When using a story to illustrate a point, be careful with how you use demographic data. Demographics alone can create an “other” view of the issue, and disconnect it from the listener. Which one of these makes a deeper connection to you?
Softer identities make a connection.
What does your reader hold as their deepest self-conception? How can that become a part of the story you tell?
Everytime we come to the Internet for help, we’re a different person.
Dr. Jon Roberts, Chief Innovation Officer at About.com, presented observations from 20 years of user behavior and interaction with over 35 Million posts. I wrote about that presentation in an earlier post.
It’s your context… what’s going on in the world right now… that is more reflective of what you need, than the last 6 months of your browsing history.
Continue reading “Context: The key to personalization”
At the South by Southwest Interactive festival in Austin, Dr. Jon Roberts gave us a peak into observations and lessons from over 20 years of user searches. You can read about that in my last post.
As he looks for trends, he realizes that they may lead to overgeneralizations. “I care about individuals in real life, I don’t care about them in my data analysis”.
Demographically, he broke down some interesting observations about millennials, based on the searches and questions they are asking. Continue reading “What about.com can tell us about millennials”
About.com launched 20 years ago. While they predate Google’s Pagerank, they show up as a top source for about 30% of all questions asked on Google in the U.S. That gives them a unique view at what America is concerned about. Dr. Jon Roberts, the Chief Innovation Officer at about.com, believes he is able to see the heartbeat of the nation, in the way we ask questions. He broke it down at this year’s South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive festival.
“Studying the data underpinning the Internet is as weird and fascinating as studying the universe.”, says Roberts. He worked to condense massive amounts of data, from over 35 Million posts, to some simple data visualization. In doing so, About.com was able to learn some interesting things from the deep to the … well… not so deep. Continue reading “What about.com has learned from 20 years of watching us”
Gary Vaynerchuk (@garyvee) is a South by Southwest regular, and his sessions still pack a ballroom. At SxSW 2017, Vaynerchuk’s session was a 100% Q&A format. The format lent itself less to a blog post recap, and more to a collection of quotable moments and takeaways. Here are a few that I walked away with, and a few more from the Twitterverse:
So many of us are focusing on things like VR, when we haven't even figured out how to do a Facebook Ad Buy @garyvee #sxsw
— Carl Bliss (@ckbliss) March 10, 2017
Entrepreneurship is hard, and we tend to overglorify it. We are pushing too many kids towards it. @garyvee #SXSW pic.twitter.com/xV8eUBfZc7
— Carl Bliss (@ckbliss) March 10, 2017
Too many people think they're influencers before they are. Put your head down, put out good content & be patient. @garyvee #AskGaryVee #SXSW pic.twitter.com/Hy2uVYoyW1
— Amy Heiss (@HeissofTexas) March 10, 2017
"No one in this room wants more ads, they want content, and they don't care if it's from a network or YouTuber" –@garyvee #AskGaryVee #sxsw
— Jeff MacDonald (@JeffMACaddress) March 10, 2017
"With all the data and tech in the world, the creative is still the key" #AskGaryVee #sxsw
— Jeff MacDonald (@JeffMACaddress) March 10, 2017
Cory Richards’ journey to the top of the mountain, took him to some of his lowest places. The National Geographic photographer suffered PTSD after a near death experience with an avalanche. This led to some dark journeys through alcoholism, marital issues, and job loss.
In a keynote address during the 2017 South by Southwest Interactive festival, Richards shared his story and touched on the role social media played in his journey. At his lowest points, he saw the perfect lives of those around him play out on social media. “There seems to be a hunger for the authentic”, Richards observed. “Through social [media], we are comparing our insides to everyone else’s outsides”.
We are comparing our insides to everyone else’s outsides
For Richards, the answer to this disconnect is honesty “We need honesty, and we need to demand honesty from those around us. The truth matters, and we need to demand it”.
"How much more can we connect when we stop putting the beautiful stuff up and instead put up the real stuff." @coryrichardsNG #sxsw
— Angela Yang (@AngelaCYang) March 10, 2017
It is through empathy that we find each other. When we find each other, we can work together.
Honesty and empathy are what the church should be good at. Increasingly, it is what the world is longing for.
It is our honesty that can show the world what we have been saved FROM. It is our empathy that gives us the grace to help others.
How do I show up, honestly, in the world today?
https://twitter.com/nathantwright/status/840296647116640256
Climbing is an allegory for human struggle. – Cory Richards #SXSW
— Carl Bliss (@ckbliss) March 10, 2017
"Talking about history might be the most relevant thing we can do right now" @coryrichardsNG #SXSW
— Carl Bliss (@ckbliss) March 10, 2017
Walls are grown from intolerance. Intolerance grows out of fear. @coryrichardsNG #SXSW
— Carl Bliss (@ckbliss) March 10, 2017
(Photo: Morguefile)
The truth is that it’s no longer enough to capture the trappings of power, because movements made up of small groups are able to synchronize their actions through networks. So if you want to effect lasting change today, it’s no longer enough to merely command resources, you have to inspire opponents to join your cause. History shows these movements follow a clear pattern.
https://hbr.org/2016/11/what-successful-movements-have-in-common
The United States’ lead is only expected to grow with its increased partnerships with private spaceflight companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin.
http://spaceaim.com/america-lead-world-2016-rocket-launches/
What has happened to us is a result of our evil deeds and our great guilt, and yet, our God, you have punished us less than our sins deserved and have given us a remnant like this.
After years of exile, Ezra recognized that he was still getting better than he deserved.
Even when I experience God’s discipline in my life, I am experiencing His grace and mercy. I need to learn to welcome discipline, and be grateful for it.
