I totally agree that we - the techno web 2.0 people - should be aware of this. If we're in our (work)world you may get the impression, that everyone knows about the newest web 2.0 app etc., but in fact most people don't even know there's an alternative to search the web other than Google etc. Useless to speak of RSS-Feeds and all the newer stuff.

I find it refreshing, but also a bit scary ;-), to talk to people among my friends and relatives, that completely don't care about the stuff I spend most of my time on. It makes you think about the work you do and the online hobbies you have.

But hey, I enjoy Flickr anyway... ;-)

I think you are right. For example, many of the online tools you mentioned are well-known in the library community... but are they well known by all of our patrons? If they are not, what do we gain by using them?

We can say with some confidence the folks that read and understand this post are "early adopters" of this technology. We enjoy being out in front, we enjoy the newest gadget and evangelizing to those who will listen. We value this in our lives.

However, the majority of people will wait until these tools affect and improve the quality of the things in their life they value. They might not value understanding the latest & greatest Web 2.0 app, but when it has a significant impact on what they do value (e.g. business, family, rock climbing) then they'll take up. Right? I think that makes sense to me.

So our job is to answer the relevance question. As we find more and more ways to improve the lives of non-geek computer users, we'll continue to see our cause validated.

(You ever work in an office that still uses fax machines? How long did/will it take them to realize how much more effective email & PDFs are? We have a daunting challenge!)

I agree with this a lot. In fact this mindset was part of the driving force behind a blog I started recently.

Basically, it's a "tech how to/support blog" but the mindset is (as much as I can manage) to go from the perspective that the reader knows nothing about what they are doing.

Part of the problem with this of course is that the real target audience will have a hard time finding the blog in the first place.

Also I plan to build a bit some and get a bit more advanced in some places, which gives lots of ideas for posts but i can't post those posts for months maybe years until I get a library going of basic principles.

I'm talking really basic here. My first article was how to use Windows' recycle bin more effectively. I plan to do one soon about basic terms and layout for Windows. IE "Task Bar, Start Menu, Right clicking" etc. So far it's a bit Windows centric but I plan to cover other areas as well.

I've taken for granted that people know "Web 2.0", but I've been having to do a lot of education around here! We're talking a lot about emerging technologies in my area of the "government", but they are asking for articles from me, the librarian, on the topic of 'recent articles about how the internet began'. When I mentioned Web 2.0, it was a new concept to them.

I was at a library conference on Knowledge Management, and mentioned Common Craft as a great example of how to communicate, and they all wanted to know more about it! I shared the URL with everyone.

This is a great post!

I often think the same thing.

So what I do, is everytime I'm on a plane, I ask the person next to me.

Do you know what a blog is?

Do you know what a podcast is?

Do you know what a teleseminar is?

etc

This keeps me in touch with how average people
understand the web.

The funny thing is, most of the younger people know
these terms!

-Christina
"The Shopping Cart Queen"

This lack of understanding of current and evolving tools is resulting in an ever-widening knowledge gap. Those in the know, are learning from their online networks about the 'next big thing', while those who don't understand the power of social networks have yet to discover the 'last big thing'.

I really think your video messages could help bridge the chasm. Once online video (and the rest of the online world) becomes ubiquitous on our televisions, we'll be able to draw more folks into learning about the many tools we take for granted.

In my field of education, we are in dire need for more messengers akin to Lee and Satchi... Keep up the great work!

nice post.

as someone who teaches college students about media, i'm always struck by how many of my students are totally creative media makers and how many of my students are totally not-web 2.0 -- oblivious to anything except facebook.

that's why for teachers - and for librarians - the stuff you and sachi do is so important and useful. if i want my students to come to class with an understanding of RSS and how it works (and, btw, about 10% (!) of last year's student knew what RSS was before my class), i assign them a common craft video for homework. the role of your work can't be underestimated.

but at the same time that we try to find ways to educate others about what we know, perhaps we should make it a two-way street. maybe those who - gasp! - don't twitter (or blahg or flickr or etc) have some lessons they can share with us.

anyways, nice reflective post lee.

Working in the wireless data world, my view gets skewed as well. Twitter is pretty much seen as a "standard" now among the early adopters, and it's easy to assume that the Valley is the basis.

However, to get grounded I only have to make a call home to Wisconsin.

I have also heard of taking a poll of Omaha, Nebraska or St. Louis, MO as a good way to get a sense of what is really "standard". Of course age will be a factor, as current college students already have social web tools as a standard, while boomers are probably more likely to pull a phone book, or have gotten to the stage of using e-mail newsgroups and car GPS.

I think this is actually a very positive thing - I've found Common Craft being a great way to explain RSS, Wikis, Blogs, and maybe soon Digg-style social news as a way to show how quickly technology is changing the way people can work and think.

...that is only the basic Marketing challenge: isn't my product nice? And since I'm there, the Prettier Child Mother's issue.

That didn´t stop great products to sell. Neither mothers to have more than one child and love both.

Great post. Great advice. Too much hype these days. It's not about what they could do for you, it's about what they actually do.

