Collaborating is Loving

"Love is the triumph of imagination over intelligence." - H.L. Mencken

In the days before the ubiquitous "Share" option we see on every digital article we read, video we watch, and thought we express, there was the Chain E-mail. You remember those, don't you? "Forward within the next 60 seconds for success in Life, Love, etc."? It was almost ritualistic for us to click "Forward" as a reflex and send it to all 200 of our contacts lest we end up being less fortunate than the person who sent us that e-mail. 

We may laugh at the silliness of it now, but I think those e-mails were symbolic of something significant: the human need for social interaction. "No man is an island", wrote John Donne. "We are wired to connect", writes Daniel Goleman in Emotional Intelligence. Think of Tom Hanks' character in Cast Away becoming buddies with a volleyball, and his pain when he loses it to the ocean. We depend on human relationships, no matter how superficial, for survival. 

In retrospect, the Chain E-mail was simply a less-than-ideal way of staying in contact with people, staying on their radar. Although no direct correspondence was happening, receiving it from a geographically distant cousin told me he/she was all right, and it told the same about me to whoever I forwarded it to. This indirect method of staying in touch gave its own satisfaction, because whenever I did see that cousin after however many years, it didn't seem as if we had been completely clueless about each other's lives. If he or she is forwarding me e-mails on a regular basis, they can't be doing that bad.

Today, of course, there's the "Share" button. Whether it's this blog entry, a movie trailer on YouTube, or a Harvard Business Review article, anything and everything can be--and is--shared. As you must have already experienced, that is both good and bad. Good because it allows me to include others in the emotion I am feeling upon reading/watching/writing something, and I hope to bond with them over that emotion. And bad because people with too much time don't have my Feed in mind before they start flooding it with minutely updates of their Farmville score. This time last week, for instance, I was following 200-plus Twitter accounts. As of this writing, I'm following 155. To paraphrase one of my favorite quotations, "Share because you have something to share, not because you have to share something."

Again, what the "Share" button symbolizes is our need and desire to connect with our fellow humans; to include and engage with them in the emotional experience we're having. Why does watching a movie, a concert, or a game give us such a high? Because we are sharing a similar emotional experience with our fellow humans, even though it is entirely possible we don't know anybody present there on a personal level. 

In our professional lives, we share experiences by collaborating with our co-workers on projects, assignments, tasks--anything goal-oriented--and then we include (or exclude) them in the emotions we feel about the results. In today's Internet-driven world, everything is about collaboration. This sentiment was initially brought to the general public's attention by Thomas Friedman in his landmark book The World Is Flat. I finished reading it today and couldn't stop marveling at his prescience in describing events which would come true within a decade after the book's publishing (2005). The book's point is technology is empowering people across the world, allowing more people than ever before to have a shot at success, and growth and progress will be achieved through increased collaboration to go along with the ever-present competition.

So did the "Share" button rise out of the zeitgeist of collaboration? Why do we suddenly feel the need to broadcast our thoughts and beliefs and passions and emotions to the world? Because we can? Can it be that simple? Was it only a matter of the convergence of the proper channels for us to unleash our personality on the public? Or was it only a matter of time before the appropriate tools enabled our virtual behavior to become similar to our real-life behavior where we share our feelings with the people we care about? Perhaps it was not a case of a sudden need to broadcast ourselves. Perhaps we were only obeying our natural instinct as humans--to connect--although on a much larger scale. The Internet enabled us to share, to collaborate with people we have never met, to include them in our lives, for better or worse, irrespective of nationality and ideology.

With that in mind, I come to the idea of love. As a ~26.5-year-old, I've had my share of first- and second-hand encounters with love. Or, rather, "love". Because, really, what is love? There's no defining love. We all have a notion of its definition, of its "true meaning", and the sooner we stop kidding ourselves, the better off we'll be. I'm no mathematician, but if there ever was an undefined variable, love is it. I'm no cynic either, but what I know is there's no comprehending love, there's no understanding love, there's no explaining love. Nobody but it decides when it wants to come and go. 

