fredmcclimans.com - Latest Comments

Re: 12 Most Basic Strategies to Know Your Competition

in1.com — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 10:24:20 -0000

Thanks for this post. Monitoring your competition on social media is critical, and is now becoming easier that ever with SMM tools

Re: Crowds, Individuals and Conformity

CHopeMurray — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 13:54:30 -0000

This is, indeed, most fascinating. At the heart of murmuration lies awareness, which can be conscious or unconscious observations (using any of the 5 senses), There is also a sense of critical thinking (again either conscious or unconscious) that determines which of the seven points of reference to follow. Maybe it is as simple as flying with the majority (eg fly in the same direction as 4 of the 7), but it could also be the freedom to choose between a small set of alternatives.

I suspect both methods are employed, the more cautious following the former and the more adventurous the latter. The fact that murmurations are constantly fluid suggests that there is an element of innovation. How else are new formations created? But here there must be other critical determinations at play to prevent all members of the crowd innovating at the same time, destroying the rhythm and flow of the collective group. Yet again a simple rule could determine the opportunity to innovate, based on recognition of cautious or adventurous members of the group. If your group contains 4 cautious flyers then feel free to change direction, though not in a direction to obstruct any of the seven reference points.

I am sure there are many other factors at play and many other explanations, but as you point out this could very well be relevant to how we as individuals act in a crowd. Are we cautious and conformant, or adventurous and innovative. If the latter how far do we stretch the rules. Clearly if you are a member of the second group your critical thinking capacity is challenged far more than the conformant group. Vive la difference.

Thanks for the post - stimulating as always.

Re: Crowds, Individuals and Conformity

dankeldsen — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 16:47:50 -0000

Fred - agree - that's why my goal is to "lower the barrier" to [fill in the blank], to be so low that the only danger is tripping over the barrier. ;) #innovation #habits #start #small

Re: Crowds, Individuals and Conformity

Fred McClimans — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 16:40:06 -0000

Dan - Thanks for sharing the link. Some very good data and insights. I often find that the most difficult part of this discussion is simply getting people to open their minds and be receptive to the concept. Once they've done that, the real discussion can begin - and that's the fun part. Thanks for the feedback AND the share. Here's to more in the future.

Re: Crowds, Individuals and Conformity

dankeldsen — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 14:21:59 -0000

Fred - great video clip, and yes, the give and take of individuals vs. crowds (and communities), is all part of the keys to understanding corporate behavior - the tribes and their leaders, detractors, influencers, etc..

I'd be willing to bet you'll find research I did a few years ago, right on topic here, see slides at:
http://www.slideshare.net/d...

Great talking to you today - all sorts of opportunities at play.

Cheers,
Dan

Re: Gamification and the Gaming of Foursquare

Fred McClimans — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 23:44:46 -0000

Mathias, thank you for the kind words. You bring up an interesting point with Fitocracy (aware of it, but don't use it), and I'm sure there are those that attempt to game it. The ability to game the game is baked in - there is no check mechanism!

That was/is part of the problem with sites like Foursquare (lack of locational
validation) that some companies (like Shopkick) have attempted to
counter with combined mobile/local-device mechanisms or pattern recognition systems.

Another approach, which might be better for the classroom (or workplace), involves a built in awareness check, much like a Captcha. In the classroom, the goal of the system would be to verify an academic achievement - the proof/captcha of which would be the demonstration of the knowledge (the lack of which would become apparent if the person where to actually have to demonstrate their achievements).

The flipside, of course, is that you could have a person who simply doesn't test well, or has poor knowledge retention (such as reads well, but can't recall details over time), so any knowledge check would have to be built-in.

In the end, however, the reward has to be the knowledge gained, and not just points on a board. If that metric is rewarded, it will be a constant game of wits (purely based on my own experiences as a student!). In fact, this is one of the reasons why I'm not a huge fan of some of the "reward" systems I've seen with my kids in school (read X number of pages for special points and treat...).

You have an interesting challenge here. Please keep me posted on this.

Re: Mr. Heisenberg meets #BigData?

Fred McClimans — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 23:13:12 -0000

Hey Colin - Thanks for bringing up the meme concept. You are definitely on to something there. I think the key to finding/interpreting the "old data/new memes" is in varying the perspective. In that sense, old data never dies, it just waits for a new perspective to arrive. Moving forward, I'm very curious how much information will, by default, get bundled into super-memes out of necessity, and if we will lose a bit of insight into the data (and its then-current application) or if this will actually simplify things - complex data > simple memes. I'd welcome your thoughts.

Re: Mr. Heisenberg meets #BigData?

Fred McClimans — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 23:09:13 -0000

Thanks for the feedback and the link. Yes, CEP fits into this model, with the use of a rule-based decision engine as the EDA (to handle semantic structures, classification, linkages between events/trends, etc.). Not an easy task, and deeper than I can dive ;) But well worth the effort!

Re: Klout, Big Data and the Meaning of “Opt Out”

Fred McClimans — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 20:04:37 -0000

Joseph - That is an amazing story. If the statement was said from a serious perspective, it shows just how much many have overblown, or misinterpreted, the value of systems that try to measure any type of influence, let alone one which is based on limited social activity.

