[2206] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
Re: Low end users
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Einar Stefferud)
Thu Jan 30 22:49:44 1992
To: Barry Shein <bzs@world.std.com>
Cc: com-priv@psi.com
In-Reply-To: Your message of Thu, 30 Jan 92 17:30:53 -0500.
Reply-To: Stef@nma.com
From: Einar Stefferud <Stef@nma.com>
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 92 17:04:22 PST
Hi Barry -- You say:
> However, proper political structuring (again, making people
> customers and the success of the centralized organization critically
> tied to their satisfaction) can solve most of these problems.
I would like to sum up with a neat little wall hanging.
I fondly call it the Alternate Form of the Golden Rule.
Sounds best with a Damon Runyan accent.
Think of Big Julie in "Guys and Dolls".
"Da man wit da gold makes da rules!"
And, the implications are:
When centrally funded, the central administration is the customer
(e.g., The President has the GOLD), and the President gets most of the
Computer Center Manager's attention, wanted or not.
This Presidential attention is often unwanted and ignored except when
the users mass their political strength to lodge complaints (e.g.,
become squeaky wheels). It really takes a lot of widespread
dissatisfaction to get a significant signal up the hierarchy to and
through the president's office. Of course, and isolated whisper in
the ear can do wonders for the isolated unhappy user that is within
political whispering distance. (Politics is such fun!)
Of course, all Presidents like to say their office is open, but the
top of any organizational hierarchy is always a low bandwidth channel
for switching lower level dissatisfaction signals. The net result is
that:
"You can ALWAYS take your case to the President,
ONCE or TWICE. Well, maybe even THREE times!"
"But then you better start looking for a new job!"
When decentrally funded (as you say, to make the USERS into
CUSTOMERS), then attention goes to the USER/CUSTOMERS (Dem wit da
GOLD), and guess what happens to services! Surprise! Surprise!
(For such wisdom, us consultants often charge interesting fees, only
because this widely known wisdom is a trade secret in our industry!)
Cheers...\Stef
