Why Do Soft Skills Matter to Employers

Why do many employers still view training as superfluous, dispensable or peripheral to success? In this modern age where we have a cohort of young, educated people entering the workforce, the need for strategic  learning within companies and organizations is more important than ever.

Unorganized, on-the-job training remains the preferred method of preparing new hires and existing employees seeking to take on new responsibilities. Employers often cite the demands of day-to-day business as the primary reason that they just don’t have “time” and “money” to train and integrate employees into their workplace effectively.  They rely on the availability of skills in the open marketplace, planning that new hires will be able to step directly into the workplace and perform specific tasks.

In a broad cross section or companies and organizations I am hearing more and more that employees able to take on specific tasks, undertake increasing responsibility, work independently and conduct themselves professionally are is short supply. Employers are finding it increasingly difficult to hire specific skills for increasingly complex jobs. While the marketplace is producing a well-educated workforce, the largest part of entry level employees remain unemployed or underemployed, and as such, are not gaining experience and a practical knowledge of Soft Skills required in most workplaces today.

 The anemic employment rate is partly to blame, given the fact that in Canada and around the world the employment among young people is at epidemic levels.  Current average unemployment levels in Canada are hovering around 7.1% while youth unemployment is at about 13.5%.  This suggests that young people, and in particular, those new hires that employers are counting on to step right into their workplace are not getting the experience they need to transition their abilities into skills.

 Developing Soft Skills within this new cohort of entry level employees is increasingly important. As an example, a regional Labour Market Partnership Study ( Simcoe County)  has identified on-the job training and soft skills development as some of (over 2000, surveyed employer’s)  the most important concerns of businesses in meeting businesses future competitive and economic growth challenges.

What are Soft Skills and why do they matter? Soft Skills encompass topics like communications, leadership, problem solving and project management.  These skills provide a base of knowledge that allow employees to communicate effectively with co-workers, management and clients, understand their responsibilities in the life-cycle of projects, prepare to take on increasing responsibility and how to bring unique innovation and problem solving skills to everyday workplace challenges.

E Learning that teaches Soft Skills is designed to address many of these issues and provides learning in a way, at a time and through a medium that young learners can access readily and are familiar with. E Learning also addresses employer’s most pressing concerns by offering training programs that are flexible, accessible, cost effective and individual results can be tracked over time.

Most employers, whether they are willing to admit it or not, are not prepared to set up comprehensive learning in the workplace and often approach it with a patchwork of learning scenarios that may include costly meetings, presentations and workshops or poorly conceived eLearning that often amounts to nothing more than PowerPoint presentations.

Employers may not have the resources or commitment to understand the real value of learning in their organizations since the existing programs are cobbled together each year with no long term strategy and no clear understanding of the financial impact on their organization.   Only when a high-risk event forces action, or government intervention in monitoring compliance with workplace learning does an organization of company respond in an organized fashion.

I believe that Soft Skills development and in particular eLearning Soft Skills development can be an important cornerstone in an organizations success. It sets the ground work for employees to understand what is expected of them and helps fulfill their desire to grow, learn and take on new responsibilities and roles.

“Fulfilling an employee’s desire to grow and learn” is essential in the retention of good employees. It offers employees an opportunity to fulfill their ambition by understanding that there are opportunities for growth and advancement and as an employer you are willing to support them in their personal growth as well as their professional growth. It is a “win - win “scenario”, where the employer gets a motivated and an increasingly capable employee, and perhaps an innovative thinker, a leader that will contribute in a meaningful way to an organization's success in the future.

 If you want to learn more about soft skills online training or gain access to our unique Soft Skills eLearning program on Communications, Leadership, Project management and Problem Solving you can visit our web site at www.ycommunicate.com or contactus@ycommunicate.com or simply call 416-271-5259.

Misleading Advertising Claims

When I watch TV, drive by billboards, read newspapers & magazines or check out the internet, I look at all content though a marketing language lens. I try and understand what an ad is really trying to sell me and how it’s trying to deceive me. I spent a lifetime crafting words and advertising language so it’s natural that “claims” stick out for me. It’s almost as if the language of an ad should be translated to reveal the true value proposition of the ad.

