Q&A with John Patrick

Contact button on websites is for them, not for us.

SMS, IM, Twitter – they are all channels.  But email it is reliable. He uses X1 which continuously indexes your mail.  He thinks email is the killer app.  Interesting.  I don’t agree, for a million reasons, but hey.

Q: Where does search fit in?

A: Everywhere.  People think Google will take over the world, but it was IBM a number of years ago.  Searching is becoming vertical.  Zillow for real estate.

Q: Is it ever going to get better in 3rd world countries?

A: There is no third world, it is all one world.  But everything is built on open standards.  The internet brings them together.

Q: What do you see as the future of work (as it is going faster)?

A: It is empowerment.  Some people accomplish a lot, some a little.  Studies consistently show that those who work from home spend more time working and are more effective.  A lot of companies still don’t buy into it.  “If I can’t see you, you aren’t working.”  That is from the 1800s.  Long-term, I see it as encription and biometrics and they will be rewarded for working.

Q: How does the younger generation learn?  I am questioning the K-12 model

A: That is why homeschooling has taken off – parents are recognizing this.