IBM Management: The Buffalo Chicken Wing Delivery Method
February 26, 2018
I love IBM. I miss my three IBM PC 704 servers which ran the Threat Open Source Intelligence Gateway for years. Toasty puppies were they. I wondered about IBM’s ability to management development projects when I tried to figure out how Serveraid could lose data so reliably. Oh, well.
I read “IBM Buffalo Billion Project Fails to Deliver.” I know. The association with chicken wings that fail to arrive was not the best metaphor. Perhaps it was the lake effect?
The article’s main idea struck me as IBM’s selling a project and then running into itself. The project was a state funded deal. The idea was to create jobs in booming Buffalo. The article points out:
The company would set up an office downtown, Cuomo announced, with $55 million in state funding for computer equipment and renovations to office space in Key Center at Fountain Plaza. In exchange, IBM promised to create 500 jobs over five years; these positions, one state memo noted, would pay, on average, $70,000 a year. Nothing in IBM’s agreement with the state, however, requires the company to create any particular kind of jobs or specifies how much they will pay.
A former employee described as a “permatemp” without benefits observed:
“‘Y’all know we got bamboozled, right?’”
IBM was to provide services like a customer call center or help desk. The training program reminded me of the IBM documentation to the quad core PC 704s; for example, the article points out:
Their training mostly involved watching PowerPoint presentations. One mislabeled the state Department of Environmental Conservation, calling it the Department of Energy Conservation. Some slides noted that IBM was “still waiting on more information.” Others outlined state programs, only to add “the IBM service desk does not have access to this tool.” Other training sessions took place over speakerphone, sometimes with more than 70 people huddled together, trying to keep quiet so everyone could hear, some taking notes with pen and paper because they were still waiting for their computers.
I noted this interesting factoid in the write up, which, I assume, is actual factual:
The deal with IBM was brokered by former SUNY Polytechnic President Alain Kaloyeros, before his arrest on federal and state corruption charges in late 2016.
Ah, IBM. Let’s ask Watson what’s going on. On second thought, let’s not.
Stephen E Arnold, February 26, 2018
Google: What We Have Here Is a Failure to Innovate
February 23, 2018
Google is one of the top technology companies in the world and their services are employed on nearly every computer, phone, and tablet. Google is at the most innovative when it comes to developing new technology, but a former Google insider said the opposite. Steve Yegge writing for Medium explains his Google experience in his article, “Why I Left Google To Join Grab.”
Yegge loved Google and still considered it to be one of the best places in the world to work, but he left for some good reasons:
“The main reason I left Google is that they can no longer innovate. They’ve pretty much lost that ability. I believe there are several contributing factors, of which I’ll list four here. First, they’re conservative…Second, they are mired in politics, which is sort of inevitable with a large enough organization; the only real alternative is a dictatorship, which has its own downsides. Third, Google is arrogant…But fourth, last, and probably worst of all, Google has become 100% competitor-focused rather than customer focused.”
Google has reached the apex of its innovative spirit and has gone the way over all corporations and, arguably, politicians. Google has grown so big and powerful, hires the top players in the field, and controls so many products/services that it does not want to lose face, its employees have ego problems, and they serve the almighty dollar. It is a repetitious pattern that has been playing out for ages. One of the greatest examples was the British Empire. The British Empire became so big and powerful that the resources were spread too thin, the ruling parties were arrogant, the subjects suffered, and those in power never wanted it to change. It sounds like Google, does it not?
Yegge then talked about the new endeavor called Grab and stresses the importance of keeping your ear to the ground in order to make and grow a business. Google has gotten too big, but it still has a lot of powerful and it will be awhile before it falls. Another company will pick up the slack. Someone always does.
Whitney Grace, February 23, 2018
Google Takes On Russia In Epic Fight
February 1, 2018
It is foolish to challenge Russia to a fight. Napoleon lost his throne because he tried to invade Russia during winter. Hitler pissed off Stalin during World War II, so Russia switched sides, then the Nazis invaded in winter. It is a really bad idea to invade Russia, especially in winter. Google is duking it out with Russia, but this war is digital so maybe Alphabet stands a chance. The Washington Report discusses the wired Cold war in, “Google Is Getting Pulled Into A Fight With Russia Over RT And Sputnik.” The real battle is with two Russian news outlets RT and Sputnik, but they are owned by the government.
The reason for battle is due to Russians apparent and supposed influence on US politics-most notably, the 2016 presidential election. Russia is accused of spreading the fake news through RT and Sputnik. News outlets like Google News pick these up and are pushed to US readers. Russia is threatening to retaliate if Google pushes RT and Sputniks’ ratings lower in search rankings. Google decided to curb fake news stories that could be weaponized information against the US. Russia’s RT and Sputnik are amongst those that distribute fake news.
When asked why Russian-backed sites enjoy favorable placement on Google’s platforms, Schmidt said, ‘We are working on detecting this kind of scenario … de-ranking those kinds of sites. It’s basically RT and Sputnik are the two.’ He added that the company does not want to ban the outlets. And according to Google, the company does not re-rank individual websites.
