END-OF-SEMESTER REFLECTION

This class has stretched and pulled on me more than anything else I have experienced in college. I need to be very careful with that statement because other classes have been very difficult and have required a lot of time. The difference is that I had assignments and knew what to do with my time. Although Digital Civilization had a basic idea and direction for the whole semester, much more liberty accompanied each student in their choosing what to do with their time. MUCH has been learned that revolves around that kind of thing, but the following paragraphs will focus precisely on the learning outcomes of the class and how I have reached them.

1. History

With history, I was very focused on learning all I could with the knowledge that I had -- the knowledge to research via digital medium. I met with Ariel early in the semester to talk about topics worth considering and to find the best way to go about my "self-directed" learning. I also me with Dr. Burton to try and improve my ability to sort information and quickly find what I'm looking for. Before this class, I had never heard of Google Reader or any other type of RSS feeds. It was a whole new world and I was scrambling to figure it out. Much improvement happened and I was pleased. It is funny to look back at some of the very first few posts that I did and see how my content improved as the weeks went by because I was working through the learning curve. Ultimately, I was interested in Business. I was counseled by Ariel and Dr. Burton to find anything in history to connect with my interests; therefore, you will find that most of the people or events I learned about usually are connected with some aspect of business. I, particularly, loved learning about attributes in individuals' lives that made them successful at whatever they did.

I was assigned to the 16th Century. Here is a documentation of my learning of the 16th Century:
16th Century: Fiddle like Ferdinand
16th Century: The Power of Freedom
Religious reformation: 16th century
New Major for Business Students??? Renaissance Parallel

Other History (Self-Directed)
Atomic Age in the 20th Century
How old is old?
How to Change the World: From James Watt to Steve Jobs
18th Century: "Dare to Know"

2. Core Concepts

The core concepts were so completely abstract to me that I had no idea where to start. I had never heard about any of the concepts before this class--ever! I started reading my novel that I was assigned, Utopia, and did what little I could with the small amount of knowledge I had. One truth about learning that I have learned recently in my life--even before this class--is that the more you already know about a certain topic, the more you will be able to learn about that particular topic. This proved true as I attempted to do self-directed learning about the core concepts.

One of the concepts that I could understand the most was "information." Particularly, the aspect of disruptive innovation. As part of our "Business" group, we came up with a lot of content about disruptive innovation and technology in business. I was very involved with the editing and compiling of the content and read through that content multiple times. From that reading and learning from all the thoughts of our group members, along with my own research, I learned a lot about disruptive technology and how it affects the world today. Read the business chapter--that is essentially the documentation of that learning!

Another concept I could understand a little more was "participation." I loved all of the conversation had on Google+ about gamification. I was taught all through my life, by my dad, to make tasks FUN. While doing any type of work (yard work is what my dad and I did a lot), I would focus on making it more fun. I loved this principle of participation and could relate well with it.

"Openness" and "control" were much more difficult for me. I didn't, particularly, have much interest in those concepts at all. We were constantly told in class to self direct our learning about things we are interested in and so it was hard for me to dive into those concepts. Nevertheless, I was very involved in the conversation about those topics on Google+ and read any articles I came across that had to do with those concepts to try and get a grasp. In the end, I posted a few thoughts about my learning of, specifically, "control," as that was the topic I was assigned to and payed more attention to:
SOPA
Hunger Games

3. Digital Literacy

CONSUME: As mentioned before in this post, I really struggle at first in being able to work through information and spend meaningful, productive time to help me learn the things I wanted or needed to learn. I decided early on that I was going to keep at it, no matter how many hours I put in. I knew, that despite my ability to get the information quickly and posted/documented, that I would benefit from learning through personal experience--trial and error--and grow through the process. And that, certainly, did happen. I used Google; I used the list of websites and other sources suggested by Dr. Burton; I used Google Reader; and, I even used the Library! Haha--Yes, I searched through scholarly articles through online data bases from the Library and Google Scholar.

CREATE: What a new idea this was for me! I tackled it head on; the reason it was so hard is because of my innate perfectionism. My first few blog posts were very painful for me because I was not used to it--had never used "blogger" and had to spend time searching and asking others how to make a word a different color that, if clicked on, would link you immediately to another web page! As evident in THIS post, I figured it out! :) I improved my ability to use different sources to create posts and also presentations (was introduced to and learned Prezi for the first time). I feel a lot more confident now in my ability to create any type of content or presentation. I also felt like the skills learned throughout the course assisted me in being able to take all of the content from our Business group and edit, cut, crop, and do all sorts of things to create a more professional-looking chapter.

CONNECT: I became a Google+ mad man. I checked every day, multiple times, and made a goal to comment as much as I could on every class mate's posts and read and form opinions on as much as I could as time would allow. Social proofing was a new idea to me. I learned to love it. My eyes were opened to the possibilities from being able to connect with professionals in what ever field of interest you might have. And that is what I did. I had a neat experience with professionals in the field of e-commerce and business, such as Marsha Collier. I also worked really hard with my group in developing our content about the "new economy" and the world of business in the digital age. We worked with all types of social media to help connect with each other, such as Google+, email, facebook, and Google Docs.

4. Self-Directed Learning

Here is a documentation of my self-directed learning. At times it was very distracting and time consuming, nonetheless, very enjoyable :)

New Times, New Technology, and the Digitized Economy
Tradition in Business is Like... Pumpkins!?
Increase in E-commerce
The Law of Attraction

And, of course, all of the other concepts--history and digital--were learning through self-directed efforts.

5. Collaboration

I learned how to collaborate far beyond what my abilities were before the class. When I got home from my mission about two years ago, I had zero interest in online things, such as social media. Facebook was deserted. I didn't ever participate in any event creating or organizing. Surprisingly, a few weeks ago, I found myself on Facebook making comments on some of my friend's photos and keeping up a little more with them--I realized that my attitude towards social media/internet was changing! By the end of this class, I even had my own twitter account and learned how to use it for the first time. My collaboration was huge with my Business group members. As one of the leaders of the group, I kept them updated weekly, almost daily, about things that needed to get done next and was very involved in all of the collaboration efforts to get our content all put together.

