Evolution of the Web

While it is foolish to imagine we can label the variations in the World Wide Web like we label software versions, it is a good idea to throw up the occasional sign post as a means of tracking the progress of the internet. As with any large, complex organized system, the internet will evolve. While I have never been a champion of "bleeding edge" technology, it is important to understand where the changes in technology have taken us. As business becomes more dependent on the incredible communications capability inherent to the internet, it is mandatory that we keep abreast of changes and developments so that we can be best positioned to take advantage of new technologies.

First, let's look at where we have been and where we are now:

Web 1.0: Where We Were (ca. 1994-2004):

• HTML Web pages


• Browsers


• E-mail becomes ubiquitous as business tool


• Online stores


• Search engines


• Dot-com boom (and bust!)

Web 2.0: Where We Are (ca. 2004 – present)

• Fast connections enable more vibrant content


• User generation of much of that content


• Online sales become a measurable and increasingly important part of the economy


• Key words to enhance search engine position


• Click-through advertising


• Social networking sites – MySpace, YouTube, etc. – create online communities and vastly enhance online marketing (including viral marketing)


• Wikis


• Wireless devices

And now that we are just getting used to Web 2.0 and all paradigm shift that has provided a forum for everyone from genius to wacko, there is a small percentage that is already discussing Web 3.0.

I am not negating the importance of looking ahead. Quite to the contrary. Forward thinking people are the pioneers that will open new terrain on the internet frontier. But, since my clients expect me to stay ahead of the curve for them, I will herein post my thoughts on what will be called Web 3.0.

First, Web 3.0 will begin to see the real birth of the semantic web. The current web requires human command and control to determine the usefulness of content, the semantic web is "...a vision of information that is understandable by computers, so that they can perform more of the tedious work involved in finding, sharing and combining information on the web." The architectural foundations for this shift will be laid soon as the necessary means of tracking user informational preferences are being understood through such social data experiments as Digg and other bookmarking sites.

Artificial intelligence will begin to take a larger role on the internet. Early versions of AI can be found on most dating web sites as the programmers attempt to expand their ability to understand and communicate with people in these environments. Current AI systems are limited to simple response and answer relationships but will continue to expand and evolve as more data becomes available to them. I am not predicting the birth of the HAL 9000 by any stretch of the imagination, but continued advances in AI will begin to reap real benefits for regular users.

Web 3.0 will also extend the reach of web-based applications such as Google Apps. New technology will "close the connection loop" with these web based applications by allowing users the ability to utilize those applications even when they are disconnected from the internet. Once this functionality is deployed, a larger percentage of the business world will adopt these online applications.

Also we will see a blurring of the lines between web users. The web will become a true communal medium where the most timely and well-accepted opinions and ideas will gain credence. In essence, the web will become a truly democratic marketplace for ideas. The freely written opinions of users will have the same power as the marketing budgets of multinational corporations. Credibility will become the real currency of the web as those who establish themselves as experts in a field of knowledge will have greater sway over subscribed opinions.

Essentially, Web 3.0 will be an extension of Web 2.0 concepts and ideology with further growth in online applications capability. If you have an idea for how this might benefit your business then I recommend you contact me so we can start making plans for you to take advantage.

Sources:
1) bMighty.Com Article: Web 3.0
2) Wikipedia: Web 3.0
3) PC Magazine Article: Web 3.0

More Thoughts On Innovation

As part of a response to a question on LinkedIn, I wrote:

Innovation is more about a company mindset than anything formalized. Either you encourage your employees to come up with new solutions and improvements or you tell them to shut-up and do their jobs. I have always run my company with the attitude that anyone can propose a new idea, process, invention, whatever to me and, if they have thought it out and developed a realistic deployment plan, and it doesn't cost a fortune, I am willing to try just about anything.

For example, my Chief Engineer came to me recently with an idea to develop a consumer electronics device. Since we had just about everything he needed and the cost for the prototype was about $200, I gave him the go ahead to develop the product. Two weeks and fourteen versions later, we are in the process of negotiating with manufacturers for mass production of the product. If we play our cards right, this product will become a new revenue center.

