TechProfound

I just got off the phone with a good friend (Kris) who is back in Minnesota. He and his daughter (Kiera) were at the park. She is my goddaughter. It was fun to hear her chatter and talk in the background. As he was describing the pleasant evening they were having there, I was noticing the exact same conditions here in WA. I went online quick and noticed that our weather was literally, just about as exactly the same. It was just neat to relate that way, as virtual and impersonal as it may have been, it was also personal because of the ease we both have in relating to each other.

We’ve got that relationship because it’s been built up over many, many years. There is trust and there is joy in knowing about someone else and their past life that makes enjoying company with them pleasant. In times of new jobs, life changes, checking out new churches, transitioning – etc. – there are fewer of those consistent, old, reliable pillars. It’s time to create/establish new ones, or sometimes to just realize that some have always been there, and now they are leaned on more.

So, as I enjoy my coffee, a little bit later today, around 5 PM rather than 5 AM, I am pensive and appreciative. This morning I went to church, saw a few friends there, went to get some lunch, and then worked out for a while. Now I’m in the Sunday afternoon mood – which really is rarely consistent. I’m going through old clothes and things and donating a bunch of stuff. I’m also catching up with friends on the phone. I left a few voice mails earlier and different friends are calling me back as they get a chance to chat. It’s fun to catch up with people.

My keyboard tray broke during this past week. I think I have been leaning on it as I get up from the desk, and it finally gave way after several years of that. So, I’ve got the keyboard in my lap and have the mouse up on the desk. It’s really not optimal for spending lots of time working at the computer. However, I don’t do that very much of late. Like right now, I’m using the keyboard in my lap with the chair reclined and I just lowered the arm rests to accommodate. It’s working fine, especially as I’m writing and not clicking so much. I’m thinking I’ll probably have to get a new mount or something to get the keyboard tray back up, but I’m in no rush. I’ll likely also rearrange my computer desk too. There are a few pieces of tech equipment (routers, cables, speakers, etc.) that I don’t use any more and the whole desk could be cleaned up after removing those.

I went to Gnomedex 6.0 over the past few days. That’s a tech conference. It was good to meet some people that I’ve read and followed their blogs and businesses over the past few years. However, for me it was mostly a networking thing as I most often talked about 4×4 Weekend as my latest project. I did have some take-aways from the conference. I guess I’ll bullet them here.

• Listening cannot be overrated. It leads the way to trust and should overshadow passion to continue to build trust.
• Passion is fun to watch. Even when I totally disagree with whatever point of view, I love hearing about it from someone who has a passion about it. It adds so much more depth and color and is more alive.
• I think that a lot of tech/geek stuff is amazingly useful, practical, powerful, and life changing. AND, I think that most people could not care less if they were paid to care less. The general public and even the vast majority of the tech world does not care about “the latest” or “the most productive” or “the best.” They want was is comfortable and what they can relate to and more of what they know. (I’m indifferent on this point. But, it was my take-away.)
• Geeks are edge cases. (Sorry Scoble. Who, by the way I got a chance to meet in person over the past few days. He’s genuine and I think he’ll keep going further with whatever he does.) I think that by definition, you have to be an edge case in order to be a true geek. I haven’t been everywhere, but I have been a few places. Edge case is a great description of what a geek is to anyone who is not a geek. Everyone else gets it. I think geeks are edge cases.
• I care *WAY* more about relationships and about making family life better and about becoming a better leader and follower and friend – than I do about technology. Sure, technology can help there. It will *NEVER* be the driving force behind a person developing a quality of character and integrity. That’s all from parents, our surrounding, our upbringing and our uniqueness as individuals.
• I care more for integrity and a quality character than I do for “skill” or “passion” or “experience.” I hope I continue to maintain the highest value for positive qualities and character of people with integrity and personal responsibility. A distant second or third is that other stuff that people do for their jobs.
• Good food makes people more social and easier to be around.
• People operate better with some structure and some guidelines – but also with some freedom to push those boundaries, knowing that they are valued and that their insight may make the task at hand or the vision or the solution better. It’s a balance. However, I see people operating better when there is some structure and some guidelines.

Well, I didn’t think this was going to turn into a list of non-tech things that I took away from a tech conference. I guess my career change has given me different lenses to look through. Or, if you indulge me for a few seconds and let me go back to my learning about communication while studying at the University of Minnesota… Kenneth Burke described those lenses as terministic screens that we all use to view life through.

Hmm… Maybe my hunger for different stuff is leading me back to what I enjoyed studying in the past. I’ve been infatuated with communication and how it works and how it impacts people’s lives. It’s been a major fact in every job I’ve done lately and in every relationship, of every kind. I actually just went on a little 5 minute kick surfing around the net for more Kenneth Burke info, just after that popped into my head. In 1996 through 1998 when I was at the University of Minnesota, Google and other search engines were not good enough to do what I just did in a few seconds. That’s cool! That’s progress. That’s also a bunch of tech/geek stuff. That’s an example of how tech is used to make life better.

Well, my rambling here is getting long, even for my own disparate, analogy-filled, chit-chat likings. I hope your Sunday evening is well, and I’m off to enjoy some more of this nice weather and to see a some friends. Cheers!

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