While this comes as second nature to me…this is hard for most people because ad content is designed to tap into our emotional desires and basic instincts. We are already invested in viewing content such as drama, action, comedy, news or romance so our critical thinking is disarmed.  Some ads stick out like as sore thumb and most people can recognize misleading ad language ...but most times...if you can recognize it..its been  poorly constructed… most are cleverly written to disguise the “claim.”

The following list of ten advertising claims, written by Jeffrey Schrank, who teaches at the University of Mississippi. The list includes many real world examples that will help you use your critical thinking skills to uncover exaggerated or just plain false claims. 

1. The "Weasel" Claim

A weasel word is a modifier that practically negates the claim that follows. Commonly used weasel words include "helps" (the champion weasel); "like" (used in a comparative sense); "virtual" or "virtually"; "acts" or "works"; "can be"; "up to"; "as much as"; "refreshes"; "comforts"; "tackles"; "fights"; "come on"; "the feel of"; "the look of"; "looks like"; "fortified"; "enriched"; and "strengthened."

Samples of Weasel Claims

"Helps control dandruff symptoms with regular use." The weasels include "helps control," and possibly even "symptoms" and "regular use." The claim is not "stops dandruff."

"Leaves dishes virtually spotless." We have seen so many ad claims that we have learned to tune out weasels. You are supposed to think "spotless," rather than "virtually" spotless.

"Only half the price of many color sets." "Many" is the weasel. The claim is supposed to give the impression that the set is inexpensive.

"Tests confirm one mouthwash best against mouth odor."

"Listerine fights bad breath." "Fights," not "stops."

"Lots of things have changed, but Hershey's goodness hasn't." This claim does not say that Hershey's chocolate hasn't changed.

"Bacos, the crispy garnish that tastes just like its name."

2. The "Unfinished" Claim

The unfinished claim is one in which the ad claims the product is better, or has more of something, but does not finish the comparison.

Samples of Unfinished Claims

"Magnavox gives you more." More what?

"Anacin: Twice as much of the pain reliever doctors recommend most." This claim fits in a number of categories but it does not say twice as much of what pain reliever.

"Supergloss does it with more color, more shine, more sizzle, more!"

"Coffee-mate gives coffee more body, more flavor." Also note that "body" and "flavor" are weasels.

"You can be sure if it's Westinghouse." Sure of what?

"Scott makes it better for you."

"Ford LTD--700% quieter."

When the FTC asked Ford to substantiate this claim, Ford revealed that they meant the inside of the Ford was 700% quieter than the outside.

3.The "We're Different " Claim

This kind of claim states that there is nothing else quite like the product being advertised. The uniqueness claim is supposed to be interpreted by readers as a claim to superiority.

Samples of the "We're Different and Unique" Claim

"There's no other mascara like it."

"Only Doral has this unique filter system."

"Cougar is like nobody else's car."

"Either way, liquid or spray, there's nothing else like it."

"If it doesn't say Goodyear, it can't be polyglas." "Polyglas" is a trade name copyrighted by Goodyear. Goodrich or Firestone could make a tire exactly identical to the Goodyear one and yet couldn't call it "polyglas"--a name for fiberglass belts.

"Only Zenith has chromacolor." Same as the "polyglas" gambit. Admiral has solarcolor and RCA has accucolor.

4. The "Water is Wet" Claim 

"Water is wet" claims say something about the product that is true for any brand in that product category, (for example, "Schrank's water is really wet.") The claim is usually a statement of fact, but not a real advantage over the competition.

Samples of the "Water is Wet" Claim

"Mobil: the Detergent Gasoline." Any gasoline acts as a cleaning agent.

"Great Lash greatly increases the diameter of every lash."

"Rheingold, the natural beer." Made from grains and water as are other beers.

"SKIN smells differently on everyone." As do many perfumes.

5. The "So What" Claim

This is the kind of claim to which the careful reader will react by saying "So What?" A claim is made which is true but which gives no real advantage to the product. This is similar to the "water is wet" claim except that it claims an advantage which is not shared by most of the other brands in the product category.

Samples of the "So What" Claim

"Geritol has more than twice the iron of ordinary supplements." But is twice as much beneficial to the body?

"Campbell's gives you tasty pieces of chicken and not one but two chicken stocks." Does the presence of two stocks improve the taste?

"Strong enough for a man but made for a woman." This deodorant claims says only that the product is aimed at the female market.

