Actually, I was making the exact opposite point - i.e. uniqueness does not particularly matter because ideas are plenty.
So by unique solutions, I did not mean that they were necessarily universally unique, but rather unique to your skills and abilities (i.e. something *you* would not have thought of before) and new ideas to the problems they are facing (once again, not necessarily universally new but rather new to you and to the people you work with). These would be things you'd not have thought of before, mostly because working in a particular area for a while tends to give you some interesting perspectives on things.
But you are right, of course - good and unique are most certainly not synonyms.
Isn't the whole point of innovation to come up with some new idea.
Reminds me of a story. Someone once approached Frank Herbert and said that they had an idea, and if he would write a book, they'd share the profits with him.
He laughed at the person, because it is not the ideas that he was lacking in - it was the time and effort of executing those ideas that was hard.
Similarly, ideas are dime a dozen. Even *good* ideas are easy to find. Don't believe me? Just work on an area for a few months and you'll find yourself coming up with unique solutions and new ideas to solve existing problems that you (or people known to you) face.
On that note, cultures and environments that encourage innovation by letting folks come up with and work on new ideas will always succeed. I do not know about geniuses, but I have seen that even the most mediocre, average person can come up with fantastic ideas under the right circumstances and under the right environment (and the right tutelage).
There is nothing wrong in mimicking something else - if you can do something better than someone else can, then by all means go ahead. It is the end result that matters, not the uniqueness of the idea.
Ideas are worthless if you can't do something with them.
See, that's the thing - it's not a contest between whether or not it is incrementation or innovation, but rather between whether it's a disruptive innovation or an incremental innovation.
It is innovative - make no mistake. However, what is important is not how it is innovative but *why* it is innovative.
The Internet would not have had the financial backing, nor would it have had grown to where it is today. Without the number of users that we have today, there would not be an entire economy based off services and products based off the web.
Yes, I know... Amazon and Ebay and such depend on the casual surfer, but would it really be so bad if the internet comprised primarily academics and programmers and serious hobbyists instead of primarily preteens (and older folks with the maturity of preteens) with too much time on their hands?
Yes - it would not be bad, it would be horrible. There would be no reason to offer the variety of services that are being offered on the web today. And even among the academia, you would mostly have only folks from the sciences on the Internet. Which would be a serious loss to the sum-total of human knowledge that is currently available on the Internet, in one form or the other, if I may add. Many of the conveniences we take for granted on the Internet today would not have evolved (maps, weather forecasting, stock tickers, news aggregators) etc.
Worse yet, everything on the Internet would have been a lot more skewed - after all, if only the technical elite have access to the Internet, it would only reflect their worldview, right? I am not sure that such a world would be interesting enough, or enjoyable enough.
Call me an elitist, but I don't feel like it would be much of a loss.
No, I would call you an ignorant person who does not have the fundamental idea of economics, nor of how supply and demand works. If the masses hadn't adopted the Internet, it would perhaps even died out simply because of the lack of wider adoption. So, either way the adoption would have happened in one way or the other.
I think it's wonderful and fantastic to see the diversity of the folks online - in fact, I think that it is still a little too technical, and it needs to be at a stage where using it does not (and should not) require one to be technical in any way. The only way for ideas to evolve is for people to adopt them and adapt them to their needs and ideas. Else, the idea either dies sooner or later.
I am glad that my Dad can find out details of his next high-court case and my Mom can both do her stock trading and find her cuisines online at the same time. Or that my girlfriend can send a picture of the wedding-dress she is buying to both her Mom and my Mom, and they can comment on it. And I wouldn't have it or want it any other way.
See, that's a personal judgement call - I do not work out so that I can eat rabbit food.
Similarly, when I do save gas through other means (for instance, I live in downtown and walk to work) and fill my SUV up only once a month or so, it is so that I can let myself have that luxury.
Of course, I have a fairly genuine reason for wanting an SUV - I do a lot of outdoor stuff (most cars cannot carry camping + climbing equipment or a set of whitewater rafts and kayaks) and we drive to see the lass' parents a couple of times a year, who quite literally live in the middle of nowhere, Oklahoma. Good luck getting on those dirt roads with anything other than a 4WD.
