THE 20TH CENTURY WAS WRONG... in one very important respect, namely the concept of people as mass
What really bugs me...
Some people see social technology and networked culture as dangerous and “new”
They prefer the “proven” technology and “safe” organisational culture of theTwentieth Century.
I disagree
What did the C20th get Wrong?
The Twentieth century took the ideas of theindustrial revolution & applied them to people.
Mass production. Mass marketing. Massacre.
A century of extremes.
Progress, but inequality
Progress, but inequality
Progress, but inequality
The Age of Nations and ‘ISMs’
0
50
100
150
200
1900
2000
Number of States in the World
Source: http://www.ppionline.org/ppi_ci.cfm?knlgAreaID=108&subsecID=900003&contentID=252023
Nationalism
Communism
Fascism
Capitalism
= PEOPLE AS OBJECTS / MASS
Mass(acre)
Abstract ideas and identities valued over human life
Processing people as objects - the logic of the camps
Two acts of genocide in the final 8 years of the century
1900: Kroonstad
1940: Auschwitz
1992: Omarska
FROM TRENCHES TO CUBICLES
Mass Mobilisation
Mass Production
Mass Marketing
The Corporation
The ‘IT’ Department
IT WAS NOT ALWAYS LIKE THIS
Traditional Trading Networks
Guilds, Professions, Networks
Management vs Co-ordinationMillennium Challenge ’02 - biggest combined US military exercise in the Gulf - took years to plan
Retired Lieutenant General Paul Van Riper defeatedthe US military with a low-tech, traditional strategy
BACK TO THE FUTURE ?
LET’S PLAY IT SAFE
Trust is cheaper than control
Traditional Mode of Organisation?
Network-based models are proven
Aggregation & links beat coercion
Let’s stick to what works
Next time...
Next time somebody tells you social networks or network-centric business are new and risky, tell them to read a history book
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it” - George Santayana
Picture Credits
• www.gapminder.org • http://www.flickr.com/photos/daquellamanera/1242771346/ • http://www.flickr.com/photos/rodrigogalindez/2993101142/sizes/l/ • http://www.worldalmanac.com/blog/ww_ustroops_rest_01.jpg • http://www.flickr.com/photos/cirque-du-pablo/2991939174/ • http://www.carbodydesign.com/archive/2008/05/15-virtual-painting-at-ford/1914-Ford-Model-T-Painting-lg.jpg• http://www.flickr.com/photos/irene2005/2761697172/sizes/l/• http://lh6.ggpht.com/_uYeCdeWUudM/RquSSy_X2oI/AAAAAAAAADU/OuYTkaNKa3w/flyover.jpg• http://www.flickr.com/photos/wills/119744777/sizes/l/ • http://www.flickr.com/photos/paul_irish/2379958609/sizes/l/• http://www.flickr.com/photos/joeshlabotnik/305410323/sizes/l/• http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamoker/349341149/• http://www.flickr.com/photos/cote/54408562/sizes/l/• http://www.flickr.com/photos/jurvetson/52581560/sizes/l/• http://images.google.com/hosted/life/l?q=boer+camps&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dboer%2Bcamps%26imgsz
%3Dxxlarge%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26rls%3Den-us%26sa%3DN&imgurl=1bd538634793cfa0