6. The "Vague" Claim

The vague claim is simply not clear. This category often overlaps with others. The key to the vague claim is the use of words that are colorful but meaningless, as well as the use of subjective and emotional opinions that defy verification. Most contain weasels.

Samples of the Vague Claim

"Lips have never looked so luscious." Can you imagine trying to either prove or disprove such a claim?

"Lipsavers are fun--they taste good, smell good and feel good."

"Its deep rich lather makes hair feel good again."

"For skin like peaches and cream."

"The end of meatloaf boredom."

"Take a bite and you'll think you're eating on the Champs Elysées."

"Winston tastes good like a cigarette should."

"The perfect little portable for all around viewing with all the features of higher priced sets."

"Fleishman's makes sensible eating delicious."

7. The "Endoresement "

A celebrity or authority appears in an ad to lend his or her stellar qualities to the product. Sometimes the people will actually claim to use the product, but very often they don't. There are agencies surviving on providing products with testimonials.Samples of Endorsements or Testimonials"Joan Fontaine throws a shot-in-the-dark party and her friends learn a thing or two.""Darling, have you discovered Masterpiece? The most exciting men I know are smoking it." (Eva Gabor)"Vega is the best handling car in the U.S." This claim was challenged by the FTC, but GM answered that the claim is only a direct quote from Road and Track magazine.

8. The "Scientific or Statistical" Claim

This kind of ad uses some sort of scientific proof or experiment, very specific numbers, or an impressive sounding mystery ingredient.

Samples of Scientific or Statistical Claims

"Wonder Break helps build strong bodies 12 ways." Even the weasel "helps" did not prevent the FTC from demanding this ad be withdrawn. But note that the use of the number 12 makes the claim far more believable than if it were taken out.

"Easy-Off has 33% more cleaning power than another popular brand." "Another popular brand" often translates as some other kind of oven cleaner sold somewhere. Also the claim does not say Easy-Off works 33% better.

"Special Morning--33% more nutrition." Also an unfinished claim.

"Certs contains a sparkling drop of Retsyn."

"ESSO with HTA."

"Sinarest. Created by a research scientist who actually gets sinus headaches."

9. The "Complement the Consumer"Claim

This kind of claim butters up the consumer by some form of flattery.

Samples of the "Compliment the Consumer" Claim

"We think a cigar smoker is someone special."

"If what you do is right for you, no matter what others do, then RC Cola is right for you."

"You pride yourself on your good home cooking...."

"The lady has taste."

"You've come a long way, baby."

10. The "Rhetorical or Question" Claim 

This technique demands a response from the audience. A question is asked and the viewer or listener is supposed to answer in such a way as to affirm the product's goodness.

Samples of the Rhetorical Question

"Plymouth--isn't that the kind of car America wants?"

"Shouldn't your family be drinking Hawaiian Punch?"

"What do you want most from coffee? That's what you get most from Hills."

"Touch of Sweden: could your hands use a small miracle?"

Infleuncers? Really....

I think I have come to the conclusion that I am tired of being influenced…in reality I am not sure that I ever have ...been influenced in any meaningful way. Rome, Greece, the Renaissance and the Magna Carta….now they have influenced me in many ways…but Tony Robbins and what’s his name …ahhh… Richard Branson ….I don’t think so.

The very act of defining someone or something as an influencer defies what influence is.  I perceive influencing to mean persuading someone to adopt a particular idea or engage in an action without actually putting any pressure on them to do so. The process of influencing allows us all to arrive at the same conclusion, from different points of view by examining the merits of their ideas.  

Influences often encompass pervasive ideas that seem to make common sense regardless of your ideological mind set and they tend to serve as a paradigm shift…a change in the way society and sometimes all of civilization thinks.   Equally important is that the influence is often not bound by its place and time in history. If you apply this kind of rationale to better understand what influencing is, I think, influencing as it is proposed or recommended by social networks is more hype than hack.

Having said that…sometimes  my children influence the way I think….my pets influence the way I think  …as do my friends and acquaintances….the books I read,…. the movies I see …they all contribute to how I think but they do not serve to as societal influencers.  They simply contribute to the overall perspective and context of a thoughtful and meaningful understanding of ourselves and our world.  To highlight one individual or idea and suggest that they offer some unique guidance not available through other avenues is more like marketing than it is like influencing.

