Technology can be a competitive edge or a hindrance. I learned early on to temper the "cool factor" with practical business needs to create elegant and effective results that solve business problems.
When you understand what technology is doing to the world you can predict where you can make a big difference with just a nudge of resources.
I've learned that change is the only constant in the universe. You can count on it. So I plan on it. Here are some things I consider fact:
Fact #0: The Internet will continue to shake the world.
Back (in the day) when modems and bulletin boards were the Online World, I recognized the potential power of the electronic communications medium to bridge political, social, and maybe even economic barriers. It could change the shape of the world. I was thrilled when the Internet phenomena came of age and started to shake the foundation of tradition. It challenged the status quo.
Fact #1: The Internet is the great equalizer.
I've seen tradition-based industries scoff, shuffle, and eventually scream about how the Internet was wrecking the status quo. I am not an anarchist, but as you may have detected I'm all for competition and creativity. I think systems should not be protected for the sake of status quo. I believe systems require a challenge now and then to make sure they are worthy of the times. If they aren't up to the challenge, they should be changed or replaced.
Fact #2: Early adoption of new technologies is becoming a new global social behavior.
A fledgling global society is following right behind Internet adoption. The next two (industrialized) generations will expect information to be as plentiful as air. What nobody knows yet is how our lives will be reshaped by the new world.
I am good at recognizing trends and making guesses about specific futures. So far, I've had excellent success seeing the shape of things to come three to five years distant. I can only point at my résumé as my proof. I am there when it happens and I share my vision with my peers and employers.
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