"Organizations which design systems (in the broad sense used here) are constrained to produce designs which are copies of the communication structures of these organizations."
— Melvin E. Conway, 1967, in How Do Committees Invent?

#governance #systems #design #webDesign #dev #software #systemDesign #IT #management #workCollectives #workCulture #simplicity #complexity #SystemsThinking

Abrasive Working Practices:
‘IETF working groups are characterized by frank exchanges and robust conversations. […] #Confrontation is a test, a way to guarantee high-quality contributions.’

Dr. Corinne Cath @C__CS https://criticalinfralab.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/LoudMen-CorinneCath-CriticalInfraLab.pdf

#standardization #norms #networkPolitics #standards #excellence #internet #internetGovernance #anthropology #sociology #tech #neutrality #STS #techCulture #engineering #ethics #masculinity #reputation #workPlace #workCulture #workCollectives #collectives #IETF

"Once something works, however ungainly it is, the attention moves elsewhere. Security is a business expense that, if it works, has no visible effect whatsoever."

"Unending ransomware attacks are a symptom, not the sickness", writes Rupert Goodwins: https://www.theregister.com/2025/05/12/opinion_column_ransomware/

#policy #ransomware #IT #security #productDev #product #requirements #work #humour #workCulture #cartoons #humor #design #dev #cartoon #productDevelopment #software #WorkChronicles #workCollectives #governance

@sociology @socialpsych 🧵

On #organizations:

Here "Sociopaths" is a shorthand for the Protestant-Ethic will-to-power types who drive an organization to function despite itself.

"Among the Sociopaths, status is irrelevant. Table stakes and skill at using them is what matters. Sociopaths pay attention to what you have, and how well you bargain with it. Not who you are."

https://www.ribbonfarm.com/2010/10/14/the-gervais-principle-iv-wonderful-human-beings/

#negotiating #office #merit #management #workCollectives #workCulture #power #tariffs #trade

"You don’t get what you deserve; you get what you negotiate." 🧵

"What distinguishes #Powertalk is that with every word uttered, the power equation between the two speakers shifts just a little. Sometimes both gain slightly, at the expense of some poor schmuck. Sometimes one yields ground to the other. Powertalk in other words, is a consequential language."

Venkatesh Rao: https://www.ribbonfarm.com/2009/11/11/the-gervais-principle-ii-posturetalk-powertalk-babytalk-and-gametalk/

#office #merit #management #organizations #workCollectives #workCulture #power #negotiating #quotes

Say you have an opportunity to do whatever it takes to get something done.
Or you are forced on a dramatic shipping deadline.

"Avoiding hero work not only helps keep your current contributors healthier, but it makes your community a more welcoming place for new contributors." https://duckalignment.academy/avoiding-hero-work-pays-off-in-the-long-run/

#onBoarding #deadlines #delays #workCollectives #selfSacrifice #heroMode #teamWork #work #workCulture #heroes #heroCulture #workPlace #community #unitary #delivery #targets

"What actually happens in a bargaining transaction is the co-construction of a storyline that both sides end up committing to."

Venkatesh Rao: https://www.ribbonfarm.com/2008/03/16/bargaining-with-your-right-brain/

#resistance #organisations #activism #management #organizations #struggles #workCollectives #collectives #negotiation #negotiating #interview #interviews #transactions #transactional #Trump #VenkateshRao #storyTelling #dealing #deals #UkraineTalks #peaceTalks #market #markets

"If you want to be a convincing advisor, psychological research tells us that your observations/facts and rational arguments may have relatively little effect. You need to make sure your relation with the person you need to convince is as good as possible and the message is heard as often as possible."
—Gerben Wierda @gctwnl: https://ea.rna.nl/2022/10/24/on-the-psychology-of-architecture-and-the-architecture-of-psychology/ 🧵

#facilitation #complexity #systems #ethics #trust #architects #psychology #psy #workCollectives #teamWork #management #memories #IT #imagination

Use what you've got; change the course: https://everythingchanges.us/blog/change-the-course/

#agency #change #empowerment #struggle #workCollectives #collectives #community #teamWork #workPlace #dei #womeninTech #corporateLife #MandyBrown