Two articles that I need to read by Peter Merholz. The first is on collaboration:
Anyone who has worked with others knows that the best collaborative tools are the simplest. It is likely that, in the last 10 years, the most creative thinking and innovation has emerged from sessions gathered ’round whiteboards.
The other is on user interface:
The Supernova conference was kicked off by Howard Rheingold, who put forth a thesis based on thoughts from Smart Mobs. It was a great way to start the show, rooting it in humanisitic and sociological notions, and not simply focusing on the tech.
One thing that came up that I take issue with is this notion that there is a fundamental difference between “the kids”‘ abilities with new technologies, and their elders. This is a fairly hoary canard. Older folks don’t get new technologies, don’t understand how to use them, but that younger folks adopt it as if it were breathing. This is often put out there as a way to excuse old people from bothering to understand, and, I think, from excusing product designers from bothering to make products for people over 25.