My Thoughts About Farhad Manjoo
I wanted to share a comment I left on a blog about my Black Web 2.0 article about Slate's Farhad Manjoo's post entitled, "How Black People Use Twitter":
Venkat,
Thank you for your compliment about my article in Black Web 2.0. You perfectly captured the point I was trying to make. I do want to be clear that I think Manjoo had good intentions in writing his post on Slate. However, it is difficult to transcend the cultural views of the times in which one lives, and I believe that Manjoo's piece shows some of the stereotypes that American culture has about African Americans.
However, the best antidote to stereotypes is exposure. I hope that Manjoo does not shy away from writing about race in the future despite the beating he has taken over the past few days. A better response would be to view this as a teachable moment and engage in a more informed perspective about race.
An Explanation of my 2011 SXSW Panel Proposal
One of my most exciting speaking engagements was the opportunity to speak at the 2010 South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive Festival. I spoke (with my fabulous co-presenter Kami Watson Huyse) on the topic "How Social Media Can Destroy Your Business Model", and, just a few days later, Nestle provided a real life case study of the dangers I covered in my panel.
With your help, I can return to SXSW next year and talk about "What Comic Books Can Teach Mobile Application Designers". Voting starts August 9th, and I want to share a few points about why I think my proposal is worthy of your vote!
Mobile devices are small computers that instantly turn on and run programs called "apps". These apps allow you to do anything from tracking your budget to playing a beautifully rendered video game. The wide variety of things that can be done with apps coupled with the their low cost have made them very popular with consumers and lucrative for many developers. However, the popularity of apps and the relative ease with which they can be created have resulted in hundreds of badly designed programs. To put it bluntly, consumers don't buy ugly apps.
There are reasons the app store doesn’t look like this.
A well designed app not only looks good but intuitively teaches the user how it works. The obvious example of intuitive design is the iPhone which can be picked up and mastered by anyone whether they are eight or eighty years old.
This is intuitive design in handheld form.
Apple longed ago tapped into the power of icons and symbols. This may explain why their products are so popular. When you use an iPhone, you feel like you've been using it for your entire life.
There is another medium that taps into the power of icons and symbols: comic books. Comic books exist at the intersection of books and movies. They are more visual than books, but they lack the full motion of movies. Comic books use images to get the attention of the reader while still allowing her to "fill in the blanks" between the panels. Doing this effectively requires a mastery of the "language" of comic books which, like programming languages, have syntax, variables, and expressions.
Legendary comic book creator Will Eisner dissected the comic book language in his landmark book "Comics and Sequential Art" (first published in 1985). He described the syntax of panels, words, time, and flow as well as the variables of size and sequence.
My panel idea proposes that the language of comic books has direct application to the design of mobile apps. This idea crystallized one day when I walked into a comic book store and something that looked like this:
It reminded me of this:
Do you see the similarities? Do you notice how the rows and columns of comics resembles the rows and comics of apps in the Apple App Store? The covers of the comic books are meant to draw your eye, entice you to flip through one, and hopefully make a purchase. Similarly, the icons of the apps are meant to draw your eye, entice you to install one (assuming a free version is available), and hopefully purchase the full version. In both cases the process begins with a picture. Eisner outlines the design principles that make a great comic book cover, and they directly apply to what makes a great icon for an app.
However, comic books have more to teach mobile application developers than how to design icons for their apps. The design of the graphical user interface itself is ripe for lessons from Eisner. Ranging from the size, placement, and number of images in the GUI to the use of fonts, my panel will walk through various apps and point out how Eisner's principles were effectively (or, in some cases, ineffectively) applied. We will also look at code examples to see how to insert these design principles into your apps.
The panel will conclude with an examination of the parallels between the comic book industry and the mobile app industry. We'll see how comic books created by one person (like John Byrne) differed from those created by teams. This will be compared to apps designed by one person versus those created by a team. We will look at the rise of the independent comic book publishers mirrors that of independent app makers.
At the end of my panel you'll know how to throw some Eisner on your mobile application design!
I hope this gives you an idea of what I hope to present and discuss at South by Southwest Interactive. Everyone who votes will increase the chance that I have the privilge of going to Austin next year and sharing this idea! Follow these simple steps to cast your vote for my panel proposal:
1. Register using this link: http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/users/register
2. After you register, you’ll be sent an email to the email address you used during registration. Click the link in the email to confirm that you want to register.
3. Use this link to see my SXSW panel proposal:http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/ideas/view/6840
4. Click “Sign in” in the upper left hand corner and enter the username and password you entered during registration. You’ll be returned to my panel proposal.
5. Click the “Thumbs Up” image next to “Your Vote”.
6. A comment is optional, but I hope you will leave one so I can know you voted!
Thank you!
I’ve Joined the Black Web Media Team!
