Google’s BIG arrow points the way

“Google owns the planet.” That’s what I have been saying for the past few years. And I have been a huge fan because I love the simple, clean, white, (where are the ads hiding?) interface.

If Apple has taught us anything at all (and I do believe it has taught us much)…it is that competition is good (thanks Microsoft) and that a monopoly only minimizes quality. So- I have been rooting for other search engines, but have always found Google to be best.

I admit, I have been unable to keep my New Year’s Resolution for 2011 (stop bashing Facebook) because sometimes one must admit failure. So…I have REALLY been rooting for Google Circles. Facebook could use the competition.

The world(s)—((let’s make it plural since we live in both digital and physical and, while we are at it, let’s double the parentheses because two worlds require doubling everything))—is changing at the most rapid speed of all TIME. None of us can keep up. That’s obvious.

Today, Google surprised me with a big arrow, pointing to ME. Who could miss it? When your style is simplistic, change is noticeable.

My first thought was about marketing. The one who gets the money market is usually the winner. But something inside me resists the quick payoff mentality. My husband of many years (the love of my life) emphasizes economics as the underlying factor of most goals and the foundation of most achievements. As an educator, my focus is always on the next generation and how decisions will impact them.
Oh, the dilemmas we face every day. Are we “selling out” or are we “risking all” for the future? As I near reaching my goal of earning a PhD, a part of me dreams of sending my resume to Google (and I would strive to be the best employee ever) and a part of me wants to turn up the Pearl Jam song Indifference (really loud). I keep coming back to it… opposites.

The balance of personal / professional

Blogs are like personal diaries where each unique voice is important.  Blogs are also a new collaborative resource which can help us in professional growth.  I have had this nagging feeling of misunderstanding about whether the purpose of a blog should be personal or professional- I mean it almost seems like they are opposites.  I have always been fascinated by opposites (I could blog for hours on that topic and seriously need to tag that word) (OK-done!  Here’s my opposites blog!).  Social networking, digital media and blogs have changed what I like to call “the hierarchy of information.”  IMHO, the balance of personal and professional writing is no longer clear.  This would make a great dissertation topic!  decisions, decisions…