Where did LRH get the concept for Dev-T? (any old timers know?)

[ClearEyed]

There were a few concepts I learned during my SO stint that have been useful. After years of sifting through and separating out the dreck, that is. One of them was the concept of Dev-T. It helped me put some thought into my business communications and activities and their organizational affect.

Knowing as I do now that Hubbard borrowed, lifted, sometimes plagarized materials from many different sources, I am curious if he learned about or borrwed the idea of Dev-T from someone else. Maybe it was an early Scientologist. Maybe it was a business book he skimmed through at some point. Maybe it was something that came up in a conversation with someone and LRH later issued it as his idea.

I'm curious to see if there was more to this concept that Hubbard might have altered when it went through his own strange filter. In addition to the tendancy to use it as a pejorative and reason for punishment.

I'd like to know if anyone else knows where LRH got this idea. Or maybe there is another business reference to this idea that has nothing to do with Scientology? I just haven't run across anything yet, myself.

 

[Udarnik]

I sorta know what it means, but the English words don't totally map to the concept. Can someone explain to me what it means to a Scientologist?

 

[The Anabaptist Jacques]

Hubbard, if I remember correctly, says it was something he learned in the Navy.

Dev-T means developed or unnecessary traffic. Traffic means work or activity. Developed means it is generated by a person causing it and not necessary.

Sort of like a receptionist hearing the phone ring and then asking her boss if she should answer it.

But it can get rather complicated especially too.

The Anabaptist Jacques

 

[Udarnik]

Hubbard, if I remember correctly, says it was something he learned in the Navy.

Dev-T means developed or unnecessary traffic. Traffic means work or activity. Developed means it is generated by a person causing it and not necessary.

Sort of like a receptionist hearing the phone ring and then asking her boss if she should answer it.

But it can get rather complicated especially too.

The Anabaptist Jacques

OK, so my understading from the Scio Dictionary was that it referred to clouding the meaning of Hubbard's words. You say yes and no, could be clouding the meaingin of anyhting, in the specific way of working too hard at it or talking too much about it?

If that's true, than it comes from Naval radio traffic rules. Be terse. Only one person can talk at a time. Clearly communicate in the fewest possible words, and then clearly communicate when you are done speaking. Roger. Over and out.

 

[ClearEyed]

I sorta know what it means, but the English words don't totally map to the concept. Can someone explain to me what it means to a Scientologist?

Hubbard, if I remember correctly, says it was something he learned in the Navy.

Dev-T means developed or unnecessary traffic. Traffic means work or activity. Developed means it is generated by a person causing it and not necessary.

Sort of like a receptionist hearing the phone ring and then asking her boss if she should answer it.

But it can get rather complicated especially too.

The Anabaptist Jacques

Right. I think the easiest way to explain it in plain language is causing someone else unnecessary work. But I'm hoping I can find a bona fide business reference. I'd like to be able to talk about it without tripping over the old Scentology terms and ideas. And without coming across as being a personal criticsm of anyone. I have an idea that it might have been discussed in old-school business management classes.

 

[ClearEyed]

OK, so my understading from the Scio Dictionary was that it referred to clouding the meaning of Hubbard's words. You say yes and no, could be clouding the meaingin of anyhting, in the specific way of working too hard at it or talking too much about it?

If that's true, than it comes from Naval radio traffic rules. Be terse. Only one person can talk at a time. Clearly communicate in the fewest possible words, and then clearly communicate when you are done speaking. Roger. Over and out.

I think "clouding the meaning of Hubbard's words" is a better explanation of the Scio term "alter-is".

Some examples of the way Dev-T was used in the Sea Org:

A CSW (proposal) was submitted to an executive. The executive sent it back to the originator as Dev-T, because it wasn't within the executive's purvue. It should have gone to a different division.

A mail clerk put incorrect postage on all the out-going letters. He didn't re-set the franking machine after the post office raised the rates. So several staff had to drop what they were doing to add additional postage to hundreds of outgoing letters before the mail deadline. The mail clerk caused dev-t to those other staff members.

 

[Techless]

I've always had the understanding that it was merely: "stuff that came about, arose, and was getting "in the way" of what you are doing. That's all.

