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by ergo

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Like the formation of a new country or revised governing body, we find ourselves in a position to define the future in our words and actions. I wish to discuss how we will accomplish the establishment of an information universe. Do we become increasingly mindful of the residue that will be left in our wake as the generations to come build on what we have accomplished or simply follow the money?

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by admin

Sometimes which side of the pendulum you are on directly correlates to your present ability to make house payments though :)

by generalist

It has been a while since I've read it, but there is a list by a person named Maslow (?)that covers basic human needs. If those basic needs aren't met, you aren't surviving and planning for the future is useless. (Call it the 'house payment plus' factor.)

If you meet the needs, then thinking about the future and acting accordingly is necessary for long term survival. On the IT side of things, this suggests that it would be nice to have well documented systems and well designed databases since they will be around for a few years. It would have also been nice if more people realized that there was going to be a year 2000 problem back in the 1980's when disk storage costs started dropping.

by admin

Yes, Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs then applies not only to individuals, but IT in general.
The possibility, then, if I follow your thought correctly, is that the needs of IT (or, perhaps more correctly, the needs of the people who use it now and in the future) as a developing technology are at times at odds with the needs of the individuals building it.
I wonder if there is an insight into project management, and why they sometimes go awry, somewhere in this?

by ergo

From suckling to self-actualization. A trip we all take. Same destination, individual points of departure, constant journey. The issue isn't so much where we are going as the style of conduct we choose in the course of the experience. Attitude will transcend situation when one is well grounded in their cultural heritage. That is one reason international travel is a sojourn in self-discovery. In the context of this issue, I hope we might define basic elements of conduct we choose to imposeupon ourselves and teach others. A good thing at no cost.

by ergo

The ability to make the house payment is assumed by the lending institution having made the loan. Current ability rests entirely on the individual and his/her circumstances. Future, similar loans will and do take into account payment history. I suppose that is the vantage point I am seeing the issue from.

by diabetic

This feels more like an attempt to get help with a homework assignment than an attempt to have a discussion, yet...

I believe that an Information Universe already exists and is functioning quite well.

The information universe, like our physical universe, is not managed or run by any single entity. Instead, it is a product of "billions and billions" of individual fifedoms, some of which play well with others, many of which do not.

The money is most certainly both part of the problem andpart of the solution. One cannot be realistic and expect future generations to ignore the money and seek some kind of " information universe purity of thought, deed and action."

No, we each have our own little spot in the universe and we can only control ourselves. We should simply focus on leaving a personal legacy of having gone through life in an honorable fashion, being a person of integrity who treated others with respect and who made honest contributions to the best of our individual ability. what happens beyond that simply happens.

by shanghai sam

Actually, if you used Maslow's Hierarchy and James Grier Miller's 'Living Systems' structure, it might be possible to come up with a general theory of project management in terms of needs and resources.

A thought to consider. IT, or any organization, has needs to meet in order to survive. If those needs are met with the long view in mind, the organization has a better chance of surviving and thriving. If it sacrifices the future for a quick payoff today, it may have problems.

The same applies to people. They have needs that are necessary for survival and they can meet these needs with short and long term strategies.

Things get complicated when you try to balance the needs of an organization with the needs of the people workingfor it. If you go too far one way, the people suffer while the organization benefits. If you go too far another way, the organization suffers while the people benefit. And if you're really incompetent, both the organization and the people workingfor it suffer.

But if everything is well balanced, with the needs of the organization and the needs of the people being met, you end up with a win-win situation. Short term and long term needs must be met on both sides for this to work. Furthermore, some needs, like cost reductions for organizations and income increases for workers, may require a compromise that is optimal but less than ideal for either side.

by ergo

I have long held the view that individuals, communities, cities, counties, states, countries and contenients as well as their governing bodies, age and mature in accordance with their ability to have essential needs met. No reason to think a business would be exempt from the growth process.

by generalist

Actually, if you used Maslow's Hierarchy and James Grier Miller's 'Living Systems' structure, it might be possible to come up with a general theory of project management in terms of needs and resources.

A thought to consider. IT, or any organization, has needs to meet in order to survive. If those needs are met with the long view in mind, the organization has a better chance of surviving and thriving. If it sacrifices the future for a quick payoff today, it may have problems.

The same applies to people. They have needs that are necessary for survival and they can meet these needs with short and long term strategies.

Things get complicated when you try to balance the needs of an organization with the needs of the people workingfor it. If you go too far one way, the people suffer while the organization benefits. If you go too far another way, the organization suffers while the people benefit. And if you're really incompetent, both the organization and the people workingfor it suffer.

But if everything is well balanced, with the needs of the organization and the needs of the people being met, you end up with a win-win situation. Short term and long term needs must be met on both sides for this to work. Furthermore, some needs, like cost reductions for organizations and income increases for workers, may require a compromise that is optimal but less than ideal for either side.

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