One of my life long dreams is to become a freelance writer covering the technology arena. This blog has helped me do that to a certain degree, but I wanted to be associated with a platform that was already operating at the highest levels of quality and reach. I was fortunate to meet Angela Benton in person at Blogging While Brown in Washington, DC, and I later asked her if I could join her company, Black Web Media. She graciously agreed to let me write for three of the company’s properties, Black Web 2.0, Young Black Professional, and Politic365. I am honored to have the opportunity to be a part of Black Web Media, and I look forward to growing as writer.
You can find my posts using the following links:
Announcing My Candidacy For a Best Black Weblog Award
The Black Weblog Awards are designed to recognize bloggers of the African diaspora who often don’t get the shine of other online awards. As stated on its website:
The Black Weblog Awards was founded in 2005 to give recognition to Black bloggers (and those of the African diaspora) which were largely overlooked by other Internet award events online. What started out as a barely-known event has now grown into an international showcase. With participants from over 90 countries, the Black Weblog Awards stands out as one of the most widespread Internet award events for Black bloggers.
I started writing my blog (www.AnjuanSimmons.com) on July 22nd, 2006. Since that day, I have published 90 posts (not counting this one). I have covered a variety of categories, but major themes have included technology (hence my tagline “Technology Translator) and minority advocacy.
I have always valued strong writing, and my blog reflects my desire to create well written articles instead of a large volume of posts. Therefore, I am asking everyone to vote for my blog in the category of “Best Writing”. You can vote for me here.
To give you a taste of the flavor of my blog, I’m including my personal top twenty favorite posts:
- Why the Format War is Meaningless. My thoughts about the long dead battle between HD DVD and Blu-Ray. Published September 25th, 2007.
- The New Girl’s Best Friend. My ponderings about female sexuality. Published September 14th, 2007.
- Technology Enabled Immortality. What if technology gave you the opportunity to never die? Published October 30th, 2007.
- Tech School: Backup Essentials. My post about how to backup your computer data. Published November 17th, 2007.
- 11 Tech Predictions for 2008. I got a few things right, but this is why I don’t do prediction posts anymore! Published December 31st, 2007.
- 4 Rules for Driving with Technology. I recognized more than two years ago the danger of using technology while operating a motor vehicle, and I wrote this post to provide a few simple rules. Published January 1st, 2008.
- Black, Male, and in IT. My thoughts about being a minority working in the technology field. Published January 8th, 2008.
- 7 Geekintine Tips. A few geeky ways to surprise your love interest on Valentines Day. Yeah, I know . . . Published February 8th, 2008.
- The Revenge of Veronica Belmont. This is the most popular post on my blog based on the traffic it gets. It covers my thoughts about Veronica Belmont who host various online technology shows. Veronica has told me that it was a bit over the top, and, in hindsight, I agree. Published February 3rd, 2008.
- What President Barack Obama Would Mean to Me. My thoughts about then-candidate Barack Obama. Published March 19th, 2008.
- The New Negro Problem. I wrote this post in response to media reports that America had entered a “post racial” stage. Published June 11th, 2008.
- Three Key Lessons of the Mays MBA Program. This was written as I completed the first term of my MBA Program. Published November 14th, 2008.
- Does America Need a Pastor or a CEO? My analysis of the idea of “Christian President”. Published December 18th, 2008.
- The Puppy Linux Solution. My special love for a light weight Linux distribution. Published December 17th, 2008.
- Executive Summary of My SXSW Panel Ideas. This post was instrumental in being selected to speak at South by Southwest Interactive 2010. Published September 3rd, 2009.
- My MBA Graduation Speech – The Importance of Aggie Leadership. This is the text of the speech I gave as Student Speaker during the graduation ceremony for me and my fellow graduates of the Texas A&M Mays MBA Program. Published December 18th, 2009.
- Protecting Your Child Online. I shared tips for keeping children safe when they surf the internet. Published April 18th, 2010.
- A Marriage Formula for Black Women. While controversial, this post accomplished my primary objective: open and honest communication about the state of black relationships. Published April 23rd, 2010.
- A Code of Conduct for Black Men. My thoughts about what needs to be done to reverse the tragic state of many of my fellow black men. Published April 27th, 2010.
- 3 Reasons Why the Technology Industry Needs More Diversity. This post covers a topic I am very passionate about: increasing diversity in the technology field. Published June 9th, 2010.
Thank you for your support!
3 Reasons Why the Technology Industry Needs More Diversity
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of having lunch with 50 high school students and serving on an industry panel where they asked questions of me and eight other graduates of the School of Engineering of the University of Texas at Austin. This was part of the My Introduction To Engineering (MITE) Summer Camp that is a part of the University’s Equal Opportunity in Engineering program. These juniors and seniors were selected based on high academic performance and an interest in a career in engineering. They also represented underrepresented racial groups such as women, Latinos, Asian Americans, and African Americans.
I had an amazing time speaking with these students! They were bright, articulate, ambitious, and we laughed and discussed what it’s like to be an engineering student at UT’s Ernst Cockrell School of Engineering. Interacting with them reminded me of why it’s important to have more diversity in the engineering field as well as the overall technology industry.