I can't see how this was anything 'new' per se. And herein lies a LOT of what hubby did: he took things that everyone 'knew' about or some had experience with already (vaguely or otherwise) ...and went about repackaging and coming up with a 'new' word/phrase to describe it. (This wouldn't be any problem at ALL, if the intention behind was anything less than sinister)

This is how he got folks to think he had found some secret out! when all he really did was coin a 'new' phrase for it - that then makes you 'feel good' cause 'you got it' and behind this was some premise that it was like it was something new and never explored. You're half-hooked at this point. It comes very quickly if you are so inclined...intelligent enough to get it quicker

I truly feel this is/was a HUGE part of the bait process. So once you were feeling really groovy about it (crap did I just say that?) - then ANYTHING else could get in there along the same line.

It's really quite amazing what he managed to pull off - mostly just getting people aligned - via HIS definitions of - and then, why, we all felt special. He was "re-jacking" something well since known, but repackaged, to make us feel like we'd just discovered it too - and by greatness! And now mostly the new 'discoveries' were lines with gold in them, cause they'd been already 'proven' to you - and because we were just agreeing with "new ways' to describe 'old ways'...

I think once you see that, there's not much other mystery to unravel.

Now why did it keep going? well, 'cause there will forever and always be things that fade into the distance, and yet can be revived and made relevant in the here and now.

It also explains then why, when things got a bit more 'cosmic' we'd tended to believe without thinking. Hypnotized long since, yet in a pretty mellow manner, until you're faced with "The CONTRACT!" Ahh, now: whattaya do?

Well, you've agree to all these 'new' things (said definitely now in present) so you're most of the way there...then signature on piece of paper.. See where it goes..

Scary ain't it??

 

[clamicide]

I'd be curious to hear on this. It was one of those things that sort of "made sense", and that seemed to hook people into the whole "admin" recruiting stuff. Honestly, I never worked in a 'wog job' that had more dev-t than in the cult. Does anyone remember the routings and all the freaking channels and carbon copies and everything that were required by other policy in order to get ANYTHING done?

Hell, half the stuff I had to get done through a carefully-worded CSW that went through how-the-fuck-many terminals (I worked at an org that actually had a decent amount of staff members), the same shit would have been accomplished by stepping into the doorway of my boss, and going, when you have a moment, I'd like to shoot you an idea or see if this was possible. MUCH more "workable".

A lot of screaming of "Dev-T" I saw, was people going "I don't want to deal with this shit", and if stuff wasn't so fucked up to begin with, it never would have got to that point in the first place. And, in other times (oh, and I hope folks do NOT underestimate this), the folks receiving the "comm" had so little "real-world" experience, that they seriously had no concept how to deal with basic stuff that was brought to them. Juniors were little bitches that so went through the wringer--you had to know 'what to keep off an exec's lines', but then you'd get killed for bypassing, or not getting permission for something... Leah didn't have the rank to ask where Shelly was... I mean a celeb, who has spoken in defense of the cult... like the peons had any 'rank' at all... Yeah, she looked scared on DWTS, and I don't blame her...so let's get the perspective of the lowly staff or SO member, where that's all they know. Where the hell do they go? Especially if they bought the line and cut themselves off from media...

ETA: yeah, this is already too long, but I've also been at a CLO where we were up to 3 or 4 in the morning freaking putting together and graphing stats, and every little piece of paper with any info, except that was not going to be able to be guarded was shredded.... the cult lives on Dev-T. And, this was before Hubs died.

 

[ClearEyed]

I'd be curious to hear on this. It was one of those things that sort of "made sense", and that seemed to hook people into the whole "admin" recruiting stuff. Honestly, I never worked in a 'wog job' that had more dev-t than in the cult. Does anyone remember the routings and all the freaking channels and carbon copies and everything that were required by other policy in order to get ANYTHING done?

Hell, half the stuff I had to get done through a carefully-worded CSW that went through how-the-fuck-many terminals (I worked at an org that actually had a decent amount of staff members), the same shit would have been accomplished by stepping into the doorway of my boss, and going, when you have a moment, I'd like to shoot you an idea or see if this was possible. MUCH more "workable".

