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May 27, 2004
Posted at 02:35 pm by Eelco
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Although it looks like I have done no reasearch at all, since there is no comment on my blog, I did look for several things, the last few weeks.
First I looked at http://www.coke360.nl, but the participation factor was quite low though. Because of the upcoming Europian championship football, I checked http://www.uefa.com, signed in for a manager-like game, but it was quite boring. Besides, the eufa has a monopoly in Europe, so that isn't very interesting, to me that is.
In the beginning I wanted to do something with the nokia-game, but that's always temporarily, thus hard to investigate, because it's not active now.
Then I heard or read somewehere about http://station.com which is from Sony. First you have to download this really cool futuristic looking launchpad, so you can play games. Free games or online community games with your playstation. This looked like a good subject for my essay, and maybe it still is, but I just don't have a clue to write about.
It is all so obvious, but maybe that's my simplistic mind...The outcome is still the same, because it is already determined. Companies use online advertising in one way or another, so what's more to say about it???
Posted at 02:32 pm by Eelco
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May 25, 2004
I like that word!
What I find offending about this article, besides it being rather obviously and more talking about social networks than viruses, is, concentrating on the social networks, the laconic treatment of glocalization.
I understand that focussing on social networks, models are inevitable to keep it surveyable.
The division of densely knit and ramified networks is very clear. The combination of these two, which is called glocalization and which is, at least I think, applicable to society as a whole, is totally overlooked, besides mentioning it. I think, there are no densily knit groups and ramified networks, but only the combination of these two (and by this saying accepting these models, I understand, just wait...).
One person can act in more densily knit groups and even more persons of one densily knit group can exist together in other groups.Therefor this model isn't appropiate because you can't just single out one densely knit group. Ramified groups, I think, is just the micro-form of glocalization, which is build from a lot of densely knit networks. Ramified networks therefor don't exist.
I know what I say seems bit contradictory, but I need the terms to explain my opinion on glocalization and I need the terms to point out that they don't exist. How useless this is!
I just don't like simplified models....
I don't really have a question on this one, but only this stream of thoughts...
Posted at 04:33 pm by Eelco
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"The P2P Report"
Rutherford discusses 3 kinds of P2P:
- Collaborative computing
- Instant Messaging
- Affinity communities
The first one I have problems with. I also mentioned it this morning to William, and he agreed on me (or I on him)
Q
Collaborative computing means connecting computers to increase and speed up the calculation process,or if you like the processing power. But is this P2P?
A
Maybe the collective calculating is P2P, but what about the outcomes of this calculating. Data and results have to be stored somewhere and that is probably on a server in hands of the company, or organisation, which is benefitial of this increasement of power. There is no direct sharing of files, but only giving this exploiter the opportunity to receive more information on whatever topic or investigation. On some occasions they will provide the outcomes publicly, but then it's not P2P anymore, but B2C.
Posted at 04:09 pm by Eelco
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Maybe not breathtaking, but in one way or another affilliated with this course, I saw this documentary on Abe Lendstra the other day. I hope you all know Abe, but for the Philistines(not a word that is part of my vocabulary, don't worry) under you, he was one of Hollands best football-players in the 40's and 50's. The documentary was about the legendary game between Heerenveen(Abe was playing for at the time)and Ajax at the may 7th of 1950. Half and hour before the end, Heerenveen had little hope of winning the game considering the score so far of 5-1 in favor of Ajax. Eventually Heerenveen won the game with 6-5, Ajax lost the championship, and Abe was a hero, having a crucial part in most of the goals.
The story is about a supporter that eyewitnessed the game in the stadium. Nowadays we can keep up the running scores in many ways, like teletekst, radio, paid television, internet, sms etc. Not everybody at the time had a radio(which was the only live information supplier on sports at the time), so either you heard the score afterwards or you had to go the game. This supporter came up with this brilliant idea: he took carrier pigeons to the stadium, to keep his father updated with the score. You can call it, sms avant la lettre! With eleven goals scored in one game, off course he didn't bring enough pigeons! Although the birds returned to the stadium after they delivered the message, the supporter, nor the pigeons, couldn't keep up with 5 goals in the last 30 minutes.
