Blurring the Line Between Games and Reality

Running errands this afternoon, I was driving and listening to the radio.
There was an extremely interesting discussion regarding how games affect us and about the future direction games may be headed in (http://www.onthemedia.org/2011/jul/01/future-gaming/). 

Why would this interest me so much you ask?
Because I really enjoy playing games! 
One of the lines uttered during the interview by the way, was that while people often play games to escape reality, more and more games are making connections to the real world (that is pretty profound).

One of the people interviewed was Jesse Schell, a professor at the CMU (Carnegie Mellon University - right here in Pittsburgh) Entertainment Technology Center and the CEO of Schell Games.  In Prof. Schell's vision of the (near?) future, he sees a time when sensors will become so ubiquitous, that all our actions every day will be recorded, tabulated and assessed.  Therefore our everyday actions in the real world, such as brushing our teeth, taking the bus instead of driving our cars, walking instead of driving, or watching certain commercials on TV, will all result in us getting awarded bonus points.  In other words our daily actions and habits will be turned into a "game" and the points we earn in the "game" will have real-world implications (such as coupons for things we buy, lower health insurance premiums, or tax credits for the examples listed above).

I know this is a foreboding look at the future and one which does not sound like much fun to some, however Prof. Schell's thesis completely blew my mind.  He stated that since all our actions will be recorded and will be available for our children and for future generations to inspect, if the "game" is designed correctly, it may be possible to modify our behaviors and inspire us to become better people than we might have otherwise turned out.

That puts a different spin on the game of Life ... or maybe it does not.

If you want to listen to Prof. Schell's talk entitled "When Games Invade Real Life", just click on the link (http://www.ted.com/talks/jesse_schell_when_games_invade_real_life.html)
** warning it lasts 28 minutes ** 

Independence

The long 4th of July weekend is upon us and thoughts naturally turn to the reason behind the holiday.
This holiday commemorates the United States' declaration of independence from Great Britain in 1776, an act considered brazen by many at the time, given Britain's overwhelming military superiority.  It also brings to mind other similar acts.

The Greek War of Independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1821 is celebrated on March 25.  This began only a few decades after the Americans and perhaps the planners of that war had been heartened and influenced to some extent by the success the Americans ultimately enjoyed in their bid for independence.  What I found interesting was the utilization of the media of the day to generate support for the Greeks among the European nations, a fact which ultimately helped lead to the intervention of Russia, France and the United Kingdom on the side of the Greeks against the Ottomans.

In the last few months we have witnessed what has been termed by some the Arab Spring with demonstrations and rebellions taking place in various Arab world nations.  What has been interesting has been the utilization of social media by the protesters, to coordinate their activities, generate global support for their causes and provide transparency into the responses employed by the various governments, even when news reporters have not been present.

Ultimately the lesson we can glean is that people don't like to be constrained and they will seek ways to become independent from whatever constrains them.  The tools they choose to use are what they have on hand and what they find to be most effective.
In today's world, social media are powerful indeed and they need to be employed by those seeking maximum effectiveness in their quest for independence from whatever is boxing them in.
I wish all my friends a happy Independence Day, however I also want to remind them to "think before you tweet".

Think Before you Click

A blog entry by Jeff Cole, PR 101 Lesson #106 It Doesn’t Matter What You Were Told In Kindergarten – Sharing Is Not Always A Good Thing ( http://www.pr101.biz/pr-101-lesson-106-it-doesn%e2%80%99t-matter-what-you-were-told-in-kindergarten-sharing-is-not-always-a-good-thing/ ) made me think about the advice I was given some time back when I started my foray into the world of Social Media: "don't drink and tweet."  

It sounds deceptively simple and yet it is rather profound.  When you create content on the social web, or on the web in general, people will find it/see it, regardless of whether you think it is shielded or not.  The word "content" by the way, describes everything from a 140-character tweet, or a comment on a website, to a blog entry, to a picture or video you post.

In light of the above therefore, it only makes sense to employ common sense rules. 
The way I usually describe the decision point when I am sharing my experiences goes something like this -- if you could stomach seeing your content on the front page of the newspaper or on the 6 o'clock newscast, if you wouldn't mind your content discovered by your mother/spouse/friends/boss, then go ahead and click 'OK', or hit 'Enter'.  If you feel you can defend it, you are in the clear. 
If you find yourself hesitating however, then you ought to rethink the wisdom of creating this content. 

As Jeff points out, "Here’s the first thing that we all should remember – social media doesn’t kill careers, people using social media kill careers." If you want proof, you might want to check this link: Rep. Anthony Weiner Resigns  ( http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/anthony-weiner-to-resign-thursday/2011/06/16/AGrPONXH_story.html?wpisrc=al_national) 
Just keep this in mind therefore and think before you click. 

Wise Advice

I read an excellent article by David Brooks in the NY Times the other day, titled "It's Not About You."
It was directed at all the young people graduating from the various colleges and universities.
He stated: "If you sample some of the commencement addresses being broadcast on C-Span these days, you see that many graduates are told to: Follow your passion, chart your own course, march to the beat of your own drummer, follow your dreams and find yourself. This is the litany of expressive individualism, which is still the dominant note in American culture.

But, of course, this mantra misleads on nearly every front." 

The problem today's young people face is figuring- out how the system works, of picking their way in the big world out there and of finding the problem or problems which call out their name, asking for a solution. 

David correctly points-out that we typically admire people who display excellence. 
Excellence requires repetition, dedication and likely some sacrifice.
The self will stand in the way if we try to pursue excellence and those who excel will find ways of pushing the self aside and relentlessly attacking the problem until it is solved. 
This is wise advice indeed. 

