Links for October 30, 2011

The paradox of expectations by Seth Godin
Quote: Perhaps it’s worth considering no expectations. Intense effort followed by an acceptance of what you get in return. It doesn’t make good TV, but it’s a discipline that can turn you into a professional.

Of private clouds and zero-sum games by JP Rangaswami on confused of calcutta
Quote: Change is a constant in business life. The cloud is about change. The business model of the public cloud is designed to make that change possible, without the palaver of impairment reviews and capex writeoffs and renegotiation of allocation keys. Which is why, in principle, the private cloud makes no sense to me

Wasting Time on Klout and Influence Metrics by Geoff Livingston
Quote: The best way to build community is to be a part of the community. Relationships are built by investing time in people. In the end, some sort of symbiotic relationships is built, quid pro quo. Further, understanding which influencers to build relationships with the real levers in a community can only come by intimate familiarity.

Information Is Cheap, Meaning Is Expensive – George Dyson | Evolution and Innovation
Quote: The danger is not that machines are advancing. The danger is that we are losing our intelligence if we rely on computers instead of our own minds. On a fundamental level, we have to ask ourselves: Do we need human intelligence? And what happens if we fail to exercise it?

How to Measure a Company’s Most Elusive Element: Culture by Mark Graham Brown on…
Quote: Having an accurate way of measuring your culture is the first step toward maintaining or improving it. Before wasting time on training, meetings, posters and wallet cards, the best way of improving or maintaining your culture is selecting people who already embrace your values.