Diverse Backgrounds Lead to Diverse Solutions
When people come from different backgrounds, they bring with them fresh ideas that a group made up of homogenous individuals often fail to grasp. As Greg Papadopoulos, former Chief Technology Officer at Sun Microsystems, wrote in this article:
Here's the crux of the issue for me: We as engineers do indeed passionately argue for approach A versus B, and we are limited by the perspectives of those participating in the process. In what I call the "Nerd-Y Syndrome," when those participants are mostly nerdy guys, you get designs that are most appealing to, well, nerds with Y's.
I’ll change the last few words in the quote to “white nerds with Y’s”. The only way to produce products with designs that benefit from the best thinking and appeal to the most people is to have a diverse group create them.
Think of the Manhattan Project which was designed to create the first atomic bombs. This project was greatly helped by Jewish physicists and mathematicians who fled Germany as the Nazi regime took control of academia. This decimated the scientific ability of Germany and encouraged prominent physicists like Niels Bohr to contribute to American efforts to produce the first nuclear weapons. The Nazi destruction of diversity made it all but impossible for them to achieve the scientific achievement of nuclear fission while allowing more inclusive countries like the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom to succeed. In general, talent moves from areas of low inclusion to those that are highly inclusive, and diversity is the best way to attract the best talent.
Diversity Leads to Socio-Economic Empowerment
Although the world is still emerging from the latest economic recession, it is clear that technology will be an area of growth for the foreseeable future. Every industry uses technology to some degree, and technology will be needed to improve operational efficiency and lower costs. Those who gain skills as technologists will find a strong market for employment.
If efforts are made to create a diverse workforce, especially for underrepresented groups, then that will allow financial resources to flow to new parts of the economy. This will provide those communities with the ability to better educate their members which will hopefully result in more technologists entering the market. Therefore, a self-perpetrating cycle will begin that will allow the creation of an even more diverse workplace environment.
Diversity is the Key to International Business
As our world becomes increasingly global, countries will continue to interact with each other in trade relationships. This is especially true for the technology industry where suppliers are often spread across vast geographic distances. Technology companies that have diverse employees will find it easier to interact across international boundaries.
When people think of international trade, they usually focus on geographic challenges in moving products or services across the globe. However, there are other factors that equal or exceed the difficulty of distance. The CAGE Distance Framework defines Cultural, Administrative, Geographic, and Economic Distance as the four primary factors that cause challenges in doing business across borders.
The CAGE Distance Framework (source: Business Standard)
While not explicitly described as an industry affected by cultural distance, technology companies often provide products and services that are used by people across various languages, ethnicities, religions, and social norms. The explosive growth of the iPhone and iPad in countries outside of the United States demonstrates that corporations need to have a strategy for competing around the world instead of only in their home country.
Companies with diverse employees in their technology function at all levels will find it easier to create such an international strategy. Having people that represent various international cultures allows an organization to more easily bridge cultural distance. Only by having a diverse workforce can a company approach a culturally diverse world.
Innovative solutions, socio-economic empowerment of underrepresented groups, and international business opportunities are three powerful reasons for greater diversity in the technology workforce. I plan to continue my personal contribution to making sure that people of all genders, ethnicities, and cultural backgrounds see engineering and technology as viable and exciting career paths. I hope that everyone who reads this does the same.
Three Decisions That Will Make or Break Your Life After High School
This is the text of an address I gave at Truevine Missionary Baptist Church during the graduation service held for the high school graduates (and one graduate of a higher institution of learning). I thank Reverend Darrin Moore for the opportunity to speak to our young people and Pastor Franklin Callaway for his support.
While I make no secret of my Christian beliefs, I understand that not everyone who reads my blog or networks with me on social media networks shares those beliefs. These remarks reflect my personal spiritual beliefs and are not intended to disrespect those who hold to other belief systems.
As prepared for delivery.
Thank you, Brother Moore for that introduction. Good afternoon to my fellow Truevine members, honored guests, deacons, and trustees. And, of course, congratulations to our high school graduates! You have come to a significant milestone and have a right to be proud of your accomplishment.
Your graduation from high school is due to hard work, the support of your friends and family, and, most importantly, it is due to good decision making on your part. You will soon walk across the stage at your graduation ceremony because you made the right choices. You made the right academic decisions by carefully managing your homework assignments, essays, projects, quizzes, and exams. You also made the right social decisions by hanging around other successful students. Many of you also made the right athletic decisions and used sports as a way to learn how to stay focused and become a winner. Just as those past decisions have led you to the wonderful accomplishment of graduating from high school, the importance of making good decisions does not end when you leave high school. In fact, it will become more important than ever that you make the right decisions.
The need to make good decisions is linked to many of the concerns that I’m sure you have. These concerns are probably similar to the same concerns that I had when I was about to graduate from high school. You may be wondering, “Will I make it?”, or “Do I have what it takes to succeed”? Perhaps like a certain popular artist you’re thinking “I want the money, money and the cars, the cars and the clothes”. You just wanna be successful, right? And, I’m sure that there are many other things that are bothering you about the uncertain future. Well, I want you to know that you have everything you need to be successful, and it is all tied to making good decisions. In fact, there are three key decisions that will make or break your life after high school.
