Authority

There is a feature on technorati called Authority. Nice feature, I am sure. Though, I am not sure what it means. Add to this the fact that there is no way I can find out who has given whome authority. Over what!

Added to this was the fact that on the Help page, there are tons of queries about Authority, but no responses. This brings out two things:

1. A lot of the social computing concepts out there are still not totally user friendly. But this is to be expected considering a lot of these concepts are not at a stage where they have evolved to consider user needs to a large extent. At another level, maybe a lot of the social computing tools are coming up with features, and then, we as users are finding out ways to use these features. Does this mean that there are a lot of bone-headed ideas oout there? Not that Authority is necessarily one of them, but I would be able to figure that out only when I figure out what it means.

2. It is not necessary that having the relevant social network would get you an answer to your question. But then, its not meant to. It is only increasing the probability that connecting to the right people would lead you in the right direction, but thats not necessary. The issue at hand is that most champions of social software are championing this as the answer to all your questions ... Something that it is not. This is something to be guarded against. We have seen this with BPR and with ERP, where the tool was touted as something which would do everything for you, except get you a cup of Coffee!

It is highly important that we look at the limitations of the technology, both in terms of the basioc limitations, as well as limitations brought in by the current level of maturity of the technology.

The Mind

What to say of a mind which can be tricked by another mind ... Basically, the human mind can be tricked into believing things that dont probably exist. Or, it may not believe things which do exist. Which means, that the mind, and the body controlled by the mind, may be living in an illusion.

Probably it is. How else could we explain that what you like one moment, you tend to dislike the next. Our favourites arent constant. Nothing is. What leads us to pin our hopes on something so transient?

Can we, for example, describe cause and effect without bringing in the construct of time? Hmmmmm ... Food for thought? More thoughts on this soon.

India's Real Heroes

I saw this extremely nice program on CNN-IBN today ... India's Real Heroes. An amazing show ... It was being anchored by one of my favourites (no, that has very little to do with the show being amazing ...). She is one of my favourite singers, and is extremely effervescent. Find her here ...

The program was all about the real heroes. Whether it was the gentleman fighting for the survival of the one-horned Indian Rhino, or the gentleman making sure the people who need medication get it. Or, two gentlemen from Patna who run a coaching institute for the IIT entrance for underprivileged children in Patna.

They are people who believe ... These gentlemen believe, for instance, that anyone can make it to the hallowed halls of learning, the IITs. You dont have to be rich, nor do you need to have access to vast resources ... You don't even need to claim the caste quota. Now, this, to my mind, is the real hero.

The program is an eye-opener. More in a positive way ... That all is not lost ... That we shall strive, that India as a nation, is not completely bereft of her heroes. Only thing, there's too few of them!

Sunday Post

Out of Body experiences would change us. In a fundamental, most rofound way. Lets look at the basics ... This holds the promise of changing the way we "see" things ... "look at them", so to say ... Literally! Logical corollary? This would change the way we observe our environment, and hence, the way we would interact with our environment.

But the most massive changes this would bring about are in the way you and I would interact, and the way you and I would see, feel, hear, touch the things "around us", and interact not just with our environment, but with each other. How? I dont know. Not at the moment, at least. But, I would like to see what the leading thinkers have to say about this. I am not talking about the spiritual aspects of this (you would find more in that direction here), but purely the social and business aspects of this.

No, I am not talking about the next 10 years (it may be more, but then, hey ... who knows!). But, definitely, this would have a huge impact on interpersonal communications, and the way we, as a species, communicate with each other.

Freako-whatever

Bomb bloasts in Hyderabad ... Must be condemned ... Anyone in his right mind would condemn them! However, these bring out two points:

1. The Numbers.

2. What are we doing about it?

I am talking about 1. in this post. More will follow ...

The television channels are reporting that 40 people have been killed in the Hyderabad bomb blasts, and apart from this, the numbers of those injured are 100. Massive casualties. Loss of life ... There is a story that doesnt even get a mention (its just scrolling across the bottom of the tv screen). This is about 80 Cholera deaths in Orissa. I dont know why the media is reluctant to devote sound-bites to Cholera deaths? Are these not deaths? Or, maybe they are not macabre enough? Is this somewhat akin to the argument put forward in Freakonomics that more people die in swmming pool accidents than with guns, and yet, nobody ever thought about outlawing swimming pools. Maybe those deaths are not macabre enough?

This argument would simply mean that the issue is not people dying, but rather, people dying the sensational way! Should be continue walking this road? Food for thought ... If terrorist killings (which actually claim less lives than road accidents, from what statisticians tell us), stop getting media coverage, would they just die their own, natural death?

Out of Body ...

A very interesting development ... Induced out of body experience. I have written about this over at my non-work blog where I have thinking aloud about the Spiritual implication of this. Essentially, how this has the possibility of bringing our way of explaining the illusion of Maya to a totally new level.