A lot of screaming of "Dev-T" I saw, was people going "I don't want to deal with this shit", and if stuff wasn't so fucked up to begin with, it never would have got to that point in the first place. And, in other times (oh, and I hope folks do NOT underestimate this), the folks receiving the "comm" had so little "real-world" experience, that they seriously had no concept how to deal with basic stuff that was brought to them. Juniors were little bitches that so went through the wringer--you had to know 'what to keep off an exec's lines', but then you'd get killed for bypassing, or not getting permission for something... Leah didn't have the rank to ask where Shelly was... I mean a celeb, who has spoken in defense of the cult... like the peons had any 'rank' at all... Yeah, she looked scared on DWTS, and I don't blame her...so let's get the perspective of the lowly staff or SO member, where that's all they know. Where the hell do they go? Especially if they bought the line and cut themselves off from media...

ETA: yeah, this is already too long, but I've also been at a CLO where we were up to 3 or 4 in the morning freaking putting together and graphing stats, and every little piece of paper with any info, except that was not going to be able to be guarded was shredded.... the cult lives on Dev-T. And, this was before Hubs died.

Yes, the scene you described was replicated all over the world in every org, all the way to the top. Everyone was somebody's peon.

And yes, declaring something was Dev-t was often used by people as an excuse for not dealing with someone or something. A way to pass the buck.

I appreciate all the frustrations you expressed. I experienced them too.

Nevertheless, I have real world experience that shows this dev-t thing is a real phenomenon, which is why I asked the question. Yes, common sense should, ideally, make so many rules and policies unnecessary. But since when have we all (the human collective) exercised common sense in every situation?

 

[clamicide]

Yes, the scene you described was replicated all over the world in every org, all the way to the top. Everyone was somebody's peon.

And yes, declaring something was Dev-t was often used by people as an excuse for not dealing with someone or something. A way to pass the buck.

I appreciate all the frustrations you expressed. I experienced them too.

Nevertheless, I have real world experience that shows this dev-t thing is a real phenomenon, which is why I asked the question. Yes, common sense should, ideally, make so many rules and policies unnecessary. But since when have we all (the human collective) exercised common sense in every situation?

Yeah, no, I wasn't jumping on you. It is a real phenomenon, and I started working in offices at a very young age, and one more little jab that sucked me into the cult, was I DID see that sort of thing. No idea when it started. I wanted admin tech to give a better alternative to the stuff I saw since I had been working in offices, and some of it did involve government funding.

I, oddly wish for some reason tonight, that I had the connections, and that Vonnegut was still around that I could ask him about this sort of thing... for some reason, I think he'd be someone that would be hell of fascinating to discuss this with... Although, at times I sometimes found some of his books wandered, I loved his stuff, and I really have to just freaking smile that he showed up in the movie "Back to School". Great flick for people who love stupid movies that make you grin, and Vonnegut gave a personal appearance... just

 

[Caroline]

DEVELOPED TRAFFIC, 1., any executive getting dev-t knows at once what posts are not held because dev-t is the confusion that should have been handled in that area by someone on post. With that stable terminal not stable, dev-t shoots about. (HCO PL 27 Oct 69) 2. traffic is developed (developed traffic, dev-t) by originating or forwarding an off-line or off-policy dispatch to anyone but the sender. (HCO PL 17 Nov 64) 3. developed traffic is a statement you will begin to see now. It is condemnatory. The symbol dev-t means on a dispatch, "This dispatch exists only because its originator has not handled a situation, problem, or an executive order." It also means, "Responsibility for your post very low." Also it means "You should be handling this without further traffic." It also means "You are manufacturing new traffic because you aren't handling old traffic." Also it means "For Gawd's sake!" Every time traffic is developed someone has flubbed. Developed traffic does not mean usual and necessary traffic. It means unusual and unnecessary traffic. (HCO PL 2 Jul 59 II) 4. additionally needless, inhibitive actions are called dev-t. Non-compliance, alter-is, no report, false reports, off-origin statements and dispatches, stale dated orders, wrong targets, cross orders, cross targets, are all dev-t. They made a great many motions necessary where only one the one correct one was needed. (OODs 22 Jan 68) Abbr. Dev-t.

Hubbard, L. R. (1976). Modern Management Technology Defined. Los Angeles: Church of Scientology of California Publications Organization United States.

