TITLE: Being Part of a Group
AUTHOR: Eugene Wallingford
DATE: May 15, 2008  4:30 PM
DESC: 
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BODY:
Surround yourself with smart, competent people, and
you will find
<A HREF="http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/05/12/080512fa_fact_gladwell">
   ideas in the air</A>.
One of the compelling thoughts in that article is this:

<BLOCKQUOTE><EM>
A scientific genius is not a person who does what no one
else can do; he or she is someone who does what it takes
many others to do.
</EM></BLOCKQUOTE>

For those of us who are not geniuses, the lesson is
that we can still accomplish great things -- if we take
part in the right sort of collaboration and be curious,
inquisitive, and open to big ideas.  I think this applies
not only to inventions but also to ideas for
<A HREF="http://www.paulgraham.com/mit.html">
   start-ups</A>
and insight to class projects.

(So
<A HREF="http://www.cs.uni.edu/~wallingf/blog/archives/monthly/2008-05.html#e2008-05-15T09_15_56.htm">
   go to class</A>.
You'll find people there.)

But being in a group is not a path to easy accomplishment,
as people who have tried to
<A HREF="http://mybiasedcoin.blogspot.com/2008/04/book-management.html">
   write a book in a group</A>
know:

<BLOCKQUOTE><EM>
Talking about a "group-book" is a lot of fun.  Actually
putting one together, maybe less fun.
</EM></BLOCKQUOTE>

The ongoing ChiliPLoP working group of which I am a member
is another datapoint for Mitzenmacher's claim.  Doing more
than brainstorming ideas in a groups takes all the same
effort, coordination, and individual and collective
responsibility as any other sort of work.

(As an aside, I love Stigler's Law as quoted in the Gladwell
article linked above!  Self-reference can be a joy, especially
with the twist engendered by this one.)
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