The C in ICT

By Nick Hortovanyi

This C of course stands for Communications, so in context of ICT it is Communications Technology. What exactly is it? and why is it being grouped with Information Technology?

From wikipedia Communication's entry, we have a definition "Communication is a process of transferring information from one entity to another. Communication processes are sign-mediated interactions between at least two agents which share a repertoire of signs and semiotic rules. Communication is commonly defined as "the imparting or interchange of thoughts, opinions, or information by speech, writing, or signs"."

Many of us in the IT industry, I think forget and to a very large extent de-emphasize the communication component when it comes to things that are not related directly to two or more computers talking together or for IP based communications such as VOIP (Voice Over IP) or IM (Instant Messaging). However, the communications through web sites and in particular social media is becoming important, that is the expression of a persons or an organisations collective thoughts, opinions and information.

As I eluded in my post on Cup cakes and bunnies, the composite skill sets required to deliver these services has changed as the technology has changed. These composite skills now include a lot of those from marketing, communications and graphic design to name a few. Its getting the correct mix right for any given project that is critical for its success.

Yet we still refer to ourselves as the IT industry and not the ICT industry. It seems strange to me.

Cup cakes and bunnies

By Nick Hortovanyi

When I was a young programmer, the key punch ladies used to make cup cakes for the rest of the IT department. All of us enjoyed them at morning tea time, as well as the corresponding witty and fun conversation that was part of that daily ritual.

What happened of course is that we, being IT, were slowly automating the data entry processes and no new key punch ladies were being employed, at least during the years that I worked at the organisation. The ladies used to remind us, every now and then, that if we worked too hard, there might not be anything left for them to do. I moved on, into different pastures and always just assumed that those lovely ladies retired, still happy (I never did find out, something I must do one day).

This has always stuck in my mind, that as the technology progresses, the social and composite nature of teams change, to match the new potential that has been enabled. As they do evolve, you need to be mindful of people but you also can't keep delaying change. I don't hear of organisations now, that still have a separate key punch group, in their IT department. What about you?

Why don't we have them now? We'll communication technology has improved and now IT departments are invariably known as ICT (Information and Communication Technology) departments. The communication allows once manual processes to be automated. The internet, allows exchange of information between organisations, so reports aren't printed in one organisation (or department) that needs to be re-keyed into a computer in another organisation.

Since the internet is now becoming mainstream and increasingly being used to communicate, all sorts of useful knowledge and information, it has encroached on more traditional means of communication. A companies' web presence is in many circumstances the first point of call for new or existing customers. It may no longer be a brochure or some form of advertising. This has meant that the marketing and public relations persons, want to ensure that these internet based presences are executed properly; that is they portray the correct corporate image and messaging. This isn't an easy task to achieve and if you think about it, there is potential for tension between the different disciplines.

Over the last while, social media has come to the forefront. Who should drive the strategy? Who owns it? What is the nature of the skill sets required to successfully deliver it? What do you do if someone in your organisation says something they shouldn't have? (yes, a lot more people are writing things about or for your organisation)

Well I've recognised for a while, that you need a composite set of skills spanning multiple disciplines including marketing to address the aforementioned questions. Yes, us IT guys now need to work with the marketing bunnies ( a term I use with endearment), copy, usability, graphic designers etc. All those people that help make the experience better for the consumer of the medium being used.

Social media is moving rather quickly now, and I was reminded of some of this potential for tension that has been rising between the different disciplines as they seek to take ownership last weekend. I found this blog post "Why your IT person shouldn't manage your social media!" written by Diane Lee and as you can see it wasn't IT getting upset at Marketing but the other way round. It hit a note with me, and I tweeted about what a Marketing Bunny was saying about the social capabilities of IT persons. We'll you can tell by the comments on that post, that it hit the same note with a number of others. However, we were willing to help bridge these gaps if we saw a sincere apology (the apology happened, can read the post here).

Taryn Hicks was concerned about the implications of the original entry written by Diane and wrote "Why Marketing and ICT should work together on social media: a response to mosaic communications". It is well worth reading, as well as the comments.

New composite teams are required, to master not only implementing social media, but also with responding to the implications. There are no text books for where we are going, just etiquette, common sense and trust through sharing our knowledge openly. Those that share, are those that are respected by the communities they are involved in. Those that break the unwritten rules, are given another chance, as long as things aren't swept away under the carpet. Mistakes are shown, so that others may learn. Maybe that's where our text books are now, on the internet, held in conversations on twitter, in online forums and on blog entries? Continuously being appended to as we learn more!

Communication and Control

By Nick Hortovanyi

"The present time is the age of communication and control."

(from Cybernetics, 1948)

Norbert Wiener wrote Cybernetics in 1948. Cybernetics, Second Edition 1965 is still available from Amazon.

But what amazes me is the quote is still true now. Some sixty odd years later.

How has the internet changed communication? What barriers still control your communication?

I certainly am, enjoying using various new communications capabilities on the net. This blog is a case in point. Yet, I find many are hesitant to write their own. Is it fear, or a societal or generational expectation that controls others from not utilising this communication mechanism or others available on the internet?

I'm interested in your thoughts.

Getting out of Email Jail - Email Jail Bail

By Nick Hortovanyi

We've been cutting back on email for a while. Today, Alex has written an excellent wiki entry on Email Jail. So if you have an overcrowded inbox, and who doesn't now a days that is sitting in a large organisation, check out Alex's solution overview being Email Jail Bail. In it Alex is proposing to use a Wiki as the means of getting out.

Now if you think there are other solutions for Email Jail, you can register and update the wiki yourself. For those not inclined to register there is an open discussion page (well open at this time).

Using a Wiki in this way enables many to many communication, removing potentially a lot of duplicated email communication in an organisation.

Cutting back on email

By Nick Hortovanyi

There are a lot of people I know that are bombarded with email and for many of them it has become one of those dreaded daily chores. It is even worse when left unchecked for a period of time. I've heard a new term that aptly describes this phenomenon as "Email Jail".

Luis Suarez, a Social Software Evangelist from IBM, has been actively experimenting on "Giving up on Work e-mail". His status report for Week 4 makes for a very interesting read. I've been communicating with him through twitter on this subject and he still receives email but then actively encourages conversation through other means and tools.

About a year ago,  I wrote about email, in a blog entry titled "Email that's what I use to talk to my Grandfather" inferring that the newer generations entering the workforce, or indeed currently working in it, expect more modern tools for communicating then just emails. Invariable, they use other tools to communicate to their friends and associates but revert to email to communicate to their older relatives. A year on I've seen a steady rise in the usage of sites like facebook from within the confines of the corporate work environment. Some organisations have embraced these off-premise communication means and some have blocked them. But for both, email is an issue. The availability of which now has a critical impact on daily operations.

We actively use Lotus Sametime for our daily work, Alex has written up a blog entry on his experiences with it. This enables us to minimise our email usage, to really offline communication (Offline Sametime would be good IBM) or to information that we need to send external to other organisations. Everybody I show Sametime to, is impressed with it as we can also share screens (take control of other screens), use white boards and quickly capture screen shots and snippets in a conversation to expand meaning.

Now we are also experimenting with a wiki server for public and offline "walled garden" communication and it is open to others, who register, to collaborate on content with us. More on this later in another blog entry, as I see this as being an ongoing exercise.

For us, we lose productivity if our Lotus Sametime services is not available, thus it would be more critical for us to have that facility operational than email.

So if you are stuck in "Email Jail" the first step is to acknowledge it and the second step is to find other means to communicate. Even picking the phone up can be an escape (we'd prefer to use a VOIP service like Skype over traditional  landlines).