Influencing, as it is described in Linked In, Facebook or other mediums is more a sign of the times and a change in delivery mediums than it is a sign or changing thinking. Tablets…I mean stone tablets and scrolls …followed by books, were mediums that came before social networks.  What these mediums could not capture was the “how frequently”, and “by who” these ideas were being considered. Popularity does not equal influence… no more than popularity somehow should be a measure of influence.  In this amped up age, where things happen quicker and focus is shorter, following influencers in the modern age is more a lazy person’s approach to thinking …it’s often shallow since the thinking process that allows us to arrive at certain conclusions is forestalled in the process. I believe that we should entertain “provocateurs” rather than “influencers”. Hold high and praise the exploration of thoughts and ideas and be quicker to questions than to acquiesce to influences.  

Ultimately, a conclusion is presented through an overly simplistic process of examination. Learn to think for yourself and explore ideas that question who is influencing you and why.

Digital Strategy:Mobile vs Desktop?

 

Each device  has a different screen resolution and orientation

We spend a lot time talking to our customers about the relative differences & benefits of mobile versus desktop users, since we have our foot in both the development of web portals and eLearning. Most clients simply assume that desktop  and mobile users are accessible readily and that there are no additional costs in communicating to both platforms. Not true ... as it stands today, digital communications are not ubiquitous across both the desktop and mobile platforms; and as a result there are often hidden costs in developing content. 

Evolving and migrating technologies from one standard or format to another has been with us for generations. Many of us have experienced this in our lifetime, as we have moved from cassettes to USB storage devices and from simple gaming systems to tablets and smart phones. As technology evolves and capacity expands we seem to straddle multiple technologies simultaneously. Multiple media formats seem to co-exist in the marketplace at any one time; and this trend now appears to be some kind of “law of evolving technology.” I think the cost of communicating to both desktops and mobile devices has been obscured because of the similarity in the technology. In the past it was pretty easy to spot the differences because of the dramatic change in format, size and application.

 Hand held devices have varying resolutions and screen orientation to enhance the user's visual experience. This is at the heart of what is different about this evolution. It is an incremental and simultaneously specific improvement.  Adapting the visual look and feel of the communication  experience to the type of smart phone, desktop or tablet is not a transparent process. Our online digital communications are designed to interrogate the device we are trying to communicate with to determine its resolution and deliver the format that best suits the device. This often means creating two versions of any web site, portal or eLearning experience,and each has to be tweaked to make sure its is delivering the intended experience in most formats.

In the past we would have been eager to blame this on the manufacturer failing to agree on a standard or format but in this instance we have to take some of the blame. Each of us wants a personal experience, one that is unique and responds to our needs and as a result it appears that a variety of resolutions and orientation are going to be with us well into the future.  I am sure that with time, these issues will be resolved, where adaptive design can deliver a common experience on a very personal device using one communications, entertainment or advertising standard programming  language. But, that is the future - and for now…there are additional costs to developing for multiple formats.

Many organizations and business when planning eLearning for example, automatically include both mobile and desktop audiences. They do this because the media is awash in stories, studies and statements heralding the advent of the mobile user and their need to be included in any digital strategy. What is not being included or understood by organizations is the cost of communicating to each audience, including desktops or mobile, or both!  I think organizations have to ask themselves, do you really want people sitting at Starbucks or riding the subway using their phones to try and learn complex ideas. There are some practical standards that must be considered in the learning process that place some of the learning responsibility on the leaner. 

 I think we have to investigate the demographics of each group to better understand - how each segment uses these technologies and understand what value they place on the information provided - to help us understand cost/benefit of an initiative. There are some circumstances where designing for primarily a desktop audience is more cost effective for the type of audience, the content and the way information is being consumed.  This is often more cost effective when detailed information must be delivered and comprehension of complex ideas may be involved, especially when you consider that desktops still have a significant presence in office settings and sales continue to be surprisingly strong. Alternatively, retail web sites and broad product-driven web sites should be developed for both desktop and mobile platforms since customers demand  convenience and a uniquely personal experience. 

Don’t misunderstand me, mobile devices such as tablets and smart phones are the future and they continue to be a growing segment in market, statistics show they will surpass PC sales this year. But it will be some time before PCs are no longer used in offices` and tablets are used as the primary means of office productivity. 

So, when you are planning an online project, there are many circumstances where developing for all platforms makes sense. But remember, it all comes at a cost, if you’re developing learning strategies you may want to consider how delivering complex content on a mobile device in a variety of settings may affect our understanding and appreciation of the content. 

