Jon as usual wrote a very interesting post on how good but disruptive ideas (or potentially beneficial institutional changes) that challenge existing structure often run into strong resistance of the existing group/ideology in power. I think we all can relate to such experiences. He cites Bill Drayton who says, that in order for such ideas to prevail and provide their benefits, champions (defined as obsessive :-)) are needed to maneuver them through the system.
One of the reasons I write so much about XML and databases on my weblog (besides that it is my current day job and an interesting technical area) is to be one of the champions of showing that there is can be more to databases than storing rectangular data, while still providing all the benefits of doing that as well, and that such technology can address actual user needs. Time will tell, whether my obsessivness will be enough. But since I am not the only one with that obsession and some large tech companies are investing considerable amount of money, I think we are making some in-roads into the “system“. :-)
Jon uses Microsoft's relationship to Open Source Software and the resulting new transparency at Microsoft as one example in his article. He writes:
Open source, for example, has made many technical innovations, but arguably its greatest contribution is process innovation: transparency, global collaboration, the architecture of participation. In Microsoft's resistance to these ideas -- notably the famous "open source is a virus" riff -- you can see the antibodies swarming.
What most fascinates me about the company, these days, is the internal struggle this clash of ideas has precipitated, and the resulting transparency that some Microsoft bloggers have begun to create. While the popular press focuses its attention on Robert Scoble, I look to people like Michael Rys. As a practitioner on the leading edge of technology -- in this case, the intersection between XML and databases -- he has consistently articulated a technical vision and illuminated Microsoft's approach to implementing it. His commentary on Sean McCown's InfoWorld piece on SQL/XML databases was, for me, the best example in 2004 of how blog culture may be creating a more conversational Microsoft.
Whoa, thanks Jon. This is a very big compliment! Probably the second best christmas present this year (for the best one see below). I just hope I can live up to the expectations now :-)!
Note however, that without champions for social computing and weblogs like Robert and others at Microsoft such as Dare and Joshua, it would be harder to for me to champion my cause.
Now to the best Christmas present that somebody can give me this season: Please donate to the SE Asian Tsunami/Earthquake Relief effort (follow the link for some donation locations). If every reader of this blog donates 10USD to 100USD (or EUR), I would feel that we all really made a difference. Thanks.
PS: Interestingly enough, I read Robert's answer to Jon's article before I got to read Jon's Radio in my RSS feed :-)