Attention, Value, and the Human Experience

In my three-part series on cloud computing, Part I dealt with the need to get to a common understanding of the basics and establish a foundation for the rest of the series.  

The subject of value creation in the Attention Economy is increasingly at the center of water-cooler conversations rich in keywords and tricky phrases.  The link between attention and experience is lost with all the talk of attention as a scarce and valuable resource to be harvested (taken not given), especially when the goal is only to place eyeballs on ads.  I find it interesting and ironic that we are also apparently living in an era of enhanced consumer experience. 

Please don’t get me wrong, finding creative ways to capture consumer attention by offering free access to information and games has been around since the early 1800s.  However, if we wish to seize on the opportunities related to enhanced consumer experience, it’s important to appreciate attention through the eyes of the consumer. 

The following quotes capture the value of attention and its relationship to how we perceive our experiences.