The recent discussion about the programming paradigm needing an update spanned a number of topics (the discussion is so dense that it could probably make up a couple book chapters). One theme that kept coming up is that the current state of the art in business computing is horrid.
Developers need to lead the way in a business revolution
As much as I hail the growing insight that existing metaphors to build software are not sufficient or even detrimental, we still are in dire need of new metaphors.
David Korten talks about new stories that we need to tell, to tip the balance from the old world views that even for centuries have been retold and thus almost have become grafted into our genes. The new stories are based on other, different metaphors based on collaboration, on connecting, on creating abundance by frugality and sharing.
These stories can be retold in many different ways. This is something we can do now and here, and I have made many attempts on my website. Especially for new projects, at the start of a period of hectic activity, it is imperative to tell these stories, to align the minds and move them as much as possible away from prevailing mindsets based on competition, on automating obsolete tasks, on slanted views about what is really needed.
Fortunately we can base our stories on many developments in science, especially in biology and physics. In biology there is a growing consensus that the old stories of survival of the fittest (a typical competition story) is severely crippled. In physics, and especially quantum physics, it has been shown that our universe is wonderfully complex, with even distant galaxies linked to our modest planet in a web of creation.
Stories can be told around this, for example Darwins Radio by Greg Bear.
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