Step into my cube at National Instruments and you are likely to find a myriad of monkey gear. From my Paul Frank Julius pillow to my super ape banana bank, there are primates abound (insert “you smell like one too” sing-song line).
However, the inspiration for this blog post (and my new outlook on teaching people about social media) stems from my fascination with a video I saw in a recent TEDs Talk.
About the Video: Susan Savage-Rumbaugh asks whether uniquely human traits, and other animals’ behaviors, are hardwired by species. Then she rolls a video that makes you think: maybe not. The bonobo apes she works with understand spoken English. One follows her instructions to take a cigarette lighter from her pocket and use it to start a fire. Bonobos are shown making tools, drawing symbols to communicate, and playing Pac-Man — all tasks learned just by watching. Maybe it’s not always biology that causes a species to act as it does, she suggests. Maybe it’s cultural exposure to how things are done.
As the world of social media continues to evolve, I want to explore its development with a community of up and coming geeks. Like Savage-Rumbaugh, I am going to find new was of communicating with smart beasts. Anyone for a game of Pac-Man?
I also want to use this blog forum as an educational playground for candlelight developers and small business owners looking to find innovative ways to connect to their users beyond the traditional marketing mix.
Finally, like any evangelist, I want to share my life lens with family, friends, colleagues, and the occasional Twitter connection.
So, sit back, relax and let me (sometimes known as DJD) spin a harmonious mix of technology, music and life in the ATX.
