KnowledgeForward

Now here’s a meme I can jump onto: Web 0.0. I haven’t been a big proponent of Web 2.0 as a meme. Although I embrace many of its technologies and themes I dislike the bundling, implication of stair-step progress instead of continuous, and general bandwagon nature of it before I feel it’s ready to have cement poured over it. But Web 0.0 speaks to something I can appreciate.  Keeping grounded in the need for real human interaction and the need for validation that communication technology is being used as a tool rather than a crutch sounds like a great idea to me.

Unfortunately I missed the WEB 0.0: INTERNATIONAL INTERNET-FREE DAY from the Global Ideas Bank. Here’s a quote from the press release:

Do you check your inbox every five minutes? Do you lose track of time surfing the online shops? Have you e-mailed a colleague at a desk next to you? Do you podcast your daily thoughts, rather than call your mother? Fear not: hope is at hand. Take a break on this Sunday January 28th: Internet Free Day.

In the meantime, a couple of news items from the Wall St. Journal that relate to addiction to internet communication channels.

First, for anyone who thinks today’s youngsters are losing the ability to communicate face to face rather than through a protective layer of technology and using complete thoughts and sentences rather than PowerPoint-like thought bullets or abbreviated IM or SMS text, the article on page W1 of the 2/9/07 WSJ “Say it with Txt” will only fuel your rage. The increase in text’ed love missives and breakups is appalling (e.g., “TGIF Hon, try to take it easy. ILU so much. by for now”).

Second, the article on 2/14/07 p1 of the WSJ titled “Deleting the Habit: How Email Junkies Do in Withdrawl” provides anecdotes of conntected people who have tried to go cold turkey and failed. It mentions the Web 0.0 day as well as some pitiful stories on people that just couldn’t turn off email. As I’ve written before, I think the issue is as much expectations that are set over time as addiction. But addiction is certainly part of it. As one person said “It’s kind of like people who go to the fridge when they’re bored. I check email”.

Speaking of being disconnected, I’ll be a bit more disconnected on this blog until March since I’m rushing to hit some deadlines. My report on how SharePoint (WSS 3.0 and MOSS 2007) address the building of portals and complex web sites will be a rush to the finish line this month. And the beta of our Enterprise SharePoint Strategy workshop has to be ready in a few weeks too. Look for them soon!