About <quagma/>
Created in 2004, <quagma/> covers a hodgepodge of topics including software engineering, politics, sociology, random information, and notes from the author.
You may rate, social bookmark, and comment on posts from this page. Click on the title of a post to also view attachments, user comments, and related posts.
|
X
Is this your first time visiting <quagma/>? Thanks for checking it out!
Click here for a quick introduction...
Thanks for visiting my blog. My name is Tom Polchowski, and I'm the sole author of <quagma/>'s content.
I wrote the <quagma/> web application in 2004, well after blogging became mainstream, but before the proliferation of common blogging services. Since then, I've chosen to continue supporting the application rather than switch over to a blogging service such as Blogspot, using <quagma/> as an opportunity to try out new development technologies.
Like many sites, <quagma/> requires that cookies and JavaScript are enabled in your browser.
Please feel free to contact me at tom121@legionsystems.com with any questions or comments you may
have about the content or the application.
X
<quagma/>is optimized for Firefox, however should still work with your browser.
Please click here for more information...
Gone are the days where it's realistic and cost-responsible to claim that a website works on all browsers.
This site is written for Firefox because of its superior adherence to standards and its widespread support. <quagma/> is also tested, somewhat extensively on Internet Explorer. The site should work on all browsers that support CSS 2.0
and JavaScript 1.x. However, you'll probably notice quirks and the occasional formatting issue. If you experience trouble, please consider viewing the site in Firefox.
Click here for more on that topic.
|
Impact Two - Leadership
Sunday, January 24, 2010 06:55 PM
"One person can make a difference..." - John F. Kennedy.
Undoubtedly, we've all debated this quote at one time or another. It's not profound, and it's not insightful. It may be inspiring. But is it true?
Of course it's true. Martin Luther King Jr. Mahatma Gandhi. Isaac Newton. And "difference" doesn't necessarily imply "good". Hitler. Julius Caesar. Osama bin Laden.
The question, we instead derive, is "Can I make a positive difference?" And I do contend, JFK's perspective holds true.
It seems magnitude is the largest deterrent in believing the power of our own decisions. Neglecting extremism, individual impact is questioned; the ability to develop the morals of one person or impact the nickles and dimes of one company's bottom line seems isolated. However I would contend individual impact makes more difference than measurable, and perhaps noticeable; as the true magnitude of impact is driven through influence and education. And I would further contend there are effectively three levels of impact we can all provide, each important, to grow a movement from a good idea to a global change. These levels include Doing, Influencing, and Perpetuating.
Doing
Any change requires action. If one dislikes the way a particular gas company, food distributor, or news syndicate operates, he or she can make numerous decisions to support or combat them. A person can choose which vendors to patronize, to whom to write commentaries, and how to vote. In the age of social technology, options to "side with the good guys" increase exponentially. Impact is essentially delivered by "doing"; hopefully aggregated by many people "doing".
Influencing
While "doing" provides the impact, any single person may perceive little ability to make a global change. It may take years, in my case 30, to truly realize the importance of organics and locally-grown food. What about the majority of folks who don't perform the same research, who can't contribute more of their money towards food, or who simply don't care or even agree? Any single person can easily be overshadowed by a majority.
If "doing" provides the fundamentals for impact, then "influencing" provides the ability to aggregate that impact. All the books and websites in the world won't end up changing the way we run our lives. Instead, the second level of impact provides the groundwork for helping people turn into "do'ers". Influencing includes educating friends, family, co-workers, whomever appropriate on the impact you're trying to achieve; in other words, promoting change. Choosing to buy gas from Station B instead of Station A is important; getting others to understand why it's important to buy gas from Station B instead of Station A further develops that importance and influence.
Perpetuating
A cause fueled by "doing" may go far, and one that includes a contingent that influences do'ers may build the momentum to go even further. However, how does change continue to grow once those providing influence stop? How does change grow at an exponential-enough rate to provide true impact?
