Comments on: Attention economy: ROI for your attention http://www.academicproductivity.com/2007/attention-economy-roi-for-your-attention/ A survival guide for the 21st century researcher Mon, 08 Mar 2010 22:08:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Academic Productivity » A general model of productivity? http://www.academicproductivity.com/2007/attention-economy-roi-for-your-attention/comment-page-1/#comment-68799 Academic Productivity » A general model of productivity? Mon, 15 Jun 2009 17:34:30 +0000 http://www.academicproductivity.com/blog/2007/attention-economy-roi-for-your-attention/#comment-68799 [...] Attention economy: ROI for your attention [...] [...] Attention economy: ROI for your attention [...]

]]> By: Apex Professionals LLC http://www.academicproductivity.com/2007/attention-economy-roi-for-your-attention/comment-page-1/#comment-54346 Apex Professionals LLC Sat, 21 Mar 2009 03:45:56 +0000 http://www.academicproductivity.com/blog/2007/attention-economy-roi-for-your-attention/#comment-54346 Came across your post while googling the current state of our economy. Though its an old posting I still found it to be a very interesting read :) Came across your post while googling the current state of our economy. Though its an old posting I still found it to be a very interesting read :)

]]> By: NLP Practitioner http://www.academicproductivity.com/2007/attention-economy-roi-for-your-attention/comment-page-1/#comment-48548 NLP Practitioner Wed, 28 Jan 2009 03:56:15 +0000 http://www.academicproductivity.com/blog/2007/attention-economy-roi-for-your-attention/#comment-48548 I agree, there is too much focus (attention) on negativity. We should focus on the positive more as a society for best results I agree, there is too much focus (attention) on negativity. We should focus on the positive more as a society for best results

]]> By: Devin Willis http://www.academicproductivity.com/2007/attention-economy-roi-for-your-attention/comment-page-1/#comment-39506 Devin Willis Sun, 05 Oct 2008 00:56:02 +0000 http://www.academicproductivity.com/blog/2007/attention-economy-roi-for-your-attention/#comment-39506 I loved your analytical approach ! Devin Willis I loved your analytical approach !

Devin Willis

]]> By: B. Rene Williams http://www.academicproductivity.com/2007/attention-economy-roi-for-your-attention/comment-page-1/#comment-38888 B. Rene Williams Wed, 01 Oct 2008 19:14:13 +0000 http://www.academicproductivity.com/blog/2007/attention-economy-roi-for-your-attention/#comment-38888 I agree that we allocate too much attention on small decisions and not enough on the big ones. This is one of the problems with our society - we are expected to be perfect, and only hear from some people - bosses, creditors, family - when something is wrong or there has been a perceived slight. We don't get enough praise for what we do right. So we never know what conduct of ours is going to come back and embarrass or bite us next. Amidst a society that focuses on the negative, things get blurred and it's hard to prioritize. I agree that we allocate too much attention on small decisions and not enough on the big ones. This is one of the problems with our society – we are expected to be perfect, and only hear from some people – bosses, creditors, family – when something is wrong or there has been a perceived slight. We don’t get enough praise for what we do right. So we never know what conduct of ours is going to come back and embarrass or bite us next. Amidst a society that focuses on the negative, things get blurred and it’s hard to prioritize.

]]> By: Academic Productivity » The failure of open science http://www.academicproductivity.com/2007/attention-economy-roi-for-your-attention/comment-page-1/#comment-34552 Academic Productivity » The failure of open science Tue, 26 Aug 2008 18:07:24 +0000 http://www.academicproductivity.com/blog/2007/attention-economy-roi-for-your-attention/#comment-34552 [...] Attention economy: ROI for your attention [...] [...] Attention economy: ROI for your attention [...]

