Slow Loading Pages and Collapsing Complex Societies?
Several of you have let me know that the Oasis web pages have been painfully slow to load up. For a few moments yesterday, we thought we’d solved the problem only to find the pages loading slower than normal again.
To make matters more challenging, fixing this problem has felt exponentially slower than the slow loading pages. I want to apologize and to assure you that we are continuing to work on resolving this frustrating state.
That said, I have to share a blog post that Mark forwarded to me this week. It shed a bent light on our Oasis issue causing me pause and to want to talk about it. It’s called, “The Collapse of Complex Business Models” by Clay Shirky. It’s inspired by a 1988 book, The Collapse of Complex Societies by Joseph Tainter.
I know this sounds like a dramatic leap to take from a furtive compatibility slash coding issue, but sometimes dramatic is a whole lot more interesting. Don’t you think? Ah, come on, work with me here. Sometimes?
So you know how I said that the process of fixing this Oasis problem has become so much slower than the problem itself. Well, that’s kind of like the thing that through history has been responsible for whole complex societies, and as Shirky suggests, big businesses, to collapse back into forced simplicity. The Oasis is mimicking this trajectory on a micro level. At least that’s the image that’s entertaining me today.
Getting WordPress with all of it’s fancy plug-ins, including WishList membership software and ppPress forum software to talk to each has become so complicated that it now seems harder to get out of the complication and into something simpler and more compatible than continuing to grapple with the complexity. (Hope that complex sentence drives home my point with. Ha!) It’s a rocky hard place, for sure.
Shirky explains how increasing complexity in business “more than pays for itself in improved output [for a time]—but over time, the law of diminishing returns reduces the marginal value, until it disappears completely. At this point, any additional complexity is pure cost.” (I know, I’m taking this out of context, so go read the whole thing, it’s worth it, if not in relationship to your business awareness and strategy, for a great lesson in humility and human frailty.)
Yikes! So, all that to say, we’re working on the problem. Remember that behind the curtain is a startlingly loving, brilliant and creative community of heart-centered entrepreneurs here in the Oasis. It’s worth waiting the few extra seconds or minute to connect with each other.
See you in the Tent,
Kate
What’s New Friday, April 9th
Article: The Employee-Guru Syndrome in Business
If we’re curious, growing, and being productive in our lives, we have teachers. And chances are, if you are reading this, you are some sort of a teacher yourself. There’s more to those relationships then you may be paying attention to. Please read this article and then come to the Tent to discuss.
Article: Making a Living, Making Peace with 70 Percent
Wanting to create version 10.0 before creating version 1.0 of whatever you’re doing, a new offer, a website redo, or a whole new business can really leave you spinning your wheels. It’s all about the iterations and getting to 70 percent, for now, and staying with the creation long enough to get it to 10.0. Please read this article and then come to the Tent to discuss.
Article: Why Selling into a Crowd Can Feel So Gross
Ever been in a group that is being sold something and felt a burning urge to buy that you wouldn’t feel in a one on one sales conversation? Find out what’s going on and ways to pitch an offer to a group without compromising individuals’ ability to really know if it is right for them to purchase. Please read this article and then come to the Tent to Discuss.
Tutorial/FAQ
We are in the process of creating the Tutorial/FAQ section, so please ask your questions about how this new-fangled thing works here. Questions about this new Oasis and Tent?
Plus, there are a number of discussions already starting up in the Tent:
Approaching Past Clients
Money Worries and the Other Deeper Issue…
Members Making (real) Products?
On a “Blogsite,” What Should Be on the Homepage?
We have lots more planned coming up, see keep your eyes peeled over the next few weeks. And, if you need something, give a holler! We’re here to help and make it easy for you.
Until next Friday, see you in The Tent.
