One of the nice things about Dec 31st, is that no one will read anything you write. So I can safely list out all the things I wanted to write about, and it is almost as if I wrote about them – except no one will steal the ideas (which are worthless anyway).
So here are some themes I had thought of writing, but unlike my friend Lenny Zeltser – did not create a post every day.
- Technology does help to keep in touch. Sure human nature has not changed and we still have limited number of connections we can make to people. But keeping in touch has never been easier, and I know that is making a huge difference in people’s lives. I am having a hard time understanding what difference it might make in my kids’ lives, but I am sure it will be profound.
- I spent the last few months trying to be better organized. That effort paid off well, but only on small scale tasks and projects. For anything bigger than a short email or a phone call, a different approach to dividing/using time is really needed. Personally, I wish more techniques for “getting things done” were taught in school – instead of a lot of “teach to test” junk time is being wasted on.
- I have become very interested in “technology-driven businesses”. So my attempts to make sure the organization I work for is truly technology-driven have not gotten the results I hoped for – but that’s what 2011 is for!
- There are lots of stories about people losing their jobs because of technology. Descriptions of their jobs and experiences are fascinating, but the march of time and change is relentless. I am waiting for my own work to be looked at in same nostalgic fashion, “we had to look at output from memory in gc and use probes to determine values at different memory locations”.
- USA is being out-trained and out-educated has been a common theme in 2010. I have a lot of thoughts on whether it is true, and how I keep thinking this trend could be reversed. While possible, I am not optimistic that USA as a country is in a right place for such a major change. I am hoping I am wrong. Otherwise, “Super Sad True Love Story”-style future is coming fast.
That’s all for now folks. Got to buy some champaign and cognac. All set with scotch.
Regarding: “Technology does help to keep in touch”…
Perhaps technology only provides the illusion of keeping in touch, and that false sense of closeness actually makes it easier for people to drift further apart. Maybe it depends on the relationship and the technology.
I am finding that not to be the case. I am able to keep in touch with old college friends mostly through facebook, IM, and email. I am not going to claim that we are have a closer relationship through technology, but I definitely feel that the original claim – “makes it easier to keep in touch” is true. I know the people with whom I never had an electronic relationship I have fallen out of touch with a lot earlier.