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Thought for the day

Started by Ewan · 10 months ago

I was listening to the radio the other day and I heard the following exchange:
- Presenter: “I’ve got a futurologist with me tonight. So that means you’re an expert on the future.”
- Futurologist: “Well, just technology in my ca ... Continue reading »

6 comments

  • Ewan

    10 months ago

    Yes that's where I don't often get on very well with some futurologists or analysts. There's usually a heck-of-a-lot of elements that have to come into play before big sweeping change can happen. I'm thinking, for example, of a lot of the future-gazing reports we see about such-and-such being a $100bn market by 2015.

    Until the iPhone App Store went live and Apple reported 1 million, 30 million and later 60 million application downloads, a lot of companies in the industry weren't bothering with applications. Now, as Mr Jobs reckons he might have generated another half billion dollar industry singlehandedly: Witness the likes of RIM and T-Mobile stumbling over themselves to try and get friendly with application developers.
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  • Constantine

    10 months ago

    you have no idea how hard my new job is where i basically have to read all those reports and then write something competent for Nokia to digest.
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  • barneyc

    10 months ago

    My take is that is exactly what a "futurologist" is - they are a blue sky, wishfull thinking person, one with no boundaries or constraints.

    An analyst, looks at the existing and determines requirements.

    Me, well I'm a product strategist and if I'm reading your post correctly would fit more into the role you envisage for a futurologist. My role is to look at the world around and find tech fit (or define a need for new tech).
    reply
  • Ewan

    10 months ago

    approve

    2008/8/24 Disqus <>
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  • Patrickatsms

    10 months ago

    @barneyc - That's exactly what I think a so-called futurologist should be. You can't determine the future if you don't take into account all the different elements.

    Don't get me wrong, I think there are some great analysts (I don't know anyone that calls themself a 'futurologist'). But the ones that are good are those that consider not just can we introduce the technology, but whether we will and what the implications are.
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  • ollysk2

    10 months ago

    Bit like the quote that goes something like "society would be great if it weren't for all the people."

    Or maybe it's not like that quote, but the point is that analysts get so myopic at times as to make me wonder how the whole 'analyst industry' has managed to survive! Predictions? Nah wishful thinking mixed with fanatical optimism!
    reply

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