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May 31, 2022Liked by Tom Graves

Tom, "I had the un-joys of hearing how a big-consultancy VP got a standing-ovation at a conference, a truly astronomical bonus on top of their already-astronomical salary, and big-consultancy gigs to follow, on the basis of what was just a dumbed-down version of my work with prettier graphics and a big-corporation logo attached.

Yeah, I think most of us have unfortunately had to live through these occurrences. I hate the fact that the c-suite do not entertain solutioning unless endorsed by these parasitic individuals who usually are the ones who present the final solution to c-suite as evidence of their ability to meet requirements.

Bah, it makes one wonder why individuals are employed in a role if there skills are to be questioned. Large consultancies are engaged as a convenient back door so that if the solution does not meet requirements the c-suite has deniability.

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Tom... Wonderful job demonstrating how the parenting analogy really does fit so many aspects of bringing new ideas into the world and they very real work both demand!

To riff a bit further... just as our children are not created out of nothing, but rather represent just another expression of evolutionary threads combining and re-combining over billions of years and (hopefully) extending into the future, I recognize that my ideas are just part of a continuum that builds on a lineage of prior memes combining and re-combining over time and (hopefully) continuing to unfold in the future. Fundamentally, I "own" neither my ideas or my children. But I am called to help both make their way in the world and that is damn hard work!

I have definitely experienced the "un-joys" of having ideas that I've nurtured, mended, coaxed, and coached into the world co-opted for another's gain. But as I unpack these feelings of "un-joy," I find them to be a bit nuanced. For in one sense, I have feelings of "joy" in seeing these ideas adopted -- just as I can be proud of my children's accomplishments, even if my role as a parent is not being acknowledged. But when my ideas are the major source of my livelihood and someone else (or, even worse, some deep-pocketed organization) denies me the rewards of the very real parenting effort I've invested... well... that sparks feelings of outrage at being robbed. And these feelings are compounded when my ideas -- ripped from the context of my loving embrace -- are re-purposed to what feels to me like nefarious ends.

I can't help but see the phenomenon you are describing as related to the concept of "enclosure" -- the primordial theft of resources formerly being held by and for the common good being enclosed for the benefit of just a few (or one). Your knowledge runs so broad and deep, I imagine you are already well-steeped in the history of the commons, but, if not, I'd highly recommend the work of David Bollier and his Frontiers of Commoning podcast.

On a more positive note, I might also point to the various [license types](https://creativecommons.org/about/cclicenses/) defined by the Creative Commons. They are specifically designed to support the free exchange of ideas while offering protections against enclosure. For example, the [CC BY-NC-SA](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/) license type allows others to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon your material in any medium or format for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to you, the creator. And, if they do remix, adapt, or build upon the material, they must license the modified material under identical terms. You may want to consider tagging your work with on of their license types.

Let me just close with a deep expression of gratitude for all you do and bring into the world. Although we've never formally met, I have long counted you among my principal (and principled!) mentors.

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