Public to Private

Several weeks in the private sector and some general observations to offer. Go here for background, if needed.
These are generalizations so don’t get all worked up.

1. Everyone puts their pants on the same way. Though it may come as a surprise, people are just people. They have families, eat, drink and breathe all the same. Well that one isn't a generalization.

2. If you love your job, you work hard. It doesn't matter who you work for citizens or clients, you work hard. An often stated misconception is people in the private sector work longer hours or harder. I don't believe that is true. People that work hard do so regardless of their industry.

3. Private sector has a better talent pool. This one is nuts. I've had the opportunity to work with very talented people in both positions.  Intelligence or lack of should not be judged based on title, or employer.

4. They can do anything they want. I have heard this on both sides. Public service has the impression ‘private sector has unlimited funds and can do whatever they want too.’  The private impression is ‘public sector has no risk’. Both are wrong, but you all knew that…

5. Private sector is more agile. This one seems to be true on face value. It is much harder to hire an individual in the public sector. That said, I still believe the bigger the ship, the harder it is to turn, regardless of what sector. So may be agility is more closely coupled with an organizations size.

Am I enjoying my new gig? Yes, there are plenty of challenges and I am enjoying digging in and trying to solve problems.

Interesting Day

I truly feel fortunate today. I have known a lot of people that made career changes because they had to do so. Some because they thought the grass was greener, some because they needed more $, a few because of some itch, and others because they lost a job they loved. They rarely seemed happy.

Today I left a place that I truly enjoyed working at. Love seems like an odd word to use, but I am not sure it is too strong. I cut my teeth in that office and having a great boss (I use that word loosely) made it a fun place to work. I don't recall a single time that I dreaded going to work. Seems there had to have been some day that was miserable in the past 11 years, but I don't remember it. So as I left today I nearly cried. Go ahead and laugh... I did...

I also realized that there was nothing or anyone that was forcing me to leave. I was leaving because I was more excited about the new opportunities than I was sad about the current ones. I think that is a unique position to be in and I am thankful.

So today has been interesting, and I have enjoyed it. #goodtimes

Partly Cloudy / Mostly Sunny

It is a good day when departing one gig is a little sad (you still love it) and starting another gig is really exciting. All at the same time. I am fortunate on both fronts.

Yes it is true after 11 years, I am departing my post at the AGIO. This decision occurred following a number of conversations, reflection and consideration of my priorities; faith, family, fun, and work. I appreciate the opportunity I have had to help develop a sustainable office that brings true value to the citizens of the state of Arkansas.

I will miss the AGIO. This decision did not come easy. Shelby Johnson has served as a boss, friend and colleague for 10 years. His management style has allowed me to do (get away with) a lot of things. My resignation is the result of a great opportunity to work on new challenges. I have been lucky to serve with a great group of people performing a job I enjoy. I wish nothing but the best for the entire AGIO team.

The opportunity to work for a well established company with a rich history will offer new challenges, experiences and opportunities. I am looking forward to joining the Sanborn team and jumping into the 'what's next' phase of this adventure.

Thank you all; for the kind words many of you have expressed via email, text, twitter, voice mail... I apologize for not responding directly to each of you individually.

Hope to catch up with you in one of several locations over the course of the next couple of months.
1.    I will reside in Little Rock, AR (duck hunting)
2.    I will be in Colorado Springs, CO - next week (ping me if you are in the area)
3.    I plan to attend FOSS4G in Denver, CO
4.    I plan to attend NSGIC in Boise, ID

Personal reflection:
* Shelby yelled at me the 3rd day on the job. I might have deserved it.
* Shelby has owned 2 dogs since I have worked here and he truly hated one of them.
* My oldest daughter was 3 months old when I began work at the AGIO. She just started 6th grade.
* More than doubled the size of my family while working at the AGIO.
* Had no experience with government when I started at the AGIO.
* Had the opportunity to work with executives at the highest level of AR government.
* I have owned 2 pairs of boots since I have worked here and nearly cried when I had to retire the first pair.
* I have had the support of a great community of GIS users in the state (AR GIS Users).
* Learned the value of open data.
* Had the opportunity work with numerous county folks on their gis efforts that continue to flourish.
* Have developed a deep appreciation for a virtual community that includes a number of people I would not recognize in a line up but feel like I know.
* Been here 10 years and I packed all my stuff in 2 small boxes. Including #Geoglitterduck
* Lessons Learned; communication trumps everything else, technology is rarely the issue/people usually are, if a technology doesn't support a business process (reevaluate), if you aren't making mistakes you aren't trying hard enough.

