About Your Host
I am a Midwest native who started playing with computers back when floppy discs were actually floppy. First I learned how to take them apart and put them together, and then I started learning how to do fun stuff with them, like make pictures. In high school I was dazzled by the possibilities of Usenet and hypertext, and once Netscape Navigator Gold came on the scene it was all over for me. In college I stayed up way too late figuring out how to make web pages and got my first real job for a car dealership, who were early adopters of this new-fangled “internet thing”. I discovered I have a knack for this. The rest, as they say, is history.
I’ve always been interested in how people use computers, and technology in general, especially how they integrate it into their social, personal and professional lives. Technology is here to stay, but how we leverage it, interact with it, or let it define us or our sense of self always in flux — and to me, endlessly fascinating.
Since I’ve been working for a very large company focused on internal communication, I’ve had the opportunity witness how technology can profoundly influence the daily operations of a business. There’s a lot of similarity between internet and intranet projects, but there are also important differences, and unfortunately there isn’t much research to guide us. During my career I’ve participated in several groundbreaking user research projects focused on discovering how critical a business tool a corporate intranet can really be. This website is my opportunity to share what I’ve learned with all of you.
Today’s entrepreneurs, regardless of the size of their operation, have to become aware of international issues. One extremely important aspect of this body of knowledge is the concept of high- and low-context cultures. We can usually categorize most cultures as being either high context or low context. Think of the context as the social environment or surroundings in which a business transaction takes place. Context qualities include such factors as: