Top 5 Map Comparisons for Mind Mapping

Mind-Mapping is a wonderful technique when you think there is nothing for you to talk about online. I took 45 minutes this morning to create some mind maps that allowed me to find probably 100 posts worth of topic material!  So here are my Top 5 Map Comparisons for Mind Mapping.  

1. It helps you figure things out when you're lost.  
2. You can see shortcuts between ideas.  
3. Someone else can follow you into your psyche.  
4. Shows you where you could use more detailed surveying.   
5. Use it with a moral compass to find your way in the world.  

I've found it much more useful when trying to trace my own thought pattern than generate ideas.  I haven't had much luck using a mind map for recording a brainstorming discussion, for example.  I think using it for mapping my existing knowledge base is the first time I've actually found a use for it that I endorse!

-sjk

Dose of Skepticism

Everyone knows that it is important to be skeptical to keep yourself from believing theories which don't fit with the facts of the world.  I'm not telling you to completely divorce yourself from the idea of religion, life after death, and other important metaphysical questions.  I'm suggesting that you don't fall for things like this bird-wing hoax.

In the elaborate hoax they pulled, they had videos, fake articles in media, website - the whole nine yards.  In fact, I was initially taken in, because it was such a cool idea that I wanted it to be true.  I'm so glad I wasn't the editor of some news outlet that picked it up, because they must have egg on their faces for not fact checking.

I'm glad they did this.  It pokes fun at the media who blindly accepted what they heard on the internet and it shines a light onto what could be a different part of our gullibility.  I thought my blind spots were pretty well covered, but this one just went right past my bull s*** detector.  It reminded me in a hilarious way that I can't accept everything I read on the internet.  Thank you, science pranksters!

Another tiny sign of the death of privacy

Facial recognition software has come a long way, and I've always been a little afraid of what it could do.  Now I'm contemplating a move to the country, where there is no such thing as cameras, and everyone travels in buggies.  This article discussed the capacity of a new system used to scan public camera systems to find faces.  And of course, the comments followed my exact fears: big brother has another tool to monitor your movement.  

This is another move away from the "privacy" of the past and toward the "privacy" of the future.  By that, I mean that people will become less and less secretive of their lives, unless they are doing something illicit.  They will only object or work around the system when they don't want people to see, of course setting off flags that they should be investigated.  

Is this a step toward big brother?  Yep, absolutely!  But I think that with the myriad of ways we currently tell people about our lives, we're looking at a tiny reduction of privacy.  Google tracks your IP to give you better search results.  Apps allow you to check in at a location.  Tweets are a new way to scream that you're not home.  

Over the next 50 years, x things will happen.  First, we will all become more accustomed to having our privacy invaded like ants under a microscope.  Second, all of the "disgusting" or "weird" things we occasionally hear about will be exposed.  Third, those newly uncovered proclivities will be accepted, provided they don't hurt anyone.  And finally, certain parts of the criminal code will be repealed as we discover that a huge number of people are already breaking laws, and don't want to stop.  

P.S. This last one is dependent, of course, on how much money is tied to it.  For instance, the states are unlikely to raise speed limits because they make too much money off speeding tickets, and/or will lose federal road-maintenance money.  

Timing your work

Today I'm going to tackle a topic that is both a personal issue and strength for me - timing work.  The vast majority of people out there have some sort of metrics relating to work performance, whether it is very specific (number of calls made per hour) or very broad (is my small business making money).  Since time is a finite resource, everyone needs to worry about their own time and how it is being spent.  

I read an article discussing two types of scheduling - forward and backward.  Forward scheduling starts with the estimated duration to find the end point.  Backwards scheduling starts with the deadline and works backwards to discover when it needs to be worked on.  Most knowledge workers, myself included, use backwards scheduling to determine when we need to work on a project and if we'll need to put in overtime or bump another project to get it done.  I'm pretty aware of my capabilities, so I feel pretty good at back-scheduling.  

I run into a problem when I'm given freedom and have to set my own work schedule.  If I'm not given a deadline, I can't effectively back-schedule, and my work load starts to pile up, waiting for a deadline to spur me into action.  Oh, how my life was difficult until I discovered that setting deadlines for myself took care of the problem.  I had to learn that my problem was using backwards scheduling when forward scheduling was appropriate - without knowing what those two were!  

If you have any scheduling strategies and/or stories to share, please post a comment.  

-sjk

New Business Opportunities

Happy Fragrance Day!  I certainly hope you get to enjoy all the people out there who smell nice.

Everyone wants to get in on the ground floor of a new business.  They want to be a part of the realization of the next great idea, and make a pretty penny along the way.  The main problem is how to do that!  There are a lot of web sites that outline ideation, and I really like reading about them.  But when you're a skilled professional that wants to find a growing opportunity, how do you do that?
 
Be excited. As I've begun my personal path toward the front end of the innovation curve, I've noticed that the more excited you are about an idea, the more people are drawn to you.  The more people who are around, the more input you have for your own ideas.  And a bonus is that people will help you refine your idea, not to mention execute effectively. 

