Podcast: The Digital Humanist

Luis Suarez is driven by the human element in The Digital Transformation Age. Despite it being driven mainly by technological advancements.

(The Third Chapter in the Digital Transformation Age podcast)

Often these advances are inventions derived from a need to enhance something. The first computer was the size of a small room, now we wear a computer on our wrist which is many multiple times more powerful.

The desire to have a technological advantage over a competitor is also a major motivation to come up with “new stuff”. Money, after all, is what makes the world go round. And Silicon Valley floats on the stuff.

Personal gain (by reputation, power and/or money) seems to be a powerful motivator.

There is a documentary; “For all Mankind“, it’s about the Moon landings. It’s a beautiful docu, all original footage and sounds, long too. It’s mesmerising to see what man can do when they set their minds to it. But.., “we” didn’t go to the Moon for mankind.., we did it to beat the Soviets, to show who’s boss. That’s why…

“For the betterment of mankind” is usually a distant third, or fourth on the list, if it makes the list at all.

Upgrades and Software

New software comes out and new hardware gets upgraded, and we want it all.., and that’s OK I guess. But, it happens in the enterprise too. Software gets bought, and in most cases rolled out throughout the company, because it’s new, and good, and it will help the company forward.., and makes us money.

Yet, it so often doesn’t.

Luis Suarez

Anyway.., Elsua (Luis op Twitter: @elsua), the dude who is living without e-mail for a couple of years now, is one of those people who understands it is about people.

Humans make the change, not machines, corporations, microchips, or social platforms. Humans.

And that makes sense. A lot of sense.

If Apple brings out a new iPhone, and nobody buys it, does it even exist? (as in, if a tree falls in the forest… ah.., I know, but you get what I mean)

My point here being, the iPhone is so incredibly successful because humans buy and use it (of course it’s a great device, and people want to use it).

Many social collaboration platforms have the same dilemma; if nobody uses them, do they even exist.

And to this, the answer is a resounding; “No”.

Communities

And communities are made up of humans (it’s what we do as a species, it’s how we’ve survived for as long as we did). And that’s what makes it real, people using the tools of the 21ste century with habits more than 200.000 years old.

The conversation with Luis, therefore, is about exactly that; how do we instinctively communicate with each other. And how can we use modern communication devices use to our benefit.

It’s about connecting.

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