The first key decision you have to make is what you will do with your time. Many people assume that you have to be smart to be successful in college. That is not entirely true. Of course, intelligence is important, but the fact you were accepted into the college means that you’re smart enough to make it. That’s why you received your letter of acceptance from the Admissions department. They are admitting that you have what it takes to meet the academic standards of the college. A far more important trait to have is time management. Many colleges offer free classes on time management, and I encourage you to take one. I also encourage you to invest in a planner to track your schedule. As the saying goes, “if you fail to plan, then you plan to fail”. However, you need to do more than to just schedule your classes, quizzes, parties, and dates. One of our theme Scriptures for today is Proverbs 19:21 which states,
Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.
No matter how good you get at time management, you will ultimately be a failure if you don’t accomplish God’s purpose for your life. How do you find God’s purpose for your life? I advise that you start by making time in your schedule for church. Studies show that many high school graduates become “church drop outs”. Their parents are often not around to make them go to church, and they often find other things to do on Sunday mornings; like sleeping. Graduates, don’t become a church drop out. A strong church home is important to help you understand what God wants you to do. Make it a priority to visit several churches and select one where the Bible is acknowledged as the Word of God and taught well. You will be well rewarded by making the decision to invest your time in a Bible believing church.
Of course, to find a Bible believing church, you have to know what you believe about the Bible. Which brings me to the second decision that will make or break your life after high school and that is what you do with your mind. The freedom that comes with being a high school graduate means that you will probably come into contact with people and ideas that you haven’t encountered before. This was my experience as a student at the University of Texas at Austin. While I was raised in the church, I had not made the investment in becoming a student of the Bible. My lack of knowledge about the Word of God was brought to my attention when I met people who weren’t Christians and who didn’t believe in God. Some of you may believe, as I did, that non-believers wouldn’t know much about the Bible. Well, that was almost always not true. I met many Muslims, Hindus, atheists, and agnostics who had read the Bible from cover to cover. I was outgunned when I would try to explain why I believed in Jesus Christ as my Savior because all I had to go on was what I heard in Sunday morning sermons. I even had my faith shaken a few times because I was bringing a knife to a gun fight. However, one day I read Hebrews 4:12 which says,
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
So, I dedicated myself to knowing the Bible for myself. It was in college that I first read the Bible from cover to cover, and I made sure that I understood its history as well. And I eventually began to look forward to those spiritual debates; as I do today. Graduates don’t go into this next phase of your life unarmed. If you decide to master the Bible, then you will be well prepared to explain Christianity to others.
However, you have to do more than master the Bible. You have to let the Bible master you. The third key decision that you must make is what to do with your body. The other thematic scripture for today is 1 Timothy 4:12 which says,
Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.
The last word in that verse is something the world does not like to talk about. Purity. You don’t hear a lot about purity these days. Well, at least not moral purity. If you follow the news, then you know that a lot of people are concerned about a source of environmental impurity. As we sit here today, there is a massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that is threatening to destroy the purity of oceans and coastlines. Almost every news outlet is reporting that everything the oil touches it will destroy. As Christians, we know that there was another toxic spill that occurred in the Garden of Eden, and it, too, destroys everything it touches. If you want to truly be successful, then live a life of purity. You’ll meet many people who do well with the first two decisions I mentioned. They are active in the church and know every word of the Bible. However, purity separates those who are going through the motions of Christianity from those who are transforming the world through Christianity. How can you be pure? I’ll make it easy. There are three areas of purity that most people your age have a hard time managing: language, drugs, and sexual activity. Simply put, if you decide to refrain from profanity, refuse to take illegal drugs (keep in mind that alcohol is an illegal substance until you’re 21), and live a life of abstinence, then you will stand out. Many of you will avoid standing out like this because it’s easier to blend in and do what everyone else is doing. However, for those who are up to the challenge, you will find that both believers and non-believers will flock to you to understand why you’re different. And that will be a perfect opportunity to tell them about Jesus.
So, you have before you three very important decisions. The decisions you make about being active in the church, becoming a student of the Bible, and being a person of purity will determine if you are a success or a failure after high school. So choose wisely.
Thank you, God Bless, and God speed.
The Business Case for Location Based Services
Foursquare and Gowalla are the two leading location based service providers.
While still operating in a niche, location based services are quickly becoming the next big thing in social media. Services like Foursquare and Gowalla are racking up thousands of users that are willing to broadcast their exact location to their online friends.
How Location Based Services Work
After creating an account, these services use the GPS chip in most PDAs and smart phones (and even many feature phones) to determine the user’s location. The user can then check in at a location which alerts everyone connected to that user that they are there. Other users can then go to that location and also check in to alert other friends.
