There's No Box ...

Okay, it's been an annoyance that I've had to tolerate for far, far too long.

It's not that I've got a problem with what they are trying to do, it's that I've got a problem with the whole line of thought.

If you've any level of cooperate experience, you've heard the phrase 'outside the box'.

Now upon hearing this phrase, there's two logical questions that one usually asks.

1. What's the box?
2. Why do we need to go outside of it?

In most cases, the box represents either a product, or service. Long and short of it, the box usually is a 'standard' product that a company offers.

Now why do we have to go outside of it, well that's simple. In order to make money we've decided to do something that the 'box' we previously had didn't encompass.

After we're done going outside of the box, we then box up the out of the box process, and we've got ourselves a whole new box. Then the process starts all over again.

Now, we get to the funny part ... if you're going to constantly be going outside the box... which will lead to the creation of new boxes... why even have a box at all?

Probably the best example of the 'box' is Microsoft's, not so recent release of Windows Vista. In XP there was two boxes. You had a home box, and a business box (aka 'pro') , eventually these boxes got expanded out to include Media Center, and Tablet PC... but in reality they were just spin offs of XP home with some special features that were 'out of the box'.

Now comes windows vista, and we've got 6, yes 6 boxes. Home Basic, Home Pro, Business, Enterprise, Starter, and Ultimate.

Now I certainly do appreciate the fact that you don't want to charge your customers for features they don't want and/or don't use.

But let's face it, by box up things, you've only managed to box yourself into a corner.

It's something that I've see all too often in technology, is this over use of boxes, buckets, and other enclosed objects that are used to describe rigid services, and products.

At the end of the day, the reality of the situation is ... the box doesn't exist.

After all the fast food industry learned this a long time ago.

While a good portion of the population enjoys, ketchup, mustard, onions and a pickle on their cheeseburgers. By refusing to remove them, you loose customers. After all, that's where burger king's "have it your way" slogan came from ... poking fun of the fact that McDonnald's had the whole one size fits all ... burger going on.

Anyway I think I made my point about a paragraph or so ago ... I hate the box, I really do. They have their uses, but by far and large they hurt more then the help.

Bored Lawyers, or Idiot Consumers? You decide.

Okay, so there's been an on going lawsuit, surrounding Windows Vista.

Here's the high level summery.

Back when windows vista was coming out, computers had two certifications ...

'Vista Ready': This basically implied that the computer could run windows vista.

'Premium Ready': This basically ment that the computer could run the more demanding Vista Home Premium/Ultimate

The fallout, happened when Microsoft released windows vista. Specifically, Windows Vista Home Basic, where the OS is striped of alot of the more flashy features (mainly the Aero-Glass interface). So what the claim is, is that Windows Vista Home Basic, is infact NOT windows vista. 

This all started 2 years ago. 

The recipients of 'Vista Ready' computers, were pulling together a class action lawsuit, claiming that microsoft mislead them with the 'Vista Ready' labels they stuck on the computers.

Anyways, today, the Class Action status got defeated (this however still allows the consumers to pursue lawsuits individually.)

Now we get to the -REALLY- stuid part.

This is all stemming from someone not happy that their $500 computer, they purchased 3 years ago can't run Windows Vista Home Premium. 

So instead of paying out another $500, to get a new computer which -can- run Home Premium. They instead decided to sue Microsoft, a lawsuit which has gone on for two years now. With the class status defeated, it sounds like the suit itself is going down hill. 

So my question is, $500 for a new computer ... or 2 years of lawer fees? 

Not sure who's the idiot, the lawyer(s) with too much free time, so they took the case hoping to get a % of the winnings. Or the client, who actually thought it would be better for them, if they sued microsoft, instead of spending the $500 to get a new computer. 

(and yea, for the record... I can build a computer capable of running vista ultimate for around $300)

Idiots...

It's been recently brought to my attention that I've got the diplomacy of an ICBM(Inter-Continental Ballistic Missle). In short, I'm what people in my company refer to as a 'strait shooter', I've little patience for politics. 

Everything I do has a purpose, and reason. And while, the execution is sometimes, flawed... the reason seldom is. 

In short, I've got a nasty habbit of going about things the wrong way... to take a spin on a quote my father used alot when I was growing up ... It's not what you do, but how you do it. Okay so maybe that dosn't translate as well as the original 'it's not what you say but how you say it'. 

Anyways, this is in reguard to the 'diplomatic' process of a community I help to manage. 

It's been slowly coming to my attention that there's something wrong with the community. The community was originally founded with 6 moderators, one of them being myself. 

Over the course of time some came and some went, now we're left with 4 day to day moderators, two of which were originally there to being with. Myself, and another person, we shall call person X. 

The dynamic that is going on, is one that's got me a little bit concerned... overall. 

Firstly, Person X has been the public face for the community since it's creation for the most part.  They have a very empathic personality, and have a burning desigher to make sure everyone's happy. 

Over the course of these two years, this person has formed a bubble in which to deal with problems.  Basically, she interacts with the users... and presents the problem to the rest of us. 

She then usually handles the resolution as well. 

It's easy to see both how and why this bubble formed. However, when people start questioning the fairness of the moderation staff it makes me scratch my head a little bit. 

Maybe it's hyperbole, but yet again maybe there is something to it. 

Combine that with the fact that of the four main moderators of this community, she recruited 2 of them. 

And while I don't want to think about it, the idea that there's a clique in the moderation staff infuriates me to no end. 

My biggest problem, is what to do? 

If this clique does exist, and we've got 3 moderators who are willing to back each other to the end... what am I to do?

How can I justify doing nothing? ... How will I convince them, that -they- maybe a part of the problem. 

As the saying goes, between a rock and a hard place.