So easy a horse can do it

Putting out a newspaper, or at the very least a leaflet is not all that difficult. Historically anybody who could learn the tools and afford to buy them could do it independently. Although more commonly an individual would pay a printer to put out whatever it is he (and often it was a man) wanted to publish.

This trend continued, presses were big and complicated but eventually, like all technology they got smaller. Smaller presses accompanied by an easier process meant that putting out a flyer or a leaflet became easy. So easy in fact even a horse could do it.

Laws and Sausages

The ever quotable Leo McGarry reminds us, “there are two things in the world you never let people see how you make ‘em, laws and sausages.” But Dave Eggers The Circle uses the idea of a totally transparent government, where everybody sees how the sausage is made as the launching point for making individuals totally “transparent.”

Online social networks mature

Recently there have been some signs of aging in the larger social networks, or at least reports of reaching middle age. These include the inevitable decrease in value that comes with an increase in noise, and a predicted drop off in users. While both of these are likely true they are also probably exaggerated because they make good headlines. 

It’s the technology stupid

One coworker calls me “The Wizard” and it’s not because I have seen all the Harry Potter movies, read all the books and can recite all the spells by heart (none of which is true). I have the moniker because I can solve nearly any technological problem that comes my way. Software glitch: solved, video needs to be brightened: solved, CMS acting up: solved. I don’t list these to gloat, but to make a point, that the problems listed require three unique tools to solve, but all the problems can be fixed easily by one person because I focus on the technology not the tool.