Foursquare and Gowalla both add a gaming aspect to checking in by making users compete for rewards. Foursquare allows users to earn “badges” which track the achievement of certain tasks like checking in from a boat or checking in at several museums. If a user checks in at a certain location more than anyone else, they become the “mayor” of that location. Gowalla also tracks achievements and allows users to become “founders” of a location, but more than one user can be a founder of a given location. In general, I prefer the competitive aspect of Foursquare more than that of Gowalla.
The Value to Businesses
While I don’t see location based services taking off a very large companies, I think that small businesses and retail shops can benefit from them. For example a restaurant recently drew over 150 customers who were seeking Foursquare’s elusive “Swarm Badge” which is achieved by 50 or more Foursquare users checking in at the same place at once. While it is unlikely that every one of the people who showed up bought something from the restaurant, many of them did. Similar location based campaigns would work for other retailers ranging from shoe shops to hair salons.
The Social Web
I first experienced the power of Foursquare and Gowalla at South by Southwest Interactive 2010. It was amazing to see where my online friends were checking in which helped me decide what sessions and parties to attend. Like Twitter, location based services are hard to understand unless a lot of the people you know in real life use it. I can see these services becoming very popular on college campuses where a large number of young people lead very social lives.
In fact, a recent study showed that college students experienced withdrawal symptoms when forced to go without media devices like cell phones, text messages, televisions, ebook readers, email, and Facebook for 24 hours. These students reported feeling “uncomfortable”, “alone'”, and “secluded”. In many ways, the negative feelings described by these students were due to the loss of personal connections that were made possible by text messages, email, Facebook, and Twitter. Location based services add a geographic layer to these connections which I think will deepen the social ties that young people currently make via social media. Companies that construct an effective location based services strategy will be able to offer innovative products, services, and marketing messages to this new generation of consumers.
A Code of Conduct for Black Men
In general, I dislike reading or hearing the phrase “disproportionally represented”. That is due to the fact that this phrase usually is preceded or followed by a negative statistic about black men. However, I try to be a person who engages problems rather than avoid them, so I did a Google search of this phrase. This report from The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation summarizes many of the themes I found in my search results:
- “The unemployment rate for young African American men is over twice the rate for young white, Hispanic and Asian men.”
- “African American men are disproportionately represented in the criminal justice system. The percentage of young African American men in prison is nearly three times that of Hispanic men and nearly seven times that of white men.”
- “While African American men represent 14% of the population of young men in the U.S., they represent over 40% of the prison population.”
- “Young African American men die at a rate that is at least 1.5 times the rate of young white and Hispanic men, and almost three times the rate of young Asian men. While the death rate drops for men ages 25 to 29 for most groups, it continues to rise among African Americans.”
- ”For young African American men, more deaths are caused by homicide than any other cause.”
- “The homicide death rate for young African American men is three times the rate for Hispanics, the population group with the next highest homicide mortality rate.”
- “Additionally, HIV is the sixth leading cause of death for young African American and Hispanic men, yet for other racial groups, HIV is not among the top 10 causes of death.”
A paper published by a researcher at Syracuse University titled, Barriers to Marriage and Parenthood for African American Men and Women yielded these additional tidbits: “The absence of African American fathers in the home is seen as a primary factor of the insidious deterioration of African American families.” "Positive male role models are virtually non-existent within many inner city communities. Many young African American men have had limited or no personal experience with a stable father figure and have little to model themselves on.” Another research paper which was published by the National Institute of Diabetes and Kidney and Digestive Diseases stated, “The prevalence of extreme obesity in African American men is higher than in any other minority group. Among African American men, the prevalence of obesity increased from 27.5% in 1999-2000 to 31% in 2003-2004. Poor dietary patterns together with physical inactivity are highly prevalent in minority males and are major contributors to the high obesity prevalence rates. “
These statistics point a sobering picture. In almost every category of life, African American men are at the top of every negative descriptor and at the bottom of every positive one. As a naturally curious person, I have put a lot of thought into answering one question: Why?
Part of the reason for the challenges currently facing black men can be found in our history. A heritage of centuries of slavery, Jim Crow laws, and institutionalized racism is hard on a brother. However, a damaged past does not remove the responsibility to repair our present situation.
My life is disproportionately UNDER-represented by these statistics. I was born into a two parent home and raised by both of my parents (who have now been married to each other for over 35 years). I have an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering and an MBA. My net worth passed the six figure mark years ago. I married a black woman at the age of 27 (neither of us had been previously married), and we have been married for eight years. During the course of our marriage, we have had three children. Neither of us have any “side kids”. My wife has undergraduate and graduate degrees in business and a PhD in business. While far from perfect, my life is also far from the picture of black men painted by the statistics quoted above.
I also know that I am not alone. I know many black men who have built similar lives. They are educated, often holding advanced degrees. They maintain strong marriages and are actively building their careers either as corporate professionals or as entrepreneurs.
Yet, obviously, a large number of my fellow black men are having trouble taking advantage of the opportunities I have been able to leverage. Why is there such a stark difference between their lives and the lives of almost every black man I personally know?