Russia is, of course, is not happy. They claim that Google is being discriminatory and are demanding that Eric Schmidt explain himself. Google just wants to curb fake news and also make sure their platform is not used for nefarious purposes. Good luck, Google. Russia is hard to defeat, but how do they stand on the digital front?
Whitney Grace, February 1, 2018
Google Management Method: Hive Mind, SEAL Approach
January 31, 2018
In the most unlikely source, I noted an insight about Google’s management style. The article which caught my attention appeared in the New York Post. Yep, the one with the big headlines and interesting photographs.
Titled “Why Bosses Should Let Their Employees Call the Shots” is ostensibly a book review. Navy SEAL Dave Cooper explains the key to management success in “The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups. The book is apparently authored by Daniel Coyle, but the New York Post is probably not into the bibliographic minutia.
According to the New York Post’s understanding of the book by either Cooper or Coyle:
The advantage of a hive-mind culture can be seen as simple math. Encouraging risks and participation from all allows for a greater knowledge base and a stronger chance of someone presenting a non-traditional solution that otherwise might have been missed. Organizations that can successfully establish this sort of culture are best positioned to change the world.
Changing the world triggers the association with Google, the online advertising search giant, the solver of death, the creator of the Loon balloon, and the magnet which attracts the regulatory attention of the European Union. Yep, that Google.
I learned: that ads were not good. An engineer named Jeff Dean did not wait for a boss to tell him what to do. Nope, he innovated and solved the problem, noting “By 2014,” the AdWords engine was producing $160 million per day and advertising was providing 90 percent of Google’s revenues.”
The article states:
Authoritarian leadership has shown its limits. By calling on the intelligence and creativity of a select few, rather than employing every resource, these companies reduce their pool of ideas — and their potential for success. Organizations that encourage participation and creativity from their entire workforce will be the ones that succeed in an increasingly competitive and complex world.
Are their other approaches to management? Interesting question to which the answer is, “There’s no other choice.”
I would point out that the ad engine was inspired by GoTo.com, Overture.com, and Yahoo.com. I recall that Google settled a legal spat about the “inspiration” for about $1 billion.
Also, Jeff Dean, a former Alta Vista engineer, is a sharp cookie, but I am not sure he resolved the issues with ads in a short period of time. There were, I recall perhaps incorrectly, the need to figure out Chubby and other assorted problems.
Finally, the notion of a boss or bosses who distance themselves is an interesting one. However, when there is a question of responsibility, what’s a hive mind approach do to resolve the problem? Promote another person to be the boss.
Ah, the New York Post, tomorrow’s answer to management theory and organizational behavior. Now about those SEALs?
Stephen E Arnold, January 31, 2018
Google News Says Goodbye to Russian Propaganda
January 23, 2018
The United States is still reeling from possible Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Every other day has some headline associated with the Trump Administration’s ties with the great bear, but what they still remain unclear. However, one cold, hard fact is that Russia did influence online news outlets and media companies are taking steps to guarantee it does not happen again. Motherboard reports that “Eric Schmidt Says Google News Will ‘Engineer’ Russian Propaganda Out Of News Feed.”
Alphabet Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt has faced criticism that Google News still displays Russian Web sites in news feeds. In response, Schmidt responded that his company is well aware of the problem and have a plan to ferret out Russian propaganda. The top two Russian news outlets that are featured in Google News are Sputnik and RT. Both Sputnik and RT are owned by the Russian government and have ceaselessly argued their legitimacy. Their “legitimacy” allows them to benefit from Google AdSense.
Despite the false legitimacy, Schmidt said Alphabet is aware of Russia’s plans to influence western politics:
Schmidt said the Russian strategy is fairly transparent, and usually involves ‘amplification around a message.’ That information can be “repetitive, exploitative, false, [or] likely to have been weaponized,’ he said. ‘My own view is that these patterns can be detected, and that they can be taken down or deprioritized.’
The problem is that Alphabet has not really outlined their plans to deter Russian influence. Russian propaganda in the news bears some similarities to the Watergate Scandal during the Nixon Administration. We have yet to see the long-term aftermath, but it peeks our curiosity about how it will affect the United States in years to come.
Whitney Grace, January 23, 2018
One of Big Datas Giants Accused of Big Time Fraud
January 15, 2018
Palantir, one of the biggest names in big data has been praised for its innovative solutions since it began 2004. However, it has been getting attention for all the wrong reasons lately, as we saw in a recent Deal Street Asia story, “Palantir Holder Says Company Sabotaged Stock Sale to Chinese.”
One of Palantir Technologies Inc.’s early investors accused the data-mining startup of sabotaging his attempt to sell his $60 million stakes to a Chinese company so directors and executives could enrich themselves by selling their stock instead.
