How do you like to be introduced to a new technology?
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...and I don't mean formally introduced and handed a business card. We're having a debate in the office about a technology. Let's call it Technology X. Technology X solves a bunch of issues with its main competitors: Technology Y and Technology Z. However, it's about as exciting as laundry detergent. So given that it's hard work learning new technologies, and given there's roughly 5,639 new versions of any given technology coming out daily, and given that we're all way too busy trying to actually get work done, how do you introduce a new way of doing the same thing to a developer? Especially when it can truly save that developer a lot of time (and money) Do you: 1. Write an article about technology X and hope someone reads it? 2. Have a webinar and hope someone has 30-60 mins to have you on their second monitor while they have lunch? 3. Write an article about Technology Y and Z, and then introduce Technology X and show how it solves the issues with Y and Z 4. Make a post in an online forum. (and risk the wrath of the Spam button - this one is obviously a tricky one) 5. Scout the question and answer forums and when you see a question best answered with "Use Technology X", jump in 6. Make some posts on your Facebook page, your Google+ page, or Tweet about it 7. Post a blog and just hope others searching the same issues you've found that Technology X solves find it 8. Sky writing 9. Something else Getting our attention is *hard*. I tend to follow a new technology lead if I can almost immediately "get" why it's useful to me, but I also have about a nano-second I'm willing to commit to something unknown that sounds like something else already around. So what works best for you? How do you prefer to hear about new stuff?
cheers Chris Maunder
Do you want to know how I like to introduced to a new technology, or how I like to introduce new technologies? Your OP seems to be asking both, but sticking to the subject line, I like to be dropped in the deep end (you can probably call this a depth-first traversal), under pressure. Like I have been this last week on an Angular project, where I had previously only read a very tiny bit about Angular. Left to my own devices, the perfectionist in me tries to learn everything properly first, where when I really must deliver, I might even skip trying to read and analyse code, and just jump in and run it to see how it works, and what effects my changes make. I then take a more in depth, breadth-first, traversal in my own time, picking maybe one cross cutting aspect of the new tech, and explore that speculatively.
No object is so beautiful that, under certain conditions, it will not look ugly. - Oscar Wilde
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...and I don't mean formally introduced and handed a business card. We're having a debate in the office about a technology. Let's call it Technology X. Technology X solves a bunch of issues with its main competitors: Technology Y and Technology Z. However, it's about as exciting as laundry detergent. So given that it's hard work learning new technologies, and given there's roughly 5,639 new versions of any given technology coming out daily, and given that we're all way too busy trying to actually get work done, how do you introduce a new way of doing the same thing to a developer? Especially when it can truly save that developer a lot of time (and money) Do you: 1. Write an article about technology X and hope someone reads it? 2. Have a webinar and hope someone has 30-60 mins to have you on their second monitor while they have lunch? 3. Write an article about Technology Y and Z, and then introduce Technology X and show how it solves the issues with Y and Z 4. Make a post in an online forum. (and risk the wrath of the Spam button - this one is obviously a tricky one) 5. Scout the question and answer forums and when you see a question best answered with "Use Technology X", jump in 6. Make some posts on your Facebook page, your Google+ page, or Tweet about it 7. Post a blog and just hope others searching the same issues you've found that Technology X solves find it 8. Sky writing 9. Something else Getting our attention is *hard*. I tend to follow a new technology lead if I can almost immediately "get" why it's useful to me, but I also have about a nano-second I'm willing to commit to something unknown that sounds like something else already around. So what works best for you? How do you prefer to hear about new stuff?
