Maybe we'd all do better de-digitizing our processes. Return to paper.

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I've been struggling to articulate a thesis, for way too long. But here it goes.

Complexity catastrophe occurs when cost of change outweighs benefit. Or simply can't be done in time to make a difference.

Whereas databasization makes processes inflexible, humans are relatively more flexible. Like being able to make notes on forms, or quickly modify a form and make more copies to use.

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I'm heavily influenced by process and methodology ideas. Deming, Drucker, TPS, etc.

As well as their critics. Postman, Norman, etc, and most recently David Graeber.

Graeber's notions about bullshit jobs and bureaucracy have articulated many of my misgivings as well as made me feel stupid for my hubris.

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Both database and paper mediated systems have pros and cons. In defense of younger self, we were not fully aware of the costs and limitations of databases, so couldn't properly weigh the options. Worse, my entire career, I tried to mitigate, engineer workarounds to databases, not willing to accept the problems are intrinsic and not just artifacts of suboptimal implementations. Basically, clap louder and Tinkerbell will fly. Embarrassing.

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My notion of "complexity catastrophe" comes from Design Rules: The Power of Modularity.

I may have just coined "databasization". I've long accepted the difference between digitization and automation. Moving processes from paper to computer mediated vs removing judgement (aka process reengineering). But have never found a succinct way to explain it. Maybe "databasizition" makes the distinction more clear.

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Thanks for listening.