This ending may not be flabbergasting, but the idea of a carrier pigeon as sms avant la lettre never ever occured to me...until now. Which is, I think, a funny thought...
Anyway, if you don't like the story, who cares, I do!
Posted at 02:53 pm by Eelco
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The server is back in air...Me this morning happy writing down my Q&A's, suddenly the server went down. I saved one Q&A, but the rest is gone, so I'll have to rewrite them.
"What is P2P...and what isn't"
Generally speaking I did have some clues the man was writing about, but it was a little too much jargon for me. And without acces to internet I couldn't go to see about the examples. Off course I know Napster, but that's like it...What I dit get of it, is that P2P is working outside the DNS. I found out, less than a minute ago that it means Domain Name System, aha! They make no use of central servers, so linked computers operate directly with one and another and make use of temporary IP-adresses. The key-words in P2P are apparantly: variable connectivity, temporary adresses and autonomy.
In his conclusion he writes:"..., users will not adopt applications that embrace decentralization for decentralization's sake. Instead, they will adopt applications that use just enough decentralization, in just the right way, to create novel functions or improve existing ones."
Q
A simple(though difficult to answer) question, but is that true?
A
Looking at Napster and Kazaa et al. I do think people use it for the decentralization. People want to exchange files, mainly music and films, and don't want to pay for it. It's decentralization determines its users. They choose not to pay, but to receive it in a decentralised way. I believe the users want it to keep it that way, the industry wants to get hold of it and recentralize it again.
This is what I wrote this morning before the class. After the class I discussed it with Nina and I came up with the following insight, or rather call it a hypothesis (I am not claiming to be the first one who comes up with this though): I think that in centralized society, their is a desire for decentrilization, and vice versa. Look for instance at the DDR, who's citizens were delirious from happiness when the wall went down. Although nowadays they don't want to revive the communist system, they do comfort nostalgic feelings about the clear and arranged structures of the communist era. This desire is, I think, not of vital necessity , but it is more an emotional thing. I stick with my answer written this morning, guided by this just added comment.
Posted at 02:31 pm by Eelco
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May 14, 2004
I know I am a wanker..it feels like I am whining all...well maybe I am... I just feel stupid mixing up the deadlines, that's why I was so angry in my previous entry. Mea culpa.
Posted at 04:19 pm by Eelco
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I believe they call it Murphy's law. Me totally convinced that the deadline was 11PM, no of course, the deadline is AM!!!!!!!! I am really getting pissed right now!!! This freaking rottisserie is getting on my nerves, with everyday an email: don't forget to participate... I feel like throwing things at the walls...
I will post my answer on The Donald assignment here....again...
Donald Trump is one of the wealthiest man of America, exploiting a variety of businesses like real-estate, a casino and even producing big miss-elections. Starting in the seventies with practically nothing (that is the official story, Americans are always so keen to emphasize on that point that I doubt the truthfullness...), although he comes frome a wealthy family(!). In the beginning of the nineties he went bankrupt but miraculously he revived as a phoenix, which made his status and legendary even bigger. The Americans see him as the ultimate example of the American dream, starting of with nothing and creating your own succes.
Now, I will look at Donald Trump's organisation and culture with the dimensions provided by De Mooij's article, Power distance, indivualism/collectivism, masculinity/femininity, uncertainty avoidance and long-term orientation.
Considering the Power distance within Trump's organisation it appears so that Donald is the big chief, pretty untouchable and hard to approach. He's walking around with bodyguards and starting a conversation without an appointment is out of the question. Whether this is also true for the total organisation of his companies I can't tell, but I do think Donald keeps his distance to his employees. Trump himself is very individualistic, taking his history in concern. I think in Europe you can recognize a parallel symptom, the higher you get in hierarchy the less approavhable you become.
The assignments in the tv-show " The apprentice" are also emphasizing on indivualism. Although the contestants have to work in teams, Trump doesn't look at group performance but at the succes of the single persons within the team. In Europe, I believe, people look more at team performance, rather than to personal succes. For instant in Holland very few top-managers are well-known to the public, whereas in America ceo's are often idols.