Perpetuation. It's a matter of educating people who will in turn educate others. Or perhaps more accurately, educating people who will educate others to educate. It's leading by creating leaders. In the end, most ideas seem to fail because those pushing change end up running out of steam. To change the way we live, we need to create the ability to perpetuate not just the steam, but the engine.
Martin Luther King changed the world through perpetuation. He didn't solely manage the civil rights movement, he inspired others to lead, and in turn, inspire their own leaders (who in turn inspired their own leaders, and so on).
A change that misses perpetuation will probably end, and a change that doesn't include "doing" has no aggregate impact. However a change that leverages the powers of these three levels has no ceiling.
I make this distinction not to belittle the impact of those who change their own lives, but rather to reinforce the impact and longevity of their decisions. Most notably, if you're in fact "doing", you may realize you're influencing others as well. And perhaps, those folks may be in-turn influencing others, perpetuating your cause. Never underestimate the interest of others in making a difference, nor your or their abilities to spread the difference. And while your decision to buy fair trade coffee probably makes more of an impact than you may realize, telling your friends why it's important to buy fair trade coffee may perpetuate a chain of education that aggregates to a big difference, without you ever having to realize the positive change you just made by striking up a conversation, buying someone a book, or joining a Facebook group.
Posted
by Tom
in category Everyday Life.
Tags: Impact, Doing, Influencing, Perpetuating, Leading, Fair Trade
Print
Comments (0)
Social Bookmark
Rate this Post Rating submitted. Thank You!
|
Food, Inc.
Saturday, December 26, 2009 12:03 AM
 I strongly recommend Food, inc.. I'll leave it at that (for now). Recommend you do yourself, your family, and your world a favor, and see this movie.
|
Impact One - Spending Power
Saturday, November 28, 2009 02:06 PM
To quote of one of my favorite guides, The Better World Shopper, "every dollar makes a difference." Choosing to spend many dollars over time, around a particular principle, makes an even larger difference. The Better World Shopper is a book compiled from significant research, to help consumers make purchasing decisions in favor of ethically-focused companies. Obviously it's only one perspective, and consumers should enjoy additional research to influence their micro-level investments.
Given an Internet where public information is abundant, there's plenty of material to help guide purchasing decisions and brand/company affiliations. And it couldn't be more critical. Corporations today have immense power and strongly affect the environment, global economy, domestic/international policy, and thousands or millions of lives. Yet in most cases, we empower corporate decisions through micro-level purchasing of goods and services; essentially we create the bottom-line. How important it must be to support the companies that act in accordance with our own individual perspectives, whatever they may be. Further, the supply and production chains of most products we purchase are endlessly complex. That second (and beyond) degree of separation is just as important as the company with which you directly interface - in other words, where they get the parts, material, services, etc. should be of consideration as well. Of course, it would take a lifetime to trace these complex chains for every consumer decision. Fortunately, much of this research is already performed by people who dedicate their careers to these topics. It's sometimes about simply just doing our best. In many consumer decisions, we don't have an unlimited number of choices; we just have to try and pick the best one.
To illustrate an example of micro-level decisions aggregating to potentially high-impact, consider gasoline.
Most of us in this country needs it. The Department of Energy estimates that the U.S. consumes 19 million barrels of petroleum per day, making us the #1 importer worldwide, and accounting for 22% of world consumption. In a time of global uncertainty, the supply chain between the oil wells and your car's gas tank is important. Many say that gasoline is one of the most important consumer purchases we make, in terms of global impact. So let's consider two gasoline stations, side by side on the road. Let's assume Station A sells gas for $2.48 per gallon, and Station B sells for $2.50.
With no other information, it's a simple choice. However let's also assume Station A represents a cooperation that, despite a clear appearance and strong public relations campaign, you disagree with ethically. Let's assume Station B represents a corporation you support, ethically. In the gasoline industry, it's simple to differentiate amongst companies on an environmental/ethical basis.
The EPA estimates the average passenger vehicle travels 12,000 miles per year. If you're driving a Honda Civic with 30 mpg, you may put in 400 gallons each year. Assuming you've made the decision to patronize Station B, over the year you'll spend around $1,000, rather than the $992 you would have spent at Station A.