What I am blogging about here is the implications of this on the business world. Huge, I would think. Massive! Mammoth! No, I am not talking about being at two places at the same time (the more to get work done? Nah ... I wouldnt!).

The perspective I am looking at is how this kind of phenomenon would chnge the way people can collaborate. Already, we have organizations like IBM working extensively on Second Life. And, the fact that Second Life has come in for a bit of flak (I have blogged about this!). However, the major drawbacks of Second Life (jerky movements, not too user friendly ...) would be neatly taken care of by a development like this. Not only would this enable us to shre experiences and thoughts, this would enable you to put yourself into the other person's shoes. Literally! Now, look at the implications this has. Imagine discussing with a colleague how that nasty customer shouted at you, and the colleague being able to "step out of his body and get into yours", and get an exact picture of what you are talking about, and comparing this to his own experience. All the easier to exchange notes? And, an altogether different way of sharing knowledge.

But, more importantly, this may change the very definition of knowledge. If knowledge is associated with the patterns of life ingrained in the brain cells, then surely, this technology has the potential of breaking down knowledge into its most elemental level ... Cells! And, what would that do to the SECI model? No, I dont think this would stand the model on its head, but would seriously rupture it. How? Lets wait and watch ... No! Lets think!

Confused Senses

The Guardian today reported about scientists having developed a technique to induce out of body experience. Interesting, dont you think? I surely think so.

One thing in the article caught my eye ... That two research groups have com to the conclusion that it was confusion in the senses (which are capturing data, and transmitting data to the brain to interpret), which would lead to this. Taking this argument a little further ... If people have been known to have Out of Body experiences under traumatic circumstances (accidents, surgery ...), in a scenario where the senses can be considered to be inoperational (the eyes are not seeing when you are unconscious, or under anaesthesia), then what is it that lets these people have an out-of-body experience.

Is this a sense which is not among the five senses which the brain and the body relies on? Is this consciousness? All thoughts more than welcome!

OOB ...

This is not a Kerala style exclamation. Simply an abbreviation (we seem to be having a lot of them, and for some inexplicable reason, they are all three letters ... I do have a theory ... Most of these emerge from Management Consultants, and if they were two letters, everyone would be able to understand them and Consultants wouldnt be able to make any Money, and if they were four letters, the Consultants wouldnt be able to understand them themselves). What does this stand for? Out of Body Experience ... Wondering why I am writing about this?

The Times of India today carried an article about induced out of body experiences. Hmmmmm ... Interesting! Whither absolut realities? At this point, I would refer you to this blog by Prithwis da (not just because he was my Boss, but simply because this is an amazing blog!). OK ... Enough of beating around the bush. But, the story by itself is quite interesting ... Thought provoking, to say the least.

Would leave you with a question ... Where does this leave us in terms of an absolute truth? I have to go now, but you can be sure I would write more about this. Why? This is a very important step towards understanding non-duality, isnt it? Of undertsnading The Ultimate Cause? The Ultimate Cause, that transcends all boundaries of space, time, somethingness, and nothingness ... The Cause which created boundaries (so, how could He be bound by them?).

This, along with another article, on the same page of the ToI which talks about scientists having discovered a hole in the Universe! Wow ... A hole in emptiness? Food for thought, definitely?

Search

I came across this interesting blog post of Luis Suarez where he is talkikng about search. He mentions Quintura as a search engine. And, I must say ... Amazing! Not just its a new kid on the block, but then, this seems to be a search engine with a difference.

Of course, theres only one reason why I am saying that. Thats the cloud ... Tag cloud is what they call it?


Kind of reminds one of the social tagging things they do on a lot of sites, doesnt it? And, a nice thing it is, too. What this does is, bring the concept of Social Tagging to search ... Can we search for things others are searching for ... I am yet to figure this out completely, but looks as though it forms a cloud of terms related to what you searched for. Somewhat on the lines of "People who searched for this also searched for these ...". Now, those kinds of recommendations would be very nice.

Where's the time

The largest issue which a KM practitioner faces ... Where's the time! Fact ... People are fully loaded when it comes to work. Or, they like to believe they are. So wheres's the time for KM. Where's the time for people to "do" KM. That, in addition to the work they already need to do in their regular job role.

Everybody agrees that living as we are, in the Knowledge Economy, there has to be an emphasis on managing knowledge. But when it comes to putting the talk into walk, theres a lot left to be desired. Question is ... How does one overcome this! The way I look at it, the answer is, well ... Simple! The answer is Value. No, not 42!

The way I see it, people would look closely at KM, participate (and end of the day, isnt that what all KM practitioners want?), only and only if they see value in KM. Whatever initiatives the KM organization runs, have to deliver value to the business.

In other words, if, and only if, KM is able to enable practitioners to derive value, and be able to find some value added through KM, would participation see an upward trend.

Which brings us to the next logical question ... How can we ensure that KM initiatives are linked into value creation activities in the organization? More about this soon ...