Comments on: The Bleeding Edge of Agency Tech http://www.krotscheck.net/2009/04/06/the-bleeding-edge-of-agency-tec.html Michael Krotscheck's insights, ideas, and inspirations about web technology, life, and the kitchen sink. Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:12:35 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: -- http://www.krotscheck.net/2009/04/06/the-bleeding-edge-of-agency-tec.html/comment-page-1#comment-831 -- Mon, 13 Apr 2009 14:55:44 +0000 http://www.krotscheck.net/?p=2189#comment-831 I miss working with progressive clients with big budgets :) I miss working with progressive clients with big budgets :)

]]> By: Michael Krotscheck http://www.krotscheck.net/2009/04/06/the-bleeding-edge-of-agency-tec.html/comment-page-1#comment-830 Michael Krotscheck Mon, 13 Apr 2009 12:55:29 +0000 http://www.krotscheck.net/?p=2189#comment-830 I'll accept that point, but counter with "Most clients are clueless about technology". Many clients have dreams they want to achieve, and don't have the expertise to accomplish them. That's where agencies come in, to help them realize their dreams in the most cost effective way possible by remaining on top of emerging technologies and presenting them as likely solutions to the clients' problem. Or, to put it bluntly: The only thing that contracts scope is sticker shock. I’ll accept that point, but counter with “Most clients are clueless about technology”. Many clients have dreams they want to achieve, and don’t have the expertise to accomplish them. That’s where agencies come in, to help them realize their dreams in the most cost effective way possible by remaining on top of emerging technologies and presenting them as likely solutions to the clients’ problem.

Or, to put it bluntly: The only thing that contracts scope is sticker shock.

]]> By: Andrea Hill http://www.krotscheck.net/2009/04/06/the-bleeding-edge-of-agency-tec.html/comment-page-1#comment-828 Andrea Hill Sat, 11 Apr 2009 16:32:58 +0000 http://www.krotscheck.net/?p=2189#comment-828 Interesting - I would expect that the push for adopting new technologies would be hindered moreso by client comfort than technical capabilities. Sure, clients want to be progressive, but they still have to justify their own initiatives and spending money on being the first to implement something really really progressive is risky. QR codes are pretty neat, certainly. And they are starting to increase in popularity, in niche markets. But if you're using a QR code for promotion, then do you not ALSO have to embark on some level of promotion and education around the use of the QR code itself? Look at RSS. It's been around for a decade, yet whenever I ask a room who knows what RSS is, maybe 10% raise their hands. When a company decides they want to be 'first', they are saddled with the expenses of - research - development - raising awareness Plus of course the inherent risk that they're developing something that people don't care about or need. When we were looking at the personalization model based on Bayesian probability theory last year (yes, developed in an academic environment), the biggest concern was that it was untested in a commercial environment. While there are progressive organizations out there, I'm really not sure there are that many who are willing to be guinea pigs. But I could be wrong. And that would be GREAT! Interesting – I would expect that the push for adopting new technologies would be hindered moreso by client comfort than technical capabilities. Sure, clients want to be progressive, but they still have to justify their own initiatives and spending money on being the first to implement something really really progressive is risky.

QR codes are pretty neat, certainly. And they are starting to increase in popularity, in niche markets. But if you’re using a QR code for promotion, then do you not ALSO have to embark on some level of promotion and education around the use of the QR code itself? Look at RSS. It’s been around for a decade, yet whenever I ask a room who knows what RSS is, maybe 10% raise their hands. When a company decides they want to be ‘first’, they are saddled with the expenses of
- research
- development
- raising awareness

Plus of course the inherent risk that they’re developing something that people don’t care about or need.

When we were looking at the personalization model based on Bayesian probability theory last year (yes, developed in an academic environment), the biggest concern was that it was untested in a commercial environment. While there are progressive organizations out there, I’m really not sure there are that many who are willing to be guinea pigs.

But I could be wrong. And that would be GREAT!

]]> By: Myk http://www.krotscheck.net/2009/04/06/the-bleeding-edge-of-agency-tec.html/comment-page-1#comment-825 Myk Mon, 06 Apr 2009 18:37:23 +0000 http://www.krotscheck.net/?p=2189#comment-825 It's an interesting point. It really makes trend-spotting and "cool"-hunting that much more important, not to put too fine a Gibsonian edge on it. I'd not quite thought about it that way, but yeah: what if AR becomes a complete passing fad and in six months everyone is going to be all about something else - in a larger agency context, then, it's a really silly business investment to put X number of hours into training someone to use AR. Makes me feel like an "Internet Expert" whose sole responsibility is to surf the web and find Cool New Shit could easily pay for himself at any agency which can afford to put billable time into learning bleeding-edge tech. Reading over this, "Internet Expert" in quotes looks just similar enough to "Internet Explorer" while glossing over it that it actually made me cringe briefly. It’s an interesting point. It really makes trend-spotting and “cool”-hunting that much more important, not to put too fine a Gibsonian edge on it. I’d not quite thought about it that way, but yeah: what if AR becomes a complete passing fad and in six months everyone is going to be all about something else – in a larger agency context, then, it’s a really silly business investment to put X number of hours into training someone to use AR.

Makes me feel like an “Internet Expert” whose sole responsibility is to surf the web and find Cool New Shit could easily pay for himself at any agency which can afford to put billable time into learning bleeding-edge tech.

Reading over this, “Internet Expert” in quotes looks just similar enough to “Internet Explorer” while glossing over it that it actually made me cringe briefly.

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