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e2.0 Smackdown in Bean Town Gitch-Yer Tickets Here!
by Susan Scrupski on 2007-05-31 10:03 AM read 7179 times Source: http://bsgalliance.wordpress.com/2007/05/31/e20-smackdown... |
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Just when you thought you’d seen everything, the WSJ puts Gates and Jobs together on stage to one-up each other. Of course, now they have a common enemy, Google, so why not? But I don’t want talk about Gates and Jobs, that’s so 1.0… I’m here to announce some infotainment of our own that BSG and our new friends BSG Concours are planning for Boston this June. Fans (and foes, I suppose) of Enterprise 2.0 should all be aware of a lively gentleman’s debate that has kicked up in the blogosphere between
Tom Davenport and Andrew McAfee on the relevance of Enterprise 2.0 and its likelihood of adoption in large enterprises. It really all started back in September ‘06 when Optimize magazine published a discussion with McAfee and JP Rangaswami, two known e2.0 evangelists, and then asked Davenport to respond which he did with this column. McAfee published a response to Davenport’s criticism on his Harvard blog and several bloggers who track enterprise 2.0 took notice, myself and Vinnie Mirchandani included.
This March, Davenport again chose to target McAfee with a provocative post, “Why Enterprise 2.0 Won’t Transform Organizations” in his regular Harvard Business Online blog. Davenport essentially pooh-poohs Enterprise 2.0, calling it the next “small thing:”
Such a utopian vision can hardly be achieved through new technology alone. The absence of participative technologies in the past is not the only reason that organizations and expertise are hierarchical. Enterprise 2.0 software and the Internet won’t make organizational hierarchy and politics go away. They won’t make the ideas of the front-line worker in corporations as influential as those of the CEO. Most of the barriers that prevent knowledge from flowing freely in organizations power differentials, lack of trust, missing incentives, unsupportive cultures, and the general busyness of employees today won’t be addressed or substantially changed by technology alone. For a set of technologies to bring about such changes, they would have to be truly magical, and Enterprise 2.0 tools fall short of magic.
McAfee was quick to respond and published this reply, excerpted here:
My optimism, and my interest in the component technologies of E2.0, comes not (solely) from my inherent geekiness, but from the fact that these technologies really are something new under the sun. Theyre not extensions or enhancements to previous generations of corporate tools for collaboration and knowledge management; instead, theyre radical departures from them. Technology platforms that are initially freeform and eventually emergent, that require no nerd skills to use, and that contain the SLATES elements I proposed a while back were born on the Internet just a couple years ago, and are now starting to make their way behind the firewall.
Tom is correct to say that these platforms wont by themselves turn our existing hierarchical, political, and busy companies into egalitarian gestalts of knowledge creation and continuous bottom-up innovation. What they will do, I believe, is give managers who want more lateralism, egalitarianism, crowdsourcing, idea percolation, self-organization, collective intelligence, etc. a new and unprecedented opportunity to obtain them.
There’s much more to his argument; I encourage you to read his entire post rebuttal. Since March, several bloggers have joined in on this discussion. There are excellent posts by Joe McKendrick, Tom Mandel, Bill Ives, Jon Husband, and Louis Suarez.
Because BSG Concours has an existing business relationship Davenport and McAfee is a fellow Enterprise Irregular, while we were having dinner in Naples last week, I asked my new Concours colleagues what they thought of getting these two gurus together “f2f” for a videopodcast one-on-one. Everyone agreed it would be a terrific idea.
I’m happy to report both gurus agreed to face off and have committed to the event. We’re going to choose a neutral moderator from the media community. Right now, it’s just a matter of scheduling. As luck would have it, the Enterprise 2.0 Conference is being held June 18-21 in Boston (both Davenport and McAfee are in Boston), so we’re shooting for that week, as most of the “community” will be in f2f range. But if we have to do it after the conference, we will. We will keep you posted. In the mean time, if you have questions you’d like to ask these two– post your comments to the blog. Or email them here to info a t bsgalliance d o t com.
