Information Wants to be Worthless:2002.03.08

Information Wants to be Worthless: "What if it turned out that the Net was just plain too much for business to handle? That it was downright toxic to free enterprise?" Read, smile, laugh, cheer.

Now I've seen it all. William Shatner has a blog. (link via Doc)

Amazing that a site owned by a company dedicated to patenting everything in sight would actually leave things free and up for grabs, but it's true. The IMDb has their entire database available for download for private, non-commercial use. This is great. If you're a data geek or a movie buff, this a virtual gold mine.

After reading about this little slice of life in Big Business, I found myself wondering what corporations truly prefer: people who can think, or people who can follow procedure? When I was managing a store, it was always the former. It is to this day. No matter what the job, I want someone who can think beyond what a list of rules and procedures tell them to do. The procedures for QA in a factory might be very straightforward; if it's good, let it move on down the line but if it's damaged scoop it into the garbage pile. Still, I want someone bright enough that when a finger comes towards them on the line, they're not confused. I want someone bright enough to hit the big red button, stop the line and find out why body parts are suddenly showing up. Brains are worth more, and harder to find, than people who can follow a list. Wish more corporations agreed with me.

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