Oh goodie goodie .. Shel is asking getting to the meat and potatoes of his project. OK, me is going to take a stab at some answers here, rather then comment directly on his post !
After all I have been keenly following the Stephen Hawking's question to the world -- “How can the human race survive the next hundred years?"
Now onto Shel's questions....
What will the world look like five years from today?
I think it relevant to ask the question-- What do we want the world to look like in 5 years ? Having said that, I think that the world will be more connected., nanogadets [edit :included example ] will be part of your clothes wear. People will be able to read text in their language of choice. A simple "translate this" button will permit a web page to be converted (without loss of context) into the readers language of choice. People will tele immerse themselves via mobile video all over. Imagine that I can attend a video conference call, in a GO train via my cell phone.
What will the impact of social media be on today's global enterprise?
Deadly !! There are no secrets. The media knows more then Enterprise do about their own products and cultures. And whether its good news or bad news, they tell everyone.
What will happen to the abundance of really neat little social media companies? Will the best just get acquired by the usual shoppers and the remainder get eventually sold off for parts by the investors?
Its organic, even investors will not be able to do things just for money. The economy is not dollars. The currency is "intentions" and "attentions". The fabric is the community. If they don't adopt-- they will die, not be sold !! Nobody touches a "leper" kinda syndrome.
In a world where the best things in life really are for free, how does anyone make a living?
By being passionate on what you do. The Professional services firm, will be many single entity , one person kind of institutes. They will thrive in dynamic environment which is fluid and quick. We are waking up, watching and linking to one another. Our knowledge is community based. Our work is our hobby !! AKA Dan Pink - a whole new mind- paradigm.
How will social media impact politics and government? Do the social media give people more power or is it just an illusion?
Humanity2.0 has become smart, intelligent and connected. We are not interested in companies that crank our sterile, humorless smooth talk. We are feed up with lip service. We want to talk about real things and issues. As fast as they build a veiled wall- so fast will it get torn down--by the community.
There is no power anymore- its a discourse of community for themselves. Politics , businesses, governments will all becomes targets for crowd and crowds will self policing themselves. That is, community's will become the heart of the world. See, Second Life and Wow--its thriving in a whole new dimension. People are playing games in a virtual world. When those games spill over into real world, then the "hordes" will raise. They will either foster what they like or destroy what they don't. That is the natural instinct of humanity :)-
How do economics shift? Does the connected world give entrepreneurs a shot in remote countries. Put Bangalore and big companies in China aside for a moment, what do Thailand, Estonia, Ireland and Romania look like five years from today because of the connected world?
Certainly more involved. Countries like Romania and Estonia are already emergent incumbents for IT initiatives. Ireland has the most number of corporate R&D centers. There will be no difference. Rapid Innovations will force organizations to levels their and deploy assets in areas which are not covered. After all, in places like India and China the cost of living is raising.
Hypothetically, nothing should stop me from opening a Call center in Rwanda --5 years from now. Smart companies will create Blue Ocean Strategies for the next 10-15 years ahead. I for one, would like to open and English learning institute in Rwanda and the top 100 candidates who graduate will be placed as Call center folks, to lets say --support A/R and A/P. Now whats wrong with that Idea eh ? the cost if investment and TCO's will be minuscule compared to investments in India.
If power is moving from companies and governments into communities, and the most influential people in those communities are going to just give it away, what should a company ultimately do to simultaneously profit while serving that community?
Listen-- Don't worry you can still make money. That is, as long as that's not the only thing on your mind. Companies are invited into the community, but get off that horse, take off your shoes and sit on the floor and lets talk. When they come down the ivory tower - value props will be clearly defined by the community. Companies that do not have a place within a community will die. Their own employees/ people will reject them and move into communities which they feel comfortable in. The breakups are inevitable, humans are inter connected and a building relationships at blinding speeds. The trust and creditability economy will kick !!
Great article. I appreciate you making us more aware. I am new to your blog and look forward to your future work.
Posted by: Call Cruncher | July 08, 2006 at 01:31 PM