Web 2.0 and the Digital Revolution - Adopting technology
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Time to talk about adopting new technologies. It took 20 years for landline phones to get into 50% of homes. Think about those companies that got onto that technology early. They could call someone instead mail them, and going to visit someone also took time and travel. Those first companies must have really been one of the best companies of its time. Some decades later the cell phone came. It took under 6 years for 50% of people to get cell phones. Only 6 years, when the only change was that fact that it could be used nearly anywhere. Learning curves are lessening, but people are seeing these new technologies and the benefits they provide and want to get them. It’s no longer, “why do we need this?” Instead it's, “how can we benefit from this?”
Curse of the Bambino solved with IT
No one knows this better then someone from Boston. Oh the heartache that came from this. Being from Cleveland, it's not much better. Maybe this year will be the year! If you don't follow sports, here is a quick history lesson: Babe Ruth, one of the best baseball players of all time, was originally a Boston Red Sock. After trading him, the Red Sox went the next 86 years without a World Series championship after, winning 5 before that. It looked like the Red Sox would never win another World Series. Then in 2004, this all changed. After coming back from down 3 games to none in the ALCS, they went on to win the World Series. Was this the end of a curse or just getting a hand above the competition? It wasn't signing big players that made the team a champion. It was a little acquision in 2002 that ended the curse.
His name was Bill James. Can't find him on the stat pages or in pictures? You'd better look in the stands (well, probably a very nice suite). His secret weapon? Sabermetrics. Saber what? Imagine looking in the paper and seeing your favorite player batting .333 with 99 RBI and 32 HR. Yeah that looks nice, and you can compare it to other players, but that isn't going to give you good data. Maybe my favorite player plays in the hardest division. I should collect all the data available. Every pitch, the weather at that time, the stadium they play in, the time of day, who is umpiring that night at third base, etc.
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