When perception is reality or is seeing really believing?

Michael Gartenberg | November 03, 2005, 09:08 AM

Sure it seems obvious, seeing is believing. Take a break for a moment and take a look at this page. Follow the moving circle with your eyes and it's pink. Let your eyes rest for a moment and suddenly the rotating dot turns green. Now look directly at the cross in the middle. Wow, where did the all the dots go? Funny thing, there's no green dot and the pink dots never really disappear. Perception is everything though. We see a green dot moving. We see the pink dots disappear.

So what's all this mean. Well for starters, reality and perception are often very different things. Lots of stories about Microsoft creating a web based version of Windows. All of them were wrong. Does it matter? How was Microsoft perceived after the Live announcement. Scoble says Microsoft needs to target influencers. OK. Makes sense. Now tell me who are the influencers? What makes someone influential? Interesting anecdote, several vendors have told me recently that they're not overly concerned with what Walt Mossberg says about them anymore. They're concerned about what Peter Rojas is saying about them on Engadget and what he's telling his audience both online and offline.

Perception is also reality in other spaces. Are you reactive to others or proactive? Huge mistakes are being made. Everyone is reactive to Apple in music instead of taking the high ground. Or reacting to Google. Or are they? Or does it just seem that way to the marketplace. Remember, all the dots are really pink and none of them disappear. Of course when you're looking at the screen, does it matter?