There are many of these “2020 Work Skills” lists, but I liked this one. It is a blend of intelligences and skills – hard and soft.
Category: Digital Literacy
“We’ve been imagining a future of ubiquitous videophones for over a century. And today it’s considered no big deal that we’re able to make video calls with devices that we carry around in our pockets. But it took a while to get to that point. One reason? It was incredibly expensive.”
Interesting article, but I think there were many more reasons. Video did not have bandwidth, and it was more frustrating than it was useful. But cost was certainly a challenge as well!
via The Price For A Videophone in 1955 Was $44,000 Adjusted for Inflation.
ThinkUp analyzes your social media profile – not only how many tweets, but behavioral information. How often you thank people, what posts you tend to retweet – really useful in terms of navigating social networks.
“Every morning the service delivers an email packed with information, and in its weighty thoroughness, it reminds you that what you do on Twitter and Facebook can change your life, and other people’s lives, in important, sometimes unforeseen ways.”
via ThinkUp Helps the Social Network User See the Online Self – NYTimes.com.
Who knows how many emails are in our email boxes each day. I love this suggestion from 99U. “Your inbox is cluttered with emails of no consequence, including one of the worst offenders: the email that lacks a question. Kristin Muhlner, CEO of NewBrand Analytics, shares her rule for emails that don’t move projects forward: ignore them.”
Fantastic article about applications for IoT with the aging population. GigaOm really gets it right.
“Aging in place is a killer application area for the internet of things. If you or your grandmother can control her lights and coffee maker from a smartphone or easy to use tablet, that’s great. It’s even better if you can be discreetly apprised of her level of activity and alerted if she doesn’t take her pills on time.”
When HarvardX set up new offices, they didn’t get landlines. Not sure why any of us need landlines anymore…. “Nothing says “dragging education into the 21st century” quite like abandoning technologies of old. And, like it or not, your landline is quickly becoming about as pragmatic as the Pony Express.”
via Harvard Phases Out Office Landlines. Is Your Workplace Next? | Big Think | IdeaFeed.
Most people who use social media of some sort have figured out that the best way to reach someone is via the place they spend the most time. Send a tweet, FB message, or text and you are much more likely of getting a response than in email. But email is unavoidable. This article from Gizmodo is funny and all-too-accurate. “Email is one of those things that’s just a part of your life, period. Most of us know someone who has closed their Facebook account or refused to join in the first place in a little foot-stomping stand by their ego, and you might even know someone who is thrilled with themselves for not owning a smartphone.”
Twitter chats, or using the hashtags for Twitter chats, is an invaluable resource for finding what you’re looking for in what can seem to be a disorienting environment. New Twitter users often don’t know where to start, and the stream of comments seems overwhelming. Finding a chat that suits interests is one way to find direction. This is from TNW. “Whether you’re a Twitter pro or newer to the network, whether you plan to host your own chat or if you look forward to participating in others, a bit of advance preparation could help. Here’s what we’ve discovered so far to help you make the most of Twitter chats.”
via A Step-by-Step Guide to Hosting or Joining a Twitter Chat.
It’s so true. Small talk, serendipity, chance encounters. All gone, because we have our smartphones instead. Is that a good thing? This Mashable cartoon and article hints that it is – but many opportunities to meet people next to you are lost this way…. “Small talk is tough. No one really cares to discuss how hot/cold it is outside, but partygoers have got to do what’s necessary to break that awkward ice.But something is changing at parties ’round the world. Boring, but absolutely necessary, small talk is going extinct thanks to smartphones.”
There is truly a gap. On one hand, we have articles that speak to the shortage of talent we will have in so many necessary industries. Aerospace and many other technological process companies all have people retiring, jobs that are needed, and skills that will be so difficult to replace. On the other hand, we are focused on filling the new tech jobs: “Now a third wave of startups is sprouting up to tackle the dearth of vocational CS training with intense, in-person training. Companies like The Flatiron School, which I recently invested in, and the Turing School, are teaching students in short-term immersion programs. They tend to attract very motivated students, many of them mid-career in non-technical professions, who spend day and night learning coding over short periods of time. After completing their programs, the students have the technical skills employers are looking for, and they are highly marketable. In fact, Flatiron boasts nearly 100 percent job placement.”
via Changing Our Education System One Programmer At A Time | TechCrunch.
Workplace Learning in the Digital Age 