The difference in certainly not due to any special characteristic I have. Believe me, I have made my share of stupid mistakes. However, I have avoided making most of the mistakes that cause permanent damage to a black man’s long term potential. This is not due to anything that I have done. I believe it is due to something that was done to me.
While both of my parents were actively involved in my life, it was my father, Douglas Simmons, who taught me how to be a man. Many aspects of who I am, ranging from how I walk, talk, hold myself, etc. are directly due to his influence. My father shaped me into a man through his constant presence during my childhood. I think a large part of the discipline that he instilled in me came from his experience as a Marine who served in Vietnam. As a Marine, my father learned to live life according to a code of conduct. Many aspects of this code were passed onto me. Having a code of conduct simply means that there are positive behaviors you always do, and there are negative behaviors that you never do.
Principles, values, standards, or rules of behavior that guide the decisions, procedures and systems of an organization in a way that (a) contributes to the welfare of its key stakeholders, and (b) respects the rights of all constituents affected by its operations.
Definition of “Code of Conduct” from Wikipedia
Various pictures of my Dad during his days as a Marine.
Too many black men grow up without a code of conduct. Random forces are allowed to shape them in ways that are often negative. Just like a well manicured lawn requires constant care and attention, young black men require a diligent hand to guide their growth. While many single mothers and men of other races are working hard to provide this guidance, I think there are few substitutes for a strong black adult man in the life of a young black man.
However, we cannot have strong black adult men if we do not learn to live according to a code of conduct. I am a Christian, but I think that such a code should be broad enough to allow black men of other faiths to embrace it. It should also be general enough to allow black men to implement it in a way that suits their particular needs. This code is a combination of principles instilled in me by my father as well as ideas I’ve discovered through experience. Here is my proposed Code of Conduct for Black men:
Article 1 – Relationships
- Section 1 – Informed Consent: If I am sexually intimate with more than one person, then every person involved should be aware of that fact including the disclosure of any same sex activity.
- Section 2 – Hands Off: I will never violently harm a woman.
- Section 3 – Make One, Raise One: If a child results from my sexual activity, I will be directly involved in developing that child into a responsible adult.
Article 2 – Fatherhood
- Section 1 – Presence: I will be physically and emotionally present in the life of my offspring.
- Section 2 – Talent Search: I will help my children understand their talents and provide assistance in developing them.
- Section 3 – Mirror Mirror: I will strive to be a positive example for my sons to emulate and for my daughters to use when selecting a mate.
Article 3 – Economics
- Section 1 – Revenue Generation: I will generate income either as an employee or as an entrepreneur.
- Section 2 – Par Excellence: My work will always show a high level of quality.
- Section 3 – Saving Plan: I will set a portion of my income aside in order to save for future needs.
Article 4 – Health
- Section 1 – Eating Habits: I will maintain a healthy diet.
- Section 2 – Physical Fitness: I will engage in regular exercise.
- Section 3 – Health Checks: I will regularly seek the counsel of health professionals in order to sustain good health.
As I said, this is meant to be a simple code that is easy to remember and implement. If every African American man made this code a part of his life, then many of the statistics I cited at the beginning of this article would dramatically reduce or disappear altogether. I challenge every black man reading this to find and apply some standard to your life so that we can achieve our full potential and corporately make a positive contribution to society. We are the generation that can reverse statistical trends and build a brighter future for our sons. As a greater man than me is fond of saying, “We are the ones we have been waiting for”.
If you have any comments on my proposed Code of Conduct for Black Men, please leave a comment. Also, let me know if you think any Articles or Sections need to be added, modified, or removed!
Protecting Your Child Online
It’s 2 A.M., do you know who’s looking at your child’s Facebook profile? Children and teen-agers are putting an unprecedented amount of information about themselves on online social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. These sites are popular because they provide a global platform for communicating to the world. That is why marketers, public relations professionals, entrepreneurs, and other people who seek to reach a global audience have embraced online social networking sites. However, this global platform also attracts a demographic that often lacks the decision making skills to properly protect themselves from online danger: children.
Children of all ages are exposed to near ubiquitous access to the internet.
Children lack the maturity to deal with the exposure provided by online social networking sites. This leaves them vulnerable to those who would exploit this vulnerability in order to bring harm to a child. This includes child predators, stalkers, or even other children who may use sites like Facebook as a platform for bullying. It is important that parents and guardians understand how to protect their children from the potential risks of maintaining an online presence. There are three simple steps that can be done to protect children who participate in online social networks.
1. Relationship Matters
Spending quality time offline will provide a foundation for moderating online relationships.
The first step in protecting your child online is making sure you have a healthy relationship offline. Children need to feel that open lines of communication exist before they feel comfortable discussing their online activities. If you only “check in” on your child to get sound bites of their life, then you probably don’t know your child very well. They may resist further probes into the detailed facts of their lives, but children inwardly yearn for such attention because it is a sign that you really care.
By having a strong relationship with your child, you earn the right to have open discussions about what they do and are exposed to online. This allows you the freedom to ask about the people they interact with online, and it gives your child the freedom to come to you when they have questions about any online situations they encounter.