Talk to everyone about new ideas.  I'm not advocating that you share all your ideas with everyone.  But if you begin talking to people about new ideas - especially those that you know you will never implement, you become a valuable resource for vetting ideas.  You basically get in on the ground floor of other people's great ideas. 




Share your ideas with everyone.  Ok, now I'm advocating that you share your ideas.  Sharing is the source of many innovations that have occurred in the past.  Many will tell you this is a terrible idea because it lets all your secrets out.  The rewards are not to have the best idea, though.  Those come from great execution.  You just have to be aware that there is competition out there and not be afraid of it. 

I have found these based on a my experience with social media, and applying the ideas I found there.  They are not new, but they do really focus on the value of relationships.  I can't wait until I get to explore new ideas with my grad school teams post-graduation. 

Manipulating Gamers for Data Mining

Actually, this is the second time I came across this topic, and it is very cool.  I had to post on it.  Scientists are using video games to get people to do menial data-related tasks by making it a game!

First Example: Scientists created a computer game called "Planet Hunter" that allowed players to search targeted areas of the night sky - specifically the stars in them.  Those stars had varying luminosity, and when that dipped, it could signal a plant crossing in front.  In their first year, hunters found two planets, and got the titled "Planet Hunter!"

Second Example: Someone came up with an app called "Ghost Hunter" that drove people around to different locations in their neighborhood seeking ghosts.  The people would capture a ghost after finding it, and it would upload a photo of the location.  The article suggested this could be used for creating crowd-sourced 3D maps, for example.  

Third Example: Fitocracy has an app that allows you to track your workout.  But the catch is that it also links to your friends and gives you a level based on the time and activity you complete.  So you get the satisfaction of leveling up, and the thrill of competing with your friends.  In this case, you're data-mining on yourself!

In the first case, they are using our love of games to get us to do menial tasks we wouldn't do if you paid us.  In the second, they are directing your activity by rewarding behaviors that over time provide detailed information about a certain topic.  

What other kinds of things could you push by making it into a game?  Open-source coding efforts?  Electronic filing?  Neighborhood beautification?  Organizing tourist movement at a tourist location?  Reducing traffic congestion?  Getting people to live a greener lifestyle?  Eating right?  Balancing their household expenditures?  Basically, this comes down to another way you can translate a person's need for entertainment into a positive action for whoever sets it up.  

Traditional Media

I'd like to talk about traditional media.  Just to recap: Traditional Media (aka Mass Media) is any communication channel that reaches a broad audience and is inherently a one-way communication channel.  This includes:

• Newspaper
• Television
• Radio
• Internet Banner Ads
• Billboards
• Magazines
• Point-of-Sale Displays

Traditional media is no longer the powerhouse it once was.  In the past, it was very effective because there were a limited number of communication channels, so an advertiser could use one and reach a large percentage of their audience while also reaching a large percentage of the general population.  Traditional Media's reach has slowly declined for a number of reasons, including the proliferation of options in a given communication channel, invention of new communication channels, and the desire to have a 2-way communication relationship with customers.  

I'm not saying that Traditional Media is dead (yet), but when you choose to use them, you have to:

• Be sure you are reaching your target market.
• Have a strong marketing message that has been tested for effectiveness.
• Be willing to make a substantial investment in a small number of media channels. 
• Smoke cigars, drink scotch, and pretend you are in the 1950's.  

Silence Gun

This one is pretty interesting.  If you'd heard about noise canceling headphones, you might immediately jump to the conclusion that this gun produces the same effect - offsetting sound waves that cancel the entire effect of a sound.  Of course, humans have way more ways to make them silent, and this Silence Gun is a completely different tool.

The silence gun works on the mind.  It takes sound and replays it .2 seconds later.  That causes your mind to hear an echo of your own voice and pay attention to your words.   They sound strange, and BAM!  You quiet down because your brain is really really confused.  The device is a psychological weapon that attacks the way you experience reality through one of your senses.

The idea of attacking (playing with?) how a person experiences reality is nothing new.  Stereograms allow you to focus your eyes and have your brain pick out an image.  I also read about a handy way to reduce the pain of a cut using a telescope or binoculars.  Unfortunately the silence gun can be used as a weapon... Now I have to develop a sound-canceling gun to point directly at the silence gun to prevent my voice from being silenced (1st amendment anyone?).

Learning Technology

I love the idea of learning technology.  A piece of equipment that figures out, over time, how to run optimally make life a bunch easier, right up until it stops working and you have no idea how to live without it.  Enter the Nest Learning Thermostat.

This is a great example of taking the automatic learning processes developed in artificial intelligence and leveraging it for use in a mundane environment.  There are relatively few parameters for the AI to track and respond to, so its not nearly as complicated to create and install as it would have been 20 years ago.  And finally, it allows you to set your thermostat and forget it.  I have no idea how many times I have tinkered with a thermostat over the years after having found my optimal setting because of climate change.  :(

Lots of things could do with a little "learning" capability.  Phone systems could learn how to correct bad signals.  Toilets could learn how much water to use in a flush.  Refrigerators could learn when to turn on their compressors based on the fullness of the fridge.  Chairs could learn the height preferences of their sitters based on weight.

