Two interesting discussions today. (Well one at least, my post has no comments yet.)

Ed Brill: What kind of apps do you run on the Notes client stand-alone?
Eric Mack: Just what is Lotus Notes good for, anyway?

There's discussion about what people use Notes for and whether it can be personal or not. I just posted this comment to Ed Brill's blog, but I think it is valuable to re-post here. It deals with the issue that when tools become personal, people become passionate about them - and they tell their friends, and their friends, and their friends...
@12, one of my clients, David Allen, loves to show end-users and senior company execs the Notes Journal - something most have no idea exists. If you have ever attended his Getting Things Done (GTD) seminars, you know that he often mentions and shows how he uses Lotus Notes and then he talks about the power of the journal and the ability to customize. 10 years ago (it maybe more) David stumbled on the Notes Designer client and created his own quote application - an app then he still uses and shows off today.

The key here is that Notes became personal to him. Once a tool becomes personal, people can't help but tell and show their friends. Think of the iPhone.

The key point I want to make is:
When tools become personal, people become passionate about them - and they tell their friends, and their friends, and their friends...

In this illustration, and end-user "discovered" something that created great value for him (the Notes Journal) and then he "discovered" that he could customize the way he works with his information using the Notes designer client. the tool became personal. Now, you couldn't pry it from his hands. I know many people that feel the same way.

As I teach in my seminars: "for tools to become productive, they have to become personal."

What do YOU think?

Discussion/Comments (2):

Marc (http://www.marriagetweets.com): 6/25/2009 2:55:44 PM
When tools (e.g. Lotus Notes) become personal

I agree we must personalize the tools to for greater productivity. However, it may cross the line when people become to attached to a any one tool. People turn into fans and active evangelist of the tool. What began as an open exploratory experience turns into a closed narrow-focused 'my way or the highway' mindset that has the potential to halt productivity.


McG (): 8/6/2009 6:43:41 PM
When tools (e.g. Lotus Notes) become personal

I have used Notes on laptops past, and it was useful to me personally. I have worked multiple paid-hourly and volunteer contracts for a few years now, and find it hard to separate my person from my business. I don't count that as a terribly bad thing, though. Notes worked for me.



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