Comments on: Failing at the edges of the network http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2007/07/03/failing-at-the-edges-of-the-network/ a blog about information Mon, 06 Feb 2012 01:37:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Web Developer http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2007/07/03/failing-at-the-edges-of-the-network/comment-page-1/#comment-773797 Web Developer Tue, 01 Nov 2011 22:57:42 +0000 http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2007/07/03/failing-at-the-edges-of-the-network/#comment-773797 Great article, open source may be the future of the entire digital process I personally think. Great article, open source may be the future of the entire digital process I personally think.

]]> By: Enterprise 2.0 - No more KM for the heck of it !! — Collaborative Enterprise http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2007/07/03/failing-at-the-edges-of-the-network/comment-page-1/#comment-167689 Enterprise 2.0 - No more KM for the heck of it !! — Collaborative Enterprise Sun, 29 Jul 2007 02:27:20 +0000 http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2007/07/03/failing-at-the-edges-of-the-network/#comment-167689 [...] thriving social networks within enterprises, they should be able to innovate faster as one of the traits that open source communities possess makes its way inside enterprises: “The cost of failure is [...] [...] thriving social networks within enterprises, they should be able to innovate faster as one of the traits that open source communities possess makes its way inside enterprises: “The cost of failure is [...]

]]> By: 郑治·传媒边缘 » 失败是成功之母的新解释 http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2007/07/03/failing-at-the-edges-of-the-network/comment-page-1/#comment-166978 郑治·传媒边缘 » 失败是成功之母的新解释 Fri, 27 Jul 2007 15:53:04 +0000 http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2007/07/03/failing-at-the-edges-of-the-network/#comment-166978 [...] Boyd转到Failing at the edges of the network | confused of calcutta，看到下面这句话，堪称是“失败是成功之母”的网络时代的新解释： the [...] [...] Boyd转到Failing at the edges of the network | confused of calcutta，看到下面这句话，堪称是“失败是成功之母”的网络时代的新解释： the [...]

]]> By: N. Venkatraman http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2007/07/03/failing-at-the-edges-of-the-network/comment-page-1/#comment-157093 N. Venkatraman Fri, 06 Jul 2007 09:40:36 +0000 http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2007/07/03/failing-at-the-edges-of-the-network/#comment-157093 I agree with the assertion intuitively and the Open Source movement is a worthy exemplar. I wonder if the empirical data on venture capital investments during the dotcom boom might support this assertion. There is a general feeling that the VCs know when to pull the plug on a project (minimizing the cost of failure) while companies continue to invest hoping to salvage innovations even when the early signs are blatantly obvious. I will check around to see if there are broad-based empirical studies in this area. I agree with the assertion intuitively and the Open Source movement is a worthy exemplar. I wonder if the empirical data on venture capital investments during the dotcom boom might support this assertion. There is a general feeling that the VCs know when to pull the plug on a project (minimizing the cost of failure) while companies continue to invest hoping to salvage innovations even when the early signs are blatantly obvious. I will check around to see if there are broad-based empirical studies in this area.

]]> By: John Dodds http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2007/07/03/failing-at-the-edges-of-the-network/comment-page-1/#comment-156852 John Dodds Thu, 05 Jul 2007 21:41:25 +0000 http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2007/07/03/failing-at-the-edges-of-the-network/#comment-156852 Stephen Good point - I must remember to be exact with my words on this of all blogs. Effectiveness is undoubtedly what I had in mind. Stephen

Good point – I must remember to be exact with my words on this of all blogs. Effectiveness is undoubtedly what I had in mind.

]]> By: Stephen Smoliar http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2007/07/03/failing-at-the-edges-of-the-network/comment-page-1/#comment-156726 Stephen Smoliar Thu, 05 Jul 2007 15:13:45 +0000 http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2007/07/03/failing-at-the-edges-of-the-network/#comment-156726 John, I think it is important to recognize that efficiency is not a "design priority" in those "living systems" that Miller examined. Robustness is more important, and this is usually achieved through such inefficiencies as redundancy. In the context of enterprise software, this reflects back on the pioneering text in decision support systems by Keen and Scott Morton, who emphasize as early as Chapter 1 that "effectiveness" is more important than efficiency when enterprise operations are at stake. However, as you read their case studies, you realize that it can be very difficult to pin down criteria for effectiveness. This is why I view going for efficiency as a variation on the drunk who looks for his keys under the lamppost where the light is better! Nevertheless, we cannot dismiss the time-lag problem. There are any number of clever observations about ignoring how much "real" time is required to arrive at results. My favorite is still from John Maynard Keynes: "In the long run, we're all dead." John, I think it is important to recognize that efficiency is not a “design priority” in those “living systems” that Miller examined. Robustness is more important, and this is usually achieved through such inefficiencies as redundancy. In the context of enterprise software, this reflects back on the pioneering text in decision support systems by Keen and Scott Morton, who emphasize as early as Chapter 1 that “effectiveness” is more important than efficiency when enterprise operations are at stake. However, as you read their case studies, you realize that it can be very difficult to pin down criteria for effectiveness. This is why I view going for efficiency as a variation on the drunk who looks for his keys under the lamppost where the light is better!

