by Dwayne Phillips Each generation laments how no one recognizes how special they are. Well, sort of. Times change, ya’ know? I just saw another one of these things online. It was a black and white photo of kids on their bicycles in the street. We were the last generation to ride bikes in the […]
We Were the Last Generation to…
September 22nd, 2022 · No Comments
Tags: Appearances · Calendar · General Systems Thinking · Review · Time
Defining Jargon in Terms of Jargon
April 11th, 2022 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips We invent new ways of being lazy in communicating. It sort of sets us apart from the ignorant masses. I did a Google search on “Kubernetes.” The result: Kubernetes, also known as K8s, is an open-source system for automating deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications. Oh, containerized applications. Of course. Jargon […]
Tags: Accountability · Clarity · Communication · General Systems Thinking · Talk · Teaching
Is the Light Bulb On or Off?
March 21st, 2022 · No Comments
By Dwayne Phillips Sometimes we need to remind ourselves what it is that computers can and cannot do. Computers are taking over the world. Well, maybe not. Let’s recall what a computer can do. A computer can tell if a light bulb is on or off. That’s about it folks. Nothing more. Everything else is […]
Tags: Cloud Computing · Computing · General Systems Thinking · Learning · Software · Teaching · Technology
The Next Great Solution or Problem
March 14th, 2022 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips Someone will take the next great solution and turn it into the next great problem. I am pretty sure that today someone will arrive with the next great solution. That will solve some great problem that has plagued us far longer than plaguing should have plagued us. Then, some time after now, […]
Tags: General Systems Thinking · Problems · Solutions
Data, Value, Sense, Cents, and People
February 17th, 2022 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips Data seems to be opposite of everything else when it comes to saving it, using it, and producing value. When we use things, they lose value. Drive a car a thousand miles and its loses value, i.e., no one will pay as much for a car with 1,000 miles as they will […]
Tags: Data Science · General Systems Thinking · Money · People
Maybe It was a Bad Idea (that survived accidentally)
December 27th, 2021 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips Just because something survived and thrived doesn’t mean it was a good idea. There are other explanations. Good ideas bubble to the top. Market success shows those good ideas. Bad ideas fizzle. They don’t make it anywhere. Well, maybe these statements are true, but maybe the aren’t. I see things that have […]
Tags: Design · Expectations · General Systems Thinking · Ideas · Reframe · Success · Systems · Technical Debt · Time
An Accepted Approximation
December 13th, 2021 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips In order to move on with other matter, from time to time we accept approximations and use them. That is fine as long as we acknowledge such. Water boils at 212° F. Well, sort of. There have been many experiments performed on various things we call “water.” When is “water” really “water” […]
Tags: Approximation · General Systems Thinking · Systems · Thinking
The Systems Engineering Test
December 9th, 2021 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips Should we be using systems engineering on this project? Here is a simple test. I think systems engineering is useful and brings many benefits. That is why I wrote a short book on the topic. The book is free here. Should we be using systems engineering on this project? Here is The […]
Tags: Decide · General Systems Thinking · Judgment · Systems · Testing
Telephone and Smartphone
December 2nd, 2021 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips When the terrain and the map differ, believe the terrain. It is there in front of us. We ignore this at our peril. We have a telephone (at least I still do in my home) and a smartphone. We call both of them “phones.” Their names are the same. How we represent […]
Tags: Alternatives · Appearances · Choose · Differences · Experiment · General Systems Thinking
It Works When We Want It To
November 8th, 2021 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips Most systems “work” as we intend when enough people want them to. Those people cooperate with the system and one another. Democracy works because people want it to. There is much freedom in democratic systems. That freedom works because people want it to. People realize the value of the freedom and don’t […]
Tags: Accountability · Agreement · General Systems Thinking · Respect · Trust