On Dec 16, on the 234th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party – Ron Paul organizers (if you don’t know who he is watch this) want you to donate to the Ron Paul Presidential Campaign. They are to create what they call a money bomb – the largest single day fund raiser in history in order to get the national media to take him seriously. It is amazing to see how dedicated his supporters are. With little coordination they have created an internet phenomenon. Good luck guys.
The Linux community has done a good job of copying Windows. Open Office does a pretty good job of copying Microsoft Office. Now there are open source versions of YouTube and MySpace. But where is the innovation? Firefox and its multitude of plugins seems to be the one exception. Meanwhile, companies like Apple – a company that is incredible closed, and secretive has created one innovative product after another. Why is this?
I have been looking at how communities like digg, slashdot, wikipedia, and other smaller forums operate. There does seem to be a conservative nature to large crowds. Mainly because the urge to contribute is high. So high, that people want to comment or tweak something even if they have no real expertise. Another issue is that as soon as some one mentions a novel or creative idea, there are 50 people eager to chime in with why its a bad idea. The burden then falls on the innovator to defend their idea. Without sources or previous examples they can cite (we are talking about innovation after all), the idea simply drowns beneath an ocean of criticism. Anyone surveying the discussion will conclude the idea was shot down.
This is all just speculation on my part. It will take more than just a few case studies to uncover any true underlying pattern.
Recently I have become more aware of the many “agreements” that companies use to try and take away the rights of users (and protect themselves from any liability). Almost every activity in this increasingly digital and legalistic world comes with attached fine print that tries to absolve the company of potential bad behavior. When you sign your credit-card slip at Best Buy or Fry’s, you waive all kinds of rights you get under consumer protection law. Of course if you actually stop to read these agreements, it is likely that your session will expire if your online or if your in the checkout line at Target the clerk will likely call the manager or even the police after the first hour or so of haggling (everyone should do this at least once a year – then they would stop doing it I’d wager). It would literally take all day to read, and ask questions (none of which the store clerk would be able to answer) about all the agreements in an average customers shopping cart. Since reading them all is not practical, and understanding them not possible, and negotiating them is NEVER possible – what to do? What’s the point of having rights (like fair use) if they can, and are, so easily swindled away? Continue reading
Here is an oldie but a goodie. This story made it’s rounds years ago as an email forward. I’m sure everyone has seen it before but maybe you forgot it – enjoy:
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THE PLAN
In the beginning was The Plan.
And then came the assumptions.
And the assumptions were without merit.
And The Plan was without substance.And darkness was upon the face of the workers.
And they spoke among themselves, saying, “It is
a crock of shit, and it stinketh.”And the workers went unto their supervisors and said,
“It is a pail of dung, and none may abide the odor thereof.”And the supervisors went unto their managers, saying, “It is
a container of excrement and it is very strong, such that
none may abide by it.”And the managers went unto their directors, saying,
“It contains that which aids plant growth, and it is very strong.”And the directors went unto the VPs, saying unto them,
“It promotes growth and it is very powerful.”And the VPs went unto the Prez, saying unto him, “This plan
will actively promote the growth and vigor of the company,
with powerful effects.”And the Prez looked upon the plan, and saw that it was good.
And The Plan became Policy.
This is how shit happens!
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Let me share my personal take on this… Continue reading