Dear Rosan and All,
Bell Labs was responsible for a wide range of research programs. Some constituted invention, some involved innovation, and others -- such as Billy Kluver's Experiments in Art and Technology -- fit no models. Bell also did lots of work at its plants. For example, William Shewhart at Western Electric pioneered statistical quality control. Shewhart's his work led to W. Edwards Deming's work, and Deming's work to the renaissance of Japanese manufacturing and all that came from it, including Toyota Way and lean thinking.
There is a great deal to be said for context and levels of expertise. At VTT, the Technical Research Center of Finland, a small group of researchers is given a salary and a budget and the freedom to do what they wish with occasional evaluations. The majority of researchers are assigned to projects with a specific need for their skills and expertise.
It's not clear what benefit would be served by a mix between Bell Labs and Facebook. Facebook has certainly developed a business model -- as much by accident as by design. This model has enriched the owners and shareholders, but Facebook has not made a contribution to the world on the order of the Bell Labs contribution. For that matter, I can't see that Facebook has the problem-solving capacity of a Bell Labs or a VTT, and suggests that they can neither invent nor innovate at the same level.
Yours,
Ken
Professor Ken Friedman, PhD, DSc (hc), FDRS | University Distinguished Professor | Dean, Faculty of Design | Swinburne University of Technology | Melbourne, Australia | [log in to unmask] | Ph: +61 3 9214 6078 | Faculty www.swinburne.edu.au/design
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