[…] other event news, I’d love to be at this session in Boston. McAfee and Davenport discussing 2.0 (good move Susan for organising this) As much as I respect Tom Davenport-I’ve even […]
The hard line position that some people are taking in rejecting the possibility of change resulting from Enterprise 2.0 technologies is exactly the reason this change will occur. Such a myopic view of the business world in light of the radical transformations witnessed over the past 2 decades is not only short sighted, it is ill-informed and indicative of a remote observer rather than someone who has had direct experience with the technologies. It’s not that the digital utopians have it all correct either - far from it - but the reality is once again somewhere in between as Andrew points out well in his response.
In conversations with Andrew and others at an Enterprise 2.0 Round Table held during the Fast Forward Conference earlier this year, we all agreed that many of the challenges Davenport makes are core issues to be overcome. It is the power the individual has when given these technologies that is game changing. The rules of enterprise systems, no longer constrained by the linear thinking of 1’s and 0’s, can not constrain the inherent creative genius of leaders on the front lines or in the back office. It is the people who will lead this charge, using the technology, to create real innovation. It is not the technology that will lead the people, it is the technology that will free the people.
That said, how many revolutionary advancements were lead by pessimists and those resistant to change? By my count zero - but even if you can find a handful, I think we all know where true leadership comes from. It is not the fearful who make this world great, but those who see a better possible future and press on despite the challenges - both real and perceived.
Hey Chris. Thanks much for dropping by. Your comments are mirroring an argument I just drafted for a strategy document we are collaborating on internally. Although, to be fair, there are strong opinions and reasoned arguments on both sides of this debate as I was recently discussing with Steve Wylie who is putting together the Enterprise 2.0 conference in Boston next month for CMP (with its mostly IT/tech audience). I look forward to a serious discussion between Andrew and Tom on these key issues. Yet, as both are engaging speakers, I expect the passion this talk of revolution incites will fuel some emotion that should keep the blogosphere buzzing long after the event itself.
[…] e2.0 Smackdown in Bean Town– Git’ch-Yer Tickets Here! The Next Generation Enterprise … (tags: NGE BSG e2.0 enterprise2.0) Rate This Post: […]
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Your photographs are gorgeous and the spider-webby one so appropriate for October. I'm glad you did a post on Cognac. I was curious about it of late especially after Kanye West was drinking so much of it prior to his insult of Taylor Swift at the award show last month. Thanks.
I'm really sorry I didn't get to make any of your SF appearances.
Wow this is so informative - I never knew you should drink cognac out of those glasses. I really hate spiders tho - don't know if I could have made it the entire time there!! Thanks for the info! :)
Like my pre-poster, I adore your photos, not just these ones. Are there bigger versions somewhere available? I tried to use some of your pictures as desktop wallpapers but unfortunately they turned out rather grainy :-(
Berit: I host my pictures on Flickr, and if you click on them, it takes you there. I don't host larger images there mainly because often I have a lot of shots and the download time takes forever (especially with my pokey internet access.)
mindy: At least he didn't blame the Cognac for being a knucklehead. The good news is that she'll likely be around a long time. Longer than others..
Jessica: I never used those glasses either. They gave me one to bring home, so I need to get a few more. I would imagine liquor stores have them. I did see some online, which weren't cheap, but I'm sure one could pick up a few for not a lot of money. Lavinia in Paris likely has them, and I may check later this week.
I'm really glad to know that they ask about the spider fear before, As appealing as old cognac would be, I think I would pass :) .
But from here where there's no spider, I can admit that I find cute and interresting this story of les demoiselles taking good care of the wood parts by eating the parasites. I also want to thank you, David, for not posting any of those demoiselles here, and only their work :D.
This was so interesting! I've been to Portugal and done a series of interesting tours of the port cellars, learned so much, and really enjoyed it. This looks right up my alley and something I never would have thought to do. Thanks!
My itinerary for my still non-existent future trip to France just keeps getting longer and longer!
excellent photos and story!
Have you tried cognac with an ice cub and Pérrier? gorgeous !
I like the way your Aunt Bunny thinks..and they way you think, too! It's true, there is a time and place for everything, from the wine in a box (at the most fun picnic I attended with a group of good friends in my 21'st year) to the long-laid away bottle of Ridge Cabernet (on my 20th aniversary dinner with the man of my dreams) to my current favorites for whichever seems to fit with what I'm serving at a dinner party. It's all (mostly) good sometime! I've enjoyed this series on cognac!
