Emerging Technology: that’s what I do. I at least that’s what they call it at work. The more I consider the name, the more I realize the planned obsolescence in the title. Once the “Emerging Technology” is embraced, it is no longer “Emerging”.
Fortunately there will always be something new on the horizon, but it is easy to get wrapped up in today’s “emerging technology” to the point where you are still wrapped up in it when it is no longer emerging.
Around today’s media environment, lots of terms are thrown around. Terms like:
- Blog
- Podcast
- Portal
- SMS
- Mobile Web
- Web 2.0
- Tags
- Social Networking
These are all exciting terms that each represent exciting activities. However (push come to shove), most media consumers don’t give a lick about the terms, and many are scared off by them.
The responsibility of the content creator or distributor is to show the consumer what type of impact many of these terms can make in their lives.
It’s not “Podcasting.” It’s having audio and video delivered automatically to your computer.
It’s not “Blogging.” It’s a digital journal.
It’s not “Receiving SMS.” It’s having news delivered to your hip.
It’s not “Facebook.com.” it’s catching up with those pals you haven’t seen since highschool.
Many of these items require less “Geekyness” than anything in Web history, but the concepts are still being led by (and named by) the “geekdom” to the point that their appeal to the mainstream can be hurt.
Media consumption is continuing to change. But “Mainstream” is still the “Mainstream”.