Most companies don't perform any R&D because they don't always have the staff, experience or the open-minded attitude required for successful innovation. But it is those very companies most capable of flexible, purposeful change that succeed. Start developing that mindset in your business, but don't sell your soul! Cautious, rational, intelligent, reasonable change that never loses sight of your long term business goals is the key to success. Change just for the sake of change is never good. What you are looking for is that happy medium; that elusive middle ground that will balance out to a net positive.

Easy to do? No. But if you can manage it, if you can pull it off, then it will be incredibly valuable to you and your business operation. Good luck!

Five Methods for Layered Security

Friday's edition of The New York Times newspaper announced the discovery by a team of scientists from Princeton University that Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) chips could be made to retain their data for an extended period of time after being powered down if the chips are cooled. In the experiments, the RAM chips were cooled using an inexpensive can of compressed air, and scientists were still able to extract information from the chips, including the complex encryption keys used to decode files.

By cooling the chips, the data is literally frozen in place. Then it was just a matter of reading the strings of zeros and ones that make up the information stored on the chip. From the billions of bits of data, the scientists were able to identify and extract their private encryption keys. This new discovery has industry experts clamoring over this wide loophole in computer security. However, when you think about it, this issue is only related to IT security in the sense that a computer chip is involved. In fact, this is primarily a physical security issue. If the would-be thief cannot access the physical computer chip, there is no threat.

The most successful way to protect anything is with a layered security approach. No one method will solve all problems, so you adopt multiple methods to deal with different weaknesses. First and foremost, let us all agree that the only 100% secure computer is one that is disconnected from everything and is turned off. Granted, that is not a very useful computer.

The architecture of a layered security for your computers starts with a solid, reliable and reputable firewall. A firewall restricts access to certain types of network traffic. A hardware firewall sits on your network right at the point of internet entry and the software firewalls protect all the network computers. I do not recommend a software firewall on a server as your primary means of defense because you open the server to direct attack. By controlling what has access, you can eliminate most problems.

If something sneaks past your firewall, you need an Intrusion Detection System (IDS). There are different approaches for making IDS work on a network. The most typical method is based on signature matching. Every internet threat has a signature which can be thought of as early warning symptoms. An IDS system constantly monitors your network looking for these early warning signs, then alerts you when it discovers a problem.

Finally, install anti-virus software on every machine and you have a solid IT security foundation. If you still need to have the virtues of anti-virus software explained to you then you are still relatively new to the internet. Anti-virus is mandatory now. To further expand your defenses, you need to spend time and resources educating your staff in proper internet behaviors that will reduce risks. This includes not opening email attachments from unknown senders to avoiding many adult-oriented websites.

But all of these practices only protect against virtual threats. A physical security system still needs to be put in place to protect the physical equipment. I have seen companies that spend a fortune on virtual security but then leave the door to the server room unlocked. Strict guidelines need to be in place for who gets access to the equipment that runs your business.

I am not downplaying the brilliant discoveries of the Princeton University team. What I am arguing is that this is not an IT security issue, but a physical security issue. If the would be thief cannot get the RAM chips, then there is no chance of them stealing the information off the chip. If you can control access to the equipment then you limit the threat. So, start adding layers to your security. The more layers of protection you can throw between your data and a thief the greater likelihood you will stay safe and secure.

Sources:

Markoff, John. "Researchers Find Way to Steal Encrypted Data" The New York Times Published Feb 22, 2008; internet edition;

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/22/technology/22chip.html; retrieved Feb 25, 2008

Pre-Recession IT Spending

Endre Voros, a colleague from Seattle recently asked a question on LinkedIn which I found interesting: How do companies rationalize IT spending given a looming recession?

This question assumes the mindset that IT is solely a cost center. However, if you start viewing IT as the core infrastructure that drives profits, enhances productivity and improves efficiency, then IT becomes even more important during a recession.

Unfortunately too many organizations are locked into the mindset that IT is a necessary evil. This is largely because of sour past relationships with IT consultants or an IT staff that treats the business network like a personal playground. I have worked in environments where the IT staff routinely eats up massive chunks of bandwidth and network resources because they are battling it out on World of Warcraft or some other video game. The hardest part of my job is converting C-level executives to a positive opinion about information technology. Don't get me wrong, I have yet to meet the executive that willingly parts with his or her Blackberry or laptop, but those are viewed as tools for personal productivity not as part of an overall infrastructure.