While I do feel that gaining a much better understanding of "influence" (especially in the cross digital/analog world) is necessary, I also believe that we need to recognize that this is still such a new world that we don't really understand all the questions, let alone the answers. And like you, I'm very intrigued at what happens when you "erase" a person (and their influence) from a closed system.

To be honest, I don't believe that you can accurately state the influence of a person, or the influence that others have on them, without taking ALL of their potential influencers into account. To do so would be somewhat like predicting the orbit of Jupiter if we eliminated Saturn from the equation.

Thanks again for your feedback and perspective!

Re: Klout, Big Data and the Meaning of “Opt Out”

Fred McClimans — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 19:08:58 -0000

Funny how jumping in is so simple and extraction so difficult. There's a good "quicksand" metaphor in here somewhere! Thanks for sharing your perspective ;)

Re: Klout, Big Data and the Meaning of “Opt Out”

Fred McClimans — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 19:07:43 -0000

Yes, Sam does in fact exist. As to his data trail, I'm sure that it exists on a backup server somewhere (I'm just not sure who owns it). Be well.

Re: Klout, Big Data and the Meaning of “Opt Out”

Fred McClimans — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 18:59:15 -0000

Hah! Finally somebody to blame for Sam's status as a "poster child" ;) Seriously, though, you are dead on - as I mentioned in my comment to Karen, we have totally lost control of our data and its "afterlife", something that neither we (as consumers) or businesses (as #BigData manipulators) ever really thought through when we first stepped into the digital realm of "my data for your free services". This is something that is troubling as more and more of our digital lives are pulled together to form a mosaic that most of us don't realize exists.

Every photo we are tagged in, every post we are mentioned in, not to mention all the personal information that can be legally bought and/or shared electronically, all get pulled together to shape our digital selves. I wonder how many people in the early days of Facebook would have tagged their kids (as often as they did) in photos had they known it would result in a new record labeled "your child", which would, over time, be given a name and a history of life events. Yes, perhaps Orwell would be amazed...

Re: Klout, Big Data and the Meaning of “Opt Out”

Fred McClimans — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 18:47:59 -0000

Max - Thanks for bringing up a key point: privacy laws in the US pale in comparison to the EU. While that may be stifling some business endeavors, it also opens up new opportunities for individuals and business to forge a mutually beneficial (and equal) relationship. Just a point to consider. Thanks again for the feedback.

Re: Klout, Big Data and the Meaning of “Opt Out”

Fred McClimans — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 18:45:19 -0000

Hi Karen - Thanks for the comments. Sadly, I think we have entered a moment in the digital realm where the "dark matter" really has gone dark - we don't know where it is, who is using it or to what means. Time, perhaps, to exert a bit of influence and see if we can't place a bit more control of our own data back in our own hands. Yes, we have been willing to "give it away" in exchange for free services (Google = example #1), but I don't think we ever imagined how it would be corrupted after the fact. To quote you... "Sigh!"

Re: Klout, Big Data and the Meaning of “Opt Out”

Fred McClimans — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 18:40:06 -0000

Shawn - Thank you for being proactive on this issue. That speaks volumes.

Re: Klout, Big Data and the Meaning of “Opt Out”

Fred McClimans — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 18:39:29 -0000

Hey Sam - In the end, it all comes down to data: how we define it, how we use it and the value we place on it. In this case, there are some major issues that have combined to create a perfect storm, including a tendency by companies to adopt a default "opt-in" approach regard to users on public social media platforms (it is public) and the difficulty companies face keeping pace with both the scope of the #BigData they are collecting and the complexity of the software required to extract value.

I've spoken with Klout about this issue and have been pleased with the way they have addressed it. Ironically, I also have had some conversations with them about another "bug in the machine" problem that caused my own Klout account to drop connections to social networks that I had added and ultimately delete my entire profile w/o my consent. Yes, Klout gave me what you were seeking even though I wasn't asking!

Re: Klout, Big Data and the Meaning of “Opt Out”

Joseph Olewitz — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 14:09:01 -0000

Thanks
Fred,

Your post is deep and clear, and the two don’t always go well
together.

About a year ago, in a similar situation myself, I was discussing “digital” with a VP at a large
Agency who said to the Agency President sitting across the table: “Joseph’s
Klout score is higher than yours.” Go ahead, imagine what impact that had! ???

I opted out of Klout a few days after Sam - immediately after some
Twitter posts we exchanged on #bizforum, the weekly Sensei Marketing Twitter
Chat. Though describing his own thinking, Sam was also being articulate about how I felt, and when I saw my thoughts in his words I was compelled to act by dropping out.

My opt-out was principally generated by my belief that Klout was recognizing frequency
and popularity more than "influence." And, learning that there is or may be a shadow @jolewitz is kinda scary.

Yes, this post piqued my interest in what people see when they go on the Klout site
and check for my score. However, as Jan said above, I would have had to re-up to
see if (& how) I was referenced.

