(2003-10-01) Soft Edge Notes

Some random notes from part of the Soft Edge conference...

• discussions of Social Software in the enterprise typically focus on the BigCo. The Context is much different in a SmallCo (say, up to 100 people). More clarity of vision, potential for less Pathological behavior and more sharing...

• just like people don't know how to handwrite or do long division by hand anymore, it appears humans have lost the ability to speak for 15 seconds with sufficient volume to fill a small conference room without the aid of a microphone.

• I think the idea of new physical controllers connected to a PC, with software mapping the parameters, is pretty cool. (Pseudo mixing board, or use a pistol videogame controller to delete an email from that idiot in marketing...)

• Open Source and/vs innovation

  • OSS "teaser" as anchor for community which provides communication/feedback loop which is a basis for non-OSS (profitable) products

  • ubiquity of lower-level stuff provides a platform on which to build non-OSS stuff (if the license allows it)

  • there's a big gap between a raw Genius idea and a mass-marketable product: again, Open Source provides communication input

  • innovations in Business Model (e.g. Dell Computer, Fed Ex) vs product

  • "free" means "don't need permission" which is big in bureaucratic organizations, so OSS can get you into places that a low non-zero price wouldn't