But getting them to buy into knowledge management, business intelligence, customer relationship management and a whole host of other systems becomes increasingly difficult because of past experience. They all remember being bitten by past salesmen who over-promised and under-delivered.

The problem is that most C-suite executives seem to be looking for a "magic bullet" that will solve every problem. I don't blame them; I blame the ever-popular management books. Many of which don't take into account the reality that most medium to large businesses started as a small-business which then grew over time. As the company grew, new processes are adopted organically. These processes are developed by harried workers that need to develop a quick solution without knowledge or understanding of the larger issues involved. How often does the order entry clerk know how his work effects what happens in the warehouse?

I am sorry to say but there are no magic bullets. There is no "one-size-fits-all" solution. Management book authors come up with these great systems that sound fantastic on paper but are not practical in every situation that confronts you. The problem is when executives become fanatics for a single system and will not budge away from it.

Flexibility is the key to success. No two businesses operate the same way. To best advance the cause of your company and to further business goals, you must work within the existing process sets, company practices, policies and corporate culture to positively effect change. This is not to say there isn't room for improvements, but it is likely that your business faces challenges that are specific to how you do business, and that these challenges are not address by your management books.

I think the real goal of good IT is to effect positive change within the organization while working with existing conditions.



Check out Endre's profile on Linked In: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/1/aa4/3a
Check out my profile too: http://www.linkedin.com/in/louisrosas


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SEO Section: Business Technology Expert
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Join Me on Linked In

For those who are not yet familiar, LinkedIn is a social networking site aimed at career and business development. I have reconnected with many colleagues from past companies and I look forward to building new and exciting relationships.

Membership is free and you can start building your personal network immediately. I think it is well worth the effort.

Check out my profile by clicking below!

The Run Away Project of Doom

The first step to taking control of a run-away project is to evaluate your goals. What are the stated goals of the project? Now you need to figure out why these goals are not being met. Is it caused by poor planning? Poor performance? Inadequate resources? What?

Poor planning means you are in a world of misery. If you are just woefully unprepared for the job then you need to get to work and design a plan that will get the job done. The US Army teaches the 5 P's: Proper Planning and Preparation Prevents Problems. Get a plan together ASAP and get to work. Once you have your deployment plan you have to reset everything and start fresh. Good luck, but chances are you will catch endless flak for this error.

If you are plagued by poor performance from your team or suppliers then you need to look into replacing them. With the current job market in most parts of the world you can make very valid threats about firings. You don't need to be a bully but some people just don't fit into every work environment. Don't let personal relationships hinder you in this process either. I have had to fire some of my closest friends because of poor job performance. Needless to say, we aren't friends anymore, but I blame them for that.

Whatever you do, don't be too quick to blame resources! In many cases you are asked to perform the impossible and are only offered limited tools. It happens. But this is when you need to get creative! If MacGyver could escape from anything with a paperclip then you should be able to develop an escape plan for your current predicament. First, you need to know what why you are implementing this project. What purpose does it serve? Who are you trying to please? What goals are there for this new system? Once you have that data, you need to narrow your focus to the absolute core requirements and ignore the "pie in the sky" features/requests that always seem to get included in every project. Once you know the real purpose you can start getting creative.

For example, one of our clients needed a computer server at a remote warehouse facility. We were told explicitly that we could not spend any money at all. We examined the real functions that the server would perform and we divided them into core requirements and requested capabilities. Then we narrowed down the core requirements into basic functionality statements. So, for example, the server needed to capture data from the shipping terminals which translates into the functionality statement: "retrieve and store data." Once we burrowed down to the real functional requirements, we realized all we needed was something that could store files for a short time then transmit them somewhere else. So, we simply configured an external hard drive to run Linux, connected it to the network and created our very own $150 micro-server. We solved the problem by focusing on the heart of the requirements and ignored all the ancilliary functions that our client could live without.

Is this the ideal way to work? No. But that doesn't mean that it won't work. Just get your team together and have a serious discussion to identify the real core requirements of the project. Then focus on getting those requirements implemented in a logical sequence. Additional features and gizmos can be added in later on, as needed.