This emphasize on succes is very mascular, the urge to raise your head above the field. Previous statement made on the stardom of top-managers demonstrate this difference with Europe quite
clear.
I believe Donald Trump has a very strong uncertainty avoidance, because of the fact that he is a very strict and one-way character. The (presumed) anxiety to go bankrupt again makes him, at least I believe, a control freak. In the apprentice, when someone makes one mistake, he/she is fired. Off course, this is a tv-show, and I have no insight in his professional performance but he appears to be firm.
I believe Trump is a man who thinks fast, acts fast and is therefor for a great deal orientated on the
short term. Trump makes, loses and regains money very fast, history has shown. Europians think things over for a long period and decision-making is in Europe most of the time rather slow.
I think I have shown that the Donald is a real American, although few can tell what he is really like. To get a good view of Trump and his organisations you'll have to investigate the three levels of organisational culture, e.i. the basic assumptions, the espoused values and the artefacts. The last two we have acces to, but the most important, the basic assumptions we don't, so making a statement about Trump at this moment remains a wild guess .
Posted at 04:13 pm by Eelco
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May 13, 2004
"Dimensions of Culture"
This article has been very interesting and very clear and everything seems to be irrefutable. Maybe except for the facts that these surveys always generalize, but I think that is inevitable. The assumptions made on the dimension of culture are comprehensive, but De Mooij doesn't include the possibility of changing cultures. I belief that cultures are fluid and eventhough they don't change over night, they are multi-interpretable. On the other hand, it excludes possible sub-cultures in a country. What about the ethnic groups, the different generations, or even smaller:skaters vs gothic etc.?
There a lot of different people in Holland with a lot nationalities, and so there are in a lot of Europe and American countries. I believe this survey needs an update, or an modification to recognize and point out different cultures in one country.
Another interest to me concerns the culturial behaviour on the internet. In the western world, already, most of the conversations and terminology on the internet are English. While surfing on the internet, anonymous or not, the country which you come from isn't important, when everybody speaks English. (I know this is ethnocentric, because I don't know how this goes in Asian, African, South American countries). I don't have an answer but I wonder if internet forms it's own culture, according to the dimensions provided by Hofstede e.a.
Posted at 02:36 pm by Eelco
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Wait!....Can....not....keep.....up......
Holy *&^&* the amount of reading for this course is rather impressive. I am in the same position as Quinsy, we are both very busy with Verpakt and other AKT-business. Off course that's no excuse, but when I look around on the fellow student blogs I can't get rid of the feeling a lot of people are having trouble with the amount of work that has to be done, considering the fact that (probably) everybody is taking two courses per quarter. Anyway...Let's move on.
Q&A What is organisation culture?
L. Küng-Shankleman (what a name!) is talking about the culture of an organisation and how it is constructed. This chapter offers a very insightful look on how people and businesses interact with each other and how culture is build on three levels: the basic assumptions, the espoused values and the artefacts. She also explains that organisation culture is primairly determined by the founders' beliefs, values and assumtions. I was wondering, because since the nineties there has been a great storm of mergers, with the fusion of multiple cultures (depending on the amount of companies which are involved), how then a new culture is being formed?
I don't have a real answer to it, because I don't study economics, but I have worked at the ABN-AMRO for a year and I noticed that even more than ten years after the merger, there is still a sort of competition between the employees of the old separate companies. I know this isn't a very critical question, besides the fact that the author doesn't mention it at all, it is more of a personal interest.
It was very funny to read about the mission statements of organisations. Let's take for example ABN-AMRO. Check out, what they call, their "corporate values":
- Integrity
- Teamwork
- Respect
- Professionalism
Before I got to work I had to follow a training in which I had to watch this really boring video in which these 4 values were spotlighted in daily practice situations. Nobody took it serious, besides the trainer, and when I started to work there for real, all my colleagues never took those values seriously, more often they didn't even rember them. Just take a look at them and you know why! . "Never forget our corporate values, they are a guideline throughout your career". Yeah, whatever...
j
Posted at 01:51 pm by Eelco
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