Certainly Mag... I can agree with all of that. Trade secrets specifically pertaining to your business strategy & tactics must be safeguarded at all costs. However, continuing in my agreement, I would like to reemphasize that as you have stated, general principles & theorems in fact, SHOULD be openly discussed I believe. It affords us the opportunity to not only pass on information and knowledge, as well as create further business connections for future growth, but also to more clearly illustrate any potential weaknesses and hence, possible methods of improvement. Idea sharing is a positive thing. I would certainly never give away my best,
hard-earned tricks of the trade to any but the most trusted & qualified associates. That is what the "learning curve" is for.
The "Learning Curve", I feel, holds many more valuable aspects than the simple face value of the actual learning. Because there is time & effort involved, I believe someone who has commited themselves & is dedicated enough to follow something through to completion, and ultimately, it's final enlightenment, has gained more than mere knowledge of the task at hand. They have gained pride in the knowledge that their efforts have been duly rewarded, intellectual maturity from facing down a daunting task, confidence by knowing that they are, indeed, capable of completing something they have set their mind to, which of course, leads to better self esteem and smarter business strategies & practices. They have gained
so much more than the person who is simply told "crop this image here", and blindly follow any path put before them by the puppetmasters who do, in fact, often times send them in directions specifically targeted for dismissal.
This is why I know the things that I know today. I have traveled long and far to earn them. I do not speak from my proverbial ass, unless I so choose. (which, as is well documented, I do quite frequently.) The information is out there to be had. But only the individual can choose to seek it out and put it to use. My downfall, however, is that I often empathize to strongly with the uneducated, having worn that shirt myself for many years, and tend to put a little too much trust into people that do not deserve nor respect it. This, more than anything, has been the bane of my existence and my undoing, even as I type this.
Time for more beer. Prost.
