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Sounds like Alan Kay is looking at the world of business through a pinhole in the floor of his car when he'd be better off looking through the windshield.

Anybody can automate payroll, inventory, order processing, etc. In fact, almost everybody has. I call that "striking out the pitcher".

But only some people have figured out how to use sophisticated software to run simulations, mimic real world processes, and as Michael Gerber puts it, "Work on the business instead of working in the business."

Apparently Alan Kay doesn't see many of these businesses. He should. Because they're the ones who'll be left standing while the "automators" wonder what happened.



I think this migth be some confusion between Mr Alan Kaye (http://people.forbes.com/profile/alan-kaye/51664) and Alan Kay of SmallTalk & Object Oriented fame.


"Kaye" appears to be a typo. "Alan Kay" was interviewd by Fortune Magazine's "Fast Forward" column in the July 12, 2004 issue: http://slashdot.org/articles/04/07/13/1226206.shtml




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