to the same machine now, the Internet, thus advantage is won by using personality, not broadcasting apparatus."

I am relatively new at this blogging thing.  And I very much enjoys the challenge that a blog presents to me on a daily basis.  But I am mindful that there are there are pitfalls to avoid.  I am also mindful that it takes a little discernment over what to leave hanging in cyberspace.

Ellen Goodman has written a fine article that reminds all of us to proceed with caution on the Internet.  Goodman tells of two young ladies who found their websites had a negative effect on their promising new positions with a political campaign.  Their own comments led to a media backlash which eventually led to their resignations.  I would recommend that everyone take time to read this article (especially those of us to like to comment on forums).

A key comment from Goodman's article, Bloggers find they left trails that will haunt them:

We know that in the digital world, the past is never past. As Simon Rosenberg of NDN, a progressive advocacy group bridging these worlds, said: "All of us are going to be living every moment of our past lives. People are living with things they did and said in their youths in a way they never did before."

read the rest of the article

This article is a warning to all of us to proceed with caution.  This warning would apply to posting on forums that some participate in on a regular basis.  We need to be reminded to be careful in what we post on our personal websites or an a forum.

I believe that the web presents to us an excellent way to communicate with one another.  As in everything, we need to be ever mindful that what we write may be seen by others in less than flattering light. 

A good practice would be to take a moment to think over our words, pray for discernment, and review our comments before we click on the save button. 

 

Web Growth

In a recent post, I mentioned the popularity of video content on the Internet.  I thought the findings in a new survey to be instructive on the growth in this particular sector.

According to a newly released survey conducted by Harris Interactive, a third of YouTube viewers say they now spend less time watching TV.

With the relationship between the popular site and broadcast television already strained by threats of lawsuits about copyrighted material, the survey’s findings seem to suggest how much of an economic challenge the Internet can pose for the television industry. (read the entire article )

With the US elections of 2008 over a year away, the candidates are making their presence known in various areas of the country.  It was instructive to me that more than one major presidential candidate has used the Internet for major announcements in their initial campaigns.

Nearly a year before the first caucuses and primaries take place, the 2008 presidential campaign advertising war is under way online.

Candidates of both parties are already buying space on search engines, blogs and other Internet sites popular with political junkies and potential donors. With 18 candidates vying for the most open race for the White House in 80 years and front-runners on both sides announcing plans to forgo public financing, the 2008 election promises to be a huge revenue opportunity, not just for TV broadcasters.

read the rest of the article

It is becoming clear to me that the Internet offers an outstanding opportunity to communicate with people all around the world.  There is a responsibility on the content providers to strive to offer quality and informative material that will be beneficial for all.

Keyed Up

  The Internet has become an important part of our daily lives.  Our computers, connected to the web, have become an essential tool of communication, gathering information, and entertainment.  It is as much a part of our culture as Starbucks Coffee, Wal Mart, and daily commutes to work.

We are using the Internet for more than chatting and games.  A recent survey from the Pew Internet & American Life Project revealed that Americans (and I would assume others) are using the web to assist them the major decisions of life. 

Our surveys show that 45% of internet users, or about 60 million Americans, say that the internet helped them make big decisions or negotiate their way through major episodes in their lives in the previous two years.

read the article

I believe that the web opens great possibilities to connect with people on all points of the globe.  For instance, I was able to have a meeting last night involving key people from various parts of the US.  And I presented a presentation tonight to another group residing in the great Midwest of the US. These types of meetings would be impossible without the use of this technology.

However, I would be the first to admit that a 'generation gap' exists.  I realize that there are some who are not comfortable using the computer.  As one person said to me in a recent conversation - 'I get lost on the Internet'.  The younger generations (younger than 40) are more web friendly than their parents generation.  They are comfortable and familiar with its uses. 

I found it interesting that the use of such items as blogs, pod casts, My Space, and Facebook pages are finding their place in the classroom. USA TODAY posted an informative article entitled Blogging now begins young.  It is a revealing look of how pervasive the web is a part of the everyday lives of the youth.

The word blog — short for weblog, an online journal that can be written by many contributors — didn't even appear in the dictionary until 2005, but now even kindergarten teachers are incorporating blogs into the classroom.

Will Richardson, author of Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for the Classroom, says students can improve their reasoning skills, as well as their writing, if they are given the opportunity to think about and respond to topics on their own time, in their own way.

"It gets kids more engaged," he says. "A lot of kids are more comfortable online these days."

read the article

The technology that we have at our disposal can inform, encourage, instruct, and connect.  I suspect that we are experiencing a bit of a learning curve in regards to the real potential of these programs

And where it leads to - I will be very interested in finding out.