Brands: The Slip between the Cup and the Lip

Everybody seems to be in the business of marketing these days. From personal brands to product brands to service brands, almost every aspect of our lives are buffeted by some form of advertising that features a brand. I remember reading a prediction a few years ago that suggested that virtually every surface we interact with in the future will be a delivery medium for advertising and ultimately brand awareness. This is becoming increasingly true, as walls, sky, sidewalks, roadways, buildings, clothing, bodies, every nook and cranny of the online experience and product placements in movies and television, all increase the number of advertising impressions and marketing opportunities we are exposed to every day.

The baby boom generation, with its higher education, its message of change and a more liberal outlook has created an alphabet of echo generations that have taken “freedom of expression” to new heights through pervasive marketing. The freedom to market to each other on a global scale fulfills an unbridled desire for avarice that has been spawned by this unique time in our history as a civilization. Having said all this, does this suggest that this knowledge and sophistication - and this proliferation of marketing mediums translates directly into a more savvy, focused  society that can manipulate marketing and ultimately each person, to their own benefit? I wonder if we are not both abuser and abused in this new marketing-centric reality.  

A provocative concept if you think of yourself as a marketer (which you probably are in one form or another.) Unfocused marketing and advertising coupled with the ever changing market forces can result in ineffective marketing strategies. We often advertise to the individuals because we can, or to everybody even though we shouldn’t, to gain immediate results, often at the cost of long term growth and potential.    

What does it all mean? The main rule that governs successful marketing plans and their advertising offspring remain effective. “Design any marketing plan and advertising program around the wants and needs of your customer.” Not around the message a marketer wants to deliver. Here are some examples of marketing plans and some insights on how advertising that results from those plans may not be as effective as they should. See if you recognize these examples from your own experience?

1. You have invested in new technology and added some new features to your product, so you develop an advertising campaign based on the benefits of the new technology rather than the how the technology solves a problem for your customer.
2.  A marketing plan has defined a number of unique advantages in your product or service. You develop an advertising campaign that tries to highlight all of the benefits at once, creating confusion for the customer. 
3. You develop a strategy that identifies a group of potential demographic audiences. You then proceed to try and develop a single message that reaches all of these audiences at once.  Audiences don’t connect with your message or your product because of lack of clarity.
4. You recognize that your product is only beneficial to a small group of potential customers. You try and reach them by developing an advertising campaign that seeks to talk directly to that group in a place and at a time that they are not inclined to give consideration to your product or service.
5. You fail to create trust in your marketing campaign by delivering the marketing message in a medium that does not engender trust in your audience. For example your ad is placed on Facebook of Linked In and your customers are business to business clients who get their industry information through industry channels rather than social networks. 
6. You are in a very competitive marketplace and you need to differentiate yourself from your competitors.  Marketing plans determine that you need to use price differentiation and volume to help drive sales. You use tired and common advertising concepts  and get no response from your ad campaign.
7. You fail to connect your marketing campaign to great customer service.  You make all the right moves, you create a specific message, you reach customers with the right medium, you begin getting good customer response but because of limited staff you don’t answer the phone on a timely and friendly basis and end up loosing many of the leads you create.
8. You are an organization rather than a company and don’t really think you should have a strong focus on marketing. Your organization is chiefly focused on sharing knowledge and acting as a liaison with regulatory bodies.  You don’t survey your members regularly to help design programs that respond to their needs and you don’t bother promoting the value of your services and begin loosing members.
9.  You are retailer that buys media space such as newspaper, radio and television because your product appeals to a broad demographic. You do not get any response from your program because the media outlet you have chosen offers to prepare an ad for you to help you to save money and put more money into a media buy rather than a carefully crafted message aimed at your audience.
10. You develop an advertising strategy and then a corresponding advertising campaign and you expect results as soon as possible. You spend a considerable amount on it and now it is not preforming as you hoped. So you panic and change the program and/or reduce funding budgets before you derive data about the program that will lead you to sound decision making and success over the long term.    

eLearning Towards Organizational Success

Champion creative risk taking and engage learners 

and link performance to organizational and individual success.

