Confessions of an App User



Funny Mouth App - Photo edited using Photomania App



About a week or so ago – The Virginian-Pilot ran a couple articles written by Philip Walzer on local App Developers.   Walzer’s articles provided a glimpse into the newest revolution and local business opportunity of app development.   Hundreds of thousands of apps are developed each year…Apple alone reported that in 2012 over 700 new apps were submitted each day. 

I need to confess, I do not like apps.   Don’t get me wrong, I do like applications; matter of fact I am using one right now to create this musing.  What I do not like is the seemly thousands upon thousands of  “Mobile Apps”.  Those small apps with their invasive “free offer”.  Whereupon once downloaded you are immediately flooded with those “how about this…” ads. 

While I admit that, from time to time I have chucked some irritated foul at some bovine squatters. Moreover, maybe just maybe, on occasion, have taken some pleasure on completing a well-placed triple banked shot into a living dead or two.    What bothers me is that, the creators of these apps seemly have an incessant desire to create mobile apps that do everything, anywhere – It simply drives me crazy!!!  

Frankly, do we need that many apps?    I remember back in the day, when we were happy just to be able to use “point and click” without having to type C> cd backslash, backslash……I remember my giddiness when I first “hyperlink” my way through a graphic world of endless information.   And how I fondly look forward and dare say, even embraced the latest version of office applications.  At least until Version 7, from that point on, I have tried, to make every application look and behave like pre-7 versions.

Do we need apps like Cow Toss, Sexy Girl Talk--Sexy Alphabet Deluxe or Pet Baby just to name a few?   OK someone might while tossing cows want to listening to a very sexy alphabet - but come on, who in the right mind wants to know what their pet would look like as a human baby?   That is just plain creepy.

So you can imagine my surprise when I finally got around to helping my wife with her online store “Handy Clay Creations”  That I, the app hater - would come across an app that I truly found fascinating.   Photomania, a Facebook image-processing app that provides easy to use photo editing effects.   Once you get past those, “try this” adds - I found this app easy and really fun to use.  Most of all you don’t even have to understand “layering” to create an effect.  Created by three young Israeli, this app is considered one of the most popular entertainment apps on the Facebook platform.   To date Photomania has been reported as being downloaded over by over 35 million users.  What these young (20ish) entrepreneurs have proven is that there is still opportunity to take an idea and turn it into a worldwide success. 

While there are plenty of simply stupid apps – there are just as many more that have a use by someone – somewhere.     The “app” frontier provides an opportunity for anyone who has an idea.  If that idea is interesting enough - someone will download it.   While it is not easy to do, it can be done.   App development is truly a brave new frontier for business and marketing.

Locally in Hampton Roads there are not as many as we would like to see engaged in this frontier.  There are those who are trying to create culture of app entrepreneurs.   We should encourage these efforts, and maybe just maybe one or two ideas will become the next big success. 

So next time, I fumble in a dark movie theater wishing that I had a flashlight.   I will remember that there is a flashlight app for this.   FXGURU - now that is a useful app - rock on “App Developer” rock on…….

Social Media And The Sweet Potato

The Carver Way - Looking at Social Media Differently

PhotoMania - Sweet Potato

At a recent Toastmasters Club Meeting – club member Eric Spence began his speech by holding up the biggest sweet potato that I had ever seen, and asking “..what do you see”?   As a southerner my initial thought was  - “..a pad of butter”.  Eric followed up by asking …”do you see synthetic rubber”.  Still wandering in thought - I said to myself “..and some brown sugar…”.  Eric once again asked our group – “…do you see postage stamp glue, dye, paste or even ink?”  Still lost in my own thoughts  I internally responded “…Nope – I see an oven set at 375 degrees for about 40 minutes -which should just about do it... .Wait a minute….glue?”  Seeming to read my mind Eric proclaimed to all “Yes, …glue”.  

He went on to explain how Dr. George Washington Carver, born a slave would overcome this lowly status to become a world renowned Research Scientist.  He had achieved in life by hardwork and by applying his unique way of viewing the natural world.   A view of not what was, but how nature could be used to create something that could be.  Seeing the world this way, Dr. Carver’s lifetime work would eventually include over 117 applications for sweet potatoes, 300 applications for peanuts, along with several other inventions.

Dr. Carver - using PhotoMania

Eric suggested that what made Dr. Carver successful was what Eric called “The Carver Way”.   For you see Dr. Carver possessed the ability to see how nature could be applied differently.   He viewed without having his perception bound by how tradition dictated that an item had to be used.    Unlike traditional scientists of his day – Dr. Carver would make intuitive application leaps.  Scientists are supposed to use research methods based upon empirical and measurable evidence.   Using the Scientific Method – cause and effect are carefully tested and thereby hopefully resulting in incremental application progress.   On the other hand, Dr. Carver’s approach to research was much more intuitive.    While Dr. Carver would use observation, his unique ability to visualize new applications would result in intuitive jumps in creativity.   An accomplished painter as well, Dr. Carver’s perception of the world was unique.   Decades before the artist Andy Warhol’s “32 Campbell Soup Cans”, challenged our sense of perception of everyday items, Dr. Carver encouraged us to perceive new applications for the common sweet potato. I took away from this excellent presentation not only a newfound appreciation for Dr. Carver’s work, but, also for those who have the ability to see the world differently.  An appreciation for those who could envision not only new social applications; but also new ways that they could be used to connect users.  

Back in the beginning of the Web, who would have thought that a student peer grading system could eventually become Social network with millions of Fans?  Alternatively, that a very character limited texting method – could become a tweeting rage?   Back then, how many could have imagined a digital network that eventually would socially link professionals on a global scale?  That a business would embrace any application or technique with a Social in its title.

Social Media applications were created by those who could see things differently and imagine what could be, not by what was.  This is why I become concerned when I see traditional approaches being presented as “new” Social Media strategies.   

Techniques such as banner or sponsored ads are just a few examples of traditional push marketing.   No different from the billboard along side of the road, they assume that the user will drop what they are doing, link and coming running.      I wonder if some applications are chosen because it is what marketers are a more traditionally familiar.   I am also concerned that the Social Media is becoming limited by what people think it should and not what it could be.  

What if we were to view Social Media in “The Carver Way”?   Maybe it is time we look at Social Media differently.   To come up with ways that truly engage instead of simply push and pulls users.  Let us not get our perceptions locked into “375 degrees at 40 minutes…” …let us embrace a “Carver Way”.  To again envision what could and not what it traditonally should be.

I invite you to share with us what you feel are innovative ways of using Social Media in business.   Moreover, thanks to Eric, I hope you will never look at a sweet potato the same way again….