the twentieth century was wrong

THE 20TH CENTURY WAS WRONG... in one very important respect, namely the concept of people as mass

What really bugs me...

Some people see social technology and networked culture as dangerous and “new”

They prefer the “proven” technology and “safe” organisational culture of theTwentieth Century.

I disagree

What did the C20th get Wrong?

The Twentieth century took the ideas of theindustrial revolution & applied them to people.

Mass production. Mass marketing. Massacre.

A century of extremes.

Progress, but inequality

Progress, but inequality

Progress, but inequality

The Age of Nations and ‘ISMs’

0

50

100

150

200

1900

2000

Number of States in the World

Source: http://www.ppionline.org/ppi_ci.cfm?knlgAreaID=108&subsecID=900003&contentID=252023

Nationalism

Communism

Fascism

Capitalism

= PEOPLE AS OBJECTS / MASS

Mass(acre)

Abstract ideas and identities valued over human life

Processing people as objects - the logic of the camps

Two acts of genocide in the final 8 years of the century

1900: Kroonstad

1940: Auschwitz

1992: Omarska

FROM TRENCHES TO CUBICLES

Mass Mobilisation

Mass Production

Mass Marketing

The Corporation

The ‘IT’ Department

IT WAS NOT ALWAYS LIKE THIS

Traditional Trading Networks

Guilds, Professions, Networks

Management vs Co-ordinationMillennium Challenge ’02 - biggest combined US military exercise in the Gulf - took years to plan

Retired Lieutenant General Paul Van Riper defeatedthe US military with a low-tech, traditional strategy

BACK TO THE FUTURE ?

LET’S PLAY IT SAFE

Trust is cheaper than control

Traditional Mode of Organisation?

Network-based models are proven

Aggregation & links beat coercion

Let’s stick to what works

Next time...

Next time somebody tells you social networks or network-centric business are new and risky, tell them to read a history book

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it” - George Santayana

Picture Credits

• www.gapminder.org • http://www.flickr.com/photos/daquellamanera/1242771346/ • http://www.flickr.com/photos/rodrigogalindez/2993101142/sizes/l/ • http://www.worldalmanac.com/blog/ww_ustroops_rest_01.jpg • http://www.flickr.com/photos/cirque-du-pablo/2991939174/ • http://www.carbodydesign.com/archive/2008/05/15-virtual-painting-at-ford/1914-Ford-Model-T-Painting-lg.jpg• http://www.flickr.com/photos/irene2005/2761697172/sizes/l/• http://lh6.ggpht.com/_uYeCdeWUudM/RquSSy_X2oI/AAAAAAAAADU/OuYTkaNKa3w/flyover.jpg• http://www.flickr.com/photos/wills/119744777/sizes/l/ • http://www.flickr.com/photos/paul_irish/2379958609/sizes/l/• http://www.flickr.com/photos/joeshlabotnik/305410323/sizes/l/• http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamoker/349341149/• http://www.flickr.com/photos/cote/54408562/sizes/l/• http://www.flickr.com/photos/jurvetson/52581560/sizes/l/• http://images.google.com/hosted/life/l?q=boer+camps&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dboer%2Bcamps%26imgsz

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