Comments on: Of parasites and pests ….. and regulators? http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2008/04/12/of-parasites-and-pests-and-regulators/ a blog about information Mon, 06 Feb 2012 01:37:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Michael Linton http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2008/04/12/of-parasites-and-pests-and-regulators/comment-page-1/#comment-326838 Michael Linton Fri, 18 Apr 2008 20:54:49 +0000 http://confusedofcalcutta.com/?p=1071#comment-326838 There's an excellent summary of Stafford's work at www.managementkybernetik.com/dwn/Ten_Pints_of_Beer.pdf There’s an excellent summary of Stafford’s work at

http://www.managementkybernetik.com/dwn/Ten_Pints_of_Beer.pdf

]]> By: Andy Hooper http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2008/04/12/of-parasites-and-pests-and-regulators/comment-page-1/#comment-325126 Andy Hooper Tue, 15 Apr 2008 15:11:05 +0000 http://confusedofcalcutta.com/?p=1071#comment-325126 You are welcome Brain of the Firm is a tough read. At least, it was for me :-) Heart of Enterprise elucidates the same model in a business context without the neuroscience... And this chap has a very good set of Beer web links: http://del.icio.us/dsoul/stafford You are welcome

Brain of the Firm is a tough read. At least, it was for me :-)

Heart of Enterprise elucidates the same model in a business context without the neuroscience…

And this chap has a very good set of Beer web links: http://del.icio.us/dsoul/stafford

]]> By: anne marie mcewan http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2008/04/12/of-parasites-and-pests-and-regulators/comment-page-1/#comment-324932 anne marie mcewan Tue, 15 Apr 2008 07:30:55 +0000 http://confusedofcalcutta.com/?p=1071#comment-324932 Andy said, "I never understood why Beer’s work never garnered more practical applications. It is extraordinarily insightful stuff." Praise be! Another Beer afficianado. I have been a huge fan since stumbling on his work when doing my doctorate some years ago. I was exploring optimised local autonomy on manufacturing shopflors, while maintaining simultaneously centralised control. It seemed to me that the VSM offered a set of guiding (regulating) principles to achieve exactly that. Andy said, “I never understood why Beer’s work never garnered more practical applications. It is extraordinarily insightful stuff.”

Praise be! Another Beer afficianado. I have been a huge fan since stumbling on his work when doing my doctorate some years ago. I was exploring optimised local autonomy on manufacturing shopflors, while maintaining simultaneously centralised control.

It seemed to me that the VSM offered a set of guiding (regulating) principles to achieve exactly that.

]]> By: JP http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2008/04/12/of-parasites-and-pests-and-regulators/comment-page-1/#comment-324599 JP Mon, 14 Apr 2008 22:11:12 +0000 http://confusedofcalcutta.com/?p=1071#comment-324599 Thanks for the comments, guys. I will make sure I look further into Stafford Beer. Someone pointed me at Brain of the Firm quite some years ago, but I was put off at the price..... I pay for all my books myself rather than charge on expenses. But now that you bring it up, I think I will make use of the dollar exchange rate and buy up a job lot of Stafford Beer classics. Thanks for the comments, guys. I will make sure I look further into Stafford Beer. Someone pointed me at Brain of the Firm quite some years ago, but I was put off at the price….. I pay for all my books myself rather than charge on expenses. But now that you bring it up, I think I will make use of the dollar exchange rate and buy up a job lot of Stafford Beer classics.

]]> By: Andy Hooper http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2008/04/12/of-parasites-and-pests-and-regulators/comment-page-1/#comment-324240 Andy Hooper Mon, 14 Apr 2008 08:55:35 +0000 http://confusedofcalcutta.com/?p=1071#comment-324240 Very interesting thoughts. The work of the "original" cyberneticians, in particular Stafford Beer, laid a lot of the groundwork that proves the applicability of natural system models to human organisations. Beer's VSM, which uses the human nervous system as the basis of the model, is worth a look - regulatory apparatus being built-in. I never understood why Beer's work never garnered more practical applications. It is extraordinarily insightful stuff. Very interesting thoughts. The work of the “original” cyberneticians, in particular Stafford Beer, laid a lot of the groundwork that proves the applicability of natural system models to human organisations. Beer’s VSM, which uses the human nervous system as the basis of the model, is worth a look – regulatory apparatus being built-in.

I never understood why Beer’s work never garnered more practical applications. It is extraordinarily insightful stuff.

]]> By: Will McInnes http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2008/04/12/of-parasites-and-pests-and-regulators/comment-page-1/#comment-323936 Will McInnes Sun, 13 Apr 2008 19:36:46 +0000 http://confusedofcalcutta.com/?p=1071#comment-323936 JP - I too believe that there is much we can learn from the natural world and apply in society. Fascinating blog post, or at least the further thoughts you hint at. Thanks - Will. JP – I too believe that there is much we can learn from the natural world and apply in society. Fascinating blog post, or at least the further thoughts you hint at. Thanks – Will.

]]> By: JP http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2008/04/12/of-parasites-and-pests-and-regulators/comment-page-1/#comment-323778 JP Sun, 13 Apr 2008 13:17:15 +0000 http://confusedofcalcutta.com/?p=1071#comment-323778 Ric, as I look into symbiosis I learn more and more. How many types of symbiosis exist. The roles of the actors in a "symbiotic market", for want of a better phrase. The relationship between symbiosis and ecosystem. Ten years ago I was looking at something similar when trying to understand VC "incubator" portfolios, there seemed to be very similar lessons. In fact VCs like CMGi were building ecosystems within their portfolio, but the role of the pest and the parasite hadn't been well understood. Incidentally, headline in today's New York Times: A Lender Failed. Did Its Auditor? Interesting question. And what about the regulator? What about other market participants? Ric, as I look into symbiosis I learn more and more. How many types of symbiosis exist. The roles of the actors in a “symbiotic market”, for want of a better phrase. The relationship between symbiosis and ecosystem.

Ten years ago I was looking at something similar when trying to understand VC “incubator” portfolios, there seemed to be very similar lessons. In fact VCs like CMGi were building ecosystems within their portfolio, but the role of the pest and the parasite hadn’t been well understood.

Incidentally, headline in today’s New York Times:

A Lender Failed. Did Its Auditor?

Interesting question. And what about the regulator? What about other market participants?

]]> By: Ric http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2008/04/12/of-parasites-and-pests-and-regulators/comment-page-1/#comment-323770 Ric Sun, 13 Apr 2008 13:01:24 +0000 http://confusedofcalcutta.com/?p=1071#comment-323770 and just as I thought, it was worth waiting for! How complex a model do you want to build? I'm thinking in terms not just of the symbiosis you describe but also the more complex situation where you have complementary symbioses (?sp) - where in nature you have plants which thrive together, do you get businesses/industries which do better together because of complementary parasites, for example? and just as I thought, it was worth waiting for!

How complex a model do you want to build? I’m thinking in terms not just of the symbiosis you describe but also the more complex situation where you have complementary symbioses (?sp) – where in nature you have plants which thrive together, do you get businesses/industries which do better together because of complementary parasites, for example?

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