Ev Rogers -- Highlights from my old blog (Nov 05)

My Ph.D. advisor, mentor, and co-author, Everett Rogers, referred to me in the intro to one of his books as the “ultimate information seeker.” I was always sharing with him articles, books and news stories related to topics in which he was interested — a new technological innovation, for example. I clipped news stories from newspapers, but as the Internet grew, I often just printed out news stories for Ev or emailed a link to the story. (Photo of Ev to the right.)

This relatively new type of Internet technology, a blog, is perfect for “information seekers” who wish to share what they find. I’m going to take full advantage of this technology. This technology allows me to gather more info and to share it with more people.

Ev and I once wrote a book chapter that included discussion of Vannevar Bush, a pioneer in computers — more specifically, as we argued, a pioneer in the use of computers as communication tools. Ev would have understood and appreciated the following quote from Vannevar Bush as it relates to me and this blog.

“There is a new profession of trail blazers, those who find delight in the task of establishing useful trails through the enormous mass of the common record. The inheritance from the master becomes, not only his additions to the world’s record, but for his disciples the entire scaffolding by which they were erected.” — Vannevar Bush, “As We May Think,” July 1945

Ev would have understood. I do this blog in honor of Everett Rogers (1931-2004). A 1998 interview with Ev can be found in TheEdge.