And here we are . . . at the end. What a great semester--thank you for teaching me how to be a digital citizen, to understand core concepts more that I had never, previously heard of, and to bring History alive by relating it to modern issues of today.

Hunger Games

I went to see the Hunger Games the day it came out in theaters. Aside from the violence and other aspects involved, it is full of principles that we have talked about in class about control. Here are a few thoughts:

• What is the way control, in any mode, being enforced?
• Who is being effected by it?
• What are the motives behind the agency that is enforcing it?
• Why is the particular form of control necessary?

Have you seen the movie? Many lessons are to be learned from the movie/book about the concept of control. In effort to prevent spoiling the story for you, in case you haven't seen it, I will not go into detail about the movie or story, itself.

But I would like to reiterate the importance of checks and balances. It is critical to have a pure system in place, whatever it may be, with the right motives, to effectively enforce any type of control.

SOPA

The Sopa issue is gone and past (or just sleeping . . . for now), but I just wanted to document my thoughts and learning about the topic. When I first saw a few articles and posts about it, I was introduced to a new world of thought. I hadn't thought about that kind of thing very much.

Although I didn't have the chance to document my thoughts, I had some and here they are:

I feel that control over internet-type things is a very complex issue (stating the obvious, right :P). Some questions to consider when discussing this topic:

• Who is in control?
• How is the controller maintaining power?
• What are the stipulations and regulations (sphere) of their governance?
• What criteria or evaluations are in place to traffic online material/info?
• How easy is it to add or remove certain content?

Tackling an actual solution of my own has not been a part of my plan or personal goals. I feel quite educated on the topic and aware of it -- whereas, I hadn't ever even heard or thought about "control" before taking this class.

The Law of Attraction

I'm extremely interested in the Law of Attraction. I have heard of it from being around different people in the business world and have always wanted to learn more about it. Although I feel that we have certain limitations and some people may have certain gifts that others don't, I believe strongly in the power of the mind. I feel that an individual, no matter his/her circumstance, can improve their quality of life by the "self-talk" that goes on in their minds. Here are a few paragraphs that talk about this concept from an article called "Positive Intelligence:"


"Research shows that when people work with a positive mind-set, performance on nearly every level—productivity, creativity, engagement—improves. Yet happiness is perhaps the most misunderstood driver of performance. For one, most people believe that success precedes happiness. “Once I get a promotion, I’ll be happy,” they think. Or, “Once I hit my sales target, I’ll feel great.” But because success is a moving target—as soon as you hit your target, you raise it again—the happiness that results from success is fleeting.


In fact, it works the other way around: People who cultivate a positive mind-set perform better in the face of challenge. I call this the “happiness advantage”—every business outcome shows improvement when the brain is positive. I’ve observed this effect in my role as a researcher and lecturer in 48 countries on the connection between employee happiness and success. And I’m not alone: In a meta-analysis of 225 academic studies, researchers Sonja Lyubomirsky, Laura King, and Ed Diener found strong evidence of directional causality between life satisfaction and successful business outcomes.


Another common misconception is that our genetics, our environment, or a combination of the two determines how happy we are. To be sure, both factors have an impact. But one’s general sense of well-being is surprisingly malleable. The habits you cultivate, the way you interact with coworkers, how you think about stress—all these can be managed to increase your happiness and your chances of success."


http://hbr.org/2012/01/positive-intelligence/ar/1?cm_sp=most_widget-_-hbr_articles-_-Positive%20Intelligence

What ever you choose to do in this life, choose to think big!

New Major for Business Students??? Renaissance Parallel

As I have done a lot of research about the digital age and how it has transformed the world of business, I came across a scholarly, peer-reviewed article in the Harold B. Lee Library that had a full plan laid out for a new business major.


"The rapidly emerging digital economy is challenging the relevance of existing marketing practices, and a radical redesign of the marketing curriculum consistent with the emerging student and business needs of the 21st century is required. To remain relevant to our students and to the ultimate consumers of our output, businesses, the marketing curriculum must evolve with both the changing technological environment and the way marketing is perceived by its own academic architects" (Wymbs).

This wasn't just another emphasis, similar to finance or entrepreneurship, rather, it was a new creation for the business world that never existed prior to the digital age... Here is how it is structured and its purposes--how important is this? Is it critical that it be implemented in higher education? If so, how quickly does this need to happen?

• Area: Consumer Behavior in Digital Marketing

 Careers: Direct and Interactive Marketing, Digital Advertising

 Courses: Direct and Interactive Marketing, 

Digital Advertising, e-Business Technologies

• Area: International Supply Chain Management

 Careers: Supply Chain Management and B-2-B 

Marketing

 Courses: Internet Law, Innovation, Technology, and the Global Enterprise (B-2-B), Business Buying Behavior

• Area: Digital Entrepreneurship

 Career: Entrepreneurs

 Courses: Social Media Marketing and New 

Ventures,  Direct and Interactive Marketing, 

Digital Advertising, Consumer Behavior or 

Business Buying Behavior     

(Wymbs)

I found this to be major evidence of the current digital revolution that the world is experiencing. When I was reading the article, I thought about how this is similar to what was happening during the Renaissance. One definition I found on Wikipedia about the Renaissance is "an attempt by intellectuals to study and improve the secular and worldly, both through the revival of ideas from antiquity, and through novel approaches to thought."

Society today is largely focused on novel approaches to thought. Much of the digital technology is making way for new ways to go about research and different types of learning. As shown in the article by Wymbs, the changes happening today is causing people to "re-think" many of the current systems such as education, government, and business. Overall, I feel that the new major proposed by Wymbs IS relevant and, in fact, I believe it is absolutely necessary for a student to be prepared for the new economy that has evolved from digital technology.

REFERENCE

Wymbs, C. (2011). Digital marketing: The time for a new “Academic major” has arrived. Journal of Marketing Education, 33(1), 93-106. doi:10.1177/0273475310392544 

Spreading the word for the EVENT!

