…but very necessary, says Nicholas Negroponte in "Creating A Culture Of Ideas" (Technology Review): His thesis: “Expertise is overrated. To build a nation of innovators, we should focus on youth, diversity, and collaboration.” Includes an interesting take on idea-sharing during the recent boom years:

At the digital bubble’s peak, being open about ideas was particularly hard for computer scientists because people saw riches coming from not sharing their ideas. Students would withhold ideas until after graduation. As one person held his or her cards close, another followed, and as a result, many research labs declined in value and effectiveness. In this regard, thank God the bubble has burst.

The idea that focus on youth, diversity, and collaboration leads to innovation is supported also by Richard Florida, author of Rise of the Creative Class, whose “creative capital theory” goes like this: "You cannot get a technologically innovative place unless it's open to weirdness, eccentricity, and difference."

Florida has just started a newsletter called Creative Intelligence (example here) "which will explicate “newly developed leading indicators for the creative class.” See also the series Cities of Ideas, which has run on an occasional basis all year in the Austin American-Statesman.

Speaking of Austin, that’s exactly where I’m headed today. See you Monday!