Ming the Mechanic:
What do people want?

The NewsLog of Flemming Funch
 What do people want?2002-06-04 00:28
8 comments
by Flemming Funch

I have for a long time believed that we need better ways of linking up what people need and want with what is offered by other people. I mean, other ways than just buying and selling stuff. My hunch is that if we really look at what resources are available, globally or locally, and we effectively match up what is there with what is needed, our whole planet can operate at a high rate of success and prosperity. And my preference for implementing that would be some kind of grassroots free market mechanism, not any central bureaucracy, whether it is corpocratic or communistic.

But there are various obstacles. One, I think, is to how to pursuade people to be clear on what they want and what they offer, to such a degree that it is possible to actually match these things up.

And it brings up the doubt in me on whether that is really what is needed, whether a transactional model really makes sense or not. You know, where A provides X to B. Or whether what is really important is how we relate with each other. Or both.

Anyway, to start with the issue on being clear on what one wants .. I know a lot of people. And, although I'd be happy to help a lot of those people by bringing them connections to things they want, I must admit that for most people I know, I wouldn't really know what to bring them. Even people who are my good friends. Even people who's unhappy or who're financially broke and stuggling. I don't necessarily know what they want or need. Or if they tell me a specific thing, I usually realize that I don't quite know what most of my other friends have to offer. So it is a bit of luck if I ever am helpful in matching up needs with offerings.

So, one potential problem is not knowing what people need and want. Another potential problem is to have too general a picture of it.

I have often been the "victim" of enthusiastic networkers linking me up with something they think matches my needs, but which really doesn't. For example, I occasionally have mentioned that I could use help from some programmers to do parts of the NCN website programming. Some well-meaning people will say right away: "I know just the right guy for you. His name is Joe, and this is his phone number ..". And when I call the number, and they manage to find Joe, it is usually some guy who really has no idea what I'm talking about, and who has sort of a cool "What do you want? Why are you bothering me?" attitude. So, I got matched up with some computer guy, who possibly could be persuaded to take on another job if it paid well enough, but who has absolutely no interest in NCN, and who doesn't use the same tools or languages or anything. What happened was that the friendly networker had thought "Ah, computers, I met somebody else last month who works with computers. That's perfect." But, no, that's not very perfect. There are millions of computer guys in the world, and I really wouldn't be happy with just any one of them.

And the thing is that, even if we get a lot more specific, our needs usually aren't commodities. Yes, if I need the left sideview mirror of a 59 Cadillac de Ville, I might not care a whole lot who supplies it. But if I need to work with somebody, we gotta be able to get along. If I need somebody to babysit my daughter, it better feel like the right kind of person.

Still I do suppose that if we can get very specific and honest about what we need and want, and very specific and honest about what we have to offer, and the conditions under which we'll supply it, then we can do great things with that in terms of making a more sustainable network amongst us.

But persuading people to state what they really need and want is not easy. A lot of people will say something like that what they really want is "World Peace", and will, even when pressed, insist that they can't be more specific than that. Well, then, maybe I will enjoy hanging out with that person, and we can hold hands and do a great global meditation. But just knowing the world peace thing doesn't supply me with any specific way of relating with that person towards the end of manifesting some worthwhile projects.

With an eye towards the objective of facilitating transactions that further people's projects, I'd surmise that there would be a right and a wrong way of asking for what one wants. Wanting world peace is a great thing, but it is useless for helping me provide you what you want, other than as a very coarse way of sorting people. Also, if you're asking for something very specific from somebody specific who doesn't want to give it to you, that would be the wrong way of asking as well. If you want me to color my hair red, and I don't want to, that's the end of the matter - your want can not be fulfilled. If you want the US government to resign tomorrow - nothing I can try to bring you will satisfy that. I suppose the "right" way of asking would involve being specific enough that others might help find it, but not so specific that it doesn't exist. Specific enough so that what others will bring you is likely to be what you actually want. And specific enough so that you'll recognize it when you get it.

If I look at myself, I rarely ask very specifically for what I need or want. I try, but I think I'm probably not specific enough to effectively allow others to bring to me. I say I need programmers for NCN, and I can say what kind (PHP/MySQL), but I probably fail to put a whole selling proposition together. Since it is an unpaid job, I'd have to make the aims of the project compelling enough that somebody would find great satisfaction in volunteering for it.