So, I save a lot on gas consumption, and I use the car only for groceries, travel and outdoorsy stuff. Compared to the gas conscious Prius driving person living 30 miles from work, I most certainly do save a lot.
In which case, why should it matter? Besides, it's not like we live in a socialist society where everybody has to give something up equally, right?:)
And oh, besides, the Prius is *ugly* and has absolutely no space whatsoever. You can't even fit the damn oars inside, let alone the kayak. I love my Envoy, thank you very much!
The opportunities for this kind of technology are limitless. Really - books, notes, travel, magazines, anything can be digitized and made incredibly accessible.
Not to mention there is no doubt that the low power nature of it makes it ready for solar power, making it an incredible communication tool in non-power friendly places, like say deserts or jungle for military use. The fact that it's flexible makes it able to handle harsh environments - simply roll it up, stick it in a tube and keep on going. Computer on top of Everest, anyone?
Really, this is an incredible breakthrough and deserves plenty of attention; I'm not sure the market is ready for it yet, but this kind of technology will absolutely become a part of our day-to-day lives in short order.
The PORNOGRAPHIC opportunities for this kind of technology are limitless. Really - PORNO books, SEX notes, travel WITH JENNA, PLAYBOY magazines, anything can be digitized and made incredibly accessible.
Not to mention there is no doubt that the low power nature of it makes it ready for solar power, making it an incredible communication tool in non-power friendly places, like say MASTURBATING in deserts or jungle. The fact that it's flexible makes it able to handle harsh environments - simply roll it up, stick it in a tube and keep on going (oh good lord, am not even going to try that one). PORN on top of Everest, anyone?
Really, this is an incredible breakthrough and deserves plenty of attention (of course it does); I'm not sure the market is ready for it yet, but this kind of technology will absolutely become a part of our day-to-day PORN in short (ouch) order.
You could always be busy with other things - I mean, if someone thinks that you definitely should call back within a "reasonable" amount of time, obviously you answering the phone regularly (or returning calls regularly) has prompted that belief.
Me? I usually just leave my phone on silent, and people know that if I do not answer during the day I am at work and there is a good reason. And if it is my day off - well they have no reason to be calling me, do they?
Expectations are what *you* set. If you answer the phone every damn time and call back ten minutes after, people will begin to expect that of you. If you don't, people won't.
Oh my boss does this, too. We have a 10-15 minutes meeting every morning, which are extremely useful and lets us all touch base and get an idea of what's happening.
We also we all have these cards with tasks assigned. So, as and when you are done with something, you can pick a new card (or trade a card with someone), which usually happens during these meetings.
A great way to touch base and keep track.
We call it agile development, even though there usually is no real "development" involved (most tasks are things like market-research, analysis, product evaluations etc).
For instance, I do telecom R&D and there are at least 5 times during the day when my boss walks in to brainstorm some idea or vice-versa (or do so with someone else I work with). It is wonderful to exchange ideas back and forth, and you can get a surprising amount of new ideas this way.
Also, there is something to be said about having a whiteboard to hash ideas out with your team - that's not something you can do when you telecommute - at least not easily.
I do work with a couple of people who telecommute and some of them are in Europe, which makes for some interesting meeting scheduling. But there have been times when I have just wished for them to be right there in the room with me, so I can explain what I have in mind (of course, I usually end up setting up a webcam or taking a pic and sending it to them). But that is still a work-around and the original problem remains, unchanged.
Now, if you do come to work on most days and telecommute ever so often (say, a couple of days a week), that works. I live in downtown, so on the very rare occasion that I do work from home, I can always walk down to work if they really need me. Which, I suppose, gives me a lot more freedom to work at my own time and place.
Secondly, working from home has an informal feel to it. Usually, I find that I get a lot more done when I do not have a million things distracting me and when I can just sit down and concentrate. Besides, working from home means you mix work and home, which means that people call you at odd hours and expect something. By leaving work at work, you do not have that problem.
And then there is the matter of resources - the handy printer and copier at work when ever you need it is at work, and at home, you end up paying for your inkjet cartridges. Add assorted office supplies and you've quiet a list. I also have several binders full of data and data-analysis results (which may give you a hint on what I do) which I don't have at home. Replicating them at home is an option, but it's not one I can do legally (nor easily).