Great post, photos & the skinny on cognac. Hope you are keeping a file for a new book (heavily illustrated) called 'David's X Rated France', something along the lines of Caesar's Conquests...Food/Chocolate/Booze & Sex really are a winning combination, especially in Gaul.
Thanks for this post. I've always been a little hesitant when it comes to the harder alcohol of France (especially eau de vie). Now I really want to try some cognac — à la David Lebovitz with a tablet of chocolate!
great story and fascinating too-I just visited one of the oldest vineyards in California–Ridge Vineyards–and we were amazed to see all the mold growing in the original cellar; the winemaker said that they say (in France) it adds to the wine's character, so they let it go (now over 100 years old).
There is something about the age old practices and traditions, whether accurate or not, that are riveting. Let's hope they don't go to the wayside like some of the old cheeses, and what not. I mean those spiders-that's wild!!
and who knew about the stemware.
Wow, thanks for all the great info! Love all the pictures--especially the ones from the cellar.
My favorite thing to do lately with cognac is drizzle a little into potato leek soup right before serving. Flavors are great together and it's extra warming on cold Boston nights.
I just love you. Thank you for your wisdom, and your Aunt Bunny's. I drink wine in a box, because it's fine, it's more ecological, and I can drink one glass with dinner without the whole bottle going bad. It's nice to hear an 'official' foodie give the thumbs up to this practice.
But don't worry, I don't like Lawry's Season Salt either. :-P (However, Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning will have to be pried out of my cold, dead hands.)
Wow. I think I just figured out who I want to come back as in my next life: David Lebovitz. Not for the experiences, although those would be nice, but for the talent. I've been following for a while and I can only wish I'd found you sooner. Living under a rock sure sucks.
The photos are amazing. This is a very interesting and informative post on cognac. I haven't gotten into cognac or armagnac, but appreciate knowing the process of how each is crafted and aged.
I'll have to keep in mind your Aunt Bunny's quote as well when I start tasting cognac. If that happened to me, I'd probably shoot back a look that says, 'You have no idea what you're missing out on.' Heck, I'd probably say it out loud!
I'd be interested in a tasting trip one of these days, I love to scare myself and visiting one of these spider filled caves is just the thrill seeking remedy. Although, starting the tasting at 9:30am is tough!
David, I adore this post. I have a strange fascination with any information regarding the production of liquor. I love to know the differences between them, where they come from, the traditions surrounding them. What can I say, I love booze. I thought this post did just that! Thank you.
Lovely post David. Thank you. I recently purchased a bottle of Courvoisier for making Julia Child's Coq au Vin. (Yes, I loved the movie and went right out and bought Mastering the Art of French Cooking!) I chose the VSOP - a splurge for me - and I don't think there will be any left for the next recipe that requires ignition of cognac! Yum.
I love your Aunt Bunny's advice!
This was an excellent posting David. It was so informative, but fun to read also. Can't imagine being in those cellars with all of the spiders. Thanks for such a great post.
Katy: Thanks! It was interesting for me, too, because I don't know a lot about how liquors are made. Another thing I found interesting was that since they can't reuse the Cognac casks for Cognac, some places sell them to rum distillers since they like the residual flavors left over.
Jessie: I add some to soup as well, especially pumpkin or butternut squash soup, as a rule. Also it's quite good tippled over vanilla ice cream, just a little. (If you mix and churn it into the ice cream, you lose quite a bit of it's character.)
Romney: I was surprised about those little glasses, too. Which is a good thing because I have two brandy snifters and they always hit my big nose when trying to drink out of them!
David:
This was a fascinating description of your adventure, with lots of news for me, including staying out of such spidery places. I'm sure your tastings were great, but really can anything beat aged cognac with you & Jacques Genin in his chocolate
workplace at 11:00AM?? Thank you for providing such experiences for us. So glad I saw you even briefly at Charles Chocolates.
Until next time, Lynn T.
Like for everything else, it is nice to get educated. I am not into booze but at least I now know more about Cognac. (Farrah Fawett loved Armagnac).