New and Familiar

I was driving and changing radio stations this morning.
I switched to a station that was in the middle of interviewing a musician named Ray Davies about his latest album. 
His name didn't trigger any particular reaction at first, but then I heard a music clip and the memories suddenly came flooding in. 
This was music I used to listen to many years ago -- music I liked -- music by the group The Kinks.

It was New (especially the lyrics from the featured artists) and at the same time very Familiar.

Now I was hooked and listened with interest as the interview progressed and more music was played.

I resolved to go online and listen to the entire interview when I returned home.
Here is a link to the story in case you might be interested: http://www.npr.org/2011/05/29/136656570/ray-davies-thats-what-friends-are-for  
I listened to a couple of music clips posted to the website.
Then I purchased a few of the tracks from my favorite online music provider. 

Here is another review of the album "See My Friends" with a little more information.
Time to reflect as I listen to my new musical acquisitions. 
Ray Davies' music marketers and producers will secretly smile and intone "mission accomplished." 
They got me to buy his music after all ...
I am more interested in the lessons taught by this aging rocker however: 
a) the passion is still there 
b) the respect of all the other musicians who are featured on this album is clear (The Kinks are widely recognized as one of the most influential bands of their era after all) 
c) Ray Davies has shown through this album that when you do something you like, even rehashing old favorites in an album which doesn't contain even one new song can create excitement 
Nicely played Mr. Davies.

Shameful Behavior by Honda

A few weeks ago the amber "idiot light" lit-up in the dashboard of my wife's 2002 Honda Odyssey minivan.
Naturally she was concerned, she took it in to the Honda dealer and after paying for a diagnostic test, received the verdict -- "You need a new transmission.  Estimated cost is $3600."  *gulp!* 

Now I know what you're thinking: "it's a nine-year-old vehicle John, you can expect things to need replacement" -- true, but the car has only been driven 73K miles and it has led a very gentle life -- not to mention that there was previously a safety recall for the vehicle's transmission -- and the transmission's 2nd gear had been replaced back in 2004 due to that safety recall.

"Which gear is failing now?" you ask, yeah, 2nd gear again, what a coincidence!

Upon exploring the online world, surprise-surprise, many owners of the same vehicle have faced similar problems.

Here is a simple search on Google: http://www.google.com/#sclient=psy&hl=en&source=hp&q=2002+honda+odyssey+transmission+problem&aq=3&aqi=g5&aql=&oq=&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=9651d7334bd74320

A few entries from www.carcomplaints.com: http://www.carcomplaints.com/Honda/Odyssey/2002/transmission/transmission_failure.shtml

A few entries from www.hondacarforum.com: http://www.hondacarforum.com/honda-2/10033-honda-odyssey-2002-transmission-problems.html

One more site - www.odysseytransmission.com: http://www.odysseytransmission.com/ProblemCases?msgId=632 << 116 owners of 2002 Honda Odysseys have posted their experiences on this site

Complaining to American Honda resulted in my case being eventually being handled by a Regional Manager named "Walter".  I will refrain from making any comments about Walter's personality, or lack thereof ... 

At the end of the complaint process, and due to my couple decades of loyalty to Honda vehicles, American Honda's final offer was to cover 55% of the cost of the new transmission, even though they did not acknowledge any problems with 2002 Honda Odyssey transmissions.  That left me paying 45% of the transmission cost and after also adding-in replacement costs for some failing suspension components, brought the bill to a bit over $2200.

I will end my rant with a summary.
I have continued buying Honda (and Acura) vehicles over the years because of their solid reputation for quality and reliability.  Through this episode and the follow-up research I described however, it has become apparent that Honda has had numerous quality problems with the transmissions on its minivans -- yet it is failing to acknowledge these problems.

Basic business practice Honda: when you have a problem, you acknowledge it and you fix it (your problem means you pay for it), you thank your customers for their loyalty and you hope they will consider your response in the future and remain loyal to your brand.

I will soon be replacing our Honda Odyssey -- do you think I will buy another Honda vehicle?
I don't think so Honda -- and you have no one to blame for it than your own shameful behavior.

Coolest Job Ever

A smile subconsciously crept across my lips as I read a recent New York Times article: 
"With 'Coolest Job Ever' Ending, Astronauts Seek Next Frontier" 

I was briefly transported through the mists of memories long forgotten to my early childhood years. 
I still remember watching the Apollo 11 moon landing "live" on TV on July 21, 1969 -- yes I was young, but the idea that those guys were walking on the MOON just brushed aside all the childish thoughts competing for attention inside my head and had me riveted to the TV... I remember later building plastic models of the Apollo 11 Atlas V rocket as well as a large model of the 'Eagle' lunar module -- to me at that age, being an Astronaut was indeed the 'Coolest Job Ever'.

Do you remember the answers you gave to the adults who asked you "what do you want to be when you grow up?" through the years? 
I think as reality/maturity set-in, my answers evolved somewhat as follows: Astronaut > Fighter Pilot > Airline Pilot > Race Car Driver > Tank Commander ... and eventually my love of the sciences took over and directed me to more reality-based pursuits. 

You might wonder, like me, now that the NASA missions are winding down, what will all the Astronauts do? 
Reading the NY Times article, it appears there are plenty of opportunities for employment at either agencies which work with NASA, or at private space flight companies. 

Incidentally, I've heard the term "Space Tourism" for a few years now, however I still think of it as an idea which is not quite ready for "prime time" yet.  Perhaps I am wrong though -- anyone ready for a near Earth orbit experience?