If you have read any of my other articles, attended any of my multimedia/technology seminars in the past, then you have more than likely heard me use the term “Paradigm Shift” as it relates to the effect multimedia is and will have on many aspect of our lives. Lately, it seems that ‘everything’ is being hyped as something that will cause a paradigm shift. But the term “Isoquantic” as used by John Sculley (formerly of Pepsi and Apple Computers fame) was a new one, even for a polyglot like me who enjoys eclectic words. I was intrigued. Whaddesay?

Let me see if I can define and distinguish the two terms. Paradigm is easy… it refers to a set of standards or norms by which we operate. When this set of standards shift radically because of some innovation, we call it a paradigm shift, clever huh? A common example used for the effect of such a shift is “buggy whips”. The automobile or “horseless carriage” represented a paradigm shift in transportation technology. While some industries were able to adapt their products and services, not so for the buggy whip makers. The buggy whip industry became a casualty of this technology shift. Read the rest of this entry »