]]> By: Jonathan http://www.academicproductivity.com/2007/attention-economy-roi-for-your-attention/comment-page-1/#comment-30811 Jonathan Tue, 08 Jul 2008 19:39:29 +0000 http://www.academicproductivity.com/blog/2007/attention-economy-roi-for-your-attention/#comment-30811 It is interesting to note your very analytical sense of time invested. However, I wanted to point out a comment you made: "What is the right balance between high-risk, high-yield activities (you know which ones those are in your field!) and the off-the-mill paper-churning ideas that get you by?" I believe everyone has a natural gauge of what activities are required to get by, however so many of the great academics (Einstein is a prime example), were seemingly not as concerned with this concept of resource allocation. Many solely focused on their high risk and high yield time investments. I guess just like in a traditional stock portfolio, one has to analyze their own risk assessment and "diversify" with activities accordingly. It is interesting to note your very analytical sense of time invested. However, I wanted to point out a comment you made: “What is the right balance between high-risk, high-yield activities (you know which ones those are in your field!) and the off-the-mill paper-churning ideas that get you by?” I believe everyone has a natural gauge of what activities are required to get by, however so many of the great academics (Einstein is a prime example), were seemingly not as concerned with this concept of resource allocation. Many solely focused on their high risk and high yield time investments. I guess just like in a traditional stock portfolio, one has to analyze their own risk assessment and “diversify” with activities accordingly.

]]> By: Jason http://www.academicproductivity.com/2007/attention-economy-roi-for-your-attention/comment-page-1/#comment-13238 Jason Sat, 08 Dec 2007 04:22:55 +0000 http://www.academicproductivity.com/blog/2007/attention-economy-roi-for-your-attention/#comment-13238 Good post. Bill Sternberg and Todd Lubart (writing well before the phrase "attention economy" was the new hotness) forwarded a similar idea to what you discuss here. In their "investment theory of creativity," they suggest that creative people "buy low and sell high" in the realm of ideas, investing time and energy into improving, combining, and then publicizing interesting-but-unpopular ideas. As the ideas gain acceptance, they recoup their investment. I think it's a useful perspective, and has affected the way I think about academic production. Good post.

Bill Sternberg and Todd Lubart (writing well before the phrase “attention economy” was the new hotness) forwarded a similar idea to what you discuss here. In their “investment theory of creativity,” they suggest that creative people “buy low and sell high” in the realm of ideas, investing time and energy into improving, combining, and then publicizing interesting-but-unpopular ideas. As the ideas gain acceptance, they recoup their investment. I think it’s a useful perspective, and has affected the way I think about academic production.

]]> By: dario http://www.academicproductivity.com/2007/attention-economy-roi-for-your-attention/comment-page-1/#comment-13222 dario Sat, 08 Dec 2007 01:06:16 +0000 http://www.academicproductivity.com/blog/2007/attention-economy-roi-for-your-attention/#comment-13222 Man you've been busy writing, I'm reading you over the weekend! Man you’ve been busy writing, I’m reading you over the weekend!

]]> By: Kevin McCurley http://www.academicproductivity.com/2007/attention-economy-roi-for-your-attention/comment-page-1/#comment-13221 Kevin McCurley Sat, 08 Dec 2007 00:56:00 +0000 http://www.academicproductivity.com/blog/2007/attention-economy-roi-for-your-attention/#comment-13221 You mentioned that "The problem is that prestige doesn’t have all the same properties as money. It cannot be quantified, for once." I recently wrote a paper about the attention economy in which I mentioned that "reputation is to attention as wealth is to income". (see http://mccurley.org/papers/effective/ ). It's interesting to note that wealth is also more difficult to measure than income, since we typically hold large portions of our wealth in illiquid assets such as our house, retirement fund, life insurance, etc. In order to quantify something, you have to convert it into a unit of common exchange, but when an asset cannot be easily converted, it is inherently difficult to quantify. It's an interesting question to ask what the ROI is on an investment of attention, but this holds true for both the consumer and producer of attention. Advertisers depend upon being able to convert attention into other currencies. Readers depend upon being able to convert attention into something that makes a difference in their life (e.g., entertainment, monetary value, etc). Both have issues in determining a return on investment. You mentioned that
“The problem is that prestige doesn’t have all the same
properties as money. It cannot be quantified, for once.”
I recently wrote a paper about the attention economy in which I mentioned that “reputation is to attention as wealth is to income”. (see http://mccurley.org/papers/effective/ ). It’s interesting to note that wealth is also more difficult to measure than income, since we typically hold large portions of our wealth in illiquid assets such as our house, retirement fund, life insurance, etc. In order to quantify something, you have to convert it into a unit of common exchange, but when an asset cannot be easily converted, it is inherently difficult to quantify.

It’s an interesting question to ask what the ROI is on an investment of attention, but this holds true for both the consumer and producer of attention. Advertisers depend upon being able to convert attention into other currencies. Readers depend upon being able to convert attention into something that makes a difference in their life (e.g., entertainment, monetary value, etc). Both have issues in determining a return on investment.

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