cheers Chris Maunder
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...and I don't mean formally introduced and handed a business card. We're having a debate in the office about a technology. Let's call it Technology X. Technology X solves a bunch of issues with its main competitors: Technology Y and Technology Z. However, it's about as exciting as laundry detergent. So given that it's hard work learning new technologies, and given there's roughly 5,639 new versions of any given technology coming out daily, and given that we're all way too busy trying to actually get work done, how do you introduce a new way of doing the same thing to a developer? Especially when it can truly save that developer a lot of time (and money) Do you: 1. Write an article about technology X and hope someone reads it? 2. Have a webinar and hope someone has 30-60 mins to have you on their second monitor while they have lunch? 3. Write an article about Technology Y and Z, and then introduce Technology X and show how it solves the issues with Y and Z 4. Make a post in an online forum. (and risk the wrath of the Spam button - this one is obviously a tricky one) 5. Scout the question and answer forums and when you see a question best answered with "Use Technology X", jump in 6. Make some posts on your Facebook page, your Google+ page, or Tweet about it 7. Post a blog and just hope others searching the same issues you've found that Technology X solves find it 8. Sky writing 9. Something else Getting our attention is *hard*. I tend to follow a new technology lead if I can almost immediately "get" why it's useful to me, but I also have about a nano-second I'm willing to commit to something unknown that sounds like something else already around. So what works best for you? How do you prefer to hear about new stuff?
cheers Chris Maunder
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Dinner and a nice bottle of wine, followed by a good chat with a glass [or seven] of brandy.
veni bibi saltavi
Then you start to work?
Every day, thousands of innocent plants are killed by vegetarians. Help end the violence EAT BACON
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Then you start to work?
Every day, thousands of innocent plants are killed by vegetarians. Help end the violence EAT BACON
Simon_Whale wrote:
work
What's that?
veni bibi saltavi
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Then you start to work?
Every day, thousands of innocent plants are killed by vegetarians. Help end the violence EAT BACON
Simon_Whale wrote:
Then you start to work?
..on the Gin!
If the brain were so simple we could understand it, we would be so simple we couldn't. — Lyall Watson
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...and I don't mean formally introduced and handed a business card. We're having a debate in the office about a technology. Let's call it Technology X. Technology X solves a bunch of issues with its main competitors: Technology Y and Technology Z. However, it's about as exciting as laundry detergent. So given that it's hard work learning new technologies, and given there's roughly 5,639 new versions of any given technology coming out daily, and given that we're all way too busy trying to actually get work done, how do you introduce a new way of doing the same thing to a developer? Especially when it can truly save that developer a lot of time (and money) Do you: 1. Write an article about technology X and hope someone reads it? 2. Have a webinar and hope someone has 30-60 mins to have you on their second monitor while they have lunch? 3. Write an article about Technology Y and Z, and then introduce Technology X and show how it solves the issues with Y and Z 4. Make a post in an online forum. (and risk the wrath of the Spam button - this one is obviously a tricky one) 5. Scout the question and answer forums and when you see a question best answered with "Use Technology X", jump in 6. Make some posts on your Facebook page, your Google+ page, or Tweet about it 7. Post a blog and just hope others searching the same issues you've found that Technology X solves find it 8. Sky writing 9. Something else Getting our attention is *hard*. I tend to follow a new technology lead if I can almost immediately "get" why it's useful to me, but I also have about a nano-second I'm willing to commit to something unknown that sounds like something else already around. So what works best for you? How do you prefer to hear about new stuff?
cheers Chris Maunder
Your question seems to me to have more than one "dimension," but the "primary flavor" I experience in it seems to be about how you might persuade others to become motivated to use a new technology; secondarily, the question seems to be about what motivates you to be willing to try a new technology. What motivates me to examine new technologies are: 1. the opinions of folks I respect; an example might be a mention of some interesting technology here on CP by Marc Clifton, or Pete O'; or, a mention on Scott Hanselman's e-mail newsletter. 2. something "catches my eye" in the e-mail newsletters I sub to, like CP's Insider News: Kent has a keen sense of what might interest me, I find ... of course, I suspect he's also doing what he does for others as well :) 3. sometimes I get "fed up" with some existing techno-kerfluffle I am using and go actively looking for a replacement: that's how I found the WinForms TreeView control (IntegralUI TreeView) from Lidor Systems several years ago; I was at wit's-end trying to bend that mangy dog of a TreeView supplied by Sauron of Redmond to my will. How might I persuade others to adopt a new-thing-under-the-sun: ? : oh boy, I think I'm lucky I haven't faced that challenge. If said "new-thing" was a commercial product (expensive) I'd sure be looking for a way to try-out a test version, or, if possible, to have a demo by the company ... that's very easy for me to say, but, possibly, very difficult for others to actually do if your business is keeping something going that is large and very complex and which does not lend itself to experimentation, or replication for testing. cheers, Bill
«I want to stay as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all kinds of things you can't see from the center» Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
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We're developers; when we need something, we develop it ourselves. That way we get exactly what we need. Rather than something else that someone else thinks we might need -- that provides only the most basic least-common-denominator functionality. I'm not interested in any of Technology X, Y, or Z. I have no patience for so-called "developers" who run off to the 'net to look for solutions to every little challenge they face.