From Sam’s story we know how it affected someone with a high score – but how does Klout affect others all across the Social Media spectrum?

JOSEPH

Re: Gamification and the Gaming of Foursquare

Mathias — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 04:18:12 -0000

Awesome post, Fred. You really hit the nail on the head, and as someone who's trying to develop an effective method of gamifying learning for students, the issue of cheating always comes up as a primary concern. I'm sure you're familiar with Fitocracy, a company who's gamified fitness and supposedly motivates the hell out of its users (I have the app but I'm not a user myself). However I've read reviews of people dominating the leader boards with superhuman workouts which obviously aren't real. So even in an app that doesn't offer monetary rewards or discounts, people seem to have an incentive to game the system. Which is strange if you think about it, but I also think its a natural human instinct - at least in competitive games - to want to take shortcuts to achieve higher scores than fellow players. The players who game Fitocracy don't really have anything to gain but they still do it. What do you think about this? and do you see any remedies short of somehow verifying every bit of information that is entered into the game (which is very difficult)? Thanks, Mathias

Re: Klout, Big Data and the Meaning of “Opt Out”

Shawn Roberts — Sun, 03 Jun 2012 15:21:08 -0000

Hi Sam,

I'm the Marketing Communications Director for Kred. I saw your post and set your privacy in Kred to the maximum level. Your name, score and interactions should not be visible to anyone in our system. If you wish to change this and go back public, settings are located at http://kred.com/privacy.

Cheers!
Shawn

Re: Klout, Big Data and the Meaning of “Opt Out”

Jan Minihane — Thu, 31 May 2012 12:13:59 -0000

Really eye-opening post. I "deleted" my account (which was a cumbersome process, one click to sign up, a lot of searching and hoop-jumping to leave) some months ago for many of the reasons you highlight above. I now wonder if it's still there in some way - oh hang on, but I'd have to sign in to see..... :-(

Thanks for sharing :-)

Re: Klout, Big Data and the Meaning of “Opt Out”

Mike Moriarty — Thu, 24 May 2012 12:30:59 -0000

Thank you for sharing the follow up as well. I wondered what really had happened to Sam or if he even existed (Sorry Mark and Seth). It's good to know that you are indeed real and I appreciate you and Fred sharing your stories.

Re: Mr. Heisenberg meets #BigData?

CHopeMurray — Wed, 23 May 2012 08:54:25 -0000

I agree the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle appropriately describes Big Data. Your observation definitely challenges us to step back and view events and information less discretely in order to detect context and patterns. I also agree that old information never dies as it can reveal long term trends. However I believe it has more value than just a data point in an unknown number of trend cycles. I see old information as a meme, or thought, waiting to be rediscovered either individually or as part of the previously noted pattern. An item of information is a meme or set of memes packaged for consumption , so old data can always be relevant they just require the efforts of the perceptive and diligent to see the thought(s) behind the wrapper.

Re: Mr. Heisenberg meets #BigData?

Philip Sheldrake — Wed, 16 May 2012 12:05:07 -0000

Thanks for the good read Fred. I think you're touching on real-time complex event processing here (eg, http://www.oracle.com/techn...

Re: Klout, Big Data and the Meaning of “Opt Out”

Max Beggelman — Wed, 02 May 2012 12:08:06 -0000

It's most likely just an issue of minimal implementation - it simply deleted the public profile page which functioned as a centralized collection of his information, while still keeping his data. Obviously, they were never going to remove his data from the Klout system, but they probably only put the bare minimum of effort into their "privacy" features, and failed to account for all the places on their website that his data may show up.

It seems to be a common problem in businesses that depend on heavy data collection: the privacy features are only provided as a token effort to avoid bad press like this, rather than out of genuine concern for users' privacy, so mistakes like this are common. Typically they just yank the public profile or listing, but fail to do a full privacy assessment and ensure that the information has become completely inaccessible and won't show up elsewhere. Facebook, for example, is a chronic offender.

How to fix it? Honestly, I don't know. It's all public information, so it's nearly impossible to stop Klout from collecting it. Raising a complaint might work, but I doubt they'll make it a priority. Privacy laws in the EU might be strong enough to support a legal case, but not in the US. Businesses can collect your data, and as long as they're up-front about it and have a privacy policy, there really isn't anything you can do about it.

Re: Klout, Big Data and the Meaning of “Opt Out”

Sam Fiorella — Wed, 02 May 2012 01:13:48 -0000

Well, let me thank you for raising my lack of respect for Klout and its metric-measurement (notice I did not say influence measurement) to utter disgust for their practices. I understood that this is a business for them and that they use the vanities of marketers to power their IPO/acquisition path but was blissfully unaware that they manufactured ghosts when you opted out in order to keep their engine running.

They don't invite people to opt in and so I never chose to be a hamster on their wheel. But I chose to jump off. To continue to scan my online activity after I've opted out and share their spin on that data publicly is downright disgusting and frankly, unethical.

But sheep will be sheep and I guess Klout-addicts will continue to follow them till they're led off the cliff.