Something good happened this week, I was invited to contribute an article to a journal. Not a particularly scholarly journal, but a relatively well respected technical journal nevertheless.
I like to think that there are a few people out there who know me and who consider that I can write a balanced informative article on my personal areas of interest. Since the subject was directly related to my employment, I asked for management approval. Management said legal would have to clear it. Legal said marketing should clear it, and another big bod should clear it too.
My nice concise balanced piece is in danger of being edited out of existence, or worse, sat on until the deadline for submission passes, so that nobody can be potentially embarassed and nothing possibly untowards can happen.
What was even more amusing was one comment, 'same conclusions could have been reached in half a dozen lines'. I like to imagine the newspapers this individual reads, "War happens somewhere, could have been avoided.", "Self-important person says something, few take notice.". Thrilling indeed.
If a few lines were needed, a few lines would have been asked for, if a press release was required, marketing would have been asked. It could be so easy. A few balanced, informative column inches could have been added to the world, and maybe someone would have read it and thought more about what they were doing. But this is a scary thing, brand equity must be preserved, synergy must be leveraged and investments in resources productized.
The sound you hear is soft sobbing.
update :permission was granted in time (just)
