[codehusker]

I need some additional hand-holding here if you don't mind, I don't see the difference.

If I were to rephrase those two excerpts:

  > Parkinson observed that a committee whose job is to approve plans for a 
  > [globally distributed relational database] may spend the majority of its time on relatively 
  > unimportant but easy-to-grasp issues, such as what [the name is],
  > while neglecting the design of the [globally distributed relational database] itself,
  > which is far more important but also far more difficult to criticize constructively.

  > A [globally distributed relational database] is so vastly expensive and complicated that an average person cannot
  > understand it, so one assumes that those who work on it understand it. On the
  > other hand, everyone can [read a name], so planning 
  > one can result in endless discussions because *everyone involved wants to add a
  > touch and show personal contribution*.

edit: formatting