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The Case Against Trump

This article was originally posted prior to the election. Given how the ex-president is likely to behave over the next four years, it's probably still relevant.

Believe it or Not: There Is No Way To Prove That a Software Program Will Do What It's Supposed To Do

From Computerworld, 1991, but just as relevant today.

Optical Computing: Switching the Light Fantastic

A radically different computer (that has yet to be built) would use photons instead of electrons. It's of special interest to the military, since it would be impervious to the electromagnetic pulse emitted by nuclear weapons. Here's how it might work.

Lies, Damned Lies, and Surveys:
Ten Things You Need to Know Before Believing, or Publishing, a Survey

Let me say this up front, so there’s no ambiguity about my position: Surveys are among the most unreliable “seemingly reliable” information sources in existence. Like the Bible or the U.S. Constitution, they can be manipulated to “prove” almost anything. To say that you should take survey results with a grain of salt is a towering understatement.

Three Ways to Incorporate Smart Support for Smart Homes

Published in IoT Evolution World

According to a recent survey, nearly 90 percent of consumers will return a technology product within one week if it is too difficult to set up and use regularly. But, only 52 percent are willing to spend time and effort troubleshooting with tech support.

This leaves a very small window of opportunity to live up to the brand promise and a much larger chance for consumers to abandon the technology entirely. There is a therefore a huge opportunity for IoT and smart home companies to bridge the gap between the promise and the reality to improve the post-purchase user experience and drive consumer adoption.

Five Support Imperatives for Saving the Internet of Things

[Technology Support Industry Association webinar]

Wait: The Internet of Things needs saving? It might. The most heavily hyped technology trend since the smart phone, projected to reach sales of $1.7 trillion in four years, is already showing signs of slowdown. Consumers are starting to find IoT devices too difficult to set up and use, and they’re speaking with their wallets. There’s nothing wrong with the things in the Internet of Things, but there’s a lot wrong with how we support them.

Listen to John Ragsdale and Lee Gruenfeld as they talk about how support needs to undergo a radical transformation in order to make sure the IoT fulfill its ambitious promise.

Self-Service or Live Support: It's Not a Question of Either/Or, It's When and How

Published in SMART Customer Service

While there is a growing trend toward self-service technical support, the nature of technology innovation and consumer adoption means self-service will never be able to stand alone as a definitive support solution. Why? Companies are developing products at such a frenzied pace that hapless consumers often become involuntary beta-testers, discovering problems that engineers overlooked in the development process.

The Internet of Things (IoT), especially the sub-domain called smart home automation, is one of the places where this challenge is most keenly felt.