The earliest reference cited in MMTD is HCOPL 2 July 1959 II, titled "Developed Traffic Delirium Tremens of Central Orgs." (OEC Vol 0. 1991 ed., pp. 397-8.) Apparently Hubbard had been working on his little science since 1957.

HUBBARD COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE
1812 19th Street, NW, Washington 9, DC
HCO POLICY LETTER OF 2 JULY 1959

Issue II

DEVELOPED TRAFFIC
THE DELIRIUM TREMENS OF CENTRAL ORGS​

There is a phenomenon which costs a Central Org two-thirds of the effort of its staff members and executives. Stemming from various causes and cured by Process S2[SUP]1[/SUP], it nevertheless deserves notice as itself.

I have been working for two years on "Analysis of Organizations by Inspection of Its Comm Lines." It is now a fairly complete little science in itself.

"Developed traffic" is a statement you will begin to see now. It is condemnatory. The symbol dev-t means on a despatch, "This despatch exists only because its originator has not handled a situation, problem or an executive order." It also means "Responsibility for your post very low." Also it means "You should be handling this without further traffic." It also means "You are manufacturing new traffic because you aren't handling old traffic." Also it means "For Gawd's Sake!"

Every time traffic is developed somebody has flubbed.

"Developed" traffic does not mean usual and necessary traffic. It means unusual and unnecessary traffic. [...]

[SUP]1[/SUP] Process S2 is a repetitive auditing process, "From where could you communicate to a victim?"

 

[ClearEyed]

Yeah, no, I wasn't jumping on you. It is a real phenomenon, and I started working in offices at a very young age, and one more little jab that sucked me into the cult, was I DID see that sort of thing. No idea when it started. I wanted admin tech to give a better alternative to the stuff I saw since I had been working in offices, and some of it did involve government funding.

I, oddly wish for some reason tonight, that I had the connections, and that Vonnegut was still around that I could ask him about this sort of thing... for some reason, I think he'd be someone that would be hell of fascinating to discuss this with... Although, at times I sometimes found some of his books wandered, I loved his stuff, and I really have to just freaking smile that he showed up in the movie "Back to School". Great flick for people who love stupid movies that make you grin, and Vonnegut gave a personal appearance... just

No kidding? I saw that movie long time ago and don't remember KV at all. Guess I have to watch it again.

I don't think it's odd to want to talk to KV at all about anything. He has a way of pointing out the insanity of the world that helps you feel more sane again. If that makes sense. And he can make you smile in spite of it all. And I'm writing about him in present tense, even though I know he is gone. I guess with his books, he will always be here.

 

[clamicide]

http://youtu.be/tQnAhSzb4gY

Oh yeah, I remember watching it for the first time and going, OMG, that really is Vonnegut... This clip is a compilation where Kurt shows up with the paper he writes for Thornton, and then cuts to Kellerman reaming him out for not only not writing his own paper, but submitting something from someone who doesn't know "the first thing about Vonnegut" I'm probably paraphrasing there...

I like stuff that makes me smile at this point... omg, Jon Cusack in freaking Better Off Dead?...don't get me wrong, loved Being John Malkovich, and he's done some AMAZING other film-work, but if I was sitting at home and had them all in front of me, I'd still probably first pull out Better Off Dead..... dang netflix started its stupid scrolling/loading thing, so hopefully Serenity will be nice and running without delays after I take this break. Beyond, annoying...

 

[Techless]

http://youtu.be/tQnAhSzb4gY

Oh yeah, I remember watching it for the first time and going, OMG, that really is Vonnegut... This clip is a compilation where Kurt shows up with the paper he writes for Thornton, and then cuts to Kellerman reaming him out for not only not writing his own paper, but submitting something from someone who doesn't know "the first thing about Vonnegut" I'm probably paraphrasing there...

I like stuff that makes me smile at this point... omg, Jon Cusack in freaking Better Off Dead?...don't get me wrong, loved Being John Malkovich, and he's done some AMAZING other film-work, but if I was sitting at home and had them all in front of me, I'd still probably first pull out Better Off Dead..... dang netflix started its stupid scrolling/loading thing, so hopefully Serenity will be nice and running without delays after I take this break. Beyond, annoying...

