The Future of Lilyotron: 200th Post!

This is my 200th blog post on Lilyotron!

This post, believe it or not, is inspired by December’s Better Homes and Garden’s Editor’s Letter.

Instead of acting like they had all the answers to 2020’s New Year’s resolutions (let’s face it, they have a lot of them), editor, Stephen Orr, admits that magazine creators, like us simple humans, try to solve the same problems.

For Better Homes and Gardens it’s, where did my sock dissapear too? How do I keep my kitchen clean? Exactly what do I use to get this mistereous stain out of the carpet?

It got me thinking, as I stared at the headline to the Editor’s letter,

WHAT’S YOUR PROBLEM?

The Editor clarified, how can we help you? Tell us what your problems are. “we are here to help and inspire, not to lecture.”

That’s what I’d like 2020 to be for Lilyotron. Tell me your problems. Do you have a business idea you need to vet? A piece of writing you’d like done? Are you looking for VR/AR inspiration and affirmation that it is indeed not dead? I’m here to help.

As for the lecturing, I’m not here to write total fluff. We still have to be realistic. Immersive technology has a long way to go, especially finding that habit forming, killer app.

While it’s easy to lecture about the disappointing sales or lack of user engagement, I’d rather dive into the why behind how we got here and where we’re going. For instance, I saw someone question on Twitter, is the Oculus Quest sold out until February 2020 because Facebook really ran out of them or did they not have enough made in the first place?

Good question. It’s all about perception and marketing, isn’t it?

This blog as gone through a lot of up and down over the years. It was a MES blog, a VR startup blog, a pinch of military spouse and working mom blog. No matter what the subject, the substance has stayed the same:

How can we use technology to better our lives? Are we using the technology the right way and are we using the right tech for the job?

The process is always human. We can automate and fast track with technology. We get more data to make more informed decisions. But they WHY are we doing something or making something is human. People care about creation. Tech is just programmed to create.

Let’s make 2020 about the WHY. I know we need to experiment and create with virtual and augmented. Some things will stick, many won’t. But let’s not carelessly jump into it without considering the implications. I’m looking at you Facebook. Why do you really want one million people in VR?

Orr ends his Editor’s Letter saying, “life is busy and complex, and sometimes learning even one tip to make something easier (and, of course better) is all you need to have the best day possible.”

Let me know what you think. Please reach out to how I can help.

Thank you for reading, commenting, and liking my posts over the years. It means a lot and makes me feel pretty blessed to be part of the blogging/VR/AR community. Happy New Year!

Featured Photo by Amy Shamblen on Unsplash