Besides, it's fun talking to people at work, networking with folks from other areas of the business etc. Wouldn't trade any of it!
Thank you. I some how find it ironic that there are no laws against smoking in a car but there are laws against texting or cellphone use. I mean, something where you use just one hand and a sudden event could cause you to burn yourself isn't considered dangerous, but a cellphone is? Wow.
PS: I have nothing against smoking (even though I personally consider it to be a most disgusting habit, mostly because I am slightly allergic to cigarette smoke), I just find the relative moral high ground repulsive.
I do not think the OP meant old as in geriatric - he seems to mean old as in, older users (i.e. folks that signed up for the service before anyone else did).
People still use ICQ? I wonder if it's really seeing any significant numbers of new users, or if it's just the old people sticking around.
What? Even if people don't, do you think AOL would want to give up all those eyes that you could target ads at?
Who cares about increasing the number of users when you still have a target population to serve ads to right now (especially given the way AOL's been going lately).
Many from my C.SCI. class went to become MBA:s (sort of ABSURD if you ask me). I guess.. people will do anything for money.
Why do you say that? Often times, I've noticed that people with tech + MBA backgrounds are the best managers because they understand both the technology and the business. Unlike the Slashdot steoreotype MBAs, these people actually know and have worked with technology as well as business, and that gives them a unique perspective. Personally, I think that's the best combination.
Thing is; in the end they won't be able to do their jobs and as such they will suck.
Maybe like the rest of us, they just need experience - and their mixed backgrounds will give them a better perspective and a better understanding?
There are no shortcuts - at least they're *very* uncommon.
Sure. There are no shortcuts in life, either way. MBAs are not shortcuts, but they are definitely a helpful ingredient in a business or management career.
Besides, doing an MBA at any half-decent place usually requires some amount of experience + good creds. Like I mentioned in a previous post, it's not like HBS or Wharton let people walk through their doors, a dime a dozen.
At the end of the day, good skills in any field (degrees notwithstanding) always shine through. Academic qualifications are merely one of the less painful ways of showing off those skills.
To be fair, you get to sit on a comfortable chair, surf Slashdot, listen to music and work.
He, on the other hand, has to work and get his hands dirty and is probably not as comfortable as you are.
Oh, sure, it would be awesome now - but when you both hit the wrong side of 50, you can still do your job (ergonomic keyboards and chairs and what not) while he would find it harder.
Working in IT tends to be quite cushy compared to jobs in a lot of other areas.
As I've said before, programmers and sysadmins have some incredible advantages over most MBAs. You have LOGIC. You are CREATIVE. You have a propensity for PROBLEM SOLVING. You can think through and visualize a plan of action from beginning to end. You can change course and re-program the system when requirements change. You know that very few, if any, projects are ever really finished.
I do realize that you said most MBAs, but I just felt like saying this. You know, most *good* MBAs are extremely logical, creative and possess great problem solving skills (you don't simply walk into Wharton/HBS/Sloan if you weren't so).
In fact, most MBAs I know in fields like banking and finance are former engineers, physicists and mathematicians (accomplished and from very prestigious institutions, no less - hell, the VP of the place I work at is a former theoretical physicist) who decided to take a break from their job and get into applying their problem solving skills to other areas (e.g. the stock market or strategy consulting).
And yes, most good MBAs can do all the things you said, just that their end goal is slightly different from yours. Now are there crappy MBAs with no clue whatsoever? Absolutely, just as there are crappy programmers and idiot developers who equate IT with CS. But that goes for every field.
I am glad it worked out for you, though! As someone who still plays with lego, windups and puzzles, I could see how satisfying it would be. Cheers.
Just a small bone to pick (forgot to add this in the other reply):
4. Only work as you feel able, feel free to slack off here and there without guilt, stall your bosses for time if/when they start questioning your performance 5. If you have a sickness plan in your job, consider feigning some symptoms to prolong the paycheque 6. When you get totally fed up with going into the office, tender your resignation on health grounds, and seek the best severance package you can get
Well, that is sort of unethical - of course, you are free to do as you will, but I'd just say that doing so with a clear conscience is usually a good idea.