Oofa, that second photo, added with stories or eight-legged critters and mold, made me hesitate but what an intriguing read. I've never had Cognac but you certainly made it interesting! Ah, the Sweet Life indeed for David!
How interesting, I had no idea how Cognac was made and it was fascinating to learn. I hope it's not too gauche to admit that in 38 years of living, I've never tried it and have no idea what it tastes like!
I, too, thank you for not posting pictures of the industrious spiders who are the keepers of the Cognac.
I'd definitely have to do the tasting before the tours - but maybe tipsy AND scared of spiders really wouldn't go well together.
I didn't realize there was so many of you out there afraid of spiders! I thought the mold was going to give some folks pause.
To be honest, I didn't see all that many spiders...just a lot of their handiwork.
I've have been enjoying your Blog for the last several months since our mutual friend, Shiela Kneiss, of SF recommended your delightful book The Sweet Life in Paris. Shiela and I are taking a French class in Healdsburg together and your wonderful descriptions of Paris, food, cognac etc are inspiring me to study more so I will enjoy France even more on my next trip. I love the WTF moments as well.Of course loved you writing about SF. I'm going to try every burger!
Many thanks, Janice
David, I think the photos in this post are some of my most favorite that you've ever posted. They tell a wonderful story, even if you had not written a word. Really great. Of course, your descriptions make the story even better! How cool it must have been to taste Cognac in a 250+ year old building. Wow, my whole country isn't even that old... ;)
Merci David. Now I am no longer afraid to drink cognac if I don't happen to have the right glass, which turns out not to be the right glass at all! Now, as far as the ice cubes dropped in there, pardonne-moi, mais je ne pourrais jamais le faire!
Next time, try Calvados ! We were cycling through France in the late 70's and it was a cold rainy day and we were soaked. We spent our daily food allowance on a great lunch in a little country restaurant, frequented by truck drivers and locals. They dried our clothes and francs over the fire and at the end of the meal we saw everyone drinking an amber liquid. We asked for 'two of those' and were knocked out by the aroma and taste. Calva! Sublime!
Thank you for this great story. I am really enjoying your coverage of this artisan process, and I love the accompanying photographs in both 'The Coopers of Cognac' and this post.
-Michaela
David: I don't usually comment, but this post compelled me. Thanks for the education about the cognac and I will rethink my snifter glasses...hmmm...interesting. But the photo of your laptop with the cognac and the chocolate is priceless. I got a good chuckle out of that. I loved it, for some reason. Thanks.
This was one of your best posts ever--and the photos are spectacular!
Although I don't drink spirits very often, I do like single malt scotches (thanks to a trip to Edinburgh too many years ago to count when we spent an entire afternoon drinking our way around the pub's kegs). A good cognac or armagnac is now my preference as an apero and after dinner disgestif. My favorite is Sempe's Vieil Armagnac (15 years old) which was recommended by one of the wine sellers at La Grande Epicerie. Try it sometime--it is a lovely honey color with a peaty taste. Yum.
This is great information. I had a conversation just a few weeks ago with someone trying to get more information on cognac. They were not helpful. This is extremely helpful. I'm glad they didn't ask me to go to the creepy cognac cellar. I'm really afraid of spiders and would have run the other way. Thanks for taking one for the team and tasting them too.
I also wanted to say I really enjoyed your comments at the BlogHer Food Conference and for being so kind to take a photo with me and Elizabeth Falkner. It was a great event.
Great to see a down to earth article about cognac for a change. Aged cognac is 'better', but it is something which should be treasured and sipped on special occassions, in my view. For regular old drinking nothing beats a good VSOP or VS (or equivalent) cognac.
David, sweetie, next time in the States, look in high-end thrift or vintage stores for tulip glasses, they're awash in gorgeous styles.
Cognac for cocktails, I approve. Chocolate with cognac, wooie. Cognac, chocolate, plus writing, too Faulkner for me. But you do go on, seems to work out beautifully.
Lovely photos. So difficult to photograph glass, and you do it well, so translucently.
Whilst cognac learning is always good, and the photos you post are beautiful (though I'm still chuckling at the racy prison graffiti of yore) - what I'm really most curious about is the wee square green-topped cake - what is it, please?
