The Future of Computers and Virtuality




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Chris Anderson Challenges IT Specialists – Opening of HP Conference – Discover 2012

HP starts off its conference, Discover 2012 in Las Vegas, with a host who is no surprise to the computer world. He is Raj – ajesh Koothrappali who is really Kunal Nayyar from the Big Bang Theory. As he admittedly speaks of playing a genius but not really being one, he acknowledges and appreciates the work done by the computer geniuses in the audience and particularly of HP (Hewlett Packard).

Kunal sees how throughout history, people have been satisfied with the progress that humanity has made through life relative to accomplishments of the time but how someone comes along to see how technology can better the human race in ways that they have not had the chance to conceptualize of yet. These computer geniuses see a way of using technology and its applications for the betterment of humanity and are always striving to make life easier or better in some respect.

Chris Anderson, Editor-in-Chief, of Wired Magazine at HP Conference, Discover 2012.

Such is the case when, Chris Anderson, editor-in-chief of Wired Magazine takes the stand as keynote speaker of the Discover 2012 HP Conference. As he stands as an observer and commentator of the computer realm for quite some time, he sees how consumerism running the dictate of the future world of computer applications in the work environment and challenges big corporations or employers to keep up.

He comes up with 10 points which some debate are not a realistic application of what can be done. However, he makes his point so that people can reflect and possibly implement some changes as we start to deal with graduates who have only have lived in the digital age. They speak another languge and unlike the preceding generations are so very comfortable with the changes of the internet and computer applications. They speak another language unlike the generations in most cases oblivious to how computers worked and operated, requiring to be taught in steps along the way as each generation of computers became more accessible, affordable and useable. (This does not, of course, include the computer experts who spoke in really difficult languages and code while making calculations with sliding rules and then had to use punch cards to put through their commands.)

He makes 10 points which are outlined as follows:

  1. Mobility in terms of Tablettes
  • What he says here is that people should be able to share ideas on the spur of the moment. Tablettes allow this ability. This capability, unlike past needs of having to find an office space or a white board to work on to continue a discussion of ideas interrupted the flow of ideas and required more resources.
  1. Openess
  • What Chris says is that we can not truncate the progress being made here. We have to keep open to allow various points of view that impact our products as we develop them. Many beta versions are tested by users and so this is the case with the future development of programs, apps and products.
  1. Technology is a Personal Statement
  • Chris indicates that people are dictated by the fashions of technology. He says that just because the corporate environment has decided on a direction, this does not mean that it is the right one. He indicates, for example, the the phone or tablette indicates who you are. He says that people see the technology is a personal reflection of them and so they are particular and quite specific as to what they will accept. He thinks the corporate environment should be open to letting people decide what they want.
  1. Feather Applications
  • Chris speaks of an application being focussed and offering one type of service. He says it is not of any sense for a company trying to be of all things to all people. It is more important that an app be developed to deal with a certain area and do it extremely well. It is important to be focussed and not diverted in attention or diverse in areas.
  1. Cloud
  • Chris speaks of the need to reconnect all our resources by having them up in the cloud. He speaks of the connectedness of the world and the many applications. This is only common sense and connects with the next point.
  1. Sync (Drop Box)
  • Quite simply, this is a way of using resources to ensure everyone is contributing to the project. No longer do you need to monitor the effect of each individual’s contributions, as this is added automatically in a program like a Drop Box program. I am not sure he is saying get rid of GANTT charts and the long term visions with short term goals, but he is saying that there is a way to have people contribute in a timely way and this is automatically reflected by their respective contributions.
  1. Social Media
  • Who can say that Social Media is not an effect on today’s world? Although Facebook and Twitter are huge on the world scale, there are other social media operations that could be used internally. Chris is saying, “Use the one to your advantage that makes the most sense for your operations.”
  1. Unstructured in a Structured Way
  • This is a view of the new generation of people. Younger people are not as structured as our predecessors were. He gives the example of his robotics company where he found a protegé of 18 years old who was not a high-ivy league graduate but who was a mastermind in robotics. He indicates that in the “old days,” 10 years ago, he would have never made the cut but today he does. “It is a different world.”
  1. Security, Trust and Scale Matters
  • Chris compares how his corporate enterprise restricts his email capabilities and so he turns to Google for Gmail. Why? Because it is attacked all the time but that they have the best people, men and women, who are constantly testing and protecting the resources. He chooses to go with consumer products that are protected and effective rather than the corporate restrictions of his own company.
  1. Blurred Lines = “Wherever you are, there you are…”
  • Honestly, I feel as if I am speaking to a Newfie. For those of you who are not Canadian, it simply means there is profound logic from someone in Newfloundland. They have logical sayings like that, that stand the test of time – “Wherever you are, there you are.” It does not matter, it simply means that you are connected all the time and that you carry your career or identity with you.

The above 10 points speak of the changing forces within the IT industry and the blurring lines of work and a passion of interests. People are no longer separating their professions but carry this identity with them as they work, live and play throughout life.

Chris Anderson, as Wired Editor, has made an impact in his statement and for all the corporate structured Information Technology Experts, he is challenging to change the work environment to accommodate the client wants as they are more knowledgeable of the capabilities and limitations of what they want to do and to accomplish.

The question is, can or will the corporate world let this really happen for various important reasons? Plus, does it really make logical sense to do this or is his mind up in the clouds and not based on what really happens in a corporate world structure?