The 0.8% difference between stations represents $8 in this scenario over the course of the year (assuming price consistency for brevity) - a fairly negligible difference in your own wallet. However, you will have contributed $992 to the revenue of a company consistent with your values, and not contributed $1,000 to a company inconsistent. So in effect, for $8 out of your wallet, you're essentially creating a $1,992 revenue difference between two competitors. That's to suggest that for every dollar of yours, you create a $249 difference.
Where does that money go? It goes to everything from marketing to raw materials. It influences the paychecks of the decision makers, as well as the employees who choose to align themselves with one company over another.
In many cases, you don't pay more for gas at one station over another. In those cases, it's simply a matter of location or preference; no impact to your wallet, yet still a ~$2,000 per year difference between competitors. While that's enough incentive to consider gas purchases, the impact grows exponentially as others are influenced to consider these choices. Further, as companies increase revenue, their ability increases to effectively market and become more price competitive.
Now picture this same level of impact for most of the purchases in everyday life...
Posted
by Tom
in category Everyday Life.
Tags: Impact, Better World Shopper, Gasoline
Print
Comments (0)
Social Bookmark
Rate this Post Rating submitted. Thank You!
|
Impact
Friday, November 27, 2009 02:24 PM
In every aspect of our lives, there comes a point when the smoke and excitement clears, and we're left reflecting on what it is we do. In our jobs, there are reasons we stay and go, other than money. In our personal lives, there are reasons we articulate our views and values, other than small talk. Whether it be our careers, our home lives, the friends we have, the time we give, the money we spend... most of us would like to think we're making a positive difference.
But in many cases impact is difficult to articulate, and even more difficult to measure. We hope that societal-aligned ethics and confident values will aggregate to positive impact in the long run. However it's not infrequent that we say "one person can't make a difference", or ask "how will this small action change the world?" As we try to translate individual decisions to macro-level consequences, we get lost in the complexity.
For the past several years I've pondered this challenge, both philosophically and specifically in the realm of micro-level financial choices. More recently, I've been expanding to food consumerism. As I continue research and reflection, I've created a significantly larger number of questions than answers, however the question of individual impact is one that's resolving itself by the minute. Our own choices do matter, often at scales beyond original perception; however perhaps our more significant impact is in how we influence others - how we notify, how we educate, how we inspire, and how we demonstrate through action. That's how impact lives on, not to mention multiplies.
So here's a shot at multiplying impact, or at least articulating it. I plan to write several "Impact Series" posts on certain topics research, analysis, and reflection have led me to believe are significant. I hope they elicit question; and perhaps may result in further research, decisions, and arguably most importantly, further articulation to others, by some of the readers.
|
Juncture
Thursday, November 26, 2009 01:53 PM
 In the spirit of vigilante movies, here's one that might not be worth seeing. Juncture, isn't exactly a blockbuster. It must have been very low budget, as many scenes look as if they could have used another take or two. But then again, do we really watch movies like this for the acting? The plot on the other hand is pretty darn good. A young woman in her early 30's has only months to live, and decides to use the time to clean up the streets a bit. With an unlimited budget, a good amount of suppressed rage, and a loathing for those who hurt children... you can guess the rest. And who wouldn't want to see a movie like that?
|
All Saints Day
Monday, November 23, 2009 02:07 PM
 Boondock Saints 2, absolutely worth seeing.
In the spirit of Ocean's 12 (and 13), this sequel is probably enjoyed strictly on the coattails of the original. Without Bookdock Saints 1, this new movie wouldn't stand a chance. In fact, the funniest parts of the movie are character references back to the original.
But who doesn't like a good vigilante shoot-em-up movie, particularly when the "em" are all criminals? Shamelessly All Saints Day sets up another sequel, which hopefully we'll see before 2019.
Posted
by Tom
in category Everyday Life.
Tags: Bookdock Saints, All Saints Day, Movies, Ocean's 11, Vigilante
Print
Comments (0)
Social Bookmark
Rate this Post Rating submitted. Thank You!
|
|
2010