Lots of little specific things I need, I don't necessarily ask for publically, just because they're mundane details that don't seem to have much to do with transforming society. I could use some expertise on what to do about the little spots of worn paint on my car. I could use some medical advice on the little bump on my left arm, or the slight gurgling noise in my chest. I'd love for somebody to help me organize my papers, as my desk is a mess. Boring stuff to talk about, unless I talk with somebody who happens to be an expert at doing that kind of thing. But at the same time, since they're things I don't have an answer to, they might also be stuff I just put in the back of my mind and ignore, even though I might, without knowing it, know somebody who could solve them for me easily.

Lots of the things that might enable our various projects to progress are small and mundane things. Or they're big things that might still easily get resolved with the right connection. Like, you want to make a non-profit corporation, but legal stuff turns you off, and you don't know how, so it doesn't happen. But the right person might either talk you through it, or might easily and happily do it for you.

Being specific about what services we offer doesn't seem to be a whole lot easier than saying what we need.

There also appears to be the phonomenon that, increasingly, people aren't available for much else than what they're already doing. Meaning, none of us really have a lot of time "left over" to do things we weren't planning on doing anyway. The trick, I think, is to match up the stuff people already are in a mind of doing, to the things that are needed somewhere. I.e. if I'm doing accounting and I race motorcycles, I'm possibly available for doing accounting and racing motorcycles, but possibly not for painting fences or doing websites.

I program websites, and I'm a counselor, amongst other things. But I don't really want any more jobs doing anybody's websites, even for money. So, trying to bring me another customer would just be a bit irritating to me. And I don't have time to see very many clients either, so I'm trying to avoid getting any new ones. So, two of the main things I do, I'm not available for. It would be a mistake of me to be listed in some yellow page listing under those service categories, because I'm really not available at this point. I'd have to think long and hard to come up with anything I would be available for, other than what I'm already doing. I'm available for writing articles like this, but only based on my own inspiration, so you can't order articles from me. I'm often happy about answering questions of a philosophical nature, unless they're too long. But mainly what I offer to the world is the use of the facilities on this website, and it is the free use of anything I've written, including a couple of books, and various materials on my website and on NCN. I do offer my participation in any project involving the inter-networking of websites and groups of people of good will, particularly if it involves the development of the technical protocols and tools for doing that well. And I'm looking for others the same. But do I display that prominently? I guess not, since you had to go here and read through my whole article to see that.

What I'm a bit uncertain about is whether it is meaningful to try to persuade everybody to be very specific about what they are available for, what they need and what they offer. I mean, whether it is a very central key that will allow everybody to interact more effectively, or whether it is merely one of many tools that might be a good idea.

One way or another, I know that I'm excited about finding out what other people are here in the world to do, and I'd happy to help them do it, particularly when I know exactly what they currently need the most.


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8 comments

4 Jun 2002 @ 04:29 by maxtobin : Chuckle chuckle!!
Timing! I don't have a url for you but do have a 2meg ppt that shows a range of software evolved for the mobile pager network and now delivering to all major hand pc type OS, also content management and publishing (inter,intra,web) tools all based round W3C standards (Microsux or open source). Can send you this info if you are interested, (never know till you know eh!)  