When we were asked to ask ten people by personal invitation, I was a bit overwhelmed. I thought that it would be very difficult to find other people I knew would be interested. Then I realized that I may not know, exactly, who is and is not interested and simply need to ask! I sent personal invitations to 13 people -- I narrowed down my list of friends and/or people I know to invite those I thought would have most interest. So the inviting began--here is a list of people who I invited and a little bit about them:

1) Robert Scoble is someone I found from doing a google+ search for people and pages. I looked, specifically, for people who were technologically inclined and/or were business professionals. I chose Robert because he seemed to be an expert in modern technology and internet resources. Here's a little bit about him, as posted on his blog "about" him ...

I'm a geek who grew up in Silicon Valley (my dad was an engineer at Lockheed) and since 1985 I've been building online communities. In 2000 I started my technology blog, http://scobleizer.com, and my life has been on a rocketship ever since. In 2003-2006 I worked at Microsoft as an evangelist and one of the five guys who started Microsoft's famous Channel9 video community.

He responded to my request/invite by saying that he was too busy and didn't have the time to participate.

2) Jeff Clavier is also someone I found on google+. I chose him also because of his expertise I read in his "about" post about himself...

Based in Palo Alto, California, Jean-Francois “Jeff” Clavier is the Founder and Managing Partner of SoftTech VC, one of the most active seed stage investors in Web 2.0 startups. Since 2004, Jeff has invested in close to 100 consumer internet startups (Fund I, Fund II, Fund III)  in areas like social media, monetization, search, gaming or B2B/B2C web services.

I never got a response from him... a little frustrating. But I kept trying!

3) Marsha Collier is another google+er. Here is a little bit about her...

Marsha Collier's name crops up a lot in the same breath as e-commerce and customer service. No surprise there. She’s the author of eBay For Dummies, eBay Business All-In-One Desk Reference for Dummies plus many other related, best-selling titles. She's sold over a million books and been on the Business Week Best Seller list and has published more than 35 books in the Wiley "For Dummies" series. (List of books in print below).

She is a popular keynote speaker, inspiring online sellers to success, the lead instructor at eBay University, speaks at conferences worldwide, and runs a successful online business – so is she an internet fanatic? Well, let’s just say she’s on a mission: educating current and future online sellers.

My interaction with her was really exciting because she emailed me right back and said that she was interested in what we were doing and that she would include the doc I emailed her (our business chapter) to her nightly reading. 

4) Nathan Munson is a computer tech guy and has a lot of interest in the digital field. I emailed him a personal invitation and told him about the event and what it was about. I never heard back from him.

5) Kevin Newton is a business major. I know him from one of my business classes and emailed him a personal invitation. I never heard back from him.

6) Matt Winn is an Information Systems major. He responded to my personal facebook message to him and said that he was really interested. He was going to try and come, but said it was late because he had a work meeting Wednesday at 7 p.m. I don't think he ever made it--I never saw him.

7) Deving Basinger is interested in business and is applying for a job right now for Ebay. He responded to my personal facebook message and told me it sounded like something he'd really like and thanked me for thinking of him. He was planning on coming, but then text me right as the event started and told me that other things came up and he was spending time with his wife.

8) Yohanes Tanutama is in the field of economics and business and responded to my facebook message. He said that he would consider it, but I never saw him at the event.

9) Dane Olenslager is an engineering major and loves innovation -- I sent him a facebook message and he never responded. 

10) Kent Dodds is a computer guru. He spends a lot of time in the digital world and I thought he'd have a lot of interest. He responded to my facebook message, but wasn't able to come.

11) Ben Brown is a friend and loves being involved with many things. I thought he'd love to hear about what we had to say and sent him a facebook message, but I never heard from him.

12) Chance Allen is a business guy, but he never responded to my facebook message.

13) Dallin Bastian is going into accounting. I sent him a facebook message, but he never responded.

In addition to the personal invite messages I sent, I did a post-invite on my blog and shared that public on google+. I also created a public event to share with everyone I knew -- a MASS invite on facebook. I also signed up for the class-announcement graph that Hwanhi had created. The Friday before History 395 (Tech in History), taught by Professor York, I made an announcement in class about the event. About 15 people were in the class. A few asked more questions and showed interest... and they may or may have not been at the actual event (or viewing online)!

I enjoyed my interactions, mostly, with Marsha Collier. That was definitely a highlight of my social proofing and gave me a desire to do more. I struggled a lot at first with the idea of social proofing and felt like I'd be bothering other people, but because of the positive and enthusiastic response from Marsha, I realized that there is probably a whole lot of people out there like her who want to be involved and hear what you have to say about something applicable to their field of work or interests.

My wife also came with me to the event and it opened her eyes. She thought it was a little abstract at first, but was impressed by the possibilities of integrating much of what we do currently with the digital world. I enjoyed having conversations with her afterwards about how to be more digitally civilized and use the tools available for our benefit.

I was also very proud of myself for setting up a Twitter account! It is very new to me and I have a lot to learn. But I enjoyed being able to see the comments and questions of the online and present audiences. I tweeted a few of my thoughts and/or questions. I thought it was a very useful tool in getting a feel for how the audience is feeling and what questions are a majority that need to be addressed.

The event was excellent. To everyone . . . Way to GO!

Come to Our Event!

If you have been following my blog, I invite you to our class event.

How do you participate?

JUST COME! IT IS FREE!

Come and be educated about the digital age that you live in, topics are:

Education

Business

Government

Openness

Inquiry

The Arts

Intellectual Property

Science

Explore with us . . the parallels of the past with the present.

Do you have family or friends who would be interested but can't attend?

No worries! Watch it on a live stream at THIS website.

And of course, enjoy the refreshments!

INVITE TO THE EVENT!

Refer people to digiciv.byu.edu for webcast.

Individualized invitations to ten people (could be friends) you know who would be interested or would benefit.

Pass out flyers, make announcements in classes, etc:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Al7DAuzpQrTddFJ1R3RKN011aUsyWWtTN2wzOGFWUHc#gid=3

Increase in E-commerce

I did a research paper for my Mcom class -- I actually posted it on my blog this week, but I wasn't able to copy over the graph I made showing the Revenue for Amazon. I found this one online so I was able to copy the URL. I have no idea who made this one or the sources, but all I need is the visual showing the increase--it looks quite similar to the one that I made. Mine was made from the numbers that Amazon reported--I got it directly from their financial statements.

