ROMANTICIZING THE WEBMASTER: "This Is Your Time!"
Who would have thought that the tapping on laptop keyboards and scribbling algorithms on a windowpane (not since John Nash in A Beautiful Mind) could possibly be as exciting as a James Bond or Jason Bourne spy flick? Welcome to “GeekWorld”! There’s an almost romantic aura to punching those keys at lightning speed to code a Website. The movie glorifies computer genius. Webmasters and IT professionals, listen up: “This may be your time.” It certainly is in TSN.
SIGNIFICANCE OF TSN TO THE NET GENERATION
As Sean “Napster-founder” Parker says to Zuckerberg in the film, “This is our time.” He may well have been addressing the entire Facebooking-Twittering community of Net Geners.
The goal was not to make money off the site, at least, not early on, because it will lose “all cool and credibility.” However, Zuckerberg’s genius combined with his social insecurities to create a computer chip on his shoulder the size of Quasimodo’s hump played out in his relationships throughout the film.
This film is the 1st detailed screen portrait of the Net Geners by mostly Net Gen actors. It conveyed their views on money, personal and professional relationships, careers, and responsibility to society. The movie also revealed their character, integrity, business ethics, and values, although loyalty, betrayal, and jealousy were the primary driving forces.
HOW DOES TSN DEPICT NET GENER CHARACTERISTICS?
You bet! All of my research and writing on the Net Generation over the past 2 years hit me in the gizzard as I was watching TSN. Aaron Sorkin’s screenplay and David Fincher’s direction represented the confluence of so many Net Gener learner and social characteristics: tech savvy, creation of Internet content, operating at twitch speed, learning by inductive discovery, teamwork and collaboration, pressure to succeed, need for instant gratification, embodiment of change and activity, confident and assertive, trial and error problem solving, and craving social interaction—face-to-face and, especially, virtual connectivity.
TSN is like mouse candy to a Net Gener baby. What does Facebook represent in the transition to Web 2.0 technology? What message does it send teachers? Stick around for the final blog, coming to a PC/Mac near you.
COPYRIGHT © 2010 Ronald A. Berk, LLC
Somehow in all that we do as professionals we find creative ways to foul things up—make dumb decisions with disastrous consequences. These decisions occur in our classroom, office, sports stadium, home, and just about every other venue we frequent. They typically involve relationships with colleagues, students, friends, family, and animals.
Why do these bad decisions keep happening? Haven’t we learned anything from our past mistakes? Maybe, but we still are able to discover new ways or repeat old ways to botch up critical relationships in our lives.
Why do we make bad decisions?
Here are 4 reasons or conditions under which we make the WRONG decision:
1. When we’re tired and impatient. We get frustrated waiting for others to take action or we are just tired mentally, physically, and/or spiritually. Making an important decision at a time of weakness is unwise. We always need to act from a position of strength. Our impatience may prompt us to jump the gun and make the wrong decision.
2. When we feel we can do it alone. We may be under the illusion that we are in control, but the information we have available may be inadequate, inappropriate, or inaccurate. Pride may interfere with our willingness to seek counsel to obtain the best information for the right decision.
3. When we rely on bad advice from someone we trust. There are people in our lives who can steer us in the wrong direction, unintentionally or intentionally. When we place our faith and trust in colleagues, friends, and family members, we can receive bad advice. Sometimes it’s difficult to discern who has the expertise that will guide our decision-making and who has our best interests at heart.
4. When our reasoning is faulty. Frequently our reasoning behind a decision can be faulty, unwise, imperceptive, and difficult to untangle. Again, we can get into trouble without realizing it because our thinking is off-track and incorrect. A fresh brain examining the same situation can provide valuable insight into the right decision.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. Make decisions from a position of sound mind, body, heart, and soul.
2. Be patient when you depend on others before making a decision.
3. Seek a mentor, coach, or advisor who can provide appropriate and independent guidance for the decision. Do your homework thoroughly before picking this mentor. You may need more than one.
4. Don’t hesitate to obtain advice anytime on any decision from an appropriate advisor.
COPYRIGHT © 2010 Ronald A. Berk, LLC
