from OS Institute (US) board

[Michael Herman]

some thoughts...


 1) What do you all think about these ideas?

i'm not sure that open space suffers for lack of a central database.
the stories are certainly available on the list and on the websites of
many practitioners.  and also by posting a request for stories here on
the list.  my guess is that any gains in credibility from a central
database would be more than offset by the rigidity that would likely be
part of such a database.

the marketplace bulletin board function at osw.org already provides the
structure for such a database, but has never been used very much.  i
thought it was a good idea at the time, but we don't seem to have the
energy for that.  i don't think this inquiry will change that.  and i'm
more inclined to parse that function from the site than to pour more
energy into it.

i'd rather leave it to individual practitioners, rather than a central
group, to take responsibility for assembling and telling their own
'credible' story of oepn space.  i think this database may already exist
in the form of the oslist archive, especially in certain areas like
education, youth, and other easy keywords.

trying to bring a potential client six other stories of where this has
worked in a similar sort of organization has never proven a very
fruitful endeavor for me... they either get it and are willing to go for
it or they are not ready.  the examples are never *exactly* like the
situation at hand and we can never really *prove* to those who request
these things that ost can work.


>
> 2) Are there ideas here that you feel compelled to implement?

i have recently made a special forum at osw.org for online resources and
rewritten some of the invitations to oslist, metanet, etc.  perhaps
these could be expanded upon.

osw.org is very much a community asset and open to others' contribution.
 just six months after it started, i was suggesting at osonos7 that
perhaps it would be gone and replaced with the next thing in less than a
year, but that hasn't happened.  now that it has 9 (?) languages (i've
lost count!) it seems here to stay.  and all those languages add some
credibility, too, i think, many thanks to all those who've helped with
that.

i've tried to organize a bit of a website board/workgroup in the past,
but never found much interest.  if there is interest now, i could share
with that group how to manage that bulletin board and other functions,
but i really think streamlining and cleaning up is more the order of the
day, rather than a more centralized effort to stockpile stories. i could
be wrong, but like i say, this structure does exist.  i think it hasn't
happened because it must already exist in other places, esp. oslist.


>
> 3) Is there a role/function that you would like the board to play in
> exploring and/or implementing any of these ideas?

i think the key role for board and other supporting groups is
spaceholding and inviting, rather than production.  spaceholding is
happening and i'd be glad to have company on that as far as the website
goes.  i've made some ongoing invitations to the list for folks to get
involved in posting there stories on the osw.org site, but not a huge
response, so far.  maybe a larger group could boost the welcome there.

also, it has always been the case that folks could post their own
stories, and include links to their own websites or just email addresses
so that readers could find them directly.  it's a very direct sort of
structure in that way.  if the technicalities of posting to the bboard
are getting in the way, then perhaps a group could be formed to invite
stories and post them to the site.  the bboard at osw.org is also fully
searchable.


>
> 4) Of the ideas Kerry suggested, are there any services that you would like
> to provide to our community, example: Michael Hermann to create a team to
> update the OS website : )

think i already answered this.  if there is anyone that wants to discuss
ways to make the osw.org bboard function more accessible and useful, to
scuttle, reconfigure, or whatever, then please start an item for this on
metanet and we can start that work straight-away.  if there is a better
way to do or non-do this database plan now, then by all means do or
non-do it and then just post a link to it in the online resources forum
at osw.org.

one final item related to this is that we do have a section for 'other
events' (other than trainings) and also for practitioners' contact info.
these aren't being used very much, even though i regularly get requests
for help in finding practitioners.  the first step to credibility seems
to list yourself, for free, as a member of the worldwide community.
this can be updated directly by the practitioner, so no other
maintenance is required.

hee hee hee... i'm also now reminded that i've not yet posted the
invitation for a june 7th open space on open space (midwest usa) event
to the 'other events' section.

so what does it say when the webmaster forgets to post there?  time to
get a new webmaster, or maybe just too big a structure to support?   so
now what?

m



john engle wrote:
>
> Dear Colleagues,
>
> We would like to invite the larger OS community into a discussion. We also
> encourage those interested in implementing ideas that emerge from the
> discussion to come forth.
>
> Following the membership renewal letter recently sent by the Open Space
> Institute (US) to its members, several people responded with questions and
> suggestions.
>
> On February 22nd, during the monthly teleconference call of the Open Space
> Institute's (US) board, we addressed the suggestions of Kerry Napuk.  About
> 60 seconds into the conversation the board had consensus on two points:
>
> 1) Kerry's suggestions deserve discussion among the OS community.
>
> 2) We need to get more input from the OS community-at-large--you--as to what
> should be done with these suggestions.
>
> With Kerry's permission, here is his note:
>
> 1) Open Space, as a process, lacks a universal database of events and its
> credibility suffers accordingly.
>
> 2) Database details on Open Futures’ 51 events are posted on their
> website, www.openfutures.com. Do any other people on the OS List Serve post
> their activity levels?  If so, would they let the List and Institute know?
>
> 3) These postings could be encouraged on the OSLIST.
>
> 4) Perhaps some recognition or labeling could follow, such as "Master
> Facilitator" for groups of 50 or more, events "Grand Master" for 100 or more
> or whatever.
>
> 5) Masters etc. could have direct links from your OS website to theirs.
> The www.openspaceworld.org web site currently has a section for links
>
> 6) Some resources could be applied to promote the OS website.
>
> 7) Open events could be listed for potential sponsors to participate and
> experience the process. We often ask people to attend an Open event to
> discover what the process is all about.
>
> Does any of this make sense to you and the Board? If so, perhaps we can
> develop some initiatives by email.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Kerry
>
> We, the board, express our gratitude to you, Kerry, for taking the time to
> articulate these ideas and for granting us permission to share this with the
> rest of the community.
>
> Our questions to the community are:
>
> 1) What do you all think about these ideas?
>
> 2) Are there ideas here that you feel compelled to implement?
>
> 3) Is there a role/function that you would like the board to play in
> exploring and/or implementing any of these ideas?
>
> 4) Of the ideas Kerry suggested, are there any services that you would like
> to provide to our community, example: Michael Hermann to create a team to
> update the OS website : )
>
> We look forward to hearing back from you.
>
> Sincerely,
>

--

Michael Herman
300 West North Avenue #1105
Chicago IL 60610
312-280-7838 voice
312-280-7837 fax

http://www.michaelherman.com
...an invitation.

*
*
==========================================================
OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
------------------------------
To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
view the archives of oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu,
Visit:

http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html