1. Fewer kids and grownups are playing sports. TV viewership is shrinking. Newspapers are facing extinction and movie ticket sales are trending downward. What on earth are people doing?

2. Early adopters gain the power to shape and control what will eventually become commonplace. That's not a comforting thought. People are driven by needs. How can google-esque, twitter-ish, wiki-like applications be repurposed to fulfill people's needs today?

thanks.

Its true. Social media is still pretty niche and very geeky. It will become mainstream when it becomes easier and once people become familiar with some of the tools and techniques - which will probably first occur in workplace social networks. See http://preview.tinyurl.com/5m9sjt

By the way - like the videos - find them very useful to explain the basics.

Recently I had a similar experience when I realized that none of our industry association technology folks were using RSS feeds and blogs much less Twitter and wikis.

You are absolutely right about having to remind ourselves that we are on the leading edge. One of the great values to your videos (which I recommend all the time) is that you tell a simple story that non-tech people can understand. You bridge the knowledge gap and remove the intimidation factor.

Active learners will continue to discover these new tools and the rest will watch old movies on their VCRs.

First, I have to take issue with "calling Wisconsin" to gauge the infiltration of technology and social media. We have an active tech/geek/2.0 community here on the Prairie. And having lived in Silicon Valley, I assure you that there are folks out on the coast who are still unaware of Web 2.0. :)

What many "geeks" tend to forget is the trickle-down effect. I think this is something of which we are more aware in the Midwest because we're not living in a tech bubble. After all, if you're only going to Web 2.0 conferences, it's easy to get isolated in that culture. We deal everyday with the "mid to late adopters." I think that is a strength that we have to offer.

I work in the field of international educational exchange of students/scholars. Our work is about understanding other cultures. Our field, as a whole, has only *begun* to explore and use social media. We are, frankly, a couple of years behind the early adopters. But we will find new and interesting and important ways to use technology and tools as they come along.

I often use the example of the telephone. Think of how that began, the early adopters, the way it trickled down. Even as late as the 1960/70s, there were shared party lines in the USA. Today, telephones are ubiquitous and it's fast moving towards mobile.

Today's technology adoption is moving faster, but the routes remain very much the same. That said, the transition is happening even faster in other parts of the world that didn't have the landline infrastructure and are now jumping ahead from no phones to mobile.

So what can be our role? As we recently discussed at the Minnesota Social Media Breakfast, we need to become trusted sources that share accurate and helpful information with those who are not early adopters. No cheerleading, just the facts -- pro and con. That's where the real empowerment will happen.

And that's one of the reasons that I recommend the Common Craft videos to many of my colleagues. Thank you for the work you do!

In the 'Business to Consumer' world focus has to be on what customers perceive as value. Satisfying the paying customer- that's it. The reality for a 'B to C' business is simplicity and results... or they've got the technology adoption blinders on. For instance, do their customers subscribe to content via RSS? If not, the 'B to C' business will probably wait to RSS- ify their content.

As 'Business to Business' people that serve them, we have to make it a priority to understand and/or to get into their 'B to C' world. Sure, as 'B to B' we have a responsibility to pay attention to all the emerging technologies, but the focus should be on what is simple for them and what will support results in their world. Until then, it's a rough sell.

We really appreciate your materials Lee. We present them often because we feel you do a terrific job of supporting these beliefs.

hiya lee,

nice reflections and important insights, both in your post and the subsequent comments.

both the people you're trying to reach and the connectors who help them find you likely visit your site. but what are their goals? and how do the people who fit the profile of your audience view your content? directly from your site? linked in a context-specific instance, like a training, where they'd never have reason to visit your site again? who are these people?

that's the ticket, really, because the person who can benefit from your content isn't necessarily going to find it, or be comfortable looking for it, or even know that something as rad as commoncraft could exist in the world as they know it. you have to find them, right?

and while your primary audience may not be at the techie conferences, the geeks among us can be excellent connectors. the trick is remembering that the geeks don't have the same goals as your audience, but can certainly play a part in connecting them to you.

You're right Lee. Most people don't know about all the 'stuff' you explain so well in your made simple videos. That's why it's so important that you and Sachi keep on making them. We early adopters (can't believe I'm calling myself that!) know the benefits of these technologies and we are trying to switch on those around us. I've told you before, I use your videos all the time and they go a long way towards converting those new to these ideas for communication. I realise now that the students from my school are being exposed to new ideas that may give them the heads up when they enter university or the workplace. Surely that's a good thing. Keep on doing what you're doing because in years to come people will be looking at your work and commenting on the visionary work that you produced.
Jenny Luca.

Lee - you are so right and it is good sometimes to have a reality check. As an eLearning adviser it is all too easy to go off on flights of fancy about how to use Web 2.0 etc for education, but then i go to practitiioners meetings and they are struggling to import pictures into Word etc and give me blank looks at the mention of something really 'advanced' like Flickr. It makes you take a step back and face the true reality. So well said and thanks for bringing us back to earth.

You're materials are fantastic and a great resource.