The point is: LOOK AT THE INCREASE! It is amazing to see what has happened in the past ten years. E-commerce has skyrocketed. This is a major part to the changing dynamics of Business in the current digital revolution or "information age."

I find it interesting because the question remains: If you were to be a business person, what would you do--depend on the small retail-style,walk-in business or would you go straight to E-commerce? With the dominance of E-commerce and the change that we have seen in the business world, is it possible to open a new business 'shop' and have success?

Tradition in Business is Like... Pumpkins!?

How do traditions in businesses impede the creative atmosphere required for today’s new economy? The need for innovation and change is nothing new; in fact, it is at the helm of business throughout much history, but the need for innovation in today’s new economy is more crucial than ever. However, successful businesses aren’t necessarily the ones that have eliminated all traditions; the harm possible from traditions in businesses may well be illustrated by the following story:

“Each Halloween we all rush to the pumpkin patch and then proceed to carve the same way. We cut the lid off the top, make a huge mess while scooping out the filling, and burn ourselves as we try to place the lit candle down the hole.
"Why not carve from the bottom?"
Think about it: Carve a hole in the bottom, and the mess comes out easily using gravity to your advantage. You now get to enjoy an original design feature of the pumpkin—the handle on top—for transportation. When lighting, place the candle on the carved base and then gently place the pumpkin over the top—no more second degree burns. If you stop to think about it, this is pretty much the ideal way to complete the task.”

The easier way to carve the pumpkin is clear, the problem is that most of us never stop to think about it! In our business lives, we follow routine with blinders on, refusing to challenge conventional thinking. We assume the status quo to be correct, and in doing so miss the opportunity to use creativity to drive progress. Don't let you or your business get stuck doing something the harder way because of a tradition or program--let your creative minds always be challenging processes in a healthy way that will cultivate an atmosphere of innovation, improvement, and success.

New Times, New Technology, and the Digitized Economy

  

            Sitting on an operating table in an Asian hospital and receiving a surgical procedure from a doctor in the United States might sound absurd, but such procedures actually happen via robots and other technological mediums. Technology has advanced to influence just about everything in the modern world. More specifically observed are the changes that technology has caused in the world of business. As the digital revolution has evolved, practices of business and services have followed suit. Most certainly, digital technology has provided new channels and opportunities for business transactions, however, challenges in adaptation and competitiveness have proven to be a major participant in today’schanging field of business.

            Digital technology has had an impact in the business world as it has become more readily available to consumers. The accessibility of this technology once was limited to designated locations where internet connection and computer convenience were possible. Over time, mediums of technology have developed from specific locations to usability directly in consumer homes and hands. In the past few years, sales of digital devices such as computers, ipads, and smart phones, have drastically increased. “The ubiquity of Wi-Fi and 3G networks, as well as the number of devices available to access these networks, ensures that consumers can quickly and easily access the Internet, regardless of space, time, or location” (Grewal4). Along with the increasedconsumers’ accessibility, the convenience of the internet has also enabled traditional business to expand.

            New channels, such as electronic commerce, have created a new type of business playing field that has transformed the way of doing business. “E-commerce is defined as buying and selling products/services over the Internet and the use of computer systems to improve overall company efficiencies” (Oudan 19). One current example of an electronic commerce company is Amazon. This company has emerged to be a main-stream source of business transactions. Amazingly, the sales made for Amazon are without any physical store locations or face-to-face buyer/seller interaction. All sales revenue comes from business transactions over the internet. The reason companies, such as Amazon, use electronic commerce and other digital-mediated services is possibly because “of cost reductions . . . flexibility and convenience [for the customer] . . . [and] the increase in availability” (Schumann 137).Although companies have been able to access more channels to reach out to consumers, accompanying challenges have threatened almost every business in operation.

            Consumers’ability to both access product informationand communicate with others quickly by digital medium has forced businesses to compete at a higherlevel. One of the challenges businesses face is that “. . . consumers have a powerful new tool: computer software programs and web services to appraise the quality of goods and services” (Chitakornkijsil 121). The use of computer programs and internet sources can cause a business to rise or fall very rapidly because reviews of service provided are posted online and readily available. Another challenge businesses face is creating value in price because of the ease in accessing prices all around in comparison. Finally, the use of social media is a challenge for businesses becauseconsumers are able to quickly converse with others; they can be influenced strongly by others’ opinions and experiences. Businesses now have to learn to adapt and create methods of success.

            Businesses can prevent digital setbacks by learning customer values in the modern world of digital technology.In public and private domains, a shift in customer values has surfaced because of the self-service technology that has been available. Critical to business practices and processes is to understand “the new values of choice, control and convenience” (Griffy-Brown 32).To their advantage, businesses can use the internet to track information about consumer search tactics, spending, and even referral habits(Grewal3).

            Vast change has met the business world and challenged companies’ status-quo practices. Further research and learning from others will aid business individuals, present and future, in finding success. Although challenges have risen, opportunities have as well. When properly educated and practices of the digitized economy obtained, people in today’s business world will overcome challenges easier, and technology will be accepted as a gateway to continual opportunity.

References

Chitakornkijsil, P. (2012). MORAL MEANING IN GREEN MARKETING AND SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE MARKETING. International Journal of Organizational Innovation (Online), 4(3), 113-128.

Grewal, D., Roggeveen, A. L., Compeau, L. D., & Levy, M. (2012). Retail value-based pricing strategies: New times, new technologies, new consumers. Journal of Retailing, 88(1), 1-6. doi:10.1016/j.jretai.2011.12.001.

Griffy-Brown, C., Chun, M., &Koeppel, H. (2011).Using customer-facing technology to create new business value: Insight from the public and private sector into the changing value equation.Journal of Technology Management for Growing Economies, 2(2), 21-33.

Oudan, R. (2010). Strategic decision-making in the emerging field of E-commerce. International Journal of Management and Information Systems, 14(2), 19-26.

Schumann, J. H., Wünderlich, N. V., &Wangenheim, F. (2012). Technology mediation in service delivery: A new typology and an agenda for managers and academics.Technovation, 32(2), 133-143. doi:10.1016/j.technovation.2011.10.002.

