Who's In Charge Of Who?

"Men have become the tools of their tools."

Henry David Thoreau

19th century American naturalist/writer

I take advantage of much of the technology designed to enable me.

However I am often forced to spend more time making it work than using it to my benefit.

How about you?

I Can't Believe You Don't Know That!

"Being ignorant is not so much a shame as being unwilling to learn."

Benjamin Franklin

18th century American statesman/inventor

Always?

A lot of technology marketers look down on those who don't know how to use technology products.

Many of these people are not stupid, when it comes to technology, they just don't care enough to learn more than they already know.

Shameful, yes, but for who?

Just Think What I Could Do If I Could Only Get This To Work!

"Technology does not drive change it enables change."

Unknown

I thought this would be appropriate, one day after the introduction of iPad 3.

Of course there are those who believe that technology does little if anything to facilitate positive change; a view I myself have enthusiastically subscribed to while waiting on hold for some tech support agent to take my call.

What do you think?

Thumbs up or down for technology as a change enabler?

Too Much Technology Never Is?

"Technological progress is like an ax in the hands of a pathological criminal."

Albert Einstein

20th century German/Swiss/US scientist

Coming from anyone else I might just chalk this up to being technology adverse, but from Mr. Einstein?

I believe but don't know for certain that he may have been over-generalizing about the ill effects of technology for the sake of technology.

How do you decide how much technology your business needs?

Technology: It's Not About Your Hammer

"Web users aren't reasonable. They don't need to be, since your competitor's site is just a click away. They won't read your fine-spun copy. They'll ignore your witty turns-of-phrases. They scan for what they're looking for and click on the first promising link they find. If they don't find anything promising... they're gone! Copywriting for the Web is all about getting to the point."

Author Unknown

Contributed by Russ Bombardieri
Senior Interactive Designer/Frontend Engineer, Crutchfield.com

Consumers don't care about the carpenter's cool hammer, the dentist brand new x-ray machine, or, as this quote reminds Russ, the copywriter's ability to "wordsmith."

They want what they want and it's our job to give it to them and if we don't, they will buy from whomever does. The tools we use to make that go our way are the means to the end, nothing more.

What's your focus?

Technology: Saving Time

"Information and communications technology unlocks the value of time."

Li Ka Shing
Hutchison Whampoa Chairman

This is likely the definition of value for more things than anything else isn't it? The one absolute certainty we all live with is that time is a limited resource.

Anything we can do to scrounge more of it will, to varying degrees, be of value to us and those companies and products that create more time for their customers will succeed over those that don't.

But how many companies view their products from the standpoint of time to use? Not likely many.