New Media Mystery Boxes
I just finished watching J.J. Abrams talk at TED and am still smiling about it.
He talks a lot about his grandfather and how close they were. I can relate to this as my Grandfather Chapman and I were extremely close. When he died it was not a good time in my life and I felt like I had lost a best friend. My Dad and I often discuss how much he would have loved everything that I’m doing and the tools that we get to play with these days. If your curious I know I get my photography genes from him. I have fond memories of being in his home made dark room as a kid watching photos come to life.
But, what Abrams was also talking about is the concept of mystery boxes and how they can be found everywhere. Seems he has had a box that he bought years ago at a magic shop and has never opened because he loves the mystery of not knowing what is inside.
This got me thinking that to a lot of people and companies new media must seem like a mystery box full of wonder. They read the articles, hear the ranting and raving, but they still don’t fully understand what is inside. What happens when someone opens that box without a guide or a firmer understanding? Should you open up the box or preserve some of the mystery.
I’m not sure of the answer, but as I ride along on the train this is where my mind goes. Pondering the fact that if I asked every person in this cabin of the train about various technologies we take for granted if they would have heard of them or not. I think too often we assume everyone knows what podcasting, micro-blogging and search engine optimization. But, the truth is to most all of the fun things we find on the new media playground are still nothing more then a mystery box.
Part of my goals for 2008 is to speak to more people who don’t know this space. I guess I’m hoping to open the box for more people. I like the sound of that.
Great post ! Incredible the impact that grandparents have on their grandkids and great to see I am not the only one to experience this. Not only are these great lessons for us to instill in our daily lives, but to pass on to future generations.
Thanks for the tip - I picked it up off Twitter and cross posted.
JJ is incredible, I absolutely loved this talk.
Hey CC, great post. I also plan to speak to more people about new media who don’t know much about it at all. As I try to set up a column in the local newspaper, I realise why I like new media - it’s soooo efficient. Anyway, got to build bridges somehow…
CC - One of the greatest satisfactions I get from the Podcast Hotel is the the senses of new discovery that I see in people new to podcasting and social media after listening and learning from the veterans. Just as satisfying is to see the pros become respected and trusted experts through the process of teaching the beginners. In a sense, we are all grandfathers at times. And we all are grandchildren, too, in certain ways. The more boxes we can open, the more wonder and disvovery we all get to experience. That sounds pretty good to me.
I listened to this on your recommendation yesterday, and it’s been following me around, as it the TED talk from David Pogue. Keeping things simple is an art. there are times we want to be amazed, and looking under the hood, demystifying everything, subtracts the magic out.
For some clients, they want to know that New media is not just another gimmick that everyone wants, and for them, providing the groundwork will be important. For others, they just want to feel they have some o’ that Web 2.0 someone told them they had to have, and the underlying issues aren’t necessary. I think the Meatball Sundae applies here, though- you have to make the organization work with an online strategy, which means not all tools will work for all people.
And I think it’s difficult to always appreciate how much we do know, when our work and play seem so integral to each other- social media and new media is a 24/7 thing, not a 9 to 5 clock-punching job.
My grandmother’s been gone for over 20 years but every time I sit in a rocking chair and push off I’m five again, curled up in her lap and listening to her hum. No matter what’s up in my life, five minutes in a rocker and everythings’ right with the world once more.
A mystery box: what a great metaphor! JJ - thank you for this conversation. As a relative newcomer, I must admit it’s felt a little Pandora’s box to me at times. I’m intrigued by the magic and mystery, not to mention the sheer hubbub, AND scared that that opening the box will unleash more than I know how to handle!
Just learning the lingo is a wowza. And yes, many do talk techie and forget its still a new and foreign language to most - its almost a secret handshake kind of thing! Did I miss the primer or something…?
I’m not sure how anyone could help but feel a little intimidated by the sheer size and complexity of it all. One thought has really helped me keep it in perspective came from Lois Kelly over at Foghound.com (her book Beyond Buzz is very helpful) when she said its really just about value-driven shared conversation, and we’ve been doing that since we learned how to build fires…
As a ‘newbie’ podcasting life coach learning the ropes (and picking my jaw up off the floor on a semi-regular basis), I see remarkable things out here in fun-land: it’s the perfect platform to refine your capacity to go slow in the fast lane no matter who’s honking at ya; to make best use of - but not be used by - a wired-up-world; to find and stay true to your own voice in a cacophony of sound.
And the remarkeable power and natural wisdom of unleashed creative collaboration combined with the irrepressible urge in us all to share experience and grow together for the benefit of all once free of the mandate to commoditize everything blows my mind!
Transparency. Connection. Real Value & Real Values. Authenticity. Cooperation. Passion. Win/Win/Win. No borders. No boundries. These are the new shared imperatives in the Web 2.0 - and it is a very good thing.
But as I poke about, learning and contributing, its also clear that if you don’t have yourself some good solid life practices - and a strong sense of self - its real easy for your True North to re-align with the revved-up magnetic north of the new tricked-out juggernaut and it’s wide, wide wake of influence and urgency.
Ah well, as my tiny but too-cool-for-school grandma used to tell me, look both ways +1 before crossing the street. Then, when the way is clear, take your time crossing - and be sure wave at all the drivers! You never know when it might be be someone you know.
As much as I’d like to put it down to a newbie gaff, I just can’t. Brainfarted, I did. Sorry, CC.
But JJ is close to CC, right?