No offense, but web 2.0 is a joke.
get real, go out and meet people instead of sitting in front of the PC all the time.
Get a life!
Andi

Perhaps not as strongly as Andreas, I would argue that people should take a step back and consider the idea that people spending time out gardening, playing music, drinking beer, etc, are more fulfilling ways of spending your time than documenting all of that on twitter (ridiculous), promoting yourself on facebook, and watching videos on youtube. The technologies are great, but it is not a tragedy if the whole world isn't online. Sheesh, people! Learning, growing, connecting go on without the internet-- and quite possibly in better and more fulfilling ways.

Wikis, Second Life, video conferencing, social bookmarking, p2p, twitter and other technologies that we take for granted, either simply don't register or do so only as a disembodied word for most people.

Indeed, as a general rule, I've found that most non-teckies don't know much beyond using PowerPoint & Excel!

The chasm is exceptionally wide and your videos go a long way towards helping the early majority cross it.

lee, you're so right on that.

but hey, this is no biggie. this is just like it is - and the foundation of your business. dont be too sad that your work won't be getting more and more superfluous with every great video you are publishing.

it's true, you're right, move along. we're waiting for new videos about new technology. and maybe for some that'll have to be redone in a year or two. you never know how technology changes. uhm, and people, as they often change, too :-)

keep the good spirit!

.~.

I am glad you shared your perspective. I feel as an Instructional Technology person in my school district that I need to be on top of everything going on in the digital world. Of course, I do not. And much of it is still very mysterious to me.

I'm not saying we don't do anything - we do - we do audio casts, pod casts, make movies that don't go out of the building. We are slowly, slowly, moving towards the idea of collaborative work for our elementary kids. Our fifth graders are doing a collaborative project with another fifth grade in the district to create a jeopardy science game. How's that for creating your own test! Teachers (some) have their own web pages created from a simple template the district buys into. It's a great way of communicating with parents, displaying student work, posting ideas for other teachers. However, it is very under-utilized and is not up-to-date with other web appliciations.

Here's my real problem. Take xml. This is the kind of thing that drives someone like me crazy. As far as I understand it, xml is the code you use to embed videos, etc. onto a blog. OK. So suppose I create something on Garage band, import it to iTunes and want to export it to xml. I copy that code into my blog and nothing happens. What is the difference between THAT xml, and the embedded xml on a blog? See what I am getting at? I got blogs, I got twitter, I got wikis. I even have RSS feeds. I'm not in the dark ages, but there are some things I just don't get.

So you see, you have a lot of work to do! Explaining things to those of us who just can't quite break through! Love your videos! Keep 'em comin'!

Thank you for encouraging us to reach beyond the proverbial "choir". I am using two of your free videos next week at our annual conference with, forgive the expression, "old white men" who run rural bus companies. We are trying to reach out to them so they can hear this, and learn this, from us, their membership association, before they get "run over." Some people think what we do has nothing to gain from Web 2.0 because we still ship VHS tapes as training videos to remote places, but if we don't do outreach our constituents will get "run over."

Keep up the good work (I mean it!).

PS Your work is really hot right now among the Washington DC young librarians social network.

www.embeddedlibrarian.blogspot.com

Hi Lee,

There's so much technology to learn that it can be very frightening.

I flatter myself I'm reasonably techno-savvy (I'm not an IT person - I'm an accountant), but every now and again I read a post on the web that leaves me thinking, "Huh? What's that in English?"

That's where your videos are so refreshing because they explain things in plain simple English.

Keep 'em coming please.

M

Search the web, I have told many people the exact same thing.

I have to do a presentation to educators which exposes them to blogs podcasts etc as tools through which we can engage reluctant learners.
I was searching for a simple and innovative way to explain these tools when I found this site and I am very impressed with it!
As many of you have said in earlier posts-we assume that there is a lot more knowledge and use of these tools than their actually is-especilly among older staff in education.
The gap between what students know in relation to this type of technology widens daily_I have spoken to many parents about these developments and the vast majority have no idea what is happening-it all seems so difficult to comprehend and use-your videos show that this is not the case-well done!

I just spent 30 min on the phone helping a friend of my parents (in her 50s) fill her online tax return... communicating was hard, and even basic navigation around a mac (eg using the finder or installing an app) was a real struggle.

and hey, there a plenty of 'parents' out there with the same skill level, so don't even mention RSS!

bottom line is your remark is quite accurate Lee. And I'm sure that when a bunch of young or youngish boys and girls work themselves up into a frenzy at events like SXSW it's easy to believe your world is THE world.

And I'm dying to go to SXSW darn it :)

Lee,

You're right -- there are a lot of good, smart people, doing important and worthy work, who don't yet understand, and haven't yet experienced the potential power of these tools. At Darim (http://www.darimonline.org) we work with hundreds of small Jewish nonprofit organizations trying to help them take important steps in this direction, and your work helps us so much! Your videos inspire, support, educate and make the whole process so much more efficient. I send people to your site as "homework" prior to our consulting and training engagements so they are all revved up and have a sparkle in their eye before we start (as opposed to feeling old, obsolete, overwhelmed or annoyed). So... THANK YOU!