This is the dumbest thing I have heard all day. I truly hope you were joking. :sigh:
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...and I don't mean formally introduced and handed a business card. We're having a debate in the office about a technology. Let's call it Technology X. Technology X solves a bunch of issues with its main competitors: Technology Y and Technology Z. However, it's about as exciting as laundry detergent. So given that it's hard work learning new technologies, and given there's roughly 5,639 new versions of any given technology coming out daily, and given that we're all way too busy trying to actually get work done, how do you introduce a new way of doing the same thing to a developer? Especially when it can truly save that developer a lot of time (and money) Do you: 1. Write an article about technology X and hope someone reads it? 2. Have a webinar and hope someone has 30-60 mins to have you on their second monitor while they have lunch? 3. Write an article about Technology Y and Z, and then introduce Technology X and show how it solves the issues with Y and Z 4. Make a post in an online forum. (and risk the wrath of the Spam button - this one is obviously a tricky one) 5. Scout the question and answer forums and when you see a question best answered with "Use Technology X", jump in 6. Make some posts on your Facebook page, your Google+ page, or Tweet about it 7. Post a blog and just hope others searching the same issues you've found that Technology X solves find it 8. Sky writing 9. Something else Getting our attention is *hard*. I tend to follow a new technology lead if I can almost immediately "get" why it's useful to me, but I also have about a nano-second I'm willing to commit to something unknown that sounds like something else already around. So what works best for you? How do you prefer to hear about new stuff?
cheers Chris Maunder
If I read about a technology that I think may be useful for what I am attempting to accomplish, I will investigate it and if I find it easy to implement, I’ll use it. This also applies to existing technology. Sometimes language “X’ or device “can’t live without” already has the solution I need, already tested and worked out. Kind of like the best person for the job gets the job.
It was broke, so I fixed it.
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Chris Maunder wrote:
ven there's roughly 5,639 new versions of any given technology coming out daily
and THIS is your problem. Yes, yours - coz information/technology overload is and issue in the IT education/info field. Bryce p.s - personally? --- I'm in a smoky bar (or was before the greenie leftie pinko commie subversives had smoking banned in bars) knocking back a government approved beer (coz the pinkos lefties commie subversives haven't had *that* banned yet) One of my mates nudges me and points out the babe in the corner who has been checking me out - I'd missed it coz I'm a pretty oblivious kinda guy - wrapped up in my own compiler as some might say. So some stage later I sashay over to the bar (because its "my round" - remember that phrase Chris - its an important one) and and bump into her. Say Hi and its right about then then I find out she's all annoyingly bright and perky and bubbly and wont STFU - dumb as a doorknob - awww crap she's an Apple product.