Nevertheless, we cannot dismiss the time-lag problem. There are any number of clever observations about ignoring how much “real” time is required to arrive at results. My favorite is still from John Maynard Keynes: “In the long run, we’re all dead.”

]]> By: John Dodds http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2007/07/03/failing-at-the-edges-of-the-network/comment-page-1/#comment-156629 John Dodds Thu, 05 Jul 2007 10:06:37 +0000 http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2007/07/03/failing-at-the-edges-of-the-network/#comment-156629 JP Thanks - I read it long ago and am minded to go back to it. And for sake of correctness - I was wrong - it's 38 varieties of milk. That's varieties not sizes. JP Thanks – I read it long ago and am minded to go back to it. And for sake of correctness – I was wrong – it’s 38 varieties of milk. That’s varieties not sizes.

]]> By: Cost Of Failure And Innovation | iface thoughts http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2007/07/03/failing-at-the-edges-of-the-network/comment-page-1/#comment-156520 Cost Of Failure And Innovation | iface thoughts Thu, 05 Jul 2007 04:10:21 +0000 http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2007/07/03/failing-at-the-edges-of-the-network/#comment-156520 [...] points towards very interesting links on failure, including this talk by Clay Shirky where he says that cost of the failure is reduced and [...] [...] points towards very interesting links on failure, including this talk by Clay Shirky where he says that cost of the failure is reduced and [...]

]]> By: JP http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2007/07/03/failing-at-the-edges-of-the-network/comment-page-1/#comment-156393 JP Wed, 04 Jul 2007 21:08:43 +0000 http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2007/07/03/failing-at-the-edges-of-the-network/#comment-156393 John, you may find The Paradox Of Choice by Barry Schwartz of interest in this context. It's a bit pop, but a reasonable intro to the tyranny of choice, to anchors and frames, to loss aversion and related subjects. John, you may find The Paradox Of Choice by Barry Schwartz of interest in this context. It’s a bit pop, but a reasonable intro to the tyranny of choice, to anchors and frames, to loss aversion and related subjects.

]]> By: John Dodds http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2007/07/03/failing-at-the-edges-of-the-network/comment-page-1/#comment-156381 John Dodds Wed, 04 Jul 2007 20:55:01 +0000 http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2007/07/03/failing-at-the-edges-of-the-network/#comment-156381 Stephen - wow thanks for the lengthy response - much food for thought there too and much that is frankly out of my league. My response I fear will be far less erudite. I'm all for market forces/natural selection - as I said I'd always err on the side of maximising innovation - but I think my "concern" derives from the increased rapidity of the evolution of new "species/innovations." The market will eventually clear, of course, but my nagging doubt (no more than that) is whether the time-lags will collectively become so large that efficiency is threatened? A contemporary, albeit trivial, example was a piece in the Times this week decrying the "benefits" of choice and highlighting the fact that Tesco's (big UK supermarket) stocks 26 varieties of milk. Living in beta is great but I already see the sort of adoption-resistance to which I referred developing in the social networking area where new products are launched seemingly daily. They may be better, but people have become overwhelmed and won't consider them. The message then is be quick with your innovation rather than being slightly slower but better. Stephen – wow thanks for the lengthy response – much food for thought there too and much that is frankly out of my league. My response I fear will be far less erudite.

I’m all for market forces/natural selection – as I said I’d always err on the side of maximising innovation – but I think my “concern” derives from the increased rapidity of the evolution of new “species/innovations.” The market will eventually clear, of course, but my nagging doubt (no more than that) is whether the time-lags will collectively become so large that efficiency is threatened? A contemporary, albeit trivial, example was a piece in the Times this week decrying the “benefits” of choice and highlighting the fact that Tesco’s (big UK supermarket) stocks 26 varieties of milk.

Living in beta is great but I already see the sort of adoption-resistance to which I referred developing in the social networking area where new products are launched seemingly daily. They may be better, but people have become overwhelmed and won’t consider them. The message then is be quick with your innovation rather than being slightly slower but better.

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