A Magnifying Glass Analogy

Recently I got into more of the blog world (starting my own again) and "bookmarking" other blogs I find informative (which by the way has grown exponentially) and getting into learning more about SEO, SEM and the world of building great blogs/websites which leads me to consider this like a magnifying glass. Let me explain..

From a distance you see this industry perform and hear things about it passively, but as you get closer and closer to it you find that it's just swarming with fast-paced events, sites and articles that it almost overwhelms you. You see a finely tuned, increasingly complex and sophisticated world all about promoting, lead generating, marketing, increasing readers, analytics for blogs and websites. I congratulate those that have the ability to keep up and master such intense field.

I have learned over the years that there are two types of knowledge which will determine your course of future action:

1. Knowledge of a trade, skillset (in this case learn it so you know and can do it yourself)
2. Knowledge of where or who to go to for that knowledge (hire them to do it and move on to other areas)

Is it worth it to spend the time and money learning new skills in this area or outsource it to specialize in other areas. I'll have to get back to you on that.

Technology Topic: Global Technology in the 21st Century

As Americans we consider ourselves well-developed in terms of current technology (mobile phones, broadband, RFID, Internet,etc). Some pivotal studies to reflect on give us a better understanding where we stand with the rest of the world and where technology is headed.

One study titled "Market Study on the Information Technology Sector in Japan" is a must read to get acquainted with current data.
Located at: http://www.eurochambres.be/PDF/pdf_gtj/20061023ITMarketStudyUpdate.doc

Another starting point is the 2004 White Paper "Information and Communications in Japan"
Located at: http://www.johotsusintokei.soumu.go.jp/whitepaper/eng/WP2004/2004-index.html

More on this subject later as this makes a great starting point for future references and discussions.