It's a new digital world out there and I'm feeling a little behind the times. My 13 year old son knows more about using mobile phones and social networking than I do. OK, maybe the REAL issue is that being social is a prerequisite and I'd rather be in deep solitude contemplating esoteric technical issues, but I can fake it. I "got" chat rooms and instant messaging though I eventually decided using them often did not fit my personality and work habits.

So I'm making a concerted effort to use some of these new things and finding it pretty cool. I think mobile is a huge, but subtle, opportunity. A mobile device doesn't do anything more than a regular phone or computer. In many ways it's inferior to a computer. The small screen and keyboard pose huge ergonomic challenges. Memory, CPU, and bandwidth limitations are quickly becoming irrelvant. The really big deal about mobile is...it's mobile. It's obvious in one way, but subtle in another. I think it has and will be a long road with a lot of innovation to truly realize the power of mobile devices, mainly because we're slow in discovering how best to use them. Our kids are wizzing along, but older people may have to make an effort.

In order of my trying these things, I've been playing with LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Jott, ping.fm and and indenti.ca. There are links for you to view and join me on a few of these services on my blog profile. Let me know, preferably through Twitter (sskelley) if you're interesting in trying these things with me.

I think things like Twitter get at the key reasons why mobile makes a difference. Twitter may not last and I'm certain "twittering" will not be something that makes a big difference to me. However, I'm certain that some of the principles and techniques associated with Twitter will be part of lasting, significant change in how we communicate. That, and keeping up with my kids, is why I'm determined to get the hang of it.

Here's a short video explaining Twitter: Twitter in Plain English