The importance of strong relational ties also extends to your child’s friends. It is very likely that the same kids who are close friends with your child in real life are also friends with them on online social networking sites. By understanding the backgrounds and interests of your child’s friends, you can get a better grasp of the type of people they will attract. Since online social networking sites are usually designed to reduce the degrees of separation between people, online predators who are drawn to the friends of your child will often come into closer virtual proximity to your child.
2. Privacy Acts
Parents and guardians hold the key to the online safety of children.
One of the first principles a parent or guardian needs to explain to a child is the importance of privacy. We live in a celebrity obsessed culture, and many people involved in social media measure their own “internet fame” by how many people are friends with them on Facebook, follow them on Twitter, watch their YouTube videos, comment on their blogs, etc. Children are particularly prone to this desire to have large numbers of online followers because this is often tied to popularity in the real world.
I recommend that parents and guardians set a rule for very young children that they only maintain online connections with people they actually know. That means that it is fine to have online connections to other students in their school system or their peers with whom they engage in extracurricular activities (e.g., sports, religious activities, volunteer groups, etc.). However, if they want to connect to anyone they don’t know, then they need to explain to you why such a connection is necessary.
How can a this rule be monitored? I believe that children under the age of 13 should be required to have at least one parent or guardian be connected to them on any online social network in which they participate. That means you should be friends with them on Facebook, follow them on Twitter, subscribe to their YouTube channel, etc. That gives you visibility to the child’s circle of online of friends and the ability to question any connections they make.
Parents and guardians also need to understand how to help their children understand the privacy settings of the online social networking sites they use. I recommend that children under the age of 13 should protect their tweets on Twitter meaning that people need to request to follow them on Twitter. Facebook is a more closed platform than Twitter, but some of the privacy settings are set to be open to everyone by default. In general, these need to be changed to “Only Friends”.
Parents also need to make sure their kids understand that their password should not be shared with anyone. I also think that it is fine if children don’t reveal their passwords to their parents. Strong relationships require an atmosphere of trust, and it is important that children believe that some aspects of their privacy are protected. However, if there are any signs that a child is engaged in inappropriate online activities, then the parent has the right to forbid access to online social networks for a set period of time.
3. Block First but Tackle if Necessary
Ultimately, parents are responsible for the online protection of young people.
Even if you tightly restrict the number and type of people you child interacts with when using online social networks, it is likely that they may encounter objectionable content or behavior. This can take the form of pictures or videos that show their peers engaging in activities that go against the values you want your child to follow. Or, someone may seek to embarrass your child by making negative comments about them online or posting unflattering pictures. It is also possible that YOUR child may be the one that is trying to hurt someone using an online social network!
It’s important to first talk with your child and come to an agreement that the behavior is inappropriate. If you’ve done a good job building a strong relationship with your child, then they will come to you when they see something online that disturbs them. This will help them buy into the assessment that the behavior is wrong and needs to be addressed. Many people who do things like try to bully others online are looking for a reaction. By not reacting, that person is robbed of the outcome they sought to obtain though their behavior. So, encouraging your child to not respond to the online activity is often a good first step.
If the person doing the inappropriate behavior is not a close friend of your child, you probably should advise your child to block their account. However, “defriending” someone is often seen as an offensive act, so it is probably a good idea to have your child directly address the person about their behavior whether it is a good friend or not. You can coach your child on how to do this, and such experiences are often valuable teachable moments for helping your child deal with future interpersonal contacts. Yet, you should be prepared to speak with the parent or guardian of the offending child if your child is uncomfortable doing this.
If the offensive behavior persists despite repeated attempts to block the person from interacting with your child, then tackle the problem head on by reporting it to the administrators of the online social network. Facebook makes this easy by including a “Report This” on almost every page whether it is your child’s wall or inbox. Other sites have similar mechanisms for reporting bad behavior.
You should be prepared to call the police if the behavior is particularly egregious or if you believe that your child’s life is in danger. Law enforcement is becoming aware at the growing threat of online harassment, and officers are getting better at dealing with these issues. However, be prepared to present of evidence of the behavior by taking screenshots and printing out examples of what is happening to your child.
Finally, if your child is the one who is doing the bullying, then you should immediately address the issue. Explain that they should only say things online that they would tell someone in person. If that is not deterrent enough, then consider removing their access to the internet (including mobile devices with online access) until they demonstrate the maturity necessary to have the privilege restored.
By building strong relationships, protecting their privacy, and blocking (and reporting when necessary) inappropriate behaviors, parents and guardians can set safe boundaries for the online identities and activities of their children.
Nestle: A Social Media Destruction Case Study in 6 Lessons
A few weeks ago, I had the honor of conducting a panel at South by Southwest Interactive 2010 called “How Social Media Can Destroy Your Business Model”. It was the culmination of months of effort that began when I submitted the idea to South by Southwest using their online PanelPicker. To say that the experience was absolutely stunning would be an understatement. My panel would not have been as successful without the help of the person I picked to co-present, Kami Watson Huyse. You can find the presentation that she and I put together for our panel here.