Little known fact
Grew up and have lived in the south all of my life. Plan to stay here. Found out a couple of years ago; I get sick if I go over 10,000 feet (yes, even following all the rules). So I had to check to see what altitude Colorado Springs was at.

discussion, event, issue, technology, topic, war

Familiar LightSquared  discussion, event, issue, technology, topic, war? You can read about it in no less than a dozen places (http://goo.gl/8JtFe).

I have been loosely following along; only because the topic keeps being put in front of me. So as a sideliner here are just a few thoughts. I am not an engineer nor am I familiar with all of the possible opportunities (good or bad). This is just a running list of thoughts I have had over the past several months.

• Why is everyone so worried? Does anyone really think the government is going to let the GPS network be severely damaged? – This is not a small thing and the suggested impacts would be numerous on a multitude of levels. –zombies are not our worst fear
•  Wow this thing is getting a lot of press
•  No idea who their marketing folks are but they have earned their money
•  May be this was a half backed idea that needed to go down this road in order to get input from the community, refine the plan, and execute a useful product – novel
•  Here comes the mudslinging, they said – they said, nobody knows what’s going on
•  Props to those guys for understanding and working the system
•  Now let’s draw straws for teams- good vs evil
•  Seems to be a lot of chest thumping going on
•  Great now regardless of the outcome a) nothing happens b) the plan is implemented and has no impact – everyone can claim victory.
•  This one pops in my head nearly every time- "I don't care what the newspapers say about me as long as they spell my name right." http://goo.gl/tLYtP

I have had a few more specific thoughts, but I’m not putting them in writing. Might it be bad- sure, might it be the best thing since GPS - maybe; isn’t that what innovation is all about?

Now I can add my name to the list of folks that have brought the topic up again. #badjokes 

High Resolution Imagery to Support Events

This is a carry over from several tweets coming out of Understanding Risk Conference (#ur2010) at the World Bank.

So the brief conversation on twitter was in regards to imagery resolution used when responding to an event (hurricane, flood, tornado, earthquake, fire, oil spill/pour). I agree 3 inch resolution gives more detail and may lead to better decisions. I also agree satellite or airborne sensors may be more appropriate depending on various elements (resolution, area of coverage, orbit, licensing, privacy, general specifications).

My real question comes down to the ROI for higher resolution in terms of bandwidth and general IT infrastructure. Given that this data is usually needed in various platforms and passed around via networks and hard-drives; What is the resolution that allows for good decision support and balances that with file size?

This may seem like an easy question. May be the answer is get the best you can, but I am curious as to if any thought has been given to this question.

I would also add larger companies likely have the infrastructure to support any file size, but I am thinking from a local prospective.

AGIO Decal in 50 States

First, BIG THANK YOU to all those who submitted pictures, and asked others to do the same. We could not have done this without YOU!!!

The #AGIOdecal game began on 3/5/2010 with a blog post. A second post was made on 3/22/201 as decal pictures began arriving.

We never could have imangined what would transpire. So now for some lessons learned, and considerations should someone else attempt something like this.

1. It's not about you, it's about the game: 90% of the pictures we recieved were via Twitter friends. What was intresting was the game spread beyond those that knew of the AGIO prior to the game begining.

2. Make it easy: This seems obvious, but it was essintal to us recieving the maxiumum number of photos possible. We just said "please send photos" and did not specify how we would like to recieve them. This resulted in photos being sent via email, txt, twitter, flickr, and various other means.

Actual breakdown

70 folks played along and submitted 210 pictures

99 pictures were emailed

69 pictures were tweeted

30 mailed via snail mail (one person's trip)

12 pictures were texted

3. Not everyone geoenables their pictures: We assumed this was the case, but we didn't realize it was such a small precentage. One thing we did not do well was take advantage of the photos that were geoenabled when we recieved them. - Big lesson learned

4. Logistics: I think there are a few things you have to get right in order for the effort to work. First, you have to have a reason, and that maybe just because. Second, you have to be responsive. That means responding when folks who participate, posting photos recieved quickly and communicating the posting back out. Third, there is no wrong answer (in this case picture). I think you have to always remember it is a team effort. It is not 'your' project, it is everyone's. BTW- thanks to all who played

5. Cost: The cost was minimal cosidering the return. Decals were $500, staff time around 5% (debatable), stamps were $20, travel $0 (we just carried decals everywhere we were already going).

