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In a recent TED Talk, Educational researcher Dr. Sugata Mitra shared the idea behind his "Hole in the Wall" experiments which have shown that, in the absence of supervision or formal teaching, children can teach themselves and each other.

The investigation began simply enough, by installing a computer in a wall, three feet off the ground, in a slum in India. With nothing but a computer screen and mouse to assist them, and with no prior experience, a handful of local children—whose native language was not English, the only language available for use on the PC—learned to use the computer on their own, all within a few months. Based on this initial trial, Dr. Mitra hypothesized that: 


The acquisition of basic computing skills by any set of children can be achieved through incidental learning provided the learners are given access to a suitable computing facility, with entertaining and motivating content and some minimal (human) guidance. 

Mitra’s website touts an old adage, but one which is eternally true: Nothing is more powerful than an idea whose time has come. The research and work that ensued won Mitra’s organization the first-ever $1M TED Prize at TED2013, giving them the resources to develop their dream: to build a school in the cloud. More importantly, the organization hopes to break the traditional confines of a school, by making learning more like play, employing a unique collaborative learning approach and encouraging children to explore, learn and simply enjoy themselves. 

Similarly, at Kinetik I.T., we’ve developed a system of collaboration, using creativity and fun to reach excellence in all that we do. We make great things happen, and we know how to help you when your idea’s time has come. Whether it’s custom website design, web application development, custom software development, or mobile app development you’re looking for, we can help make your dream a reality. 

To learn more about our Kinetik I.T.’s Digital Superheroes, visit www.Kinetik-IT.com or follow Kinetik I.T. on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter.

As reported on NYT.com earlier this month, “when deciding whether Google should spend millions or even billions of dollars in acquiring a new company, its chief executive, Larry Page, asks whether the acquisition passes the toothbrush test: Is it something you will use once or twice a day, and does it make your life better?”

The author continues to say, “The esoteric criterion shuns traditional measures of valuing a company like earnings, discounted cash flow or even sales. Instead, Mr. Page is looking for usefulness above profitability, and long-term potential over near-term financial gain.”

While most businesses aren’t making decisions on the same scale as Google, the toothbrush test is an important way to gauge making improvements to your company’s own operation—whether it’s adding services to offer clients, or making changes in your I.T. space. It also translates to how you make improvements to your website.

In today’s economy, the website is often the first point of contact for your customer. In the name of cost-effectiveness, many organizations have begun to lease their website, utilizing a proprietary Content Management System (CMS). It may seem a good idea in the moment because the initial cost may be less and the site management is left to someone else.  If the company then doesn't like the hosting, or they want to go somewhere else, they can't take the website with them.

When using a proprietary CMS, the website is developed at a competitive price but the website will not run unless it can reference that specific CMS. Additionally, most proprietary CMS systems will have limitations to design and features that could prevent an online business from growing. Should a company want to move to another vendor, or make changes to the website, but prefer to have someone else do it, their hands are tied—it cannot be done unless the site is completely reinvented, creating more expense.

In the long run, leasing your website doesn’t pass the toothbrush test. Yes, it’s a useful, short-term decision; however, on the flip side, it doesn’t improve a company’s bottom line, instead it creates dependence on an outside vendor that will eventually get in the way of business growth.

Be sure to weigh all the options when considering upgrades to your website. To learn more about web hosting, and a wide array of other services and products, visit www.kinetik-IT.com or follow Kinetik I.T. on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter.