How Do We Fix This? How Do We Make This Work? - 02/18/2007 - 10:48 PM:

I've had a great day paintballing, met some new friends, and I'll tell you all about that in the morning. Before I go to bed, though, I wanted to ask for your thoughts. I've started a discussion topic in the forums that I want feedback on.

The question:
"What can be changed to make it easier for the average person with a good idea to really be listened to by these large companies?"

Everyone at some point has a million dollar idea, but there are barriers that keep us from following them through. If Google, or Microsoft, or anyone were to come and ask how the system should be changed, how can it be fixed to allow ideas to move more freely upward from the ground, what would you say? How can a large company effectively deal with thousands of idea submissions and dodge the legal issues that go with it, while at the same time listening to each idea well enough to understand it and judge it on its fundamental merits regardless of its source?

I'd love to hear what people can say about this, because no matter what happens to me, one lasting impact of this site might be in developing a way to address the problem that created it in the first place, and that's something I think we all want to address as a community. What are your thoughts?