Marc Abramowitz, a 63-year-old lawyer and investor, contends that when Palantir executives got wind of his offer to sell his stock to Chinese private equity firm CDH Investments Fund Management Co., they sunk the deal by offering to sell their shares to CDH instead, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday in Delaware. Palantir’s campaign to spoil Abramowitz’s sale demonstrates the Silicon Valley company’s “willingness to intentionally interfere with shareholder transactions in an effort…’
It may be tough to prove this in court, however. Palantir is famous for its secrecy, though that may become a thing of the past when they go public. Either way, this is an interesting look at the cutthroat world of big data and the potential things people do to stay on top.
Patrick Roland, January 15, 2018
Google: Hostile Climate?
December 4, 2017
I read “Periods of Misconduct by Google Leadership Has Reportedly Lead to a Hostile Climate Internally.” These days it can be difficult to determine what is verifiable and what is speculation or sour grapes.
The write up makes a claim which I found surprising; to wit:
it appears that relationships and misconduct had by leadership within the company has created a hostile climate, primarily for female employees…
The basis for the assertion is an article in the online publication “The Information.”
Some high profile names are referenced in the write up; for example, Larry Page, Sergey Brin, Eric Schmidt, and David Drummond.
I recognize some of these names. The article also references the “culture of allowed disobedience” which may be “in the world of technology.”
The original article in The Information is available at this link. Note that one has to enter an email address to access the source which originally reported about the management approach actualized at Google.
Interesting if true. One wonders if Russia’s possible private Internet for BRICS will embrace Google. I am wonder if others will have warm and fuzzy feelings toward Google if the assertions are accurate.
We live in interesting times. Management appears to have evolved since I first noticed Backrub in the late 1990s. Backrub? Now that’s an interesting moniker, isn’t it?
Stephen E Arnold, December 4, 2017
A Clever Take on Google and Fake News
November 8, 2017
I noted this story in the UK online publication The Register: “Google on Flooding the Internet with Fake News: Leave Us Alone. We’re Trying Really Hard. Sob.” The write up points out:
Google has responded in greater depth after it actively promoted fake news about Sunday’s Texas murder-suicide gunman by… behaving like a spoilt kid.
The Google response, as presented in the write up, warranted a yellow circle from my trusty highlighter. The Register said:
Having had time to reflect on the issue, the Silicon Valley monster’s “public liaison for search” and former Search Engine Land blog editor Danny Sullivan gave a more, um, considered response in a series of tweets. “Bottom line: we want to show authoritative information. Much internal talk yesterday on how to improve tweets in search; more will happen,” he promised, before noting that the completely bogus information had only appeared “briefly.”
The Register story includes other gems from the search engine optimization expert who seems to thrive on precision and relevance for content unrelated to a user’s query; for example, the article presents some “quotes” from Mr. Sullivan, the expert in charge of explaining the hows and whys of fake news:
- “Early changes put in place after Las Vegas shootings seemed to help with Texas. Incorrect rumors about some suspects didn’t get in…”
- Right now, we haven’t made any immediate decisions. We’ll be taking some time to test changes and have more discussions.
- “Not just talk. Google made changes to Top Stories and is still improving those. We’ll do same with tweets. We want to get this right.”
Yep, Google wants to do better. Now Google wants to get “this” right. Okay. After 20 years, dealing with fake content, spoofs, and algorithmic vulnerability is on the to do list. That’s encouraging.
For more Google explanations, check out the Register’s story and follow the logic of the SEO wizard who now has to explain fake news creeping—well, more like flowing—into Google’s search and news content.
Does an inability to deal with fake news hint at truthiness challenges at Googzilla’s money machine? Interesting question from my point of view.
Stephen E Arnold, November 8, 2017
Twitter Customer Support and Access Control
November 6, 2017
I noted that an alleged employee of Twitter allegedly terminated the Twitter account of the alleged real Donald J. Trump. I scanned a number of news stories about this incident. I representative example is “A Rogue Twitter Employee Shut Down Donald Trump’s Account.” Now that’s access control. But what I found intriguing was an article on a Web site charmingly named Weasel Zipper. That site’s story was “Twitter Employee Who Deactivated Trump’s Account Was Not A Full-Time Employee, Rather A Contractor.” Perhaps Weasel Zipper was influenced by the New York Times’ story from November 4, 2017, which offered the “contractor did it” information? Who knows? The interesting angle for me is that Twitter has controls which allow an employee in “customer service” to kill an account. From my point of view, that’s “real” customer service and exemplary access control. What else can Twitter customer support do with regard to users, access, content, and filtering? Probably nothing: Just a fluke in a well-managed company.
Stephen E Arnold, November 5, 2017
Google Management: Doing Better with Burgers
October 30, 2017
With pressure mounting on US search and social media companies to become more “responsible”, I noted that a high priority for Google’s CEO is a cheeseburger emoji. I read a rather tasty article called “Google CEO Makes Fixing Hamburger Emoji His Top Priority.” The write up points out that the Apple cheeseburger emoji has the cheese on top of the meat patty. The Google emoji puts the cheese on the bottom of the meat patty. It is good to know that when serious issues rise up to choke a bureaucracy, senior managers can respond. Management by example, pickle, and lettuce.
Stephen E Arnold, October 30, 2017
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