Well said. I will just expand upon one of your points -
What (affordable) training could I get to improve my earning potential doing this?
Find an area that you like and that is profitable - for instance, business and management are extremely interesting and challenging if done for the right reasons. You could consider doing something like Operations Management, where problem solving is not very different from programming and you get to work on such things as Operations Research, Quantitative Analysis, statistics etc. Or you could consider doing something in economics, which is also a lot of fun.
If the company you are at would pay for higher education, you could invest in getting a degree in business or management (or something related, but fun). Given your experience, you could easily get into being a market consultant or analyst at one of the top firms. Or you could get into strategy consulting, which also pays very well. A few years in strategy consulting and you could easily get on the board at one of the smaller companies.
And if neither of these appeals to you, a startup is the way to go. It's fun, it's interesting and you can do some very interesting things. Besides, you get to work your hours and get to do it *your* way - the freedom is awesome (speaking from personal experience, yes).
Finally, you could always go back to school and do a PhD in something you like - and go into academia and research.
And oh, remember that if you are in technology, there are only a couple of options - you either go into research or academia, or you go with your own startup (otherwise, sooner or later, you either get tired of the job or run the risk of being replaced by younger people). If those do not appeal to you, business or management is the way to go.
Thank you. I live in Ohio, and that's what I thought - I've a startup that develops touchscreen POS software for bars, and I've a lot of bartending friends. I've heard them say that they are expected to confiscate the IDs, at least here in Ohio (not sure how it's on the other side of the river).
Slashdot Mirror
Actually, I was making the exact opposite point - i.e. uniqueness does not particularly matter because ideas are plenty.
So by unique solutions, I did not mean that they were necessarily universally unique, but rather unique to your skills and abilities (i.e. something *you* would not have thought of before) and new ideas to the problems they are facing (once again, not necessarily universally new but rather new to you and to the people you work with). These would be things you'd not have thought of before, mostly because working in a particular area for a while tends to give you some interesting perspectives on things.
But you are right, of course - good and unique are most certainly not synonyms.
He laughed at the person, because it is not the ideas that he was lacking in - it was the time and effort of executing those ideas that was hard.
Similarly, ideas are dime a dozen. Even *good* ideas are easy to find. Don't believe me? Just work on an area for a few months and you'll find yourself coming up with unique solutions and new ideas to solve existing problems that you (or people known to you) face.
On that note, cultures and environments that encourage innovation by letting folks come up with and work on new ideas will always succeed. I do not know about geniuses, but I have seen that even the most mediocre, average person can come up with fantastic ideas under the right circumstances and under the right environment (and the right tutelage).
There is nothing wrong in mimicking something else - if you can do something better than someone else can, then by all means go ahead. It is the end result that matters, not the uniqueness of the idea.
Ideas are worthless if you can't do something with them.
> It isn't, its incrementation not innovation.
See, that's the thing - it's not a contest between whether or not it is incrementation or innovation, but rather between whether it's a disruptive innovation or an incremental innovation.
It is innovative - make no mistake. However, what is important is not how it is innovative but *why* it is innovative.
Worse yet, everything on the Internet would have been a lot more skewed - after all, if only the technical elite have access to the Internet, it would only reflect their worldview, right? I am not sure that such a world would be interesting enough, or enjoyable enough. No, I would call you an ignorant person who does not have the fundamental idea of economics, nor of how supply and demand works. If the masses hadn't adopted the Internet, it would perhaps even died out simply because of the lack of wider adoption. So, either way the adoption would have happened in one way or the other.
I think it's wonderful and fantastic to see the diversity of the folks online - in fact, I think that it is still a little too technical, and it needs to be at a stage where using it does not (and should not) require one to be technical in any way. The only way for ideas to evolve is for people to adopt them and adapt them to their needs and ideas. Else, the idea either dies sooner or later.
I am glad that my Dad can find out details of his next high-court case and my Mom can both do her stock trading and find her cuisines online at the same time. Or that my girlfriend can send a picture of the wedding-dress she is buying to both her Mom and my Mom, and they can comment on it. And I wouldn't have it or want it any other way.