LB: Yes, a lot of folks get worried that their tastes are too 'downscale'; people confess to me, apologizing, that they like Nestlés Crunch bars. And I'm, like, 'So do I!' It's really not about how much you spend, it's what you like.
When I was in Cognac, I went to the Cognathèque and saw bottles that costs upwards of €6000 (about $8800). I'm sure they are extraordinary, but I'm pretty confident that people can find a bottle for a little...or a lot less, that they'll enjoy almost as much.
Thea: I hit a few thrift stores in San Francisco during a recipe trip, mostly scouring for Tupperware, and didn't see any Cognac flutes. I think they're a bit of a specialty item, but as you can see, for some of the tastings, we used ordinary wine glasses, which the Cognac makers themselves chose. But I will keep looking...
S: Don't recall what the green cake was (perhaps because I finished that glass before I dug into dessert), but I would imagine it was a pistachio bavarian-style (mousse) cake.
Janice: So glad you liked the book and that Sheila from the bookshop recommended it to you. Keep up that French...and good luck with all those verbs! ; )
David, tes photos sont magnifiques et ton etude sur le Cognac tres interessante !
Dans la plupart des familles francaises, nous avons des verres-ballon speciaux pour le cognac, meme si nous n'en buvons que tres rarement ! mais, a ta prochaine visite, nous t'en offrirons.. promis !!!
Oh pooh. I started a comment here and got so distracted with other links and recipes, I forgot to complete it! Rats. Then I accidentally refreshed the page, lol.
I sat down to read this in the morning here in P-Town (*snort* I can imagine its hating me call it that), and was really captivated by this post. As others have commented, this is such a gorgeous post; from the photos to the writing to the humor it is very well-done, David, as always. :)
The sentence that jumped out to me the most, and the one I remember I was waxing prosaic on before I got so distracted was this: '3-4% evaporation a year, called 'The angels share'' That has got to be one of the loveliest concepts ever, and the idea of slightly tipsy angels with halos askew has stuck with me all morning!
Oh and I remember what also got me going. That tray up there with special places for the Cognac, café expresso, and those desserts? OMG, totally foodgasmic. That tray makes me want to weep! I bet that's the stuff angels eat when they are getting their angels share of cognac!
Thank you for this beautiful and informative post.
'I thought the mold was going to give some folks pause.'BTW, about this: yes it did. It grossed me out quite a lot, actually, since I have pretty intense mold allergies! I about started sneezing and wheezing just looking at the photo, my stomach churning. Ugh!! Those mold pics freak me out, lol. *going back to rest of post to contemplate angels, dessert, and cognac some more*
Wow, and I was just thinking the other day, as I sipped a glass of cognac (nothing super-fancy, just a Hennessy - I'm on a cognac kick as of late), gee, I wonder what goes into making cognac? And now I know. I am not sure I could hang through tastings like that, all day - I don't have a good level of alcohol tolerance, but I think I'd definitely try! Lovely photos and thanks for letting us know about the glasses - I need to find some!
Excellent article. Having just developed a taste for cognacs (VSOP in particular), it was timely to get an education in the development and differences in the making and tastes of the various products. I must add however, that it would take quite a few 'tastings' before you'd ever get me into that arachnid filled, fungus covered enclave. Kudo's to you!
Question? I noticed that all the bottles, even the web covered ones in the cellar, are standing straight up. Did they say why cognac doesn't need to lay on it's side? Doesn't the cork dry out over time?
Very informative. I always wondered what the difference was between cognac and armagnac. Would you tell us about marc? Merci, David.
Thanks for being so charming and informative David. I second the request of barknot. What is the difference between marc (and grappa and eaux de vie for that matter)?
Hmmm I love Cognac!! Really interesting post!
David, I never read anything about your work in the restaurant, long hours, how you managed the kitchean and created recipes... I would love to read about that!
Great blog! Thanks for the post!
My father has always been a big Cognac after dinner drinker and I never understood his love of the fiery liquid I tried a few times. Your post has given me the desire to give it another try. I love your reassurance that you are not a rube for using ice cubes or liking two buck chuck as well as Aunt Bunny's quote! I had the pleasure of meeting you at BlogHer and you were kind enough to autograph my copy of the Sweet Life in Paris. I just reviewed it on my blog. I can't wait for your next book and will be reading this blog religiously until then.
