Oh boy, I stirred something up. Now lets go down to business as unusual as it can be.
I got very interesting, if not to say insulting, responses to my last post. Unfortunately Vowes blog posts have not been listed in PlanetLotus since Friday. This might be a coincidence and a technical glitch or something happened in the background of PlanetLotus, everybody should probably take notice. Therefore you might want to read what was said after I got myself into this:
Friday „This is how it works.“
I have heard so much hyperbole about the Notes 9 posting, that I think I need to explain how this sort of thing comes along. Here is what happens:
- Somebody sends me great news.
- Since I don’t believe in miracles, I check what the chances are that the information is correct.
- When I deem the information to be correct, I ask the source whether there is a problem if I proceed. Only after that I post the information.
- When I find ambiguities later, I slipstream details in.
- When I find inaccuracies, I correct my mistakes with an Update amendment.
And that’s all there is. No politics, no tactics. Just my view of the world. Your view may be different. Just do not assume either one of us is right.
On a more personal note: By all means sling shit. Just don’t expect me to sling it back.
If this is true, and as long as it isn’t proven wrong and since I and probably most of the readers here believe in democracy we accept it as the truth at this time, this is pretty much what you do as a journalist. No bad behavior. On the other hand, if you absolutely want to find a glitch you might say: „Oh my god, there are even two leaks!“
Has there been any damage done by Volker in this case?
I quote:
I have zero complaints from IBM. A few tongue-in-cheek comments along the lines that they were wondering what took me so long, but that’s it.
Looks like none. Will there be any consequences to the Design Partner program? After all, I don’t think so, but I am certainly not sure (since I am a lower life form and not in the DP), but when I look at the whole thing (without the outrage of a few), one thought springs to mind. That could well be a professional leak. Don’t be fooled by the impression, that every leak out there is a real leak. Apple is really good at it. Would let your employees running around with a secret prototype of the next iPhone and then, accidently, it is lost in a bar? Yeah right. If Volker got two people telling him something that is apparently THE big secret, one get’s suspicious. That’s just to good to be true.
Was it really THE big secret? Well, no, as many said. If you kept attention about the various public presentations and posts, the 8.5.4 client was first a maintenance release and then came with a Social plugin. The X or 10 Notes client was discussed before, too (I am still strongly opposed to the X) and the 9 Client was something in between. Since the Social Extension (or whatever it will be called) is now integrated, the 8.5.4 client couldn’t be pure maintenance and the 9 client would have nothing new. Therefore skip the 8.5.4 and go to 9 directly is the logical choice. Many thought the same thing and when you read the responses to the post, the discussion switches pretty fast to Connections and other things. These news were no news. Who ever planned that leak, must be pretty disappointed.
Has product management a problem now? I don’t think so. The game works like this. (Look at Apple again). Start with a bit of information here and there. Just enough to keep it slightly simmering (movie – who gets the leading role), then turn up the heat slowly. Start leaking more things, start more rumors. Everybody becomes interested , but keep it in a way, that nobody is exactly sure, what is going to happen and then deliver the rest in a big bang. That is the way, how you make people turn their head in the direction you are standing. The problem is, you have to be sure, that you can deliver better (but at least equal) than what is expected. The big bang must contain a few surprises. Unfortunately, now that the rumor has been affirmed by the explosion of a few volcanoes, product management might be a bit annoyed, because the leak did not work as projected. But a problem? Na. They can still build up expectation for Notes towards Connect-o-Sphere (like that, too) and show of, when everybody is looking.
Now, I am accused of allowing Vowe wreaking havoc for the last five years, because I defend him. It does not matter what I say, it is wrong, just because I do not share the same values than others. If those values lead to censorship, yes, I don’t share the same values. In other cases, we might well have the same opinion, but since I am wrong here, I am generally an idiot. What sums it up best for me, is,
“I don’t have a ’side’—I’m responsible for what I say and nothing else.”
― Glenn Greenwald
Many times I think Volker is wrong. Sometimes I even say so. Sometimes he responds, sometimes not. That works. We don’t share mutual respect for each other or other sentimental c…., we don’t even know each other. He bores me to death with all those phone or mixed tape reviews. When he writes about biking and different bikes and accessories for his tours I just want to yell (which is bad, and therefore I don’t): „Get an old Swiss army bike. You get the double workout, for half the price AND you will never have to buy another bike“ but I will never accuse him for killing whole tribes of Notes geeks, he is just not important enough. And this is how it works. Basic politeness does the trick and he at least hasn’t been very impolite to me … yet.
If I respond to certain other members with a different view, I get stabbed in the back. That doesn’t work, but I got used to it. I probably get myself a shirt with a cross on the back and „please enter knife here“.
I truly hope, that Volker comes back on PlanetLotus, otherwise we have a real problem and that is not because Volker is important to PlanetLotus, but free speech.
PS. I probably get my blog listed on Collaboration Today 🙂