[HN Gopher] The rise of railroads gave rise to the first org cha...
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       The rise of railroads gave rise to the first org chart (2017)
        
       Author : plimp
       Score  : 26 points
       Date   : 2022-02-13 17:15 UTC (5 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (theorg.com)
 (TXT) w3m dump (theorg.com)
        
       | kqr wrote:
       | Let's also not forget the alternative to the org chart, the
       | Deming flow diagram: https://econoshift.com/wp-
       | content/uploads/2015/09/19-Value-S...
       | 
       | Org charts often do not tell you anything about what an
       | organisation does or how it's accomplished or who talks to who.
       | The flow diagram does a much better job of actually... being
       | meaningful?
       | 
       | Of course, the flow diagram will vary depending on which of the
       | organisation's purposes one chooses to focus on... but so will
       | the shape of the organisation that implements that purpose. The
       | org chart just hides that, along with every other useful detail
       | for actually understanding what's going on.
        
       | MR4D wrote:
       | This is fascinating, but I can't help thinking that the
       | complexity of the Dutch East India Company would have had one
       | first, even if it no longer exists today.
        
         | newsclues wrote:
         | I bet the Romans thought they were the first... probably so did
         | the Egyptians before them.
        
       | sdoering wrote:
       | The chart/map is beautifully done. I love the fact that he came
       | up with an organizing principle and an accompanying visualization
       | that not only showed the hierarchical levels, but also a grown
       | Organisation that literally branched out with quite an organic
       | feel to it.
        
       | [deleted]
        
       | bobthepanda wrote:
       | Railroads also invented time zones.
       | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railway_time
       | 
       | Prior to this each town observed its own time zone according to
       | its solar noon. Railroads were the first means of transportation
       | where keeping themselves in sync with each other _and_ the local
       | time was hard because trains traveled so quickly compared to
       | previous forms of transport.
        
         | monkeybutton wrote:
         | Its not possible to make an app that actually does this on
         | Android due to permissions; but sometimes I day dream of an app
         | that automatically shifts your phones time using the current
         | GPS location. Not by which timezone you are in, but by when
         | solar noon would be based on your exact location.
        
           | jefftk wrote:
           | Sometimes I wonder about alternative worlds where railroads
           | weren't possible (mountains? archipelago?) and local solar
           | time remained the only thing.
        
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       (page generated 2022-02-13 23:01 UTC)