Comments on: a loose conferderation of skunk works http://gapingvoid.com/2005/04/27/a-loose-conferderation-of-skunk-works/ "cartoons drawn on the back of business cards" Fri, 10 Feb 2012 23:17:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Jon Husband http://gapingvoid.com/2005/04/27/a-loose-conferderation-of-skunk-works/#comment-5522 Jon Husband Fri, 29 Apr 2005 09:55:30 +0000 http://gapingvoid.com/?p=1427#comment-5522 Maybe it should be a "loose con<i>herd</i>eration of skunks" as opposed to a "loose conferderation" So as opposed to the standard mgt consulting game of "herding cats", we could get involved in "herding skunks", which is probably more appropriate to whatever forms of organizations grow out of or into "wirearchy" ... ... since that less-than-hierarchical confederation of loosely-linked knowledge slaves is just as likely as not to be at home on a couch, using a blog, wearing pyjamas, forgetting to shower, eating old stale food in the refrigerator whilst running around spraying everyone else with wild, random thoughts ? Maybe it should be a “loose conherderation of skunks” as opposed to a “loose conferderation“
So as opposed to the standard mgt consulting game of “herding cats”, we could get involved in “herding skunks”, which is probably more appropriate to whatever forms of organizations grow out of or into “wirearchy” …
… since that less-than-hierarchical confederation of loosely-linked knowledge slaves is just as likely as not to be at home on a couch, using a blog, wearing pyjamas, forgetting to shower, eating old stale food in the refrigerator whilst running around spraying everyone else with wild, random thoughts ?

]]> By: Valdis http://gapingvoid.com/2005/04/27/a-loose-conferderation-of-skunk-works/#comment-5521 Valdis Thu, 28 Apr 2005 22:11:43 +0000 http://gapingvoid.com/?p=1427#comment-5521 > How would that affect business software? How would a company like SAP survive? See: <a href="http://www.orgnet.com/decisions.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.orgnet.com/decisions.html</a> Easy to support Figure 1 w/ control-oriented software but not Figure 2 -- that is supported by email/chat/Wiki/blogs/phone/F2F/etc. Some people say SAP-like software is intented to get rid of the gray links in Figure 2[the emergent conversations] but, the more complex and unpredictable the process the less it can be designed ahead of time! > How would that affect business software? How would a company like SAP survive?
See: http://www.orgnet.com/decisions.html
Easy to support Figure 1 w/ control-oriented software but not Figure 2 — that is supported by email/chat/Wiki/blogs/phone/F2F/etc.
Some people say SAP-like software is intented to get rid of the gray links in Figure 2[the emergent conversations] but, the more complex and unpredictable the process the less it can be designed ahead of time!

]]> By: frosty http://gapingvoid.com/2005/04/27/a-loose-conferderation-of-skunk-works/#comment-5520 frosty Thu, 28 Apr 2005 19:11:20 +0000 http://gapingvoid.com/?p=1427#comment-5520 Re: Software, as more people embrace the open-source model for corporate software, I think we'll see a lot of new and interesting organizational approaches around that. OSS is no magic bullet, but it does solve a lot of typical problems like vendor lock-in and over-reliance on specific people on your staff. So far the OSS community isn't really gunning for the likes of SAP, and it's unlikely they really could given how much these companies will pay to keep their contracts (and how many Pointy-Haired Bosses are still, well, the bosses). I expect that eventually a lot of the big players will move to some sort of semi-open model themselves in order to counter the "threat" of OSS. But I think the leaders in this are likely to be corporations, or even industries, that accept the cost and just make some great, useful, open software for themselves. There are some areas where you don't want your competitors to have what you have, but most corporate software would be better if it were open and the development burden/responsibility shared. And that, if it happens, will force a whole lot of organizational innovation around it. Or new bureaucracy... Just off the top of my head. E&OE. Good links. Re: Software, as more people embrace the open-source model for corporate software, I think we’ll see a lot of new and interesting organizational approaches around that.
OSS is no magic bullet, but it does solve a lot of typical problems like vendor lock-in and over-reliance on specific people on your staff. So far the OSS community isn’t really gunning for the likes of SAP, and it’s unlikely they really could given how much these companies will pay to keep their contracts (and how many Pointy-Haired Bosses are still, well, the bosses).
I expect that eventually a lot of the big players will move to some sort of semi-open model themselves in order to counter the “threat” of OSS. But I think the leaders in this are likely to be corporations, or even industries, that accept the cost and just make some great, useful, open software for themselves. There are some areas where you don’t want your competitors to have what you have, but most corporate software would be better if it were open and the development burden/responsibility shared.
And that, if it happens, will force a whole lot of organizational innovation around it. Or new bureaucracy…
Just off the top of my head. E&OE. Good links.