No one ever wants to hear about why you failed. Don't waste time on useless behavior, such as assigning blame. Instead spend your energy and resources on solving the problem. Then no one gets blamed.

The Three Most Important People

Whenever I do business with any company, I make it a point to meet the three most important people. These are the people the really know what is going on within the company every day. They have the most direct knowledge of daily activities and long term corporate strategy. When you go into any business, as a consultant or employee, make sure you meet all three.

The first is the most obvious. This is the person that signs the checks. Make sure you meet whomever it is that signs your pay check. Get to know them and establish a rapport. Chances are in a SMB environment this is also the business owner. From this person you will learn long term business strategy and the overall direction of the organization. By getting to know the owner of the business you will also get a good picture of the future of the company. If the owner is smart, dynamic, organized and passionate then chances are the company will go far. If the owner is lazy, arrogant and any other combination of negatives then you know what's coming.

The second person to meet is the individual responsible for cutting checks. I think you recognize the pattern so far. Basically, it is important to be friendly with the people that make sure you get paid. Before I became a consultant I always made it a point to be very friendly with the folks in the HR department. By getting to know the person that actually creates your checks you will get an idea for company finances. Is the company playing smart and safe with their money? Are they spending wisely or are they throwing money away on expensive office furniture? By becoming friendly with the person that writes the checks you will be able to learn the financial status of the business.

The third, and in many ways, most important person to get to know is the janitor. By this I mean whoever's job it is to clean up at night. This is the person that will tell you everything about the people in the office. For some reason, most people never speak to janitors, but they are an amazing resource for information about the people in a company. They know everything about everyone and are usually the best source for office gossip. They can tell you what coffee brand the director of marketing prefers, or they can tell you the gatekeeper's favorite flowers. They are knowledgeable about all the personality quirks of everyone in the office. By forging a good relationship with the janitor you will learn about potential allies and troublemakers.

By knowing these three primary players in any business you are in a position to have an inside track. The Check Signer will know about company strategy, long term plans and current goals. The Check Writer can talk about finances, spending, investments and cash flow. The Janitor knows the personalities of everyone at work and he will also know their secrets. By forging alliances with all three of these people you will gain a sizable advantage in any business environment.

Taking Ownership

In any organization there are jobs that need to get done. These jobs are usually defined by the table of organization. The sales department handles prospecting, customer service deals with irate customers and so on. However, there are the inevitable situations where jobs are orphaned. These tasks must be handled by someone somewhere but they become a corporate hot potato. And in not time flat, these jobs become the source of frustration and fighting between departments as everyone battles desperately to ensure that they do not get blamed for dropping the ball.

I see this most often during the deployment of new technology systems. No one wants the aggravation or the extra work involved in taking ownership of a new project. Usually this happens because senior management makes a decision to implement something new without assigning responsibility for oversight. So, there I am looking for someone that can answer questions or make decisions that could affect the entire corporation. How am I supposed to know if you prefer FIFO or LIFO?

This is why it is important for companies to always assign someone that is responsible for a project. Incidentally, they must also have the corresponding authority to make decisions for the company! There is nothing that will guarantee frustration and failure faster than forcing someone to shoulder a responsibility without also granting them the authority to see it through. Responsibility without power just slows everyone down because every time a decision must be made, the responsible party runs to find someone else to make the choice.

This is why many IT projects fail. Just like the famous quote says, "victory has a hundred fathers, but defeat is an orphan." It seems that many projects are doomed to failure from the beginning because everyone in a position to make a difference is too busy running from potential failure. When stated in those terms it seems ridiculous, but I have seen it in more situations than I care to remember. I have seen Vice Presidents that rule their departments like feudal lords run for cover when a new project is announced. They hedge and try to work every angle to push the project onto someone else. They claim they are too busy, too poorly funded or too under-staffed. Strangely, these are usually the same executives that will make my life complicated with ridiculous requests and demands. These executives are not taking ownership of the project and are part of the problem.

But what do I mean when I say someone has to take ownership of the project? Always remember that power can not be given or transferred. Power must be seized. If the person given the responsibility and authority never takes ownership of the project, they will never be anything more than a caretaker. They will be afraid to make decisions and will run to their supervisor for answers in a perpetual CYA game. Unless someone takes ownership of the project, the likelihood of success declines drastically.