MCAD ---
I'm picturing you sashaying up to a babe in the corner of the room after you've had a few. That would be worth paying money to watch.
cheers Chris Maunder
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...and I don't mean formally introduced and handed a business card. We're having a debate in the office about a technology. Let's call it Technology X. Technology X solves a bunch of issues with its main competitors: Technology Y and Technology Z. However, it's about as exciting as laundry detergent. So given that it's hard work learning new technologies, and given there's roughly 5,639 new versions of any given technology coming out daily, and given that we're all way too busy trying to actually get work done, how do you introduce a new way of doing the same thing to a developer? Especially when it can truly save that developer a lot of time (and money) Do you: 1. Write an article about technology X and hope someone reads it? 2. Have a webinar and hope someone has 30-60 mins to have you on their second monitor while they have lunch? 3. Write an article about Technology Y and Z, and then introduce Technology X and show how it solves the issues with Y and Z 4. Make a post in an online forum. (and risk the wrath of the Spam button - this one is obviously a tricky one) 5. Scout the question and answer forums and when you see a question best answered with "Use Technology X", jump in 6. Make some posts on your Facebook page, your Google+ page, or Tweet about it 7. Post a blog and just hope others searching the same issues you've found that Technology X solves find it 8. Sky writing 9. Something else Getting our attention is *hard*. I tend to follow a new technology lead if I can almost immediately "get" why it's useful to me, but I also have about a nano-second I'm willing to commit to something unknown that sounds like something else already around. So what works best for you? How do you prefer to hear about new stuff?
cheers Chris Maunder
Through someone I trust who has already vetted it so I don't have to wade through someone's bullshit social media marketing ploy.
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...and I don't mean formally introduced and handed a business card. We're having a debate in the office about a technology. Let's call it Technology X. Technology X solves a bunch of issues with its main competitors: Technology Y and Technology Z. However, it's about as exciting as laundry detergent. So given that it's hard work learning new technologies, and given there's roughly 5,639 new versions of any given technology coming out daily, and given that we're all way too busy trying to actually get work done, how do you introduce a new way of doing the same thing to a developer? Especially when it can truly save that developer a lot of time (and money) Do you: 1. Write an article about technology X and hope someone reads it? 2. Have a webinar and hope someone has 30-60 mins to have you on their second monitor while they have lunch? 3. Write an article about Technology Y and Z, and then introduce Technology X and show how it solves the issues with Y and Z 4. Make a post in an online forum. (and risk the wrath of the Spam button - this one is obviously a tricky one) 5. Scout the question and answer forums and when you see a question best answered with "Use Technology X", jump in 6. Make some posts on your Facebook page, your Google+ page, or Tweet about it 7. Post a blog and just hope others searching the same issues you've found that Technology X solves find it 8. Sky writing 9. Something else Getting our attention is *hard*. I tend to follow a new technology lead if I can almost immediately "get" why it's useful to me, but I also have about a nano-second I'm willing to commit to something unknown that sounds like something else already around. So what works best for you? How do you prefer to hear about new stuff?
cheers Chris Maunder
I use industry media to discover new technology concepts I don't yet know about. I use search engines when I'm looking for a particular implementation of one of those concepts. Since your technology is an evolution, make sure it shows up in the search engines, ideally because of word of mouth rather than an ad campaign. Also hit the industry press to get your name out there. And yes.. skywriting can work (well, actually, it was a plane towing a banner :)), but only because it was a novel way to advertise it.
We can program with only 1's, but if all you've got are zeros, you've got nothing.
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It takes one hell of a lot to break that non second barrier :laugh: I believe there are 2 types of developers, those who have a comfortable and deep knowledge of their day to day tools, and those who are constantly looking for "the latest" tool/tech/trend. Getting the attention of the first is almost impossible, keeping the attention of the second is just as difficult. There is a third group who will vacuum up the new tech, play with it and then write articles about it, these are the people you need to engage. Thankfully I live in the first group so bugger off! I think getting some well respected person/organisation to expound the benefits would be about the only way I think you could get through to the first group.
Never underestimate the power of human stupidity RAH
Kind of like -- Jack of all trades, master of none.
