culture

Must Read: Mobile Trends

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Some useful new data.

A few things stand out here:

  • Teens are text messaging like crazy.
  • This level of texting makes me think that it’s so close to actual chat, that mobile “chat” is going to become bigger.  Or normalized.  I do know at least one person who refuses to text and uses Google Chat.  Developers, keep this in mind – and social media companies may want to move towards mobile chat (also, keep that in mind).
  • Phones are beng used less for actual phone calls.  This is a trend that reminds me of how cable companies became ISPs.  At this rate mobile phone companies are really “mobile” companies.  Keep that in mind for the future – and for regulation.
  • There’s an impressive generation gap here in text and phone usage.  How are we going to market and to whom?
Mobile is becoming mobile period, and the generation gap is impressive.

– Steven Savage

Steven Savage is a Geek 2.0 writer, speaker, blogger, and job coach for professional and potentially professional geeks, fans, and otaku. He can be reached at https://www.stevensavage.com/

Reasons To Employ Geeks: Avoiding Weedlord Bonerhitler

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OK, imagine you decide to livestream a petition from the internet, printing out the various people who support your position.  Supposedly.

If you tell your average Geek (or hell any internet-savvy person) they will tell you this is a dumb publicity stunt that will be trolled with stupid names.

The Republican Congressional Committee did not think about this, and thus you got signers like Weedlord Bonerhitler, which may be the most trolltastic name I’ve seen yet.

So another reminder of why people need you, my fellow geeks.  You would have been able to explain in a few seconds why this was a terrible idea.

– Steven Savage
Steven Savage is a Geek 2.0 writer, speaker, blogger, and job coach for professional and potentially professional geeks, fans, and otaku. He can be reached at https://www.stevensavage.com/

 

Minecraft – Game As Dialogue

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So I returned to playing Minecraft again.  I do this now and then because it’s fun, well-planned, and evolving.  Every few version’s there’s something new as Notch tweaks and adds and changes.  Then I spent way too much time building stuff.

I actually enjoy starting games over.  Each time it’s a new adventure, each time it’s different:

  • I remember my first game where I built a network of quick travel tunnels.
  • I remember my second game where I spent days exploring a huge underground ravine filled with treasures and twists and turns.
  • In my current game I’ve got a lovely small home built into a mountain by a beach, and I’m alternately exploring caves, farming, and trying to penetrate the dense nearby jungle (largely by fire).

I’m sure I’ll stop playing at some point, and I’m sure there will be enough changes and additions I’ll fire it up again.  There’s conventions and events and suggestions and mods that I might even get involved in, should I wish.  Always something new.

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