That is the understanding I have come to as of this writing. But, sure enough, in the past, I've tried to straitjacket love into my fantasies and ideals, being too immature to realize what abject failure awaited me. Up until about five years ago, in my quest to discover love's meaning, I arrived at the conclusion that love is friendship. It seems like a no-brainer now, but I had seen both myself and my friends struggle with "loving" someone in the absence of friendship. It's simple, really: friends are people you hang out with, spend time with, have fun with. If you don't feel like doing all that with the person you're dating, how can you "love" them? But gradually, I realized friendship is not all there is to love. Of course, you have to be friends with the person you love, but love cannot be synonymous with friendship; there's a reason why you're friends with more than one person (hopefully) and lovers with only one (hopefully). Anything goes in friendship, it is a laissez-faire economy; love is more formal, more exclusive, which is the way it should be. 

So after discarding the love-is-friendship mantra, I arrived at this understanding: love is comfort. If you're able to feel comfortable in someone's presence, if you have the freedom to be yourself, then you know you love them. Roger Ebert advises, "Never marry anyone without first taking a three-day bus trip with them." I agree. Text messages and FaceTimes and Hangouts are great, but spending time with the person you "love" without any ostensible way out is the real deal. However, my love-is-comfort theory met a surprisingly swift demise. Spending time with my friends made me realize I feel extremely comfortable in their company, which does make sense because I love my friends. But I am referring to the exclusive kind of love, not the distributed kind. Having the freedom to express my feelings, acting like a complete goofball, I could do that with my friends because I was comfortable. But if that's the case, love cannot be defined by comfort, can it? It has to be bigger than that. If I feel the same amount of comfort with one person that I do with my friends, there's not much special about that one person. 

So I scratched the love-is-comfort theory and began my quest once again. For the past few months, this is what I have been thinking: love is sharing. True to the human instinct mentioned earlier in this entry, once we feel compelled to include another person in our life's journey--and be a participant in theirs--that is love. Love is of different kinds: romantic, parental, filial, human, one-sided. Fair enough, we include our parents and friends and family on this journey and share our life's events with them. But the key word is "compelled". When you start feeling an unstoppable urge to share your life with a particular individual almost by default, you know they are exclusively special. No matter how big or small, if you could share something with only one person, they'd be it. When you consistently keep thinking of the same person to share something with, they're the one you love above all else.

It is said people marry because they want a witness to their lives, somebody to mentally and emotionally chronicle their victories, struggles, pleasures, disappointments. That may be true, but if you're famous enough, you can have a biographer do that. The key is to include that one special person in our lives, to give them a chance to affect you and influence you and inspire you from the inside-out. Because when you decide to include someone, that means you are friends with them, are comfortable with them, and want to share your life with them. 

At this point in time, this is my understanding of love. However, true to love's nature, I wouldn't be surprised if I have to write another entry a few years down the road updating the thoughts I have shared in this one!

A Slab of Beauty

Full disclosure: I am in love with my iPhone 5. I won't go so far as writing it is the best, but that's because I haven't used any other smartphones to make a fair comparison, not because it lacks a feature I require/desire. (Although, based on what I've read/seen, I'm guessing NFC would be nice.)

Recently, I finished reading the iPhone User Guide that comes preloaded as a Safari bookmark. A couple months ago, my parents purchased a radiation heater for their bedroom. To ensure proper set-up, I went through the included User Manual to learn the different buttons on the display and their functions, etc. It was fairly simple, and the whole process from opening the box to reading through the Manual took less than 15 minutes. It occurred to me, then, that if I am prepared to read the User Manual of an item my parents will use for, may be, three months a year, how is it that I am yet to read the User Guide for a product that's almost never out my sight/reach? 

Think about it: whether it's a heater, a blender, or hair dye, one is inclined to read the instructions before using it to ensure safety, proper use, etc. But how often do we think of reading the instructions for our smartphone, laptop, or automobile? If we are worried about misusing the heater or the blender, should that logic not apply to items much more expensive and useful? 

Granted, we know how to use a smartphone or a laptop on a general basis, just like we have a basic idea of how to use a heater or a blender. But for a product we will be using so intimately and depending upon so heavily, why should we choose to be familiar with it only on a general basis? We don't necessarily need to understand the engineering behind touch-screen technology or Dynamic Stability Control, but being aware of it on a deeper level than merely knowing it by name results in our being more appreciative of one of our prized possessions' capabilities and respectful of the intelligence and ingenuity that went in its creation.

