like a fire

Creating Passionate Users: Are your users stuck in “P” mode?

Here is a very insightful article from CPU on actual use versus possible use. The post points out that we often get products that can do many things yet usually only use ten percent of what it is capable of. They point to the SLR camera as an example. Most people who one one, leave it in the program or auto mode because they don’t know how to actually use it. This is true of many products from cell phones to CD players to computers to mricowave ovens. It seems to be a commentary on life.

We often buy products that do more than we intend. Sometimes we could do with a lot less if this is the case. We definitely want to option of being able to use those functions, though, should we ever want to. I think we live that way most of the time. We keep our options open, we look for opportunities, just in case, and because of this, we use probably 10 percent of what our lives are capable of.

I don’t think we see clearly the possibilities of learning the potentials of life. We think life is getting the right grades, to get the right job, to get enough money, to get the right house and spouse, so we can have children and repeat the cycle. If that’s all there is to life, then we really are just animals living in an endless loop. I think life is more than that.

Art, music, expressions of all kinds show that we aren’t happy just living in that ten percent. The fact that we have to express ourselves as individuals within the paradigm of our local society show our need for living outside of that ten percent. But how conscious are we of that need. How stripped down can we make our lives? Why would we even choose to do that?

I love CPU’s list of possible answers for products.

1. Focusing on the tool?
2. Too hard to learn to use?
3. Is there a user community?
4. Is there training to help users?

Sounds like what the church ought to be. When communities focus more singularly on living a life of faith, make it hard to learn how to live, deny a user community, or training; they limit the potential of life in Christ. But when they have the freedom to focus on soemthing besides their own lives, like what they could actually do, make life easy to live, provide a helpful community and train well for life, I think history has shown the results.

Here’s to committing to more than 10 percent.