[ExI] Groups

[Gary Miller]

Lee wrote:  

> The difficulty is in figuring out what those subtasks actually are. 
> 

My Response:

I wrote two or more years either here or on AGI that projects that are large
in scope with this many pieces/parts get lost without project plans.

I asked how many people working on AGI or Singularity related project held
themselves to project plans or had project plans available for viewing, and
I was thrashed soundly!

Any business attempting a project of any size has to have a project plan to
maintain focus and win support from the business who controls the money.

They don't always make their milestones or cost projections and the projects
plans change often as new information is learned.

But the project plan is a tool to help them keep focus on what the critical
path is, determine what the subtasks are and estimate the overall time frame
and budget for the project.

And the project plan is extremely useful for decomposing the main tasks into
the smaller subtasks that can delegated to volunteers, interns, employees
with less than total understanding of the overall project architecture.

Sometimes matching key subtasks to people with specific experience/talents
is crucial.

I am sure that the people in ExI and AGI have a broad range of talents that
could be drawn upon.   Those are your resources but before you can harness
those resources you must understand the talents of your resources in order
to match them to appropriate subtasks.  You also have to then approach each
one asking them if they would be willing to work on a subtask and how many
hours they would be able and willing to donate to the completion of that
subtask.

I volunteered time at one point to an AGI project and was given a site to
look at a few contacts to chat with and it soon became clear that there were
no subtasks defined just high level goals and a desire that they be funded.

I have seen some signs lately that the AGI scene is getting it's act
together.   But still no project plans.

My understanding of Extropian goals simply put is to educate and prepare for
the Singularity and to bring people together to synergistically blend their
talents and viewpoints to increase the likelihood of a positive outcome and
somewhat painless transition for mankind.

And while the group may not be having a major impact upon the thoughts of
the unwashed masses I am very thankful that this list exists to educate and
motivate me to be as prepared as possible for what is to come.