Adapting to the New Economy: An Annotated Bibliography

My research process has been centered heavily around Google Reader. I have a large "business folder" that includes many business article and info websites that I have subscribed to. This was the start of my research, but then was added to largely by my research through the BYU databases of scholarly journals. I found many more people and resources to search through by that medium. I also spent some time searching people and pages on Google+, although it can be time consuming and sometimes frustrating, It is incredible what we can access and learn through the internet.

Our business group is doing our ebook chapter about how the digital world has created a major shift and has even revolutionized the world of business. We have coined "the new economy" as a term that describes the new world of business via digital technology. I have been doing my research specifically about how business owners/producers and consumers can adapt to the new economy. This bibliography centers around the aspect of adaptation in the new economy that the digital revolution has created.

Further Reading:

Oudan, R. (2010). Strategic decision-making in the emerging field of E-commerce. International Journal of Management and Information Systems, 14(2), 19-26.
In this Scholarly article, Oudan talks all about E-commerce, that is, business via technology. He explains how it has changed the form of business and clearly shows how we truly are living in a "new economy." Oudan supports a lot of the ideas that we have about technology in the business world and its effects. He also gives examples of what people have to do to adapt and change-- specifically supporting my part of our ebook. [I found this using the BYU library database. I did a specific search for scholarly articles using the key word phrase "adapting to technology" and decided upon this article because it is most inclusive of all the ideas we are addressing in our chapter.]

 Millison, Doug; Moon, Michael. Firebrands: Building Brand Loyalty in the Internet Age, (Aug 14, 2000)
This book is written for business owners and is encouraged to be distributed among specific people within their business. The strategies needed to have a thriving business in the changing world of business are outlined; the book also highlights "branding" so that your company establishes itself in the world of e-commerce. I chose this because much of the adapting process requires knowledge about the skill set and methods for getting your business name established in the new economy of the digital age. [I found this book by searching Google Books. I chose it because from that search, it was the most current book I could find and most relevant.]

Papa, W. H., & Papa, M. J. (1992). Communication network patterns and the re-invention of new technology. Journal of Business Communication, 29(1), 41-61.
This Scholarly article goes into detail about communication within a business. Papa explores the effects of changing technology and the need for employees to adapt and change; of course, they aren't going to be able to make the necessary changes without being able to communicate the changes that need to be made. This article is for business owners who want their employees to be on top of the changing new economy. I chose this because it is, I believe, key information for readers interested in entering into or adapting their running business to the new economy. [I found this using the BYU library database. It was found using the "adapting to technology" search as well for scholarly articles.]

Thought Leaders:

Robert Scoble (https://plus.google.com/u/0/111091089527727420853/posts) Scoble is a tech geek. I love reading his posts because he is not ashamed about what he does or his deep interest in technology. You can read more about him and where he grew up here: (https://plus.google.com/u/0/111091089527727420853/about). I chose him as a thought leader because in order to adapt in the new economy, business men have got to be up with technology and know the websites to go to and how to use resources available. [I found Scoble from a Google+ search for people and pages using the key word "adapting to technology in the business world"].

Marsha Collier (https://plus.google.com/u/0/101540468776840533944/posts) Collier is very well known in the e-commerce world of business. She is very well accredited and is open to give speeches, forums, or do consulting work for businesses. Collier has established herself in and made contribution to the ebay platform--how to be involved on such digital business grounds as ebay. I chose her because the adaptation to the new economy must require knowledge about online buying and selling--she is open and willing to share and is full of great knowledge. [I found Collier from a Google+ search for people and pages using the key word "adapting to technology in the business world"].

Jeff Clavier (https://plus.google.com/u/0/109809835379677001002/posts) Ranging from local Silicon Valley keynotes or panel discussions to international conferences, Clavier shares his passion for building Internet startups, angel and VC investing, innovation and entrepreneurship. Jeff has produced a number of technology conferences and was a founding co-chair of the SDForum Search Special Interest Group. His influence can help people who are just about to enter the business world and he can contribute much to integrating business and technology. [I found Clavier from a Google+ search for people and pages using the key word "adapting to technology in the business world"].

REFLECTION

As I have looked back over my posts, I have realized quickly that I have this part of me that is about risks--about putting ourselves out there. There is something innate in me about exploration and about change. I have been highly influenced by words from local friends and leaders; that influence has been challenged by many others outside of my local life.

I have always put much thought into the ability of an individual to break out of molds. It has gone through different phases; from religion and belief to poverty to education and even to intelligence. How much of us is fixed--just us--that cannot be changed? And how much power is truly in the individual human being to BE and DO and BECOME? What are our limitations?

I have thought about other people around me while growing up and have looked at where they are now. I have also looked at those I associate now during my university experience; I look at their abilities and talents. Those that are good students--smart--have probably and 90 percent chance that they were BIG readers in their youth and growing up. They, especially, are the ones with a good vocabulary.

I look at the athletes among us; look at the youth and growing up. They, most likely, came from a family that played basketball or football every time there was a question proposed about a game for family home evening; the sport pick was always the winner.

I look at the political leaders. What kind of family did they come from--what kind of things influenced them? Why did end up in those positions?

What about successful people in the business world. Doctors. When looking into those individuals' lives, often a major source of influence can be found that lead them to be or do or become what they are.

I have talked about a few different successful men in my blog posts. I have explored the environments that make for innovative individuals. I have talked a little bit about the law of attraction. I have also talked about education--how to facilitate growth, development, and expansion. And I have talked about the power of thought. As I have pondered on some of these things and spilled out some of my random thoughts on this page, I have reverted back to the driving force in my research and blogging--my thesis. It is along the lines of humanistic power and ability; it is more about how to initiate or bring out or start up that human power and ability in the individual. When the individual is empowered and improved, collectively, the society will be improved. Focus on digital mastery in education will enable the individual to use resources available that are vastly greater than ever before; this type of education will naturally lead the individual to search out and develop innate skills of success. Individuals will become free in their thought and in their possibilities and abilities and the society will naturally be improved from their contribution.

Now begins the real fun of investigating and improving this thesis further!

16th Century: The Power of Freedom

Martin Luther King, Jr. is known for making big contribution to the religious reformation. One aspect that he established was freedom. After the printing press was invented, he encouraged more people to get their OWN copy of the Bible to read for themselves. 

