RE: Resignation from International Alliance of iNation Citizens

Leif,

Sorry about that half-answer I sent to your question about the return value
on the command...;-)


Thanks for taking the time to read that piece, and even more for the reply.
It is a small comfort I get to know that a few read, and actually think
about these things seriously.


You could be right.  I always start from that point of view (long deep story
to that...).  Your are certainly correct in intrepreting the analogy, but I
believe the facts lean heavily against your conclusions.


There are three problems with your premises:

1) It is a known fact that Mr. Gerstner can't dictate the actions of each of
the 300,000-some IBM'rs.  It is obvious that IBM is made up of many minds,
and equally obvious, conflicting goals.  At times, IBM appears to run around
like a chicken with it's head cut off, we've all seen that...;-)  So the
idea that Mr. Gerstner is the ONLY person who can do anything is untenable.
He has quite an ego, but I don't think he got to the top of IBM by being
unaware that, while he has an awesome influence on events, they are
primarily out of his control.

2) I think you are not seeing the giant leap IBM took in creating the
iNation.  Mr. Haines related what a difficult time he had in getting the
project approved by the Server Group.  The Server Group funds all the
activities of the iSeries Division, so this was necessarily a big deal.  I
have no doubt this was approved by Mr. Zeitler himself, and it's very
possible the decision went higher to Mr. Palmisano or Mr. Gerstner.  If you
consider the risks IBM is taking, in trying to form a collaboration with the
iSeries Community, I don't think you'd see this as a little jiggle of the
leg.  They've already taken the first huge step.  The iSeries Community, by
avoiding it's share of the responsibility, is holding the iNation back, for
the most part.

3) I think you severly underestimate Mr. Haines.  As I've said before, I've
only had one brief conversation with him, but believe I know him better than
many who've worked with him for years.  You all can put that to the test
now.  I firmly believe that Mr. Haines would not abandon the iNation
project, unless he was fired.  Clearly he was not fired, or his leaving
would have been couched in the old "effective immediately" catch-phrase.  I
don't believe Mr. Haines would voluntarily abandon the iNation project
except under one condition:  He had seen events that made him believe the
iSeries Community could carry out his dream without needing propped up by
him.  Events like the iSN and IAiC websites, for example.  I believe Mr.
Haines understands, just as well as Mr. Gerstner does, that the efforts of
one individual matters little, in the whole scheme of things.  But surely he
must have felt the collective efforts of the iSeries Community could,
essentially, replace his efforts or he would not have left IBM.  That is my
firm belief.  So I take it that Mr. Haines saw that the other leg, being the
iSeries Community, has jiggled a little, and already I've seen IBM take
another step forward, but I'm not at liberty, and it's WAY too premature to
speculate on what it means.  But I'm reminded of the article #2 (IIRC) that
the "Idiotic BusinessMoron" wrote for RPGenX...;-)


I really appreciate your stating your firm beliefs, Leif, too.  If you get a
chance to re-read that Declaration, you are sure to find flaws in it.  I
just don't agree with the idea that the basic premise was flawed.
ICBW...:-)

Please post again, either pros or cons, if you feel like it...:-)


jJt






-----Original Message-----
From: owner-midrange-l@midrange.com
[mailto:owner-midrange-l@midrange.com]On Behalf Of Leif Svalgaard
Sent: Saturday, July 21, 2001 12:12 PM
To: MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com
Subject: Re: Resignation from International Alliance of iNation Citizens


From: jt <jt@ee.net>
> Due to circumstances beyond my control...;-)  I have permanently resigned
> from and/or voted off of "The Three Mustketeers".  This is the troika of
> leaders... doers... visionairies... that have run the www.i-a-i-c.org
site,
> That site is now being run by two idiots...  Instead of three...:-)

Dear jt,
I went to the site and read "comments on the declaration" (written by you).
At the end you say:

"In the same way, small individual actions, taken collectively, will cause
one leg to move...  And then the other leg will follow."

One leg being the Community, the other leg being IBM.
I think the whole premise is wrong. There is nothing anybody
(except Lou) can do that will cause IBM to move one bit in
any direction. Maybe finally mister Haines realized that too...

Regards,
Leif





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