Our company has been involved in developing eLearning since 2004, when we developed our first full-featured eLearning module. Since then, adoption of eLearning has been slow as companies and organizations have continued to invest in less efficient traditional classroom-style or lecture style training, with predictably poor results. Recently, we have witnessed an increase in the adoption rate of eLearning as a primary tool in training and development; but often the planning and implementation are tactical, and little consideration is given to the most important aspect of learning, comprehension. We thought we would take a moment out to share our insights into eLearning implementation pitfalls.  

• Over the past several years we have observed many RFPs from companies and organizations and in almost every circumstance, the RFP were often primarily designed around the purchase of a Learning Management System (LMS).  Content and comprehension are generally viewed as an afterthought.
•  eLearning content, as we have witnessed in many programs across Canada are often a patchwork of legacy content. Programs often include legacy web based content, video snippets, documents, PDFs and PowerPoint. In the rare circumstances where organizations are producing content they often do not have the expertise to product content for today's media savvy sophisticated professional worker.
• Most organizations do not enforce a vibrant testing and reporting eLearning process.  In some circumstances this may be a result of mixed union and non-union environments, in others it’s a lack of commitment to developing a comprehensive learning strategy and in still other circumstances it is the result of not including learners in the learning strategy development process.
• Many compulsory or compliance eLearning courses are simple and lack any creativity, and most skilled workers try and skip the content and go directly to the questions to get through the process with as little focus as possible. Most will cheat on the test portion given the chance, since there is little in the content to challenge them and programs often lack incentive to achieve and opportunities to share knowledge are virtually non-existent.
• eLearning technology, while generally sophisticated from an administration and reporting point of view are rarely utilized to their full extent to understand the learner experience. Administrators stick to the same basic reporting criteria, pass/fail, completion score, name and department. Often learning programs are under-resourced and performance in learning programs is not tied directly to organizational and individual success.  
• Many eLearning programs fail to incorporate the learner in the process. The system often does not include gathering consistent learner feedback on the experience in terms of their engagement or their ability to share knowledge among peers, as is the case in traditional learning environments. This is often a result of designing eLearning as an adjunct to existing training programs. They are thought of as a cost cutting measure rather than a new form of learning that is persistent.
• Leaders in management groups, teams and committees often see and understand the value of eLearning and create mandates for implementation but implementation becomes a logistical or tactical implementation plan rather than a larger strategy linked to performance. Cost reduction becomes the number one driving factor in eLearning design and implementation rather than comprehension and organizational success.
• Most organizations take a very traditional approach to a learning process by not championing creative "risk-taking" in the design and implementation of eLearning programs.  Little in the way of testing unique programs, lateral learning opportunities, or innovation is occurring in eLearning, primarily due to cost.  Creating management teams that consider efficacy as well as creativity, can have a profound effect on individual performance and organizational success.
• Failure is an important part of learning. In most eLearning curricula and modules, the possibility of failure is either absent or minimized. Creating learning from failure can be realized  by creating higher threshold achievement levels, more complex information, more difficult questions, random test questions or checkpoint questions that allows the learner to gauge their understanding. Do not be afraid to challenge the learner but create additional incentives to succeed as well.

These thoughts and observations are designed to challenge thinking on current eLearning strategies. Just implementing eLearning is not enough …organizations and businesses need to implement learning strategies that are tied to individual and organizational performance results.

Words & Symbols, Plus Repetition

I recently saw this point-of-sale ad on a gas pump at my local Shell station. Other similar and larger cardboard point-of-sale ads trumpeted this new high performance gas product. I have worked for Shell Canada in the past with its Ultra 94 launch in the 90s. I wanted to point out that sometimes- too much is too much...even in advertising.  In an effort to promote the idea of power and performance check out the number of different but similar words used in this ad to say exactly the same thing...who said simple is better?

• V - is a symbol representation more power than traditional 6 cylinder ( today's  vehicle engine standard)
• The word Power speaks for itself
• The word Nitro essentially describing explosive power
• The plus symbol describes enhanced power
• Premium described the best power

 Symbols and words, Plus Repetition do not always lead to clearer communications or create compelling narrative.  

 My purpose for sharing this is to make people more aware of manipulative advertising and the thinking (or not) behind it. I would be interested in hearing your thoughts. 

1. Who the audience is for this type of gasoline?
2. Have they crystalized the idea of improved power and performance?
3. Is an overly simplistic approach an insult
4. Would you notice it?
5. Do you care?
6. How does it affect you emotionally?