Also worth noting: We leveraged a number of platforms online for no fee.

Photo gallery- Picasa / Flickr

Map- GeoCommons / GoogleMap / YahooMap

Twitter Activity: http://twapperkeeper.com/hashtag/AGIOdecal

Success is measured a number of ways. @cageyjames Tweeted "Arkansas hasn't got this much play since Clinton was president!" we believe that is succcess. It is intresting that a five person shop managed to get pictures of its decal in so many places, with the help of a lot of friends. We consider the effort a huge success.

#AGIOdecal Part 2

It all started with What's the Deal with the #AGIOdecal. The response has been great. Big thanks to all those who have helped make this possible. This blog post is only intended to provide quick links to several items related to this effort.

Photo gallery- Picasa / Flickr

Map- GeoCommons / GoogleMap / YahooMap

Twitter Activity: http://twapperkeeper.com/hashtag/AGIOdecal

We welcome anyone who wants to play.

Print, cut, shoot a photo and send to me. We would really appreciate your help.

What's the deal with #AGIOdecal?

Google Map - Flickr Map - GeoCommons Map

It all started harmless enough and has now turned into a friendly competition. Actually a friendly wager. The Arkansas Geographic Information Office had the logo developed in 2002. The logo includes the tag line "Putting Arkansas On the Map!". (You can make up your own jokes.)

We recently had decals made and began taking pictures with them as we travel the state. While gathered for lunch I said "Wonder if we could get AR mapped in 50 states?" Discussion ensued which resulted in my firm stance AGIO could get pictures of the logo taken in all 50 states using various social media outlets and personal connections. I am also hoping to get a few from the territories.

I'm pretty sure a map will be created shortly after the pictures are collected for all 50 states.

So I'd appreciate anyone who wants to play along just:

• Take a picture with the decal
• Upload to your online photo browser of choice (send link to me)
• Or email the pic to me

Should our paths cross, don't be surprised if I hand you a decal in return for your business card.

UPDATE

The #AGIOdecal continues to make its rounds. Photos can be viewed here and related Tweets can be viewed here. Thanks to all those who are playing. Please keep the photos coming.

I hope some of you smart folks have been thinking about this for a while. I really hope you have some suggestions on how to make this a reality.

So I started thinking a bit which is always dangerous. How does a government agency integrate all of the rich data into a single location?

My simple definitions
Single location= a location that a user can go to get the data. Ideally, numerous locations would be feed data from an integrated source

Rich Data= data from city, county, state integrated with crowd-sourced data of various forms

The idea is data would flow from multiple sources to a library from which a single rich data set could be completed. The beauty of the system is that all of the data ‘feeders’ would not even have to know about one another. For example, the county official responsible for roads would not have to know about OSM but could leverage the data that is inserted into OSM and vice-versa. The illustration above is focused on roads, but if such a system existed; points of interest, hydro, pick a ‘layer’ could be easily created and shared.

I realize the idea above is a dream. Things like licensing, lawyers, bureaucracy and a host of other things immediately point to “This cannot be done.” What if those issues didn’t exist; what might we have? This is what I am interested in seeing happen. Arkansas is ready to give it a try. Anyone else out there done this?

Open, No Fee Data

@glethan and I started this conversation last week #GeoChat. My question still remains, what protocols make data "open" in todays environment. I only ask the question because the @Arkansas_AGIO is working to be as open as possible. The target seems to be a bit vague, I think.

Data.gov provides data in csv, xml, kml, and shp. Does that make it open?

What about webservices?

Is providing access to the data for download make it open in todays geoweb environment?

Is OGC the answer to all of these questions?

Just curious

Rambling Thoughts

Just thinking out loud... I am sure it's crazy talk.

Several colleagues and I have been discussing this for quite sometime so I figure it's past time to get input. The premise is - Get out of the way! The topic is data.

As coordinators we work with numerous data providers. Inevitably we get rich data from locals, often attempt to standardize, publish out for consumption in a host of formats and services. We (AR GIO) have been repeating this process about 7 years. We have gotten better, but are still not efficient. The time delay from manufacture to shelf is far too slow. Slow equates to months instead of days or hours.

