“Context eats strategy for lunch.”

This quote is typically attributed to Peter Drucker, one of the most revered management consultants and business authors of all time, whose writings made significant contributions to the foundations of today’s business corporation. Most of us know this to be true . . . yet, we often ignore it in our day-to-day activities. I have watched many smart, ambitious, driven mangers fail miserably by ignoring the reality of this statement. For a recent example just look at Ron Johnson who was incredibly successful at creating the Apple Store, but who failed miserably as JC Penney’s CEO. Why? I am sure there were a lot moving parts but Johnson failed largely due to his lack of appreciation for the Penney’s customer. He tried to apply the Apple model in a context where it just did not fit. Business architects should pay particular attention.

Ted Nelson interview by Gardner Campbell, Virginia Commonwealth University

create a document structure .. despite ridicule and misunderstanding

I compare myself to Frank Lloyd Wright.. create something that people can’t imagine.

McLuhan didn’t get it.

Basically home schooled in a very literate family (12 min)

Received an undergrad education by the time I was 10 (14 min)

I hate numbers. (16 min )

Objects to the term “Technology” – The Myth of Technology – anything we use that we’re not born with

not a Technologist: Philosopher and Film maker – Jean Corteu – Beauty and the Beast

Nothing – his own magazine, 3rd Kite Shaped,

Project person in college, 2-week efforts

Movie director has to understand horses enough to know how to get them to do what you wanted (27 min)

Aristotle (Hierarchy)

Plato (ideal types)

Hereclytus (can’t step in the same work twice) – we need media to understand our complicated overlapping world.

Compositions of many parts with any structure, generalizing documents to the max.

Shakespeare had a surrounding, oceanic understanding (30 min)

Many contexts and levels

Leonardo Da Vinci was able to see things that others were not

Got married at Frank Lloyd Wright museum cafeteria

Learn to write code, put in your 10,000 hours.  Start young (32 min)

He’s met many people who have a hard time seeing the big picture. (34 min)

Wanted to use the same filecard in multiple parts, which led to transclusion (38-39 min)

Getting it out there: Very few people bought my autobiography, 50,000 people bought Computer Lib/Dream Machines

Protocols of Zion – French 18th century humor, repurposed by Russian Tsar (45 min)

Teach a child another language when they are 3 or 4.

I wasn’t able to correct the date of my birth on wikipedia for a long time (50 min)

I do consider myself an artist.. trying to achieve

You are the Orson Wells of Computers: Orson Wells: shot himself in the foot, as I have, career peeked early.  Shot himself in the foot because he attacked William Randolph Hearst

Resents the comparison with Don Quixote.  He has been clear-minded, only the implementation is difficult.

Excellent 1979 design (1:05 min)

Two paths emerge, and I took that one and that one.

I didn’t just want to be famous; I wanted to be great. (1:07)  Keep in mind that which you want.  Don’t do things you regret.  I believe if I hadn’t demoted Roger Gregory, we would have Xanadu.  The world wide web was the 4th hypertext system on the internet.

Doesn’t remember if his epiphany came all at once.  (If it was, it was seeing screens on computers).  (1:10 min)    1961 epiphany crossing Cambridge Commons (photorealistic movie animation)

Generally I’m the person who has to say the things that need to be said.. I’m not as concerned about staying in good relations.

Knew the Shakespeare speech from high school.

No, I feel I wasted the last 50 years.  I could have been making movies.  (1:22 min)  I’ve been misunderstood.

Academia holds out 2 choices.  Very difficult.  Being a generalist is not rewarded.  Has to be pursed for its own sake.