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Life in the Fast Lane -- You must be who you say you are.

Roger E Madison Jr · Monday, November 9th 2009 at 2:35PM · 838 views
The Fast Lane in the Information Age is no place for charlatans. This is not the place to "fake it 'til you make it." In the Information Age, you must be who you say you are, or anonymity will be permanent. Why is this so?

In 1992, when the Internet was in its infancy, I asked a colleague to explain how this phenomenon works. This was during the age of proprietary networks -- before open systems became a way of life. He explained the Internet this way:

"The Internet is an amorphous blob of people, held together only by the kindness of strangers."

In fast lane, you only have one chance to make a good first impression, and the participants are able to unmask the fakers quite rapidly. So, you must "be who you say you are" or your 15 minutes of fame will be reduced to 15 seconds. The viral nature of this lane is such that one can become instantly famous, or instantly kicked to the curb. Word spreads fast either way. To sustain your success and keep up, you must "be real."

In popular culture, "being real" is a social acceptance criteria that reduces the participants to the lowest common denominator. In the fast lane, just the opposite is true. Being real elevates participants to their highest potential. You must keep up with the complexity of the technology, deal with strangers honestly, and "never take advantage of your friends and connections."

In the fast lane, you will meet many virtual contacts whose faces you will never see, but whose trust is vital to your success. The prime directive is "Never lie to strangers."

In this lane, "You must be who you say you are."

Roger Madison
CEO, iZania LLC

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Comments (3)

Gregory V. Boulware, Esq. Monday, November 9th 2009 at 3:16PM

/*
Very good and concise article/ lesson, Roger! Everyone that utilizes the Net...and those that don't should take (especially those that choose to kick "Baby-Boomers" to the curb - we are useful, inventive, and needed ) heed to your advice.

Thanks for the message.

Peace and Love,

Greg.
gvb1210me@yahoo.com
http://www.BoulwareEnterprises.com
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Roger E Madison Jr Tuesday, November 10th 2009 at 12:35AM

Thanks Greg. The Information Age allows us old dogs a new medium to share our wisdom and value.

ROBINSON IRMA Thursday, April 10th 2014 at 6:47PM

And, it goes double, triple in the end for those who are so proned to lie to themselves...it gets even worst for them when the y finaly must face up that "I am sorry" does not work on ALL nor does blaming everyone but your self for self destruction behaviors.(smile)

thanks Roger for more" Fast Lane" food for thought...

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