On Man - All such great movie references!! Especially Serenity: still the most underrate sci-of all time (my opinion) but it's gotten much leverage since and I suspect another chapter coming along at some point soon...

 

[ClearEyed]

The earliest reference cited in MMTD is HCOPL 2 July 1959 II, titled "Developed Traffic Delirium Tremens of Central Orgs." (OEC Vol 0. 1991 ed., pp. 397-8.) Apparently Hubbard had been working on his little science since 1957.



[SUP]1[/SUP] Process S2 is a repetitive auditing process, "From where could you communicate to a victim?"

Whew, boy. OK. S2, huh? I don't see how that applies to the behavior LRH describes in the PL, but then, I don't think like Ron. (Thank you, Jezus!) He sure comes across with a Henry VIII attitude in this PL.

Thank you for digging up all that stuff. It's so weird to read this stuff from my 30 years later point of view.
I tried to flter out just how utterly negative it was. But there it is. And so much of what he says in this PL makes no sense to me at all, now. I can be very selective in what I want retain from those days. I like the verson I had in my head much better than his version.

 

[clamicide]

On Man - All such great movie references!! Especially Serenity: still the most underrate sci-of all time (my opinion) but it's gotten much leverage since and I suspect another chapter coming along at some point soon...

On Man - All such great movie references!! Especially Serenity: still the most underrate sci-of all time (my opinion) but it's gotten much leverage since and I suspect another chapter coming along at some point soon...

Don't even tease me about another chapter... it's one of those WEIRD things... there are SO many fans. In fact, I recently was sent a thread on youtube, that showed the in-references to Firefly in Fillion's ABC show, Castle.... I think the one that cracked me up the most when he addressed some folks in Mandarin, and his partner said something like "semester abroad?", and he went something like "no, TV show I used to love"....

Oh no, the better one was actually when he showed his daughter his Halloween costume, and it was basically, never mind, I'm going to go google the sucker and embed, because for the fans of Firelfly, it's pretty awesome:

http://youtu.be/3Q3pdj9p6yI

There have been a hefty dose of in-references in Castle... and some quite subtle, but hilarious. The above was, obviously, obvious.

 

[DoneDeal]

Can someone explain to me what it means to a Scientologist?

Has something to do with taking a short cut. And doing ANYTHING to get there. It's not a good place to be.

 

[R2-45]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif] Developed Traffic... Delirium Tremens.... "Developed Traffic The Delirium Tremens Of Central Orgs...."[/FONT]





One theory is that hubuzzard ran out of booze, 'developed' the DT's and applied a primitive "what turns it on turns it off." Thanking himself for his wisdom and insight of those last few forgotten/hidden bottles, he finally came to the conclusion that the DT's were organizationally equivalent to Developed Traffic. Kind of like a=a=a, at which point his DT's "as-ised" in a flash of light accompanied by loud snapping sounds. Oh, yeah, there was also an angel with a trompet. And maybe some kind of discharge. An electrical discharge. Then he blacked-out.



Simple, eh? Occam's Razor and all that.

 

[In present time]

On Man - All such great movie references!! Especially Serenity: still the most underrate sci-of all time (my opinion) but it's gotten much leverage since and I suspect another chapter coming along at some point soon...

dev-t on the thread.

i have read all of vonnegut, except wasn't there a last one his son finished after he died? if so, i should put that one on my list.

 

[La La Lou Lou]

DevT is pretty meaningless in scn terms it just means things that try to stop you from performing your OT magick by making things go right and getting your stats up.

However developed and unnecessary traffic is alive and well and running in many call centres and offices in big companies. British phone companies are great at it. A call handler has only so many seconds to 'handle' a call so fobs them off with a glib answer, they call again the next day now slightly niffed to bitter or real nasty. A few more unhandled glib calls and the guy insists on talking to the manager, by now he is insisting on full refund and some compensation, the manager he speaks to is a further underling with no powers of decision making. Sometimes the call centre has been outsourced, you start off speaking to someone in Bangalore who doesn't understand the problem, thinks it might be technical so puts you through to a technical advisor, in Durban, nothing gets resolved, you've talked to some very nice people in two different continents but with no power and by now you've probably sworn a few times, and come across as a really bad person. That's developed and unnecessary traffic.