This is all well and good but what if we are the problem because we are in the way. There are a host (no pun intended) of companies/organizations that are much more capable of standardizing and publishing the data for consumption more efficiently than we are. Yes, I concede they have a great deal more money, staff, and likely brain power than I do. This is not a bad thing but it begs the question. How do I point, provide, enable the process and get out of the way.

A couple of us were just chatting and came to the conclusion many of you have already come too. If a company/organization uses the rich data and publishes in a format that can be consumed by all of the major GIS packages, then that is one less thing we have to do. Lets go find more data to feed the monster.

Next series of questions.

1) How do we feed the monster? Shapefile/geotiff and FTP? No one can argue the efficiency.

2) Do we continue to maintain all of the web services? The point at which the data is provided back from integrators as a web service in a manner that is consumed by major GIS packages the answer likely changes.

3) I'm at a loss but feel sure there is a 3rd, 4th, and so on.

So maybe we are quickly coming full circle? Its just a question. I am really interested in solving the reconciliation of deltas from all the various sources (Google, OSM, city, county, state) and feeding that data back out (city, county, state, ect). Bet someone has that figured out. Ping me if you do.

NSGIC Reps on Twitter

Following #NSGIC2009 several ask if there was a list of NSGIC state reps currently on Twitter. I am not aware of a list and doubt this will be comprehensive, but its a start. Tweet me @learondalby and I will add ya, apologies upfront if I neglected ya. I am sure there is an easier way to build this list, so someone share the knowledge.

National States Geographic Information Council- @nsgic

Alabama- @electicghia

Arkansas- @Arkansas_AGIO, @ShelbyDJohnson, @LearonDalby

California- @CAGIO

Colorado- @COGISCoord

Delaware- @DelawareGIS, @rockmanwss, @mmahaffie

Florida- @Florida_SERTGIS

Georgia- @DaniAyan

Indiana- @igic

Kansas- @ivan2mapu, 2kgsdasc

Missouri- @tonyspicci

North Dakota- @BobNutsch

Texas- @TNRIS

Utah- @BertAGRC

Wisconson- @Wiscmapper, @ajwrtly

Preface

I have worked in the information technology (IT) field for a decade and had the opportunity to travel across the United States the past year. My niche has been geographic information systems. In the past year I have become fascinated with social media and web 2.0 technologies. Yes, I realize I was late to the game as these have been around more than a year. What I didn’t realize was that I was not the last one to game. In fact, I have come to realize many IT firms haven’t even made it to the ballpark yet. IT for so many years was a black box. Executives all agreed IT was needed, but few actually applied its use and even fewer understood what happened in the black box. Sure IT can be complex, but you would think IT was always cutting edge. I can assure the entire IT community has not grasped the full utility of social media and web 2.0 technologies.

So why does this blog look like a book? This was the only way I could think of to gain the attention of the traditional “book reader” and hopefully the help of really smart people on the www. I am hopeful you will add to this string of thoughts by adding your comments. No doubt a wiki might have proven more useful for this exercise, but keep in mind the first goal is to reach those trying to figure all this out.

Disclaimer

Very little of the information found on this site is original. I have read several books, talked to numerous individuals a lot smarter than I am, and researched a number websites this year that will be reflected in the information below. Do not be surprised if you have heard some of the comments or read some of the material before. I do not claim any of this as original. I am hopeful you will help me assemble a resource that will be useful to those trying to figure out, what I refer to as THE CHANGE (nope that is not original either). It wouldn’t surprise me to find several other sites on the www similar to this one. Please link to them where appropriate using the comment tool.

The Change

What happened? Here is what I think happened and the opportunity it presents.. The way many individuals communicate changed. Traditionally communication from government-citizens, business-client, or nonprofit-supporters has been one way. The spin, message, commercial, etc. happened one way. Think about the various forms of ‘communication’ we have used in the past: paintings, radio, tv, fax, or email. This is not a dialogue, which is what many really desire. No doubt someone could respond to the email but is that really a dialogue?

