The "T" in OST

Harrison Owen owenhh at mindspring.com
Thu Aug 17 05:00:30 PDT 2000


At 03:49 PM 8/17/00 +0800, you wrote:
>I have been trying to think of ways of adding to the "Technology" side of
>Open Space.

********************************
What you propose sounds fascinating and I am sure we can all learn a lot.
So share if you Care!!!  As of course you will. Anyhow -- computers and
other technology have been a part of the Open Space World since the
beginning. Along the way, I think we have learned a few things which may be
useful to your explorations. Stated as principles the learnings are: a)
Never use technology for something the people can do as well or better by
themselves. b) Whatever technology you use, keep it light and as
transparent as possible.

For understandable reasons, my techie friends are always looking for new
bells and whistles, which in themselves are wonderful, but tend to add an
un-needed level of complexity -- so a certain friendly restraint is always
in order.

I guess the core issue here is the need to care for the space. As long as
technology enhances the quality of the space - great. But if it clutters
the space or impedes the process, then I would be very careful. The whole
business with laptops is a case in point. Many people have suggested and a
number have tried using laptops in the actual sessions under the notion
that folks could then capture the discussion in real time and not  waste
time transcribing from newsprint at a later moment. Sounds great -- but my
experience is a little different. First of  all laptops can be dropped.
They also go on "walk-about."  But the real problem is that when folks
record discussion in real time, it tends to be a raw data dump with little
reflection and organization. On the other hand, when they have to look at a
large pile of newsprint, there is a strong motivation for some useful
editing and organization.

At a subtler level, I find that something else (of value) is lost -- the
community that builds around The NewsRoom. So data entry (writing the
reports becomes more than a mechanical task -- it actually seems to enrich
the over all experience.

Anyhow -- Press onwards. I think it should be fun. And while you are at it
-- you might think about a software package that would handle the whole
event -- soup to nuts. Registration, report entry, prioritization -- with a
direct connection to the InterNet for follow-on and follow through. I'll
bet you would have a number of interested folks.

Lastly -- Poor old "technology" as in Open Space Technology... The word got
there mostly by way of a joke -- perhaps a bad one (Ralph :-) -- but in
truth it is a technology in the precise definition of the term... A
specific procedure for the achievement of particular results. I have never
fought it too much -- first because I didn't think I could -- but mostly
because I have had the hope that perhaps our collective notion of
technology would expand to be more what I think it should be. Not just
widgets etc -- but a rich part of the total human journey. I guess folks
talk about "humanizing technology."   For me it's always been human, we
have just been too narrow in our definition. There was a time (perhaps not
to be repeated) when a few of us used to talk about Advanced Human
Technologies. Open Space was one of those, and we might add things like
NLP,  various esoteric practices (forms of meditation) etc. Oh well, all
that was pretty weird. Or was it?

Harrison


Harrison Owen
7808 River Falls Drive
Potomac, MD 20854 USA
phone 301-469-9269
fax 301-983-9314
Summer Phone 207-763-3261
Summer Address
189 Beaucaire Ave.
Camden, ME 04843
website www.mindspring.com/~owenhh
Open Space Institute website www.openspaceworld.org
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