With these thoughts in mind, I set out to read the iPhone User Guide. It was one of the most gripping, insightful, and marvelous reads I've had. Now that I'm familiar with the iPhone 5 on a level deeper than mere use, I have a newfound appreciation for the way it must have run through the stages of product development--idea generation, idea screening, concept development, business analysis, market testing, technical implementation, commercialization, and pricing--and respect for the people in charge of those stages. Trying to balance engineering ideals, ergonomic practicalities, and economic realities is no cakewalk. The fact that such a sleek, high-performance, and, indeed, beautiful product was the result is incredible.

One is able to fully comprehend its capabilities when you see its features in list format. Think about the depth and breadth of thought and imagination that must have been poured into its creation. It is mind-boggling. I counted 60 available language keyboards. That is simply amazing. Consider its most innovative and taken-for-granted feature: the multi-touch screen. Read about the Accessibility feature to get an idea of the programming that has gone into recognizing the myriad swipes, pinches, and twists. It is beyond amazing; it is humbling.

One can argue--validly--how such a degree of connectivity and back-end complexity is complicating our lives instead of simplifying it. In my opinion, like so many things in life, it's a matter of choice. One can decry technology, but there's no denying how capable it allows me to feel. Life has gone from being siloed to being seamless. Whether that's a good thing or not depends from person to person. As for the iPhone 5, from its supremely low weight and crispness of touch to Siri, Safari, iCloud, iTunes, Camera, Compass, and so on, it is a delight. And as of this writing, I have explored less than a percent of the App Store. Next on my reading list: the MINI Cooper Driver's Manual.

Today's Forecast: Bright and Cloudy

I have been growing increasingly fascinated with the concept of cloud computing. It is amazing. Very generally, we consider cloud computing to be "stuff stored on the Internet". That is true, in that there is no saving on the cloud without the Internet, but cloud computing is much more complex than being a mere closet for our files. However, we won't be getting into the technical details here.

"How you doin'?"

Let's take this blog entry itself as an example. I have made rough notes for the content of this entry in a Google Drive document. Before Google Drive, one would probably have made those rough notes in a MS Word document. Now I am sitting in Subway eating a sandwich, and I remember something I'd like to include in this entry. If I were using Word, I would have had to make a note on an application on my mobile telephone--or, worse, on a piece of paper or napkin--and then transfer it to Word once I got back home and on the computer. With Drive, I can open the document on my mobile telephone and make the addition then and there. Done deal. 

Cloud computing enables the user to get the work done without being restricted by the equipment available. This is done by separating the hardware from the operating system from the application. Let's break that statement down: Before the proliferation of cloud computing, work was hardware-specific. The documents saved on my laptop could only be worked on from my laptop. In other words, there was no separation of the hardware (my laptop), the operating system (Windows), and the application (MS Word). While at Subway, I was able to edit the rough notes document because the application (Google Drive) is operating system- and hardware-blind. Because it is a web browser-based application, it does not matter whether it is being accessed from a Windows laptop, a Chromebook, or an iPhone. It does not even matter which web browser is being used to access it. All that is required is an Internet connection. 

Regular readers of this blog know my feelings about empowerment and freedom and their connection to the Internet. I cannot help but draw a parallel between cloud computing and another abstract concept: diffusion of power. Authority figures across the board--from CEOs to dictators to parents--struggle with this concept. Indeed, it is not an easy concept to come to terms with, let alone practice. It involves foregoing one's ego, but I digress. What cloud computing embodies so well is decentralization. As a user, my goal is to edit that document. Would I rather have the convenience of doing it whenever and wherever or be handicapped by the fact that I don't have my laptop with me at all times? 