"Luther has sometimes been described as the world’s first great journalist. Why did his writings succeed in changing history? Firstly, he wrote in the common language, instead of in the scholarly Latin – which was only understood by the educated elite of society. Secondly, Luther mastered the use of broadside pamphlets, which were cheap and easy to read, and thirdly, he used some of the finest illustrations and woodcuts of the times to make his message understood even to the semi literate.

Luther showed the way and other Reformers continued his work of using print technology to mass-produce Scriptures and Reformation publications. By God’s grace, the Printing Press provided the spiritual weaponry needed to make the Reformation succeed."

The religious reformation was giving people more freedom--more ability to act on their own.

Today, education needs to be something that does the same thing. Some may feel that their mode of receiving education is not liberating, but rather, binding to a specific syllabus or structure.

In the business world, we find this interesting balance between setting rules and standards or practices in place to make it better, when really, it is making it worse. In THIS article, business owners and bosses are encouraged to give their employees more freedom. That freedom will enable them to actually perform at their best.

This, again, stems back to some of my previous thoughts about desire. The reason why the employees referenced in the article and employees in much of our modern work world will be more effective if given freedom is because they are in that field because they care. They are interested in the work and have a desire to succeed in their projects.

Some of the great revolutions in history came after freedom was given and individuals were able to contribute their talents or thoughts or abilities. We see it today in business and in successful organizations--with certain bounds and regulations. How can this model be followed in the world of education? 

16th Century: Fiddle like Ferdinand

We live in a time when much knowledge is taken for granted. Do you ever stop and think about how we know the things we know? 

Geology, for one, is incredible--but how did we learn about the composition of the core of the earth? How did we find out how the continents look. How did they form? 

What about the shape of the earth?

Ferdinand Magellan is one of the most influential men from the 16th century. Before his time, there were many who still were unsure about the theory that the world is round. For years and years, it was thought that it was just flat. 

Magellan was someone willing to take a risk; he went beyond what many had done. He was a Portuguese explorer who lived during a time when the Spanish were trying to find a new route to the Spice Islands (Near Indonesia). Ferdinand believed that he could reach the Spice Islands by sailing west through the new world. This idea was considered insanity to some people. After a difficult and fatal voyage, Ferdinand (although he died during the voyage--just short of finishing) was credited for the first to circumnavigation of the earth. This solidified the theory that the earth truly is round.

What does this have to do with today? What can we learn from this?

As someone interested in the Business world, I chose to connect this to something I find very important in business. Thinking, tinkering, and working hard to accomplish something more and do something better is the key to success.

In an article about characteristics of remarkable employees, the eighth characterisitc of a remarkable employee is as defined:

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They’re always fiddling. Some people are rarely satisfied (I mean that in a good way) and are constantly tinkering with something: Reworking a timeline, adjusting a process, tweaking a workflow.

Great employees follow processes. Remarkable employees find ways to make those processes even better, not only because they are expected to… but because they just can't help it.

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This is specific in defining a characteristic of an employee, but I feel that if an individual can develop this characteristic early in their life, many problems would be solved in society.

I've recently found interest in a subject posted on Sarah Martin's blog page. How are we to encourage more involvement? Whether it be political or social or in science, it starts with desire.

Magellan had desire. He, along with other influential people from the 16th Century, had to feed off of the drive and passion from within in order to accomplish the things they did. Magellan made a discovery that changed the world--people now had a much better understanding of the planet they lived on.

If we are to have more participation from others in this life--in this world--they have to have a desire deep within to do something. The sources are there; the internet has made an incredible expansion to the possibilities of participation and information. Education needs to be creating and fostering desire--now the question remains: HOW DO WE DO THAT?

18th Century: "Dare to Know"

Voltaire

The enlightenment was a time when great thinkers started exploring outside of society norms. They explored many areas. For example, the Catholic Church had created kind of a mold of thought and didn't allow for people to go outside of that. One of the great discoveries during the 18th century was the power of thought. It is often named the age of enlightenment or the age of reason. This was that individuals could discover things on their own and learn for themselves. Instead of being told things to believe and the way things are, they began to think on their own. 

"More than a set of fixed ideas, the Enlightenment implied an attitude, a method of thought. According to the German philosopher Immanuel Kant, the motto of the age should be "Dare to know." A desire arose to reexamine and question all received ideas and values, to explore new ideas in many different directions-hence the inconsistencies and contradictions that often appear in the writings of 18th-century thinkers." 

Charles-Louis de Secondat, baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu

In the 21st century, there are many people talking about thought. Some of the thought I am particularly interested in has to do with success. I have heard the term "Law of Attraction" float around before. This isn't the type of attraction to a significant other, but rather, an attraction to success- or the ability to attract success. This type of thought can be specific to a certain business and skill, or it can be pertaining to knowledge and learning. About six minutes in, Jeff Combs speaks a little bit about the law of attraction in this nine-minute video clip(skip to 6 mins and start there - watch the 6 min to 7 min gap of video - unless you want to watch all the way to the end). I'm not sure I necessarily agree with all that he says, but I am interested in the topic.

I worked doing door-to-door sales this past summer. A lot of this kind of thought was introduced to me during that time. The nature of that kind of work is very difficult, but I was around some incredible men who learned to master their thoughts. Mental and emotional strength was a requirement to success in that job. When they learned to master their thoughts and think positively, they were much more effective and had incredible success. How much power really is in thought?

People in the business world-such as Steve Jobs, whom I recently did a blog post about-what is their opinion? Is there a lot more needed than just thought? What about training; natural gifts? Can an individual truly change his life and become successful just by changing his/her thoughts?

"Dare to know" is just what I'm talking about. I believe these men of the Enlightenment were able to make great discoveries and be successful in their field of study or work because of thought. They were not afraid to think outside of the norm; they were willing to take some risk. Breaking out of the mold is what they did. So many people in this century end up in molds. They don't have to be- if they would just "Dare to know" or dare to succeed, or dare to be rich, or dare to be smart, or dare to be the best. We face a lot of intimidation and different distractions or resistance and illusions of limitations. One great example is the very concept we are learning a lot in this class; the digital world. Thanks to the lessons of the 18th century, we can step into a foreign area/field and dare to master it- my bet is that good things will come from it.