Now think about mechanisms that have enabled a dialogue: telegraph, phone, email (alright, I will give that one to you), instant messaging, txt messaging. These are all becoming dated. You read it right, dated. That is the change… Welcome to instantly knowing where someone is, what they are doing, thinking, care about, and oh yeah they get to tell you. You have entered into a dialogue or conversation and begun to develop a relationship. Why do they tell you? Because they want to! They are involved because they care. Yes there is a human element to IT that a dialogue enables and the result is fascinating.

Generalizations

The following are broad generalizations. No doubt anyone reading this can come up with a dozen examples of individuals, organizations or examples that do not fit these stereotypes. I will separate the two groups into the categories pre-CD and post-CD. There is actually a third group which needs further thought; post-iPod.

Those born pre-CD (compact disk) generally;
· resist change, definitely don’t like fast change
· believe reports are critical
· gut feelings are sometimes followed, but usually suppressed
· communication and marketing equates to printed materials, booths at conferences, commercials, advertisement on other websites, mass email (spam), and usually an attempt at a high-quality website for their organization
· Work begins at 8am ends at 5pm with an hour lunch; please don’t bother me after hours

A big difference is numerous hours will be spent building a plan. Usually the plan is developed by a small group of people (highly trusted by the boss). Once complete, the plan (book, document, vision, insert traditional concepts here) will be executed or published. Here is the big difference. Any comments that are provided (even by constituents or customers) are viewed as attacks that must be defended. Furthermore, the attack is ignored, combated, or squashed. The plan must be fully executed, sometimes even to the demise of the organization. This effort requires time and money. Often times the plan is out of date before its implementation begins. Remember, change is happening daily.

---Remember, these are generalizations---

Those born post-CD generally;
· embrace change, look for change, wait in lines to get change, and most importantly expect change
· do not rely on reports, but do like to perform quick analysis
· quick to follow gut feeling, and quick to drop ideas that don’t show success
· communication and marketing equates to interacting with people online via numerous mechanisms, resist the commercial feeling, relationship first, service if needed
· Work doesn’t really begin or end, but can be done anywhere anytime and did I mention they really enjoy working

In contrast to those born pre-CD this group will spend little time on a plan. They will execute a half baked idea (this effort is a perfect example) and see if people comment or provide input. Commenting on the idea is viewed as a positive thing. Lack of comments equates to the post-CD crowd a lack of interest. So, if no one comments on this site I will surmise this was not useful and I will abandon it. The difference is I will have invested little time and no money to see if this is useful. Paraphrasing from Jeff Jarvis book, What Would Google Do- it is ok to fail because you learn something when you fail, but fail fast. Side note- because Mr. Jarvis understands the change, he will not be upset if I didn’t get the above right. He won’t sue me; he or someone who has read his literature will just correct me below. In fact, I imagine Mr. Jarvis would be glad I mentioned the book and appreciate the link.

Did you catch the subtle difference? Change is good, comments are good, failing is ok, fail fast. Why are comments and interaction on any of the numerous social media tools, blogs or wikis enable a dialogue and encourage collaboration. It would be an honor if 20 folks commented on this site and it was all integrated. No doubt many could expand on the ideas and make it better. I would view this as a very good thing.

Also worth mentioning, the 8-5 job is not too attractive to post-CDers. That one really freaks out the pre-CDers. The best way to explain this one is with a story. Jim generally works in an office (or home) 8am-5pm, but there are a number of days when he might run errands throughout the day, attend his kids events, or not be physically in the office. How? The mobile device enables him to leave the desk. Because Jim enjoys his work and is friends with those he works with; he is generally interacting with them after 5pm. This leads to more dialogue and relationship building. Jim even responds to work email, visits blogs, checks his tweets , or Facebook after 5pm. Jim does these things on the weekends as well. Does Jim have a life? Yes, he just has the flexibility to work from anywhere anytime. Obviously this type of work schedule cannot be maintained by everyone in an organization. Maybe not today, but it will be interesting to see what the future holds. Jim makes a good employee. 1) he is happy, 2) he is available (also known as connected), 3) he is trustworthy. Yes trust is everything in this environment.

I just lost a few of you so let me back up a second. Think of all the various government services you can do on-line after hours (after 4:30 and on weekends). Many of those services only became available in the last five years. The old phrase was digital vs. brick and mortar. Now imagine you could actually interact with a government (or business) employee anytime you wanted. You have read this far, don’t stop now.