I found this to be very interesting followed up with the pictures I can almost taste it. The problem with me I have the rich man's taste but the poor man's budget. I found to price my tastes in my budget is to buy aged brandies. For me an XO brandy will normally taste better than VSOP cognac. In reality cognacs are normally superior, my value buy is Maison Prunier Cognac 20 Years Old, $90 750ml.
David, it was such fun hearing you speak at BlogHer Food 09 - belated thanks for that.
And an additional thank-you for the info in one of your past posts on Art-Home. I'd been trying to reserve ever since minuit Paris time, thinking they'd start taking reservations at the crack-o-day. Silly me. That's what would happen in the U.S. The French are a tad more civilized (or irrational - take your pick).
Some of the best cognac glasses I have found came with a bottle of Henessy XO some years back. Little stemless 'short tulip' glasses, absolutely fantastic. They seem to bring out the best in Alsacian riesling too.
David, I'm not one for posting on people's blogs but just had to say....it pleases me no end to read you're demystifying the world of spirits & wine and telling people to drink what they like and not to be embarrassed by their taste buds. Your tasting cognac course reminds me of a wine tasting course I took 17yrs ago where we went through different grapes, oak & non-oak, why certain regional wines went with their counterpart produce and gave me the confidence to discover what my taste buds liked or disliked such as oaky Australian chardonnay yuk! The important lesson I learned was how to taste the wine, and this in turn gave me the confidence to order wine in top restaurants and I think more importantly to ask the sommelier if I don't know a wine.
My head starts to hurt when people start to talk endlessly about wine growers, terroir, first wines...a bit like when OH starts to talk about which pipes are the best for his motorbike....!
My first love is food but hey a nice glass of wine can sure round off the meal :-)
barknot & Andrika: Eaux-de-vies are clear liquids, distillations of the grapes (although it can be any fruit, and sometimes vegetables, herbs, or other things.) Cognac, and other liquors like armagnac, is made by aging the eaux-de-vie in wood, which gives it that characteristic amber color and flavor.
Here's a pretty good article about grappa, which offers an explanation about marc-based distillations as well. Marc and grappa are made from leftover grape skins, after the juice is pressed out for wine-making. And I also wrote about kirsch a few months back, which is a clear eau-de-vie made from cherries.
Gayle: You have to be online at 10am (Paris-time) to get a reservation at Art Home. Lunch reservations are much easier to come by than dinner ones. Good luck!
azelia, craig & vanessa: Since taste is so subjective, it's always interesting to see and hear other people's opinion. For example, I drink wines that cost €2-€6, but I don't like that 2-buck stuff. Trader Joe's used to have a 'French market merlot' for a dollar more than was much better. But that's just me.
I think it's good just to taste as much as you can to determine what you like. From chocolate to olive oil, and not necessarily listen to the experts. Because what they like, you might not.
Speaking of wine sold in bulk, DeLoach Vineyards introduced a program to put mini-casks in restaurants, obliterating the need for bottles, and extra storage and trash (or recycling). It's a pretty great idea and hopefully decreases the cost of wine to both consumers and restaurants, as well as reduces the amounts of glass, corks, and boxes that wine traditionally is schlepped around in.
This has to be one of my favorite posts from a visual perspective. The fact that we're prepping for Haloween may have something to do with that but I'd have loved it just the same in April. The rich color of the different cognacs, the juxtaposition of creepy cellar to elegant tasting room? Delicious, all of it.
Next time you're visiting the US, check out Germain-Robin from Ukiah. Amazing stuff - you'll enjoy it.
love the photos here, david. as an avid scotch and cognac drinker, i've been looking for such photos to frame and put up. is there a way to buy?
Mike: They are quite good, I've tried them. Thanks for reminding me and giving Germain-Robin a shout-out.
Kay: Because sometimes, like in this post, I have a lot of photos, they're not formatted for downloading I'm afraid. They're mostly for people to enjoy on the site.
P.S. - by the by, I am surprised no one has commented about your NEXT BOOK! You snuck that into this post so discreetly, or perhaps everyone was distracted by the photos? You are a busy boy these days. Looking forward to the new book... soon!