--
Answer (not to the above question, however): Example of how competition can be constructive. Yes, you read that right! BMcC saying competition can be good!
We want to build something that is beyond our existing
technological knowledge. There are two (or more...) design
concepts, each of which looks equally (un)promising from the
vantage point of our best judgement. So we create competing
teams to each make a prototype of one of the proposed
designs, to the very best of their ability. And, when
the prototypes are done, we compare them and choose
the best one. (Obviously, some designs may demonstrate
they are not the right way to go without any comparison --
as problems and downside side-effects manifest themselves
during the prototyping activity. On the other hand,
trying to build the prototypes may suggest a previously
unimagined idea which is far more promising than any
of the original competing alternatives. Etc.)
[I have heard that, back in the 1950s, IBM
designed some products exactly this way.] Note that, whatever alternative design is chosen, none
of the persons working on the losing designs lose their
jobs, since, after the competition is over, they all get
to work on production implementation of the winner. Indeed,
production implementation of the winning design should be
expected to benefit from the different experience those
who worked on the losing designs bring to their
post-competition activity.And if anyone objects: "But if you don't threaten people with starvation they won't get off their duffs!" I would ask about the spirit of "good sportsmanship" and "amateurism" embodied in the best of English aristocarcy (i.e., the best who strive to be the best, AKA aristoi...), as exemplified, e.g., in -- it comes to mind yet again today -- the movie "Chariots of Fire"....
[Also, there's the Rumsfeld thewory of social welfare and national security. Rumsfeld explained that he didn't much care if somebody like MCI went bankrupt, since the material and personnel assets would not thereby be destroyed, and the market need -- e.g., DoD's need --a for the telecom services would still exist, so that all that would happen is that the assets of MCI would be bought up by some other company and everything would proceed as if nothing had happened.]
\brad mccormick
--
Let your light so shine before men,
that they may see your good works.... (Matt 5:16)Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. (1 Thes 5:21)
<![%THINK;[SGML+APL]]> Brad McCormick, Ed.D. / [EMAIL PROTECTED] ----------------------------------------------------------------- Visit my website ==> http://www.users.cloud9.net/~bradmcc/
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