In the spirit of being grateful, I thought I might start a new tradition. Here is my list of things I am grateful for in the technology space this year:
- That the Web, software, hardware, and bandwidth have conspired over the past 10 years to create a VERY cool set of tools that help organizations prosper. At the same time, I am glad I know how to use them because the com
panies that failed to learn when they had the opportunity are dying off. - I love to learn, and I am so thankful that social tools now give me an ability to soak up information on any subject I want at any moment I want. I grew up in the age of physical libraries so I have not forgotten what a blessing it is to have information at my fingertips.
- I am thankful I still know more about technology than my kids. Because I am in the tech business, I take this as a point of pride. And, because they could pass me any day, I am happy at this moment that I still know more than they do.
- That Apple got up off the map with the second coming of Steve Jobs and stuck with their obsession with design. Seriously, what would the world of devices look like if Apple had not set a bar others had to match? If you think about the decade of beige metal IBM PC’s CPU’s, and then think about competitor Microsoft’s design capabilities (other than the Xbox) , it is no contest.
- I am very thankful we continue to miniaturize everything technology-based. The smaller and lighter things are, the easier it is to carry, use, and share them.
- That people generally use technology tools to connect with me in the right ways. I publish all the ways that people can get in touch with me on my Website and have always trusted that people would have discretion in how they use them. Other than the occasional random text message, people are great at communicating appropriately.
- I love that the battery capacities on the devices we use are slowly getting better. I fly all the time and being able to have juice when I need it means a lot to me.
- We take this for granted, but I love that bandwidth providers (wired and wireless) just keep giving us more speed. When you are my age, you remember every stage we have gone through – including the now archaic 300 baud modem.
- I am thankful that we are building smarter software systems. Every once in a while, a piece of software does something that just seems magical. The other day I asked Siri a question, and she understood and took action without me giving specific instructions (Star Trek did not even have this).
- Finally, I am thankful for my family, for my co-workers, for my friends, and for my clients. Without you, all the technology in the world would be worthless!!