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...and I don't mean formally introduced and handed a business card. We're having a debate in the office about a technology. Let's call it Technology X. Technology X solves a bunch of issues with its main competitors: Technology Y and Technology Z. However, it's about as exciting as laundry detergent. So given that it's hard work learning new technologies, and given there's roughly 5,639 new versions of any given technology coming out daily, and given that we're all way too busy trying to actually get work done, how do you introduce a new way of doing the same thing to a developer? Especially when it can truly save that developer a lot of time (and money) Do you: 1. Write an article about technology X and hope someone reads it? 2. Have a webinar and hope someone has 30-60 mins to have you on their second monitor while they have lunch? 3. Write an article about Technology Y and Z, and then introduce Technology X and show how it solves the issues with Y and Z 4. Make a post in an online forum. (and risk the wrath of the Spam button - this one is obviously a tricky one) 5. Scout the question and answer forums and when you see a question best answered with "Use Technology X", jump in 6. Make some posts on your Facebook page, your Google+ page, or Tweet about it 7. Post a blog and just hope others searching the same issues you've found that Technology X solves find it 8. Sky writing 9. Something else Getting our attention is *hard*. I tend to follow a new technology lead if I can almost immediately "get" why it's useful to me, but I also have about a nano-second I'm willing to commit to something unknown that sounds like something else already around. So what works best for you? How do you prefer to hear about new stuff?
cheers Chris Maunder
Chris Maunder wrote:
Technology X solves a bunch of issues with its main competitors: Technology Y and Technology Z.
Claimed or proven? And what disadvantages does X introduce?
Chris Maunder wrote:
Especially when it can truly save that developer a lot of time (and money)
That is almost certainly a claim without any proof.
Chris Maunder wrote:
So what works best for you?
At least 99% of new technology is hokum. Very few new technologies actually prove out even in the mid-term usage. And one must then also deal with the following with the ones that succeed - Often there is little or no information on problem areas much less solutions - Usage of the new tech initially is almost always wrong. And refactoring adds cost. Consequently what works best for me is to let someone else do all the bleeding on the bleeding edge and I wait till they figure out how to at least apply bandages and even better avoid most of the sharp objects in the first place.
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...and I don't mean formally introduced and handed a business card. We're having a debate in the office about a technology. Let's call it Technology X. Technology X solves a bunch of issues with its main competitors: Technology Y and Technology Z. However, it's about as exciting as laundry detergent. So given that it's hard work learning new technologies, and given there's roughly 5,639 new versions of any given technology coming out daily, and given that we're all way too busy trying to actually get work done, how do you introduce a new way of doing the same thing to a developer? Especially when it can truly save that developer a lot of time (and money) Do you: 1. Write an article about technology X and hope someone reads it? 2. Have a webinar and hope someone has 30-60 mins to have you on their second monitor while they have lunch? 3. Write an article about Technology Y and Z, and then introduce Technology X and show how it solves the issues with Y and Z 4. Make a post in an online forum. (and risk the wrath of the Spam button - this one is obviously a tricky one) 5. Scout the question and answer forums and when you see a question best answered with "Use Technology X", jump in 6. Make some posts on your Facebook page, your Google+ page, or Tweet about it 7. Post a blog and just hope others searching the same issues you've found that Technology X solves find it 8. Sky writing 9. Something else Getting our attention is *hard*. I tend to follow a new technology lead if I can almost immediately "get" why it's useful to me, but I also have about a nano-second I'm willing to commit to something unknown that sounds like something else already around. So what works best for you? How do you prefer to hear about new stuff?
cheers Chris Maunder
10. wear t-shirts with hidden messages in binary :) A more serious answer tho: All the above :) (well with the exception of 6, nothing good can come of twatting about it). As you said getting our attention is hard, and we usually only go looking for something new when we need it. So the solution is simple: make us need it ;P . Personally, I'd like to view a short (and I do mean short, no longer than 10min) video about how and why this is something I need, and what it will fix / improve. After that I'll dig into it with an article (as long as the article has a working example that isn't overly complicated), webinar, anything I can get my hands on.
Tom
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I'm picturing you sashaying up to a babe in the corner of the room after you've had a few. That would be worth paying money to watch.
cheers Chris Maunder