]]> By: Ric http://gapingvoid.com/2005/04/27/a-loose-conferderation-of-skunk-works/#comment-5519 Ric Thu, 28 Apr 2005 17:19:52 +0000 http://gapingvoid.com/?p=1427#comment-5519 SAP would probably co-exist, as big business will take a while to admit that the illusion of control given by the all-singing, all-dancing monolithic software is just that. 'Wirearchy' software skunkworks BETWEEN trading partners/collaborators would probably work like skunkworks do internally - off the radar. Longer term the 'sub-rosa' systems will give the real value, but any premature unveiling of them will probably result in them being killed off. The whole concept of Web Services was being able to find that little piece of functionality you need anywhere on the 'net, and hook it up with other little pieces of software elsewhere on the 'net, until you had a system almost by magic. The main reason it hasn't happened yet - business doesn't trust random software off the 'net, and is scared of losing intellectual property if they put stuff out there themselves. SAP would probably co-exist, as big business will take a while to admit that the illusion of control given by the all-singing, all-dancing monolithic software is just that. ‘Wirearchy’ software skunkworks BETWEEN trading partners/collaborators would probably work like skunkworks do internally — off the radar.
Longer term the ‘sub-rosa’ systems will give the real value, but any premature unveiling of them will probably result in them being killed off.
The whole concept of Web Services was being able to find that little piece of functionality you need anywhere on the ‘net, and hook it up with other little pieces of software elsewhere on the ‘net, until you had a system almost by magic. The main reason it hasn’t happened yet — business doesn’t trust random software off the ‘net, and is scared of losing intellectual property if they put stuff out there themselves.

]]> By: Rudy http://gapingvoid.com/2005/04/27/a-loose-conferderation-of-skunk-works/#comment-5518 Rudy Thu, 28 Apr 2005 16:08:07 +0000 http://gapingvoid.com/?p=1427#comment-5518 I like the comic. To me it speaks of how things "really are". People working independently, privately, and soubtly secretly with others doing the same and all connected by some common but really absurdly crazy purpose. I think politics, the internet, professional sports, and to some degree life are all shining examples. /puts on work hat/ Software tends to be built for function and then tailored to organization. Organizations have need for the function regardless of how they are organized. Scale of the subunits may be the biggest concern to vendors if the units become independent buisnesses. I like the comic. To me it speaks of how things “really are”. People working independently, privately, and soubtly secretly with others doing the same and all connected by some common but really absurdly crazy purpose. I think politics, the internet, professional sports, and to some degree life are all shining examples.
/puts on work hat/
Software tends to be built for function and then tailored to organization. Organizations have need for the function regardless of how they are organized. Scale of the subunits may be the biggest concern to vendors if the units become independent buisnesses.

]]> By: Doug http://gapingvoid.com/2005/04/27/a-loose-conferderation-of-skunk-works/#comment-5517 Doug Thu, 28 Apr 2005 09:38:39 +0000 http://gapingvoid.com/?p=1427#comment-5517 I only smoke so that I can hang out outside with the really cool people who only smoke because we all just need an _excuse_ to get out... Hmmm... What box can't you think outside of, without a drag on a fag, as the Brits would say? I only smoke so that I can hang out outside with the really cool people who only smoke because we all just need an _excuse_ to get out…
Hmmm… What box can’t you think outside of, without a drag on a fag, as the Brits would say?

]]> By: Perspective http://gapingvoid.com/2005/04/27/a-loose-conferderation-of-skunk-works/#comment-5523 Perspective Thu, 28 Apr 2005 04:20:44 +0000 http://gapingvoid.com/?p=1427#comment-5523 <strong>Inspired by a cartoon</strong> Today I saw this cartoon on Gaping Void. While Hugh, the author of the blog, may not understand why he likes it, he has an interesting point to make which inspired me to take his thought one step further. Taking Inspired by a cartoon

Today I saw this cartoon on Gaping Void. While Hugh, the author of the blog, may not understand why he likes it, he has an interesting point to make which inspired me to take his thought one step further. Taking

]]> By: solios http://gapingvoid.com/2005/04/27/a-loose-conferderation-of-skunk-works/#comment-5516 solios Thu, 28 Apr 2005 03:18:39 +0000 http://gapingvoid.com/?p=1427#comment-5516 Depends on the panel, I'd say - there's "discussing blogs" and there's "construction of neural networks", which are very different areas with very different audiences (and some overlap, to be sure). Certainly, the entire point of conferences and cons isn't to be had at Ground Zero - it's in the blast radius. I don't go to comic conventions because comic book fans are no fun for me to talk to. I go to computer/hacker conventions because geeks, by and large, are an absolute blast to get drunk with. The panels are communually understood to be a means of nursing the hangover. Depends on the panel, I’d say — there’s “discussing blogs” and there’s “construction of neural networks”, which are very different areas with very different audiences (and some overlap, to be sure).
Certainly, the entire point of conferences and cons isn’t to be had at Ground Zero — it’s in the blast radius.
I don’t go to comic conventions because comic book fans are no fun for me to talk to. I go to computer/hacker conventions because geeks, by and large, are an absolute blast to get drunk with. The panels are communually understood to be a means of nursing the hangover.

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