Beware, though.  If you make everything smart, appliances will start talking back to you, like in the Flintstones. "It's a livin'."

Net Present Value

Today I impart the most important takeaway ever from Finance or Financial Management.  Always do a project if the Net Present Value is positive. It represents the culmination of a project cost calculation that includes the time value of money and the likelihood of different outcomes, and spits out a value for the project that you can use to objectively compare it to other projects (if you have limited funds).

Net Present Value (NPV) is a financial calculation used to determine whether to pursue a project.  NPV takes into account everything (if possible) about the project.  You need to quantify reward and financial outlay, of course.  But you also need to consider the risk of a project not meeting your projections.  In a simplified example, if you have a 50% chance to win $1 million and a 50% chance to lose $1 million, rationally, the chance would be worth exactly $0.   That evaluation needs to be done with a person's risk tolerance in mind, too.  While rationally that chance is worth nothing, a someone with a high risk tolerance may believe that the possible reward is worth the possible loss.

All financial projections have flaws.  I learned about several of them.  But the model with the LEAST flaws is NPV.  This calculation is the way a numbers-oriented manager chooses new projects.  There are underlying assumptions that must be stated when doing the calculation, but if you only make conservative assumptions, the calculation is defensible and persuasive.

Modular Robots

I think I just stumbled across a very cool idea - modular robotics.  I found this article about robot cubes.  They each have different programming and a different action associated with them.  They can be combined in multiple ways and the resulting "robots" do a number of different actions.  

Modular robotics is an interesting concept.  I like the idea that programming is incorporated in the module attached to the machine.  I'm sure that idea can be extended to other types of robots, rather than the cube-shaped educational toys discussed above.  Today it is already being done to some extent with smart camera, being manufactured by Cognex.  Their cameras have complete operating systems with a human-machine interface built in, and the capacity to connect relatively seamlessly with many control systems.  

Now we just need to get other parts manufacturers to manufacture the same type of equipment.  Pre-programmed hands that know the proper grip strength to not crush an egg.  Pre-programmed pumps or bladders to fight fires.  Pre-programmed treads/wheels/feet, for locomotion.  And of course a central processor that allows the linkage of all those.  And those are just based on the human anatomy!  What about chainsaws?  Size-restricted appendages?  Super-alloy materials?  Magnetic systems?  We could have a modular Magneto robot!

Japanese Crazy Fake Mirror

Whoa, this crazy fake mirror is awesome!  I'm not sure exactly how it works, but it seems to video the person on the other side through video, tracks their movement, and maps it to a character.  Then it displays the pre-made character on the other side of the mirror, as if the character is actually the reflection of the individual!

Outside of pranking people, which is in itself immensely satisfying, you could do a number of other things.  Use the motion-tracked people and environments to test ergonomics.  The one-way mirror technology be the way walls become computer consoles.  Even the motion-capture technology must have been used in movies, though the video didn't use special suits.

I like this use of technology, because it is a novel way to bring together several technologies.  Japanese television in particular loves to bring new and innovative (and sometimes crazy) new products to the market.  I love Japan.  :)

Word is your bond

I'm trying out a new format, dedicating my Fridays to the practical skills and knowledge that a business person needs to succeed.  They will range from basic to advanced, and I will only cover things that I believe everyone in business should know to make them a well-rounded business-minded individual. 

"My word is my bond."  I'm sure you've heard this almost cliche line spoken in old westerns or samurai movies.  It requires a long-standing pride and effort given to building a positive reputation in a community.  It signifies that you can trust that person not to go back on an agreement.  More than that, it assures the listener that you agree in spirit, as well as with terms.  It says that, for good or bad, the agreement has been struck and it won't be broken on my end.  And it doesn't require any more formality than a solemn promise. 

Some today might think this idea quaint.  I believe that many chose to allow the honor represented by that sentence to fall by the wayside as corporate America became more driven by contracts and written documents than by handshake agreements.  More and more, companies and individuals attempted to put into writing every possible circumstance so each side would have the exact specifications of the agreement.  It removed risk, but also removed the partnership and trust that makes separate parties work together well. 

Every business person should be able to make to say the phrase "My word is my bond" and have people respect it.  It would make many things easier.  If you could trust every single one of your employees to do what they say they do, then you can also trust them to bring any problems that are outside of their control to you for corrective action.  If you trust the word of your peers, you can ask them what their priorities are, and not be afraid of stepping on landmines when doing your internal political planning.  And if you can trust the word of your employers, then you don't have to worry that the plug will be pulled on your division without notice. 

I don't want to sugar coat it, though.  There is bad with the good.  Being true to your word sometimes entails work, sometimes a lot, sacrifice or hardship.  You will go far in business if everyone can trust everything you say.  Remember that as you are standing by your word and doing the right thing.