Q: How do trolls get hard?
A: They just sit out in the sun!
Sorry, couldn't resist.
See, that's a personal judgement call - I do not work out so that I can eat rabbit food.
:)
Similarly, when I do save gas through other means (for instance, I live in downtown and walk to work) and fill my SUV up only once a month or so, it is so that I can let myself have that luxury.
Of course, I have a fairly genuine reason for wanting an SUV - I do a lot of outdoor stuff (most cars cannot carry camping + climbing equipment or a set of whitewater rafts and kayaks) and we drive to see the lass' parents a couple of times a year, who quite literally live in the middle of nowhere, Oklahoma. Good luck getting on those dirt roads with anything other than a 4WD.
So, I save a lot on gas consumption, and I use the car only for groceries, travel and outdoorsy stuff. Compared to the gas conscious Prius driving person living 30 miles from work, I most certainly do save a lot.
In which case, why should it matter? Besides, it's not like we live in a socialist society where everybody has to give something up equally, right?
And oh, besides, the Prius is *ugly* and has absolutely no space whatsoever. You can't even fit the damn oars inside, let alone the kayak. I love my Envoy, thank you very much!
Wasn't that guy supposed to have been kicked out a long, long time ago? What's he doing, still in office?
The thetans are definitely strong in this one!
Xenu be blessed! (or whatever)
Not to mention there is no doubt that the low power nature of it makes it ready for solar power, making it an incredible communication tool in non-power friendly places, like say MASTURBATING in deserts or jungle. The fact that it's flexible makes it able to handle harsh environments - simply roll it up, stick it in a tube and keep on going (oh good lord, am not even going to try that one). PORN on top of Everest, anyone?
Really, this is an incredible breakthrough and deserves plenty of attention (of course it does); I'm not sure the market is ready for it yet, but this kind of technology will absolutely become a part of our day-to-day PORN in short (ouch) order.
You could always be busy with other things - I mean, if someone thinks that you definitely should call back within a "reasonable" amount of time, obviously you answering the phone regularly (or returning calls regularly) has prompted that belief.
Me? I usually just leave my phone on silent, and people know that if I do not answer during the day I am at work and there is a good reason. And if it is my day off - well they have no reason to be calling me, do they?
Expectations are what *you* set. If you answer the phone every damn time and call back ten minutes after, people will begin to expect that of you. If you don't, people won't.
-shrug-
Oh my boss does this, too. We have a 10-15 minutes meeting every morning, which are extremely useful and lets us all touch base and get an idea of what's happening.
We also we all have these cards with tasks assigned. So, as and when you are done with something, you can pick a new card (or trade a card with someone), which usually happens during these meetings.
A great way to touch base and keep track.
We call it agile development, even though there usually is no real "development" involved (most tasks are things like market-research, analysis, product evaluations etc).
Exactly.
For instance, I do telecom R&D and there are at least 5 times during the day when my boss walks in to brainstorm some idea or vice-versa (or do so with someone else I work with). It is wonderful to exchange ideas back and forth, and you can get a surprising amount of new ideas this way.
Also, there is something to be said about having a whiteboard to hash ideas out with your team - that's not something you can do when you telecommute - at least not easily.
I do work with a couple of people who telecommute and some of them are in Europe, which makes for some interesting meeting scheduling. But there have been times when I have just wished for them to be right there in the room with me, so I can explain what I have in mind (of course, I usually end up setting up a webcam or taking a pic and sending it to them). But that is still a work-around and the original problem remains, unchanged.
Now, if you do come to work on most days and telecommute ever so often (say, a couple of days a week), that works. I live in downtown, so on the very rare occasion that I do work from home, I can always walk down to work if they really need me. Which, I suppose, gives me a lot more freedom to work at my own time and place.
Secondly, working from home has an informal feel to it. Usually, I find that I get a lot more done when I do not have a million things distracting me and when I can just sit down and concentrate. Besides, working from home means you mix work and home, which means that people call you at odd hours and expect something. By leaving work at work, you do not have that problem.
