Innovation

..., or Creativity (I'm not sure which is which sometimes), can't be forced. We don't always know which ideas will stick, but if we take the shotgun approach (or the brute force approach) and try to make innovative or creative products we will fail (at least most of the time).

That's what I think Google's problem has been. Do you understand Google+ ? I certainly don't. It's not as intuitive as Facebook or Twitter and it doesn't seem to be working. Add it to the list of many failed Google ideas. I actually liked Wave--at least I thought the idea had merit even if the production was a loss--but not all "good ideas" pan out.

Apple has been successful for 10 years as a tremendously innovative producer. This was certainly attributable to Jobs but I think that the Apple culture is different too. Google's culture is more like Microsoft's and although Google will continue to be a large and successful company for many years, I'm pessimistic that we'll see much more innovation from them. Not that they won't try (nor and I suggesting that they should not try), but we may find their innovative products to be more surprise and less expectation.

Mark Cuban, however, is one who always seems to have simple, good, and creative ideas

It's been a long time

Since I've written anything here. Maybe I will start again. Writing is a skill that needs to be practiced and is (for most, probably) a useful therapy. For some, writing is a requirement for sanity. But those that must write, usually, are writers proper. I've once been a runner, which has its own obsessions, but the outlet provided by running can be substituted with other good things (for me: kids, reading). So, I'm not a writer (as in a must-writer), but I will try to write more.

My last post was on the NCAA T&F championships two years ago. Next year Texas A&M, a school for which I have a natural affection, joins the SEC (along with Missouri). This will be adventuresome in many regards, but excellent for Track & Field. Texas A&M and LSU are two of the best T&F programs in the nation and the rivalry should be well worth watching.

Back to writing: Twitter gets a bad rap, but I like it a lot. I think it has many implications in the news and reporting field (good, hopefully) but for the rest of us it's like a permanent writing assignment. Can I take my thoughts and publish them in useful, succinct, and (hopefully) beautiful presentations of 140 characters (or less)? And using standard grammar, of course. Twitter, when used appropriately, can be like jogging for the brain.