There is a fantastic set of thought-provoking viral videos floating around the Internet titled, Did you Know. Although originally intended for educators, many businesses are using these videos at their corporate events. In fact, I was at one such event just recently, which made me think of sharing them here (not that they really need it)…
Background
The concept for these videos started with Karl Fisch, who is an educator/blogger over at The Fischbowl. Back in 2006, Karl put together a video called Did You Know (original version, otherwise known as 1.0) as a thought experiment for his colleagues at Arapahoe High School in Centennial, Colorado. Karl wanted to get the teachers at his high school thinking and talking about the world their students were entering, and what those students would need to be successful in the coming school year and in the future.
History
Karl’s original presentation was later picked up by Scott McLeod, who first posted it on his blog here. Scott slightly altered the original to remove Arapahoe High School’s specific information and added some additional content. This version is widely thought of as version 1.0. Then a consulting design company called XPLANE asked Karl and Scott if they could polish the presentation and release it with updated graphics and music. Karl and Scot took that opportunity to update and correct some of the facts, make it less US centric, tone down some the unintentional US vs. them implications, and spur the viewer into action by asking questions. This version became 2.0. From there, the already viral video took off like wildfire. In 2008, Sony BMG Music Entertainment contacted Karl and Scott asking if they could remix the video for an upcoming corporate event. This became version 3.0. In 2009, the Economist Magazine asked Karl and Scott if they could remix the video yet again, which they agreed to, and XPLANE remixed the video for a Media Convergence event in New York. This became known as Version 4.0.
I believe Karl mentions that the video (I’m thinking of version 2.0) has been viewed over 20 million times but that number is probably upwards of 30 million and counting by now. I wanted to share a quote from Karl’s blog in which Scott says, “It’s been shown to audiences large and small, educational and corporate and everything in between. It’s been shown to the leaders of our national defense and to incoming congressmen. It’s been shown by university presidents and kindergarten teachers, televangelists and politicians, folks just trying to make a buck and those trying to save the world.”
The Videos
The videos are intensely thought provoking, not to mention appealing (or horrifying, depending on your point of view). I personally find not only the content but the history and evolution of the video fascinating as well. Therefore, I have linked each of the videos here to share them with the world and provoke discussion as Karl and Scott intended, and to show the metamorphosis of the original video over the last few years:
Did You Know, Version 1.0 (2006) – Modified by Scott McLeod
Did You Know, Version 2.0 (2007) – Modified by XPLANE
Did You Know, Version 3.0 (2008) – Modified by Sony BMG Music Entertainment
Did You Know, Version 4.0 (2009) – Modified by XPLANE for the Economist magazine
When I saw version 2.0 recently at my corporate event, albeit with a different soundtrack, it seemed to convey more enthusiasm than content but it still made people stop and think. This was exactly Karl’s original intention. According to Karl “…it’s a different world out there. A world where anyone’s ideas can quickly spread if they happen to strike a chord.” Shift happens.
Personally, I was really interested in hearing some of my coworkers thoughts on the video, but was only able to talk to a few before we continued with our next topic. From what I did gather, I found that some expressed concern with the US education falling behind in the world, among other alarming facts, while others seemed scared by the pace of change. I do think the message regarding the need to adapt to change and focus on a global market (largely the subject of our event) was successfully conveyed. However, it made think about the concept of a Technological Singularity and its eventuality becoming more plausible every day. On a personal level, it also gives me a kick in the pants to stay current with technology, especially for the sake of my professional IT career.
Copyright
Some concerns have been expressed regarding the distribution of copyrighted works, but according to Karl, he has ensured that his videos are freely available under the creative commons license so they may elicit thought and discussion among as many as possible.
As far as I’m concerned, as many people as possible should be thinking about and discussing these ideas. You all have permission to use, modify, reuse, etc. anything you’d like. ~ Karl Fisch, 2006
Finally
I should mention, Karl and Scott have also made a Wiki to serve as a jumping off point for folks interested in exploring some of the topics more deeply. Check it out if you have a moment.
By the way, what does the Did You Know presentation make you think of?
Paul Beckford is an IT professional based in Denver, Colorado. Over the last dozen years, Paul has worked “hands-on” in an IT Operations role deploying and supporting a multitude of technologies, such as Network Infrastructure, Windows and Linux servers, most Microsoft Back Office & Infrastructure applications, Virtual Computing, Mobile Computing and Information Security.