Is the (Internet) Pen Mightier than the (Regulation) Sword?

Back in the day of Camelot, words waxed poetic. The pen was a quill and the audience was local. So, the reach and influence was limited, but the feedback could be emotional and sometimes physical (say or write the wrong thing, and here comes the sword).

Fast forward a few hundred years, and today, what gives our words more power?

The audience that receives it.

Today, the pen is represented by a digital sentence, a video clip or any other mode of communication that can be transmitted though constantly connected and evolving physical devices.

The world audience is approximately 6.6 billion and counting. Spooky maybe, but not when you compare this picture to 5...10...25 years from now. Some say, we will just “think it …and it will be so” from embedded microchips on our bodies. Now that is scary.

Point is, we will not stop this inevitable progression of the pen?
So what is sword to do?

Tax the pen…Regulate the pen….Control the pen.

If we are an author of any of these future forms of communication, that is not the preferred prophecy.

What we can do:

We have to continue to network and compound the weight of the pen. Case in point:

Arizona HB 2549
Had this legislation been left unchecked by the watchful eye of many contributing constituents, this little gem could be law right now. The most problematic issue is the labeling and punishment of a suspected “Internet Troller” using this wording:

"It is unlawful for any person, with intent to terrify, intimidate, threaten, harass, annoy or offend, to use any electronic or digital device and use any obscene, lewd or profane language or suggest any lewd or lascivious act, or threaten to inflict physical harm to the person or property of any person."

Considering line extension, this could eventually affect others even outside the intended state. It is still unclear where this bill is headed.

Arizona is just the beginning. Other primary issues can start in one state, and once embedded as law, can be easily tweaked by another state and suddenly can become law. The question again:

“Is the Internet Pen mightier than the Regulation Sword?”

The answer to that will depend on each individual’s commitment to influence one or the other.

As always…you decide.

Trolling in Arizona (and beyond)...HB 2549

Ironically, in a recent post “Search or Research,” the dilemma of how and why it is important to differentiate these two steps was analyzed. Little did I know how quickly it would come into play.

Case in point

The subject of internet “trolling” hit the radar in the last couple of weeks. True to the separate steps, I searched just enough to find what I believed to be the issue from just the headlines...specifically, that Arizona had passed a bill in their legislature and the governor was poised to sign it into law. Some may say...a scary law.

Had that been absolutely accurate, the rules (initially applied only to AZ) could have altered our current participation and relationship to the internet...part of the law read:

“It is unlawful for any person, with intent to terrify, intimidate, threaten, harass, annoy or offend, to use any electronic or digital device and use any obscene, lewd or profane language or suggest any lewd or lascivious act, or threaten to inflict physical harm to the person or property of any person.”

“This means any comment, forum post, blog post or other public web spaces where discussions or shared thoughts take place could be held accountable if deemed in violation of the law.”

As originally stated, the legislature passed House Bill 2549 and it was simply awaiting the governor's signature, and if found guilty, a violator could be subject to a Class 1 misdemeanor, punishable by up to 25 years in jail and thousands in fines.

Groups such as Media Coalition continue to point out the ambiguity in the law stating, "The communication does not need to be repetitive or even unwanted. There is no requirement that the recipient or subject of the speech actually feel offended, annoyed or scared. Nor does the legislation make clear that the communication must be intended to offend or annoy the reader, the subject or even any specific person."

In other words, enough to scare the !#$%^* out of you and me.

Drilling down today (the research step), it seems that after a tsunami of backlash directed at the Arizona lawmakers, they are reconsidering their position. But, it is not clear what direction they are taking.

Question: What were/are they thinking (decisioning)?

This one was/is close, but it really points out the vigilance that is now required by all of us...especially those who maintain active sites, blogs and comments in the social media.

Again, search and research...and share.

As always...you decide.

Will You Search or Research?

1. research

Critical and exhaustive investigation or experimentation, having for its aim the discovery of new facts and their correct interpretation, the revision of accepted conclusions, theories, or laws in the light of newly discovered facts, or the practical application of such new or revised conclusions, theories, or laws.

When faced with a decision, will you search or research? To distinguish the two, searching for a subject is more surface and topical. Researching a subject is more the action and work of drilling down into the substance and fabric of the issue.

Before the Internet, this brand of work was manual, paper intensive and library bound to be thorough with the task.

Now, most anyone can place a word or subject in a given search engine to find millions of results. The real effort comes when you settle down to a single object to “data mine.” Here's where there needs to be a decision as to the volume of time and length/depth of coverage you will expend and develop. The real work.

What's the point?