How to Change the World: From James Watt to Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs: Biography

A good, short read about his life possibly unveils a few characteristics of successful businessmen. One here is that he did not just snap his fingers and "Boom" - SUCCESS. He went through many failures. He had ups and downs. He had challenges of all kinds. Perhaps some of those challenges that he went through contributed to his ability to become one of the greatest innovators in the modern world. I found it interesting to learn just a bit more from him by reading from the blog of an employee, Guy Kawasaki, who worked for Apple and learned from Jobs on the day-to-day basis. He shares a few Lessons to learn from Steve Jobs. Here are also a few quotes from Jobs to feast on - food for thought.

Now how do other men from the 18th compare? What was business like then? What kind of lives did they have and how did they have success in innovation and in the business world?


James Watt: A Biography

A few things from James Watt.. This great innovator coined the term we use to define how much power something has.. That is.. HORSEPOWER. I've collected just a few words from "flow control" website to learn just a bit about this incredible "innovator" of the 18th century.

"Because James Watt wanted his machines to do more work than a grown man, and because a horse is stronger than a man, he began by establishing what a horse could do. He harnessed a mine draft horse to a support frame and a platform and put some children and men onto the platform. The horse lifted 550 pounds of weight a distance of 10 feet in 10 seconds. So James Watt declared that 550 foot/pounds per second is one “horsepower.”  It is because of James Watt’s scientific effort that electric motors, internal combustion engines, turbines, boilers, jet engines, rocket engines, etc. are rated in horsepower.  
   
If James Watt had been raised in India, we might have the term “elephant power.” If James had been from Australia, we might rate engines in “kangaroo power.”  Oh yes, James went to his grave with an important part of the formula. He never told anyone what the size of his test horse was. So we don’t know if it was a Shetland pony, a mule, or a Clydesdale." 

DID YOU KNOW?

• The electrical unit, the watt, was named in his honor.
• There are 4 colleges named after him in Scotland, James Watt College in Kilwinning (North Ayrshire Campus) and Greenock (2 in Greenock, Finnart Campus and Waterfront Campus) and a campus in Largs.
• There are over 50 roads or streets named after him, in the UK.
• Through Watt’s invention of the first practical steam engine, our modern world eventually moved from a 90% rural basis to a 90% urban basis. 

The path for James Watt was definitely not the same as Steve Jobs. But we can learn from history; we can learn from men from the past and present to find common threads. Another thought- are these businessmen born or bred? I recognize that this article may lack intelligence and/or research, but it is a start. Is there a direct answer for this question? I would argue to say that, although I don't believe they are just born with a future destined for success, there are principles they have learned throughout their lives that indubitably play a crucial role to their success. 

