Continued...( the last email I sent was incomplete. this is the full one.)
A mail list is a lot like the First Amendment. They are both about freely expressing
one's opinion and commenting on the opinions of other. The beauty of both of these is
that they create an environment in which ideas can evolve and we can all benefit. We
are free to evaluate data for ourselves. This occurs by:
1. exchange of ideas
2. brainstorming new ideas
3. debating ideas
4. criticizing ideas we consider to be invalid or flawed somehow
This fourth point is just as necessary as the rest. It can ruffle feathers, however.
Three solutions I see for the ruffles are:
1. Have a thicker skin (from Rachel). Don't take sarcasm as personal. Instead see it
as professional roasting (humor involved) from one's peer(s). The most effective
response to such sarcasm is an appeal to reason on the issues. Then you look far
better than the sarcastic attacker especially if his ideas are flawed somehow. Keep
your cool = come out ahead.
2. Better Netiquet all around. I for one could improve here. I have on occasion in
times past been hotly (perhaps harshly so) sarcastic on some points I thought invalid.
I think I could have made my sarcasms gentler and more humorous and thus more
effective in debunking some hype.
3. Keeping a free and un-moderated open forum like this takes a definite level of
tolerance all around. Survive the bad to keep gleaning the good. And there is much
good here. I do think we can continue a great mail list without banishing anyone.
Peace, Love, Happiness, Camaraderie, people.
That said, then yes, let's move straight into production without further comment.
I believe we had a great battle of ideas on the Need for Speed thread up through the
middle of this week. Dick and Mark, both did a excellent job on competing ideas as
well as the perspectives from many others. The two myths that I hope we have now
debunked are:
1. XML is somehow a silver bullet, and EDI is to disappear soon.
2. VANs have totally lost their value, since the Internet is "Free"
Near the end of the "Need for Speed" thread Brian Curtis wrote:
"a black and white television set versus a color tv... Or 8-track versus
CD... Or, well you get the picture. The point is: VAN service as it
exsists with EDI is old technology. To survive, VAN's will need to
introduce services that work with XML and do so in a cost effecient
manner that companies can justify over the use of so called
"in-house" solutions. "
I would agree about 75%, here Brian. There are certainly many examples of models that
disappeared quickly and the new model became the standard. Just as there are examples
of the old model maintaining a certain market share over an extended time even when a
new model became dominant.
Although I am aggressively pursuing an XML/Internet solution, I tend to disagree with
the ideas that either EDI or the VANs are "old technology" and must change or quickly
die. I consider they both maintain there value in their existing state and will
continue a long life with a healthy market share. I do agree they will lose some
market share to XML/Internet. I also agree with you that smart VANs who agressively
incorporate new technologies will be very competitive. Indeed we have recently had
comments from several VAN people on what they are doing in this regard.
Thanks for listening,
Steve
At 04:50 PM 7/28/00 -0700, Brian Curtis wrote:
Or... Maybe not. In any case, I'm not going anywhere... You can't get rid of
me. So, lets move on people. This list is supposed to be productive... I
don't see production.
Steve Bollinger 408-853-8478
Cisco Systems B2B Service Logistics Pjt
------ XML/edi Group Discussion List ------
Homepage = http://www.XMLedi-Group.org
Unsubscribe = send email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Leave the subject and body of the message blank
Questions/requests: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To receive only one message per day (digest format)
send the following message to [EMAIL PROTECTED],
(leave the subject line blank)
digest xmledi-group your-email-address
To join the XML/edi Group complete the form located at:
http://www.xmledi-group.org/xmledigroup/mail1.htm