As we apply the MODEL (“for intelligent decision making”) to the above, the first step is discovery which is really two fold...search and research. And that's the point, you need to execute both of them. Many decisions are doomed from the start because this step is shorted and often avoided.

The obvious best action...You must identify the target, and point the gun before you pull the trigger. That is the reason (as the MODEL illustrates) that the largest time commitment is at this initial and defining step.

Then there is this:

Now apply the new search/data mining apps as a product of next generation developments. In other words, searching within searches.

“Keyword research is one of the most important, valuable, and high return activities in the search marketing field. Through the detective work of puzzling out your market's keyword demand, you not only learn which terms and phrases to target with SEO, but also learn more about your customers as a whole. The usefulness of this intelligence cannot be overstated - with keyword research you can predict shifts in demand, respond to changing market conditions, and produce the products, services, and content that web searchers are already actively seeking. In the history of marketing, there has never been such a low barrier to entry in understanding the motivations of consumers in virtually every niche - not taking advantage is practically criminal.”

For the full article and credits:

http://www.seomoz.org/beginners-guide-to-seo/keyword-research

In all, the apps available in the initial step (search and research) of decisioning are growing at a compounding pace. Fortunately, we have the portable and 24/7 hardware to make this task more convenient.

The key question:

When faced with the next significant decision, will we recognize the opportunity and responsibility, and using all the new tools, will we convert it to our advantage?

As always...you decide.

Bubba Decisioning

I just viewed a live interview with Bubba Watson on “Morning Drive” and the Golf Channel. In case you missed, he is the new winner of the Green Jacket (Master's Golf Tournament).

He won in historic fashion in a sudden death playoff. What is notable is how he made the critical decision at just the right time. What is also rare is that he has no coaches, never took golf lesson, he is left-handed, and has a very unorthodox swing. The golf aficionados are beginning to label him as the “natural.”

Consider that most every other pro has an entourage within their camp. Everything from swing coaches, to dietary advisers to psychological experts. That's a lot of advise from (sometimes) conflicting schools of thought. Bubba did not have to deal with all that.

Some of his classic quotes (keys to success) were:

“I didn't think about the prize...just the shot.”

“I kept my head down to keep from getting distracted.”

“I was comfortable in the straw...that's where I came from.”

Remarkably, being in the rough with the tournament on the line, is not where the average golfer prefers to be. In the woods is probably their least favorite and least practiced location. Bubba (much like the rabbit in the briar patch), was perfectly at home there while the critics had almost written him off.

So, what is the “Bubba Lesson?”

In the universe of decisioning, it's a teachable moment. While the rest of the field is juggling with technicians, coaches and experts, Bubba is simply keeping his head down, and trusting his simple swing thoughts and a repeatable execution. That philosophy would work at home, in business and most everywhere else.

One last thing...he has visible passion. While he was shedding tears in front of 30 million people, many of us were touched in the same way. Maybe it is becoming a pattern in the world of sports where these few remarkable icons will serve to show us more of the adage: “the simple shall confound the wise.”

You go Bubba!

As always...you decide.

Bubba Decisioning

I just viewed a live interview with Bubba Watson on “Morning Drive” and the Golf Channel. In case you missed, he is the new winner of the Green Jacket (Master's Golf Tournament).

He won in historic fashion in a sudden death playoff. What is notable is how he made the critical decision at just the right time. What is also rare is that he has no coaches, never took golf lesson, he is left-handed, and has a very unorthodox swing. The golf aficionados are beginning to label him as the “natural.”

Consider that most every other pro has an entourage within their camp. Everything from swing coaches, to dietary advisers to psychological experts. That's a lot of advise from (sometimes) conflicting schools of thought. Bubba did not have to deal with all that.

Some of his classic quotes (keys to success) were:

“I didn't think about the prize...just the shot.”

“I kept my head down to keep from getting distracted.”

“I was comfortable in the straw...that's where I came from.”

Remarkably, being in the rough with the tournament on the line, is not where the average golfer prefers to be. In the woods is probably their least favorite and least practiced location. Bubba (much like the rabbit in the briar patch), was perfectly at home there while the critics had almost written him off.

So, what is the “Bubba Lesson?”

In the universe of decisioning, it's a teachable moment. While the rest of the field is juggling with technicians, coaches and experts, Bubba is simply keeping his head down, and trusting his simple swing thoughts and a repeatable execution. That philosophy would work at home, in business and most everywhere else.

One last thing...he has visible passion. While he was shedding tears in front of 30 million people, many of us were touched in the same way. Maybe it is becoming a pattern in the world of sports where these few remarkable icons will serve to show us more of the adage: “the simple shall confound the wise.”

You go Bubba!

As always...you decide.