I love the Olympics. I love them because there is always some sport being played that I've never seen nor heard of, but I find myself riveted too. This year it's "Women's Team Handball", which is not a good name as it really is more like lacrosse without sticks and pads. Ladies basically get a ball, pass it to each other, dribble it occasionally (no idea if there is a rule on this or not) and push towards the other teams goal (there is a goalie) where they try to get a clean shot while the defenders smash, maul, and attempt to annihilate them. They throw the ball approximately 200 MPH (140KPH for you non-Americans) and the poor goalie attempts to block the shot – often with their face. It's fantastic.
I like the new or the unknown, because it is more interesting. I like watching someone treading water using just their legs while playing the same basic game in a pool. I really like when they get a penalty and have to then go to the corner and continue to tread water in a small sectioned off area out of the game. That will teach you to cheat.
The new and unknown is interesting and exciting to some, but not all. In technology the new and unknown are feared much more often than embraced. That is probably also true of anything in life, but it is certainly true in technology. Buddhists have it figured out. "It is what it is" is my short paraphrasing of a few thousand years of Buddhism – no disrespect intended. Live for now, don't sweat what was, or what might be, dig what is now. It's fairly logical, but why is that same philosophy so hard to come by when we talk about technology? How many of the decisions we make are based upon fear of something new or different – even if the current situation is absurdly bad? Way too many.
Some fear perception and some reality. Some fear both. The Chinese did a magnificent job on the Olympic opening ceremonies – truly first class and awe inspiring. 2008 drummers smashing drums in perfect unison was something to see. The show was majestic. Then we find out the 7 year old girl with a voice of gold was really hidden behind a curtain (another girl lip-synched while the real girl sang) because at the last moment officials, concerned with being perceived as less than perfect, felt the singer's teeth we not straight enough. They didn't fear reality, which is that no one on the planet would have cared about anything wrong with that 7 year old because her voice was absolutely spectacular – and because people are flawed. They worried about perception – which was their flaw. Now the image they were trying to project is subject to question, which actually diminishes the brilliance of everything else they did.
People perceive themselves, their jobs, and their "stuff" in certain ways, influenced by time and experience, as well as their environment. We still do backup every weekend on data that doesn't change, because "that's the way we've always done it". Because that was proper at some point, does not mean it is now – but the perception of the ramifications of change are negative. Reality is the exact opposite, but as long as we play to perception, we almost always will be doing things – right or wrong – for the wrong reasons.
Life is hard enough. Think of your next decision this way, "what's the worst thing that can happen?" and if the answer isn't "death", then how bad might it really be? It is what it is, but not what it has to be.
I'm as guilty of boxed thinking as anyone else – only that I tend to believe (or lie to) myself more than others. It's the ADD in me perhaps, but that doesn't mean I'm not completely guilty of thinking that I "know" or something has to be one way today because that is the way it was yesterday. My box may be unconventional, but it is still a box.
Mike Workman, CEO of Pillar and always interesting if not bizarre fellow short man of tech, just reminded me again that life with sudden left turns is way more fun. I sent him an email regarding a meeting next week, and his reply (very literally) was this:
"I will take a look – I am in the middle of Wyoming at a Fireworks convention – so it may take a bit to get back to you."
M
Mike Workman
Chairman and CEO
Pillar Data Systems
San Jose, CA. 95134
408-503-4020
I'm fairly certain that there is no one else on the entire planet who received this reply (to any question or comment, in any form whatsoever) from any other person on the planet today. Unique is beautiful. Crazy is even better. Mike seems to have blown up his box. A reply of "I can't, I'm eating my own eyeball and running naked through a shopping mall while waving a cat over my head" would not have been any more expected. Good stuff.
Erm...
Unique is beautiful. Crazy is even better. But accurate works best. Since when is 200mph equal to 140kph?
On the subject of getting Zen-like replies, I once got this from the CEO of a company I worked for, on the question "Should we do X?"
"No. Let me repeat, never. Later."
I'm still working that one out; did he mean "see you later"? Or "We'll do it later"? Never did find out, and never did it either.
-----Touche. I was adding on 20kph as the dollar was slipping 20 cents vs. the Euro. My mistake. Steve.
Posted by: Alex McDonald | August 15, 2008 at 10:42 AM