The world is flat
„The Triple Convergence”
I. Summary/Synopsis
Thomas L.Friedman, The World is Flat: a brief history of the twenty-first century. Published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2007.
Friedman discusses the "triple convergence." The convergence of the ten flatteners had created a whole new platform. It is a global, Web-enabled platform for multiple forms of collaboration. This platform enables individuals, groups, companies, and universities anywhere in the world to collaborate - for the purposes of innovation, production, education, research, entertainment, and, alas, war-making - like no creative platform ever before. This platform now operates without regard to geography, distance, time, and, in the near future, even language. Going forward, this platform is going to be at the center of everything.
The first „convergence” was that of the flatteners, which provided a new playing field for doing business.
The second „convergence” is the merger of the new playing field with new ways of doing business. Friedman points out that a new platform for doing business, such as the emergence of computers in the workplace, is not enough to increase productivity.
The third „convergence” was the emergence of several billion people in the playing field. Friedman points out that closed economies, like Russia and China, opened up at almost the exact moment that the flatteners emerged, which allows billions of people to compete and collaborate for the first time. Friedman emphasizes that the triple convergence is not only happening, but happening faster than most people realize.
The other tripple „convergence” is the perspective and predispositions that people carry around in their heads and are very important in shaping what they see and what they don't see. That helps to explain why a lot of people missed the triple convergence. Their heads are completely somewhere else - even though it was happening right before their eyes.
Primary supporting ideas: After the fall of the Berlin Wall,
I. Summary/Synopsis
Thomas L.Friedman, The World is Flat: a brief history of the twenty-first century. Published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2007.
Friedman discusses the "triple convergence." The convergence of the ten flatteners had created a whole new platform. It is a global, Web-enabled platform for multiple forms of collaboration. This platform enables individuals, groups, companies, and universities anywhere in the world to collaborate - for the purposes of innovation, production, education, research, entertainment, and, alas, war-making - like no creative platform ever before. This platform now operates without regard to geography, distance, time, and, in the near future, even language. Going forward, this platform is going to be at the center of everything.
The first „convergence” was that of the flatteners, which provided a new playing field for doing business.
The second „convergence” is the merger of the new playing field with new ways of doing business. Friedman points out that a new platform for doing business, such as the emergence of computers in the workplace, is not enough to increase productivity.
The third „convergence” was the emergence of several billion people in the playing field. Friedman points out that closed economies, like Russia and China, opened up at almost the exact moment that the flatteners emerged, which allows billions of people to compete and collaborate for the first time. Friedman emphasizes that the triple convergence is not only happening, but happening faster than most people realize.
The other tripple „convergence” is the perspective and predispositions that people carry around in their heads and are very important in shaping what they see and what they don't see. That helps to explain why a lot of people missed the triple convergence. Their heads are completely somewhere else - even though it was happening right before their eyes.
Primary supporting ideas: After the fall of the Berlin Wall,