4 Jun 2002 @ 05:00 by istvan : Series of comments
This is too much to make just one comment on, so i do it this way:
Comment one(C1): "I have for a long time believed that we need better ways of linking up what people need and want with what is offered by other people. I mean, other ways than just buying and selling stuff. My hunch is that if we reallyBeing specific about what services we offer doesn't seem to be a whole lot easier than saying what we need.
look at what resources are available, globally or locally, and we effectively match up what is there with what is needed, our whole planet can operate at a high rate of success and prosperity. And my preference for implementing that would be some kind of grassroots free market mechanism, not any central bureaucracy, whether it is corpocratic or communistic."
ZD; Perhaps it would help to require more specific statements from all of us as to what our dreams, actual projects natural talents and expertise are and whwt we need compensation for and what we can share freely without effort. Like what my "cup" is like and what the owerflow of my cup is that u can use.
C2: "But there are various obstacles. One, I think, is to how to pursuade people to be clear on what they want and what they offer, to such a degree that it is possible to actually match these things up."
ZD:I don't think people can be persuaded what people want without becoming "Bush", rather rather ways shouldbe suggested toward self knowledge. Like your conseling practice and list of tried and working methods.Most people i think are quite mixed up (me incl.) about what they want. It might be easier to indicate to what they need.and point to ways and resources to fill those needs.
C3: "So, one potential problem is not knowing what people need and want. "
ZD: Clarity could be encouraged and practiced, as a counselor you are more familiar with this than i am. Dreams, desires natural talents and needs should be approached with right discrimination.
C4: "Lots of the things that might enable our various projects to progress are small and mundane things. Or they're big things that might still easily get resolved with the right connection. Like, you want to make a non-profit corporation, but legal stuff turns you off, and you don't know how, so it doesn't happen. But the right person might either talk you through it, or might easily and happily do it for you."
ZD: That is why more emphasis on resources have to be made and organised into subjets/projects so it would be easier to find help. Tecnical,health,psychological,spiritual financiat help could be made available clearly organised by subject and cost. There is nothing mundane that is conceived as a detail of a bigger picture that we are the ones can provide.
C5:" Being specific about what services we offer doesn't seem to be a whole lot easier than saying what we need."
ZD: Somehow i feel this is not quite true. A list of services/resources should not be too hard to list divided into categories from free to commercial or exchange.
C6; "What I'm a bit uncertain about is whether it is meaningful to try to persuade everybody to be very specific about what they are available for, what they need and what they offer. I mean, whether it is a very central key that will allow everybody to interact more effectively, or whether it is merely one of many tools that might be a good idea."
ZD; Ming don't take this as a criticism, but i think this should be the number one purpose of any network.
LOL  



4 Jun 2002 @ 08:11 by magical_melody : Yes, to Saying What We Desire!!
All of what you have written about above has really been on my mind, and I have been working to get more clear about communicating my needs both to the Universe as well as to individuals and groups around me, and taking more concise action in that regard. I really appreciate your examples, as they make me ask questions too like: Do I need an agent or PR person, someone to link me with more opportunities to do public speaking engagements, and connect more with clients across the world. I have done lots of writing - mostly for free, and I want to put all my talents to good use and thrive economically. I have been wondering what are the next steps for my music and want to join a group as vocalist, and yet it is not happening. My greatest loves being music, writing, speaking, dancing, and of course doing the Oracular work. I just recently got paid for dancing in a video and in live performance, and that was a huge surprise. All I had to do was show up authentically, dance on the spot in this free workshop, and the opportunity came there that day.
I am listening within, to hear what my next steps are, and yet I do know that part of my motivation initially for joining NCN, was to pool resources so that I and others can live a more thriving life, and co-create more conscious, and more humane ways of going about that. So, yes...I hear you and would like to give support to our voicing these desires more fully somehow and how we can assist in their coming to be fulfilled for all of us.
Thanks Flemming. Love, Alana  



4 Jun 2002 @ 09:54 by scottj : to give and to receive to network or
to exchange?

Here is a model I worked out which would facilitate exchange of things and serve the higher purpose of reducing how much needs to produced and thereby people's need for money (income). http://www.scottfoto.net/ntm/FreeAccessPages/exchangemart.html

My strong reaction to any exchange system is to ask the people who are expressing their needs to look critically at them. We really need to address ways in which we can reduce our consumption and we really need to evangelise a new economic goal which says that it is cool to consume less and the highest status should go to those with the smallest material needs.

That's a starting point but we also need to be more open and critical of how we make our money, to be prepared to declare how much we earn and from what source. I would have great difficulty entering into any form of networking and sharing outside of the conventional economic system with anyone who is not prepared to be open on these issues.

Being specific I can say I don't really need anything I don't have at this precise moment. Most of the things I want involve fundamental changes in the economic system I live in. I want to pay less taxes, not because I am mean but because I don't want to pay for government expenditure on things i am totally against ie. State health, State education, War, State infrastructure and so on. Here in Norway the average tax rate is around 80 - 90% of expenditure (=income) I don't want to have to trade in the money based market place up to 10x more than is necessary to provide the necessities of life.

One way round this is to go over to barter type system and I would say this is the biggest reason for doing work in this area. I am not really interested in anything *cool* or impressive in a technical sense, all I would like is something that works.

