The first wave of software technology hitting us on a personal level, was arguably being able to create our own databases (list management), create spreadsheets (models and calculations). And use email (share files and communicate).
Like building a water slide, we discovered if you planned the (software) requirements well, the resulting outputs happened fast & easy. Early software was like a swiss army knife. Or a new vehicle to take us within reason, to many new places.
We discovered portability. And constant access (smart phones, laptops and tablets). The internet appeared. Wikipedia gave us a default knowledge reference site. Search engines and internet browsers helped us quickly find things online. Ted talks inspired us. You tube taught us how to… Social network sites helped us network better. GPS gave us with a sense of direction. Online shopping saved us time, gave us ratings & choices. Sites like WordPress offered us templates to build your own website. And blog your heart out to the World. Data security software protected our information. Although not totally.
Then came fake news. And the supply of online messages became a deluge…
Fortunately, personal flexibility (PFL) provided a filter on the information quality (see my blog on Personal Flexibility and Making Judgements). And a filter on the volume too. We needed it more than ever – choices became more complex, time shorter, the future more uncertain.
On information volume, listening to a hundred people saying the same thing mattered if you’re a policy maker, a shopper, a market trader, or a politician. It wasn’t so helpful for the average person wanting to learn more about the World. The subtleties. The nuances. The insights.
So if PFL helps us cope with information saturation, then going forward, can software redeem itself. And help improve our PFL?
The combination of a good search engine/browser and user ratings ought to help. The search engine/browser creates extra capacity for us (shortens the search for us). And gives us wider options than we perhaps realised. In that sense it helps improve our PFL. But many of us are pressed for time. And ironically don’t take time to provide positive ratings on positive experiences. Even if we are delighted by the product or service. Sadly, many of us appear to be too busy (or scared), to complain too. Also, some brands apparently manufacture artificial good ratings on themselves (from fake customers) and bad ones (from fake customers) about their competitors’ offerings. Word of mouth endorsement from trusted friends or family is a good counter to this. But only if they have experience with the product or service, that you’re interested in.
Online ordering with fast delivery as a standard service is empowering for us. But only if we use that freed up time well.
If we choose a digital portfolio career, selling or trading various content and services to earn a living, we can use the internet to reach a global audience. Perhaps with far more of a more niche product or service than if we operated from a high street storefront. That too is empowering. And helps us diversify the risk of relying on one source of income alone.
Can we rely on the software companies doing mass market analysis? Their motives don’t necessarily align with ours. But if consumer advocate groups we respect as being independent, are also saying the same thing as the companies doing mass market analysis, then maybe we can pay more attention to the message.
A final thought. We should take comfort that even if every day, our digital footprint is being analysed by sophisticated digital companies with deep pockets and even deeper ambitions, at least the personal flexibility (PFL) we choose to create, is ours to keep. And perhaps ultimately, our only freedom.
If you find these blogs interesting and useful, please share the details with others who might benefit too.
Simon