Saturday, August 02, 2008
Why IT Professionals in America need to embrace Green IT
I am proud to say that I have a lower carbon footprint than every single enterprise architect in America I know...
Green IT isn't just about the data center or even the philosophy of those who live organic, but it is about the greening of one's approach to life. The one aspect of IT America that is on the decline is the reading of books. As I walk the corridors and talk with my peers, I have noticed that many of them don't have many of the current IT books on their shelves and the classics such as the Gang of Four are collecting dust. If every communication is reduced down to a soundbite, distilled into the Reader's Digest form of communication where everything is a bullet, are we really aiming a Glock at our profession?
I have always had respect for enterprise architects in Europe as they tend to be much more intent in the discipline of enterprise architecture vs the selling of enterprise architecture. At some levels, I believe this exists because their lives are much more green than their American counterparts. Consider for a moment, two well-respected and progressive industry analysts from Redmonk. I believe that James Governor is way more green that say Stephen O'Grady. Europeans use the train while American's use their cars. This doesn't just have a value proposition for carbon footprint but also mind footprint.
Consider, that if one is on the train, it affords them more time to read the latest, to think deeply and to not be distracted by small events. One can get lost in a book as part of their daily commute while those who drive have to pay attention to traffic. Being less green robs us American's of precious time we need for ourselves to grow ourselves. In America, learning needs to be more than just reading the newspaper while sitting on one's throne. IT professionals need to become proactive in encouraging their employers to embrace work-from-anywhere (distinct from work-from-home) strategies so that we can have proper time to make our profession better....
| | View blog reactionsGreen IT isn't just about the data center or even the philosophy of those who live organic, but it is about the greening of one's approach to life. The one aspect of IT America that is on the decline is the reading of books. As I walk the corridors and talk with my peers, I have noticed that many of them don't have many of the current IT books on their shelves and the classics such as the Gang of Four are collecting dust. If every communication is reduced down to a soundbite, distilled into the Reader's Digest form of communication where everything is a bullet, are we really aiming a Glock at our profession?
I have always had respect for enterprise architects in Europe as they tend to be much more intent in the discipline of enterprise architecture vs the selling of enterprise architecture. At some levels, I believe this exists because their lives are much more green than their American counterparts. Consider for a moment, two well-respected and progressive industry analysts from Redmonk. I believe that James Governor is way more green that say Stephen O'Grady. Europeans use the train while American's use their cars. This doesn't just have a value proposition for carbon footprint but also mind footprint.
Consider, that if one is on the train, it affords them more time to read the latest, to think deeply and to not be distracted by small events. One can get lost in a book as part of their daily commute while those who drive have to pay attention to traffic. Being less green robs us American's of precious time we need for ourselves to grow ourselves. In America, learning needs to be more than just reading the newspaper while sitting on one's throne. IT professionals need to become proactive in encouraging their employers to embrace work-from-anywhere (distinct from work-from-home) strategies so that we can have proper time to make our profession better....