It is unclear how the post-iPod era will fit into this whole mix. One thing is for sure; change won’t be expected change, it will just be part of life. My nine year old does not understand dial-up and often questions why I have to fly somewhere for a meeting. “Why can’t you just video conference? Then you could be home for dinner.” My nine year old doesn’t think about social media, web 2.0 or other “new” things being new. They just are, they don’t need a word or a term or even a session at a conference. My nine year old is not interacting with the government much and has little impact on the economy right now so there’s still time, maybe.

The Network

This is what really got me interested. Remember the whole six degrees of separation concept? I have no idea what it is now, but I will guess two degrees. Why is this important? If you send an email to five people (constituents / customers). That is not too big a deal, but what if that one person forwards the email to 100 other individuals and that one of those 100 forwards it to 100,000 others? Your email just reached 100,105 folks, ticked off several, and we generally call it spam. So an example using a social media tool, follows a similar path, amplified by hundreds, and is viewed as information- not spam.

I feel sure someone can give a much more concrete example than the one above. The point is communication moves fast. The best way I know to explain is with a real example.

Pre-CD plans a party (generally):
· Call or possible email, likely days or weeks in advance
· May include a link to a map
· Gets mad because X is not going to be there
· Human capitol investment likely several hours over days or weeks

Post-CD plans a party (generally):
· Text or use social media tool (usually connected, I will attempt to explain that later) to all friends, likely in seconds
· Friends check the location of the invite (yes they know where because of things like Latitude)
· Friends show up- no one notices who doesn’t
· Human capital investment seconds and possibly minutes

Here is the crazy thing: the party could be cancelled or moved just as fast and without anyone causing a fuss. So the scary part is you can end up with really big crowds at a single location in a relatively short amount of time. There is also an opportunity.

Final thoughts on the change

The change has not only changed the way we communicate and/or receive feedback, it has changed the way we think. Have you ever heard the phrase, ‘we need to talk like they talk’? It usually meant we need to speak to them in terms they will understand using examples they can relate to. This principal is still true and has not changed. The change is we need is to talk the way they talk using the channels they use. This is not only a change; it can be a challenge.
Think of channels just like TV channels. If you wanted to put a commercial on TV you would try to target the channels or shows your customers would likely watch. Your constituents and customers will likely reside on several channels, and will only be on those channels at certain times. The people you will want to create a dialogue with use various social media tools and visit numerous blogs. You will likely need to be on some or all of them to maximize your chances to join or engage in their conversation.

I regularly use Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and visit several blogs. I didn’t choose those social media tools because they are better. I choose those because that’s what my friends (work and personal) used and I wanted to join the conversation. I have a number of friends on Facebook but I only swap notes with a handful. Here’s the catch, I see what all of those that friends on Facebook are doing. I join the conversations I want and am simply informed by others. Some are friends from work others from various walks of life. The point is they are all friends and I am interacting with them as such. Remember this because it becomes important later in the story. I still use email regularly but only because it is required in order for me to stay connected to other friends. I would much prefer to use one of the social media tools and am really excited to see some of the tools to come.

So to grab my attention you would need to email me, use one of the social media tools I use or interact with one of the various blogs I regularly check. As a side note- I generally delete email that is not directly related to work or from someone I know. I scan numerous tweets (email on Twitter) a day and follow a number of interesting leads from that tool. Don’t forget, that is just me and those are just a few of the many social media tools. In order to grab the attention of the whole you need to communicate using the channel (social media tool) they use. You should also read up on the principal; small is the new big, as described in various ways in the books I have read over the past year.

Public / Non-Profit

I have combined public (government) and non-profit because they likely interact with their constituents similarly, I think. The best public use of social media tools is the way the current Administration has used them. (Please put your political views aside for a moment). Take a look at the way they are attempting to enter into a dialogue with people on the channel they tune into www.whitehouse.gov. You can also read a number of the ways government is implementing social media tools. A number of government entities have begun doing the same thing. I am less familiar with their success. The point is social media tools and web 2.0 technologies enable the very dialogue people desire.

Private Sector

I am not in the private sector but there are a number of excellent examples. I am sure there are many others; the list is actually quite long. The question is why are they good examples. These organizations have invested in staff responsible for interacting with their constituents in the places they are or on the channels they watch. In many cases they are not trying to provide a commercial or give a sales pitch. They are simply providing information, solving problems, or adding to a conversation already taking place. They are building a relationship which includes trust. Yes, this is a change in itself.