I’ve written several times about the great collaborative enterprise that was Digital Equipment Corporation. It was the one of the first truly networked (technologically) enterprises, having invented DECnet and other communications network technologies. But as in so many cases, a company’s products echo the company’s values, and this was also true of Digital. I once wrote an article, “The Camelot of Collaboration,” on this very topic.

I continue to work with former colleagues when I have the chance and most of my closest personal friendships were forged in that environment. I received, today, the following email from a Digital “colleague” whom I had never met, who had just been browsing my web site:

Patti, at Digital in 1988 I gave talks in which I asked, “How much work could the network work if the network could net work?” I didn’t think anyone was paying attention…
all the best, Harris Sussman

Harris had read my recent article with Nancy Settle-Murphy and decided to check me out. I had never met him at Digital, but I do think that there was something in the water…

(Also, oddly enough, I was looking at my web page traffic statistics at the very moment that I received email from Harris and was curious about who it was in Somerville, MA who was looking at my web site….)