Sandy has already said a bit about Don. Here are some of my thoughts. Don is a very entertaining speaker. He kicked off the keynote speakers at FastForward 09. He asked the question: is digital web world hurting brain development? – he said it is not supported by data – actually Don says the digital world has created the smartest generation. While I agree with his first statement that there is not data to support the dumbing down of the newest generation, I am not sure there is real data to support either view. However, I think what mostly is happening is the definition of intelligence is changing.

There are a lot of skills that my grandparents’ generation were smarter and better at than my generation. I am sure that will be the case for my grandchildren if I am lucky enough to have some. Generations hopefully learn the skills that are relevant to them. I think it is more useful to say that relevance changes, rather than any absolute smarts change. If we say that relevance changes it gives us old folks a chance to learn the new relevance, we may just have to try harder.

He offered a couple of interesting observations about his own company. At his company the “training department” at his company is the requirement that everybody must blog. Learn by doing. I like this. I think this is true if they blog about work related stuff. I certainly learn by blogging. If I was required to blog about some issue that was important for the company, then I would learn something of value to the company. Back in the 80s when I was involved with learning, I liked to create learning by doing experiences, rather than direct teaching experiences. I thought that training was something you did when all else failed.

The people in his company are also not allowed to build web sites – they build communities. This drives engagement. I believe that Newsweek defined Web 2.0 several years ago as web sites where value is derived from the action of users.

Don also said that marketing has changed. Instead of creating products, you now create experiences. I think Fortune or one of those magazines said in the 80s there are no longer products, only services. This was the pre-web version of what Don mentioned. He also said that instead of thinking of the concept of place for products, now you have to think everywhere anywhere – marketplace & marketface. Don made an interesting observation. Only recently did sellers establish prices. Historically the marketplace established price. Now it is changing back through discovery mechanism. eBay was only the beginning of the new digital marketplace.

He also said that the concept of promotion is dated. Now there is engagement. What did you think?