I will keep repeating this until I get some sort of recognition of its importance !!LIVE SIMPLY SO THAT OTHERS MAY SIMPLY LIVE!! It really is the only thing that is important if we are to contribute to the creation of the pre-conditions for civilisation. Other than that non-violence and respect for all other living beings are all we need.

Levels of sophistication beyond this are part of the problem.  



4 Jun 2002 @ 13:23 by ming : Brand You
One of the books lying next to my bed is "The Brand You 50 : Or : Fifty Ways to Transform Yourself from an 'Employee' into a Brand That Shouts Distinction, Commitment, and Passion!" by Peter Drucker.

The idea is that society has changed so that none of us can depend on just getting a job and being automatically employed the rest of our life. We need to continuously market ourselves. Which involves getting clear on what we really are about that is different and attractive and valuable, and we need to become good at showing that to others, as if it were a brand. And whether that's talking about money business or about what else we do, it translates to me as being about being clear on what we're about, and being able to package it in such a way that others find it useful and attractive as well.  



4 Jun 2002 @ 13:44 by ming : Resource Directory Software
I'm very aware that it would be good with some kind of software for listing needs/wants and listing one's services. That has been high on my list for a long time. But I also notice from other people's attempts, and from my own previous half-attempts, that the hard part is in gettings things seeded and then balanced well enough so it is really workable for people. Most people will not bother to really partipate unless the system is already mostly working, and big and active enough, and it is easier than the alternatives. So the trick is to somehow hit the ground running.

I mean, there of course needs to be critical mass enough so that most people are likely to find what they need a lot of the time. eBay is working. Google is working. The yellow page phone book from the phoen company is working. But many nice and well-intended online listings of people and their services aren't working for me, because the list either isn't big enough, or it is too hard to find people, or because it is out of date.  



4 Jun 2002 @ 22:44 by bushman : Hmm
How do children do it? And if a child could find what he wants at the time, he has to see it to want it in the first place right?
Well what ever you guys come up with it has to be easy for a child to use. Since he would not have money to trade or would it matter if he traded a marble for a skateboard? Still boils down to time a person has. Like I spend 50 hours a week or more on this thing, lol, yet I work 20 hours a week to have food and cigs , fuel. I'm a gardener with 50 hours to burn, yet how could I trade my time on here for food and stuff? Maybe transporters and replicators would solve this problem.  



6 Jun 2002 @ 07:17 by cho : Lots here ...
I pulled a huge cheat for a poli-sci class entitled "Design of Regime": I took the classic work on the Yanomamo's tribla structure and presented that, but disguised it using the language of systems theory ... self-orgainization here, dynamic stablity there ... I even worked in "digesting entropy" (my favorite concept). Not only did I get a good mark, but I also clarified my thinking!
It occurs to me that relatively small groups that have come together as a result of some social or biological process ("quasi-random") would probably include something like "one of each". or at least one of each, so that most skill sets, inclinations, and pre-dispositions would be represented, with any one not likely to have a huge majority. Given the real needs that emerge situationally, the individuals would respond to that ... there would be a feed-back / feed-forward process. At some point something like ideology would come into play, of course, but regardless, any one person's list of salient needs and offerings would be conditioned by the state of the whole group.
This is rather relevant to me personally, just now ... I would be in a hermit's cabin if it weren't for my inquiry into how engagement in social projects affects consciousness (specifically, the interplay of autonomy, integrity, and authenticity). Having seen a huge project evolve over a period of just over two years, and how that project was taken over by a group of conventional elitists as soon as it became viable and significant (with few lucid complaints by the original members), I found myself waking today from a sleep filled with dreams of fulfillment and resolution: a hamburger is a hamburger is a hamburger ... unless it's infused with the quality that only inspiration and engagement produce.
With all the technical skills I've practiced over the years, I find myself in the market place with empty hands, and no needs; so long as I don't yearn for some splendid isolation, I need only wait for the pleasure of the next breath. Suicide rates are rising, as are sea-levels, temperatures, unemployment rates, inflation, and prime rates ... what is there to do but develope profound relaxation and a tender heart?
Of course, implementing a zope-enabled communication strategy to distribute optimized web services for non-profit organizations and community groups might be fun ...  



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2007-01-24 20:42: Assuming Somebody Else's Viewpoint
2007-01-16 16:28: Free Will



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