And then there is the matter of resources - the handy printer and copier at work when ever you need it is at work, and at home, you end up paying for your inkjet cartridges. Add assorted office supplies and you've quiet a list. I also have several binders full of data and data-analysis results (which may give you a hint on what I do) which I don't have at home. Replicating them at home is an option, but it's not one I can do legally (nor easily).
Besides, it's fun talking to people at work, networking with folks from other areas of the business etc. Wouldn't trade any of it!
Well said.
Thank you. I some how find it ironic that there are no laws against smoking in a car but there are laws against texting or cellphone use. I mean, something where you use just one hand and a sudden event could cause you to burn yourself isn't considered dangerous, but a cellphone is? Wow.
PS: I have nothing against smoking (even though I personally consider it to be a most disgusting habit, mostly because I am slightly allergic to cigarette smoke), I just find the relative moral high ground repulsive.
I do not think the OP meant old as in geriatric - he seems to mean old as in, older users (i.e. folks that signed up for the service before anyone else did).
What? Even if people don't, do you think AOL would want to give up all those eyes that you could target ads at?
Who cares about increasing the number of users when you still have a target population to serve ads to right now (especially given the way AOL's been going lately).
Human beings and cultures across the world are obsessed with symbolism - and death.
A lot of things we do, intentionally or otherwise, are deeply symbolic in nature.
And one but needs to look at the various religions to understand our fascination with death.
So, combine the two and you are bound to get some weird (and occasionally interesting) results.
Besides, doing an MBA at any half-decent place usually requires some amount of experience + good creds. Like I mentioned in a previous post, it's not like HBS or Wharton let people walk through their doors, a dime a dozen.
At the end of the day, good skills in any field (degrees notwithstanding) always shine through. Academic qualifications are merely one of the less painful ways of showing off those skills.
To be fair, you get to sit on a comfortable chair, surf Slashdot, listen to music and work.
He, on the other hand, has to work and get his hands dirty and is probably not as comfortable as you are.
Oh, sure, it would be awesome now - but when you both hit the wrong side of 50, you can still do your job (ergonomic keyboards and chairs and what not) while he would find it harder.
Working in IT tends to be quite cushy compared to jobs in a lot of other areas.
Reminds me of an old quote - "You're not old until regret take the place of your dreams".
In fact, most MBAs I know in fields like banking and finance are former engineers, physicists and mathematicians (accomplished and from very prestigious institutions, no less - hell, the VP of the place I work at is a former theoretical physicist) who decided to take a break from their job and get into applying their problem solving skills to other areas (e.g. the stock market or strategy consulting).
And yes, most good MBAs can do all the things you said, just that their end goal is slightly different from yours. Now are there crappy MBAs with no clue whatsoever? Absolutely, just as there are crappy programmers and idiot developers who equate IT with CS. But that goes for every field.
I am glad it worked out for you, though! As someone who still plays with lego, windups and puzzles, I could see how satisfying it would be. Cheers.
If the company you are at would pay for higher education, you could invest in getting a degree in business or management (or something related, but fun). Given your experience, you could easily get into being a market consultant or analyst at one of the top firms. Or you could get into strategy consulting, which also pays very well. A few years in strategy consulting and you could easily get on the board at one of the smaller companies.
And if neither of these appeals to you, a startup is the way to go. It's fun, it's interesting and you can do some very interesting things. Besides, you get to work your hours and get to do it *your* way - the freedom is awesome (speaking from personal experience, yes).
Finally, you could always go back to school and do a PhD in something you like - and go into academia and research.
And oh, remember that if you are in technology, there are only a couple of options - you either go into research or academia, or you go with your own startup (otherwise, sooner or later, you either get tired of the job or run the risk of being replaced by younger people). If those do not appeal to you, business or management is the way to go.
Thank you. I live in Ohio, and that's what I thought - I've a startup that develops touchscreen POS software for bars, and I've a lot of bartending friends. I've heard them say that they are expected to confiscate the IDs, at least here in Ohio (not sure how it's on the other side of the river).
Oops!
s/its theirs/it's theirs - brain fart and all that.
I didn't say what they did was right - merely that I've seen them do it before.
Then again, perhaps the people with the offending check do not know that its theirs, because they probably are afraid to go back to the store.