Religious reformation: 16th century

I thought I would quickly post the information I collected from various websites about the religious reformation. It was the segment I presented on for our group's presentation this past week. CAUSES OF RELIGIOUS REFORMATION The Protestant Reformation had been building within the Catholic Church for 200 years. At the forefront was the discrepancy between a Church tasked with a spiritual mission of salvation and a Church of money, power, and influence. By the fifteenth century, the papacy had become unable to respond effectively to people's increased concerns about their salvation. Meanwhile, demand for reform in the church was spurred by the search for freedom of private religious expression, the print revolution, and northern humanist interest in the Bible and early Christianity. In response to the decline of papal moral authority, many lay Christians were drawn to new forms of worship, such as the Modern Devotion, which emphasized individual prayer and introspection. The Modern Devotion spread quickly due to the invention of the moveable type printing press, which made books affordable. Humanists, writers devoted to rediscovering the lost knowledge of the ancients, began to examine the sources of Christianity, not to criticize Christianity or the Church, but to improve the moral behavior of all Christians. These "Christian Humanists" were nonetheless often shaken by the discrepancy between what they read in the Bible and what they observed in the Church of their own time, even as they popularized the idea that biblical understanding could purify faith and combat corruption. MARTIN LUTHER’S CONTRIBUTION Martin Luther, a student of law, suffered a throw from a horse that shocked him into abandoning his professional career. Donning the garb of the monk, Luther pledged obedience to the Augustinian Order, where he continued his education, this time in theology, and went to Wittenberg to teach at the town's university. While there, Luther spent much time wrestling with the Church's dogma on penance, finally concluding that salvation came purely from God's grace, a gift unmerited. In other words, humans were incapable of performing good works alone...they needed the intercession of God. Therefore, the performance of good works was an outward proof of an individual's receipt of God's grace and salvation. Striving to finance the construction of the new St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, Pope Leo X issued a special new indulgence to raise funds. An indulgence was a unique penance whereby a sinner could remove years of suffering in Purgatory from his soul by performing a good work (donating cash) here on earth. Leo's indulgence was audacious as it promises a one-time-only exemption from all previous sins for the payee (or departed relative). Some of Luther's students asked his advice on the indulgence, and in response he prepared in Latin ninety-five theses-arguments against the practice of indulgences that he was willing to debate in open forum. Luther had a few copies made and, according to Lutheran tradition, posted one on the doors of the Wittenberg Cathedral. There is no evidence that he actually posted the theses though this was the standard practice for debates at the time. According to the story, no one showed up to debate Luther, but he had drawn the attention of Rome and began to gather followers. His central argument: salvation could not be bought and sold. WHAT IS PROTESTANTISM? The Diversity of Protestantism The term "Protestant" eventually came to mean all western European Christians who refused to accept the authority of the pope. The Reformation in Switzerland Independent of the Holy Roman Emperor, local authorities in Switzerland were free to opt for religious reform without imperial opposition. The majority of the Swiss were peasants unable to farm the mountainous region. Their main supplement was working as professional soldiers of fortune, often for the pope. Zwingli's Zurich Ulrich Zwingli had served as chaplain with a detachment of Swiss mercenaries serving the pope. In 1520, Zurich was named the People's Priest of Zurich, a position from which he began to criticize his superior bishop for recruiting young Swiss men to die in the pope's armies. Undaunted by warnings from Rome, Zwingli called for general reformation of the Church, advocating the abolition of the roman Catholic mass, the marriage of priests, and the closing of monasteries. He emphasized the reading of the Scripture during services rather than the ritual of the Church and removed all painting and statues from the churches under his jurisdiction, calling them a distraction from God. Two features distinguish Zwinglian Reform from Lutheran Reform: one was Zwingli's desire to involve reformed ministers in governmental/secular decisions; the other was Zwingli's understanding of the nature of the Eucharist and the representation of bread as a symbol and not the physical body of Christ. Calvin's Geneva The generation following Luther and Zwingli saw the Reformation moving to the Swiss city of Geneva under the leadership of John Calvin. Calvinism eventually became the dominant form of Protestantism in France, the Netherlands, Scotland, and New England. Calvin's theology built upon that of Luther and Zwingli to their logical conclusions: the salvation of any individual by the grace of God would be logically predetermined or "predestined." Only the Elect could make sense of, and follow, the will of God. □□□The Reformation in Britain In the sixteenth century, the nation we know today as Britain was a loose collection of Wales, England, and Ireland. Scotland remained its own separate kingdom. The Tudor kings of England imposed the Reformation as policy, but were unable to influence the cultures of Ireland, which remained Catholic. Scotland wholeheartedly accepted the Reformation despite having a Catholic monarch. The Tudors and the English Reformation In 1527 King Henry VIII of England clashed with the Church of Rome. Henry wanted his marriage annulled in order to marry again and produce a son, but as Henry's first marriage had been granted a papal dispensation, to annul it would be to admit the papacy had made a mistake, so Pope Clement VII refused the requested annulment. The subsequent departure of England from the Catholic Church, while hardly a royal whim, was largely the work of the crown and a few top agents. Henry's Reformation could be called Catholicism without the pope, as Henry had virtually no interest in changing doctrine, but did seize personal control of the English church, and went on to close the monasteries and redistribute the monastic lands. The English Reformation was more about consolidating the power of the Tudor dynasty than any religious reform. As such, the official religion of England changed with each succeeding ruler of the Tudor house. Between 1559 and 1563, Elizabeth I (Henry's daughter, who succeeded Edward and Mary) issued her own set of moderately Protestant laws which established the Church of England (known as Episcopalian in the United States). Scotland: The Citadel of Calvinism Scotland, an independent kingdom at the time, embraced Calvinism with open arms with encouragement from England's Elizabeth. John Knox created the official liturgy for the Scottish church in 1564. The most significant difference from the Anglican Church was the Scottish Presbyterian system of organization, which did away with the episcopal bishops and placed decisions in the hands of pastors and church elders. □□□The Radical Reformation Magisterial reformers in Germany, Switzerland, England, and Scotland lived somewhat peacefully with official sanctions, usually at the cost of some compromise. Among their numbers were usually radical members who wanted the reforms of religion put in place faster. The number of radicals was low in comparison to all Protestants, but their significance was felt by local authorities continuously answering their arguments. Radicals can be divided into three categories: Anabaptists, Spiritualists, and Unitarians. Anabaptists: The Holy Community Anabaptism means "to rebaptize," and was a central doctrine to this group of radicals. Anabaptists saw the Bible as a living document for the operation of society as well as the church. They rejected infant baptism, believing only an informed adult could make a choice of accepting salvation. As a result, Anabaptist congregations contained only members that had made a conscientious choice to join the sect. They rejected private property and called for communal wealth within the highly disciplined "holy communities" in which they lived. Attempting to reorganize society along biblical lines drew a violent reaction from other Protestants, and the Anabaptists were forced underground to avoid prosecution. The Amish and the Mennonites are their surviving descendant sects. Spiritualists: The Holy Individual Personal introspection was the capstone of this Radical Reformation sect, which held that personal salvation came only as the result of divine intervention during intense prayer and meditation. The resulting spiritual illumination was referred to as "the inner Word." Spiritualists pursued a physical demeanor devoid of stress and cravings, a "castle of peace." Unitarians: A Rationalist Approach Christian theology is built upon the supposition that Jesus Christ was in fact God made into human flesh. The idea of the Trinity, the three identities of God, made this deification of Jesus possible for Christians. Unitarians and other smaller sects held that Jesus was a divinely inspired man but no god unto himself. Unitarians thought the Trinity went against common sense and had no biblical basis. Unitarians were viewed with hostility by other Protestants but were unwilling to compromise their beliefs. Conclusion: Competing Understandings The Reformation divided the West into two religious camps: Protestant and Catholic. The unity of religion that had been achieved through centuries of Church effort was obliterated within a generation, changing forever the nature of the relationship between clergy and laity.

How old is old?

Geology in the 17th century..I am doing a post about this because I have had quite an interest in geology since I started geology 101 this semester. There are many questions geology answers or comes very close to answering such as: how old is the earth? What is the big bang theory i hear about and is it true? Did dinosaurs walk the earth at some point in time or is there some other theory to explain the discovery of their fossils? Did man come by evolution- how did God create man? Are these questions relevant? Are they worth researching? Although I was living just fine without some of these answers, I was interested in what geology had to say about them and it has been very eye-opening. Diving into these topics expands our understanding of the nature of God and much about the planet we live on. The 17th century was a spring board to many significant discoveries in the next two following centuries. James Hutton and many others in the 18th century found accurate ways to determine the age of the earth and create a reference of time. James ussher was a geologist who used the bible as a genealogical reference to count backward through the generations of kings in the old testament and calculated that earth was formed in 4004 B.C. This was one of a few different theories in the 17th century in effort to calculate the age of the earth. This led many to study further to be able to explain how the earth was created by natural processes in such a short amount of geological time. Geologists such as Dutch scientist Nicolaus Steno used fossils to contribute to their study of the history of the earth and to create a time frame. This was the foundation to many more discoveries in the 18th and 19th century. Are we in a spring board era right now? Some of those discoveries in the 17th century led to a more accurate estimate finding that the earth is 4.57 billion years old. James Ussher was a little off. But his discoveries were still significant because it initiated a lot more thought around that topic. Maybe some of the discoveries we are having in the 21st century are just spring boards to greater discoveries. There is much more to be discovered about the earth and other natural processes... Scientists... Have a hay-day!