The badge I created for my panel on the SXSW iPhone app
The 200+ people who attended the panel
Me, audience member Shashi Bellamkonda, and Kami listening to a question from the crowd
The execution of the panel had it’s imperfections (you can find a transcript of the Twitter channel for those who posted to our #sxswdestroy hashtag here). There were early complaints about the lack of microphones (an issue I reported in my panelist feedback survey to SXSW). However, once Kami and I started putting forth the great content that we had planned for our session, the audience calmed down and began enjoying the experience. By the time we wrapped up, many people came up after the panel and confirmed that it was a great success.
As the days passed after the end of SXSW, I wondered what would be the next company to experience social media destruction? Kami and I had many relevant and recent examples of companies that had lost customers, eroded their brand value, or had to deal with embarrassment based on not having an effective social media strategy. However, I thought that many long weeks would pass before I had a case study to analyze in light of the content of my panel and the great discussion we had during the session.
It turns out that I didn’t have to wait long. Just a few days after my panel concluded, Nestlé was committing many of the errors (many of them unforced) that I discussed during my panel. This article ("Nestlé Takes a Beating on Social-Media Sites") in the Wall Street Journal serves as an excellent write up of what happened to the company. I’ll use it to analyze what Nestlé did to make the company an easy social media target by taking blockquotes from the article and deriving lessons from them.
Protesters have posted a negative video on YouTube, deluged Nestlé's Facebook page and peppered Twitter with claims that Nestlé is contributing to destruction of Indonesia's rain forest, potentially exacerbating global warming and endangering orangutans. The allegations stem from Nestlé's purchases of palm-oil from an Indonesian company that Greenpeace International says has cleared rain forest to establish palm plantations.
At first glance, this seems to be a simple problem of having an international supply chain that sources palm oil from a partner that allegedly causes environmental harm in a third world country. We’ve seen this before when large oil companies like Shell pollute the environments of third world countries like Nigeria where they operate to drill for oil. Surely, something like palm oil would be far less of a public relations nightmare, right? Wrong.
Lesson #1: Small groups of well organized protesters can use social media to make even small business problems into large public embarrassments.
The power of social media lies in its ability to give anyone with very small resources a global platform for their message. Even fifteen years ago, to take on a huge international company like Nestlé required a radio or television tower at best or a printing press at worst. Now, it is a simple matter of uploading content to YouTube, Facebook, or Twitter.
Nestlé says it had already decided to stop dealing with the firm, which supplied just 1.25% of the palm oil Nestlé used last year. It says it bought only a tiny fraction of the firm's output, so any impact was negligible, and that it is working toward buying only environmentally sustainable palm oil.
Lesson #2: You cannot defend yourself against a negative social media campaign with facts.
Companies love to respond to negative publicity with facts. You see it in their press releases and in the words of their spokespeople. Facts do not protect your company. That’s like a bank teller explaining to a bank robber that the bank had only been robbed once in the past five years. That fact does not help in the present situation.
"We, like Greenpeace and many others, abhor destruction of the rain forests, and will not source from companies where there is verifiable evidence of environmental damage," says Nestlé spokeswoman Nina Backes.
Lesson #3: Who is Nina Backes?
I did a search for Nina Backes on Facebook and Twitter. These are the only hits I found on Facebook:
The Ninas on Facebook
I assume that none of these are profile pictures of the Nestlé spokeswoman. Here is what I found when I searched for her on Twitter:
No Nina on Twitter
If the person you’re using to speak for your company in the midst of a social media public relations crisis has no presence on the top two social media sites, then you’ve asked a blind, deaf, and mute person to host your press conference. And that person is not Helen Keller.
In the protest's first days, Nestlé asked Google's YouTube video site to remove the mock commercial, citing copyright infringement, Ms. Backes says. YouTube pulled the video, but it continued to spread on the Web.
Lesson #4: You cannot pull content from online social media sites.
When it comes to companies, social media cannot be created or destroyed. It can only be engaged. Pulling content only signals that you have something to hide. It is far better to join in the discussion and face the protests head on with credible company representatives.
Nestlé also told Facebook users it would delete their comments from its Facebook page if they included the altered logo.
Lesson #5: Threatening users of online social networks is the same thing as threatening your customers.
No company would argue that threatening customers is a valid way to manage customer relationships. Companies must be willing to respectfully communicate with customers; even when they are angry. That is the only way to work through issues and eventually come to terms with which everyone can agree.
[Nina Backes] says it is too soon to judge whether sales of KitKats or other Nestlé products have been affected by the protests.
Lesson #6: One day a company will suffer real economic loss due to making a mistake when it comes to social media. Pray it isn’t yours.
The trend is clear. The growth of social media web sites like Facebook and Twitter is real and will continue to dramatically grow. This will only make it a more potent weapon to be used against companies. Only by mastering the medium can companies not only defend themselves against social media attacks but use it to achieve positive business results.