By this point, most people are aware of how cloud computing enables synchronization across devices, ease of use, agility, etc. Holding all those things together is cloud computing's defining feature: simultaneity. Collaboration and sharing are cloud computing's two underlying principles. There's a flow, a seamlessness with cloud computing. Sure, security will be a never-ending issue. But isn't security a never-ending issue by its very nature? Amazon's founder Jeff Bezos famously believes we are using less than 10% of what the Internet is really capable of. If that is true, it is awesomely exciting to imagine what the remaining 90+% has in store. It is critical for businesses today to embrace cloud computing. In other words, it is critical for people today to embrace cloud computing. Software was undoubtedly a terrific innovation, but while it was cool back then, who wants to be seen with a flip-open mobile telephone today?

Life on the Internet

"We lived on farms, then we lived in cities, and now we're going to live on the internet!" -- Sean Parker, The Social Network.

You don't need me to tell you we're in the midst of a technological revolution. When it comes to technology, the term "shelf life" is being redefined by the minute. This time last month, I was using the iPhone 3G. Right now, the iPhone 5 is sitting next to me. Little did I know my life's upgrade was so undeniably linked to my mobile telephone's. With the 5, everything is just...better. I feel more connected, aware, "with the program." I don't remember the last time it was out of my reach (showers don't count). The only time it is out of my sight is when it's in my pocket. My dad, the brave soul, is still going strong with the 3G. A few days ago, he asked me to help him with some settings on the device. After a mere month with the 5, the 3G felt like an antique. Only three years ago, it was the thing to be seen with. Now? Fuggedaboutit. I have been persuading my dad, a Microsoft loyalist, to purchase a Windows 8 phone. He said he'll think about it. May God bless him.

Today, technology is omnipresent. Soon, it will be omnipotent. Some argue it is already omniscient. You can love it, hate it, neither, or both, but you can't ignore it. Recently, I read an article that said a person's e-mail address can indicate how tech-savvy they are. A bit superficial, one may think. However, is it only me or do we pretty much expect every e-mail address to end with "@gmail.com"? 

Google is a beautiful thing

On the left is a screenshot of all the Google applications I have on my phone. In addition, I have synced the native Calendar application with Google Calendar, so the schedule I see on my phone is the one I see when I am on a computer. In fact, I'm writing this entry on a computer--the Samsung Chromebook. Game. Set. Match.

The iPhone 5 and the Chromebook have given me two things that are so critical in this age: connectivity and mobility at the same time. In these conditions, if I am unaware of a piece of news, it is by choice, not circumstance. But the utility and, indeed, the very existence of devices like these is possible only due to the ubiquity of the Big Spider: the Internet.

The Internet's influence and impact on important events like the Egyptian Revolution and Barack Obama's presidential re-election have been well-documented. In day-to-day life, it has given people the ability to conduct business with colleagues on the other side of the world while sipping coffee at Starbucks. Establishments like Khan Academy and endeavors like Coursera have made hitherto unforeseen concepts accessible. In short, the Internet has made the world within reach. It is really up to us to decide how much of it we want to grab.

The broad theme that emerges out of the Internet's proliferation is one of empowerment: Wikipedia (knowledge), Amazon (consumer products), Facebook (personal connections), Twitter (news updates), LinkedIn (professional connections), Skype (international telephony), Evernote (productivity), and so on. The Internet, like curiosity, is limitless. I am a big Roger Ebert fan. I learn more about a movie by reading his review of it than by watching the movie. The Internet has made that possible.

It is important to build one's virtual identity these days, establish one's online presence. It takes time to build one's brand. One has to know themselves, their beliefs, fears, prejudices, desires, and ambitions. And even then, one is constantly learning. To paraphrase one of my favorite quotations, write because you have something to write, not because you have to write something. I am not at all implying I do that. It is a process, like life itself. One hopes to reach that point eventually.

I love the Internet. Perhaps because I associate it strongly with freedom. Living in America, one runs the risk of taking freedom for granted. Justly, with news of atrocities being committed in the name of religion, politics, and, yes, freedom, it is the Internet that helps us put it in perspective. It is imperative the Internet remain open and untainted. By that, I mean an eternal separation of Internet and state. Government is too multitudinous an entity. It is constantly being pulled in multiple directions. I do not contradict myself when I wrote the Internet is limitless. The whole of Internet represents the spread of information and knowledge unencumbered by borders and ideology. It is said the human spirit thrives when fueled by a regular supply of education. History is proof that when free circulation of knowledge is prohibited, societies collapse.