Open Space / Open List / The Public Domain

Thu Apr 1 14:49:56 PST 2004

When a word "wants to be written" there is not too much you can do. I know.
I have written a few -- and very few that I regret. Although some may have
benefited from "further thought" :-)

ho

Harrison Owen
7808 River Falls Drive
Potomac, Maryland   20845
Phone 301-365-2093

Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com
Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org
Personal website http://mywebpages.comcast.net/hhowen/index.htm
OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
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-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Ilse
Debler
Sent: Thursday, April 01, 2004 3:23 PM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Re: Open Space / Open List / The Public Domain

Dear all

I feel very honoured to witness what is going on about a topic so amazing
that it's endless depth is shining through.
I've been rollercoasting with every single response, watching others and my
own reactions and reflections again and again sparkle like yet another facet
of a huge cosmic diamond. All the secrets that are included in it, be it
'flaws', colours, light, mirror images of the various surroundings,
histories, visions, experiences, hopes, suggestions, solutions,
possibilities, conclusions, concepts, politics, gratitude, fun, excitement
and - you name it - are cristallized in this OS-list, or call it container,
permeably woven and a gift of and for mankind at this time in space.
Thank you all -
...with a glimpse of universal love that has touched this virtual space I'm
almost embarrassed now for these 'swollen' words here, but they wanted to be
written, I guess. Take it easy ;-)

~ Ilse, HH

----- Original Message -----
From: "chris weaver" <chris at springbranch.net>
To: <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
Sent: Thursday, April 01, 2004 2:36 PM
Subject: Re: Open Space / Open List / The Public Domain

> Dear OSLIST Community,
>
> I am enthralled.  This thread is connecting deeply with my intellectual
and
> emotional passion.  Both the specific list-related issues at hand and the
> window into deeper learning are important to me.  I notice as well how
much
> I care about the people who are posting, and how much I care about so many
> of the people who are "listening."  I am grateful to be conscious anew of
> your presence in my life (via the magic of this list).
>
> Let me weave a basket - a context-container for looking at the discussion
> sparked by the open-archives issue (including my witnessing this morning
of
> my friend Michael Herman finding himself in the HOT SEAT!)  Needless to
say,
> this is not the only possible basket.  It's mine - many people's branches,
> my morning weaving :-)
>
> Christine wrote,
> > I've always considered this listserv as one giant open space, with the
same
> principles and law as any OST event.
>
> This outlines the shape of my basket.  Maybe the list is like an OST
event,
> maybe it's not.  Let's pretend it is.
>
> Chris Mcrae wrote,
> > as someone who knows what goes on at least 100 listserves, yours is the
most
> interesting, practical, communal, caring and open.
>
> As a metaphor for an aspect of this, Ashley Cooper wrote,
> > can you imagine walking down the street (googling) and then just finding
> yourself in this community. that would be amazing! i think that i would
> immediately plop down on the street and start crying. someone like julie
> smith would walk over and put her arms around me and... i'd know that the
> dream was real.
>
> So:  the OSLIST is an uncommon virtual space, just as an OST event, opened
> and held with skill and care, provides an uncommon space - uncommonly
> responsive, inviting, creative.  To my way of thinking:  like being inside
> -- a holographically-connected member of -- a healthy living organism.
>
> The reason I raised the question of how a healthy living system cares for
> itself is that in my experience, a healthy living system has a container,
or
> a skin.  As noted in the wonderful responses, the skin is highly
permeable -
> health depends on the thriving connection between the encoded information
> "within" the system and "outside" the system.  I would assert that, while
> close scientific or mystical examination reveals "within" and "outside" to
> be an illusion, the PRACTICE of skin, of containers, of definition of and
> translation across boundaries, is a requirement for taking part in the Big
> Dance.
>
> All my EXPERIENCE with OST and Open Space Organizations has been less
about
> the removal of boundaries and more about a highly rigorous engagement
with,
> experimentation with, and honoring of boundaries.  In practice, this means
> working with the givens.
>
> So.  In an OST event, who determines the givens?  In my experience of best
> practice, the givens are discovered and creatively articulated in
> conversation between the facilitator and the sponsor.  The sponsor,
through
> his/her connection with the community being served/invited, articulates
the
> givens, which join the OST principles/law/method to form the skin for the
> event - the container.
>
> The quality of what HAPPENS in the space is deeply influenced by the
> clarity, elegance, intention of the container that defines it.
>
> So, there's the basket.
>
> As for Michael Herman in the hot seat:  It appears to me that you are
> feeling the heat that sponsors, and sometimes facilitators, feel when
> participants in an OST request (and demand) clarity about the givens, and
> when they ask questions about who determines the givens, why, and through
> what authority.
>
> In your words Michael, one thing I hear is that you are reluctant to own
the
> role of sponsor or facilitator of the OSLIST.  I can imagine why.  You
never
> signed up (Hey, I'm just the volunteer tech guy!)
>
> But the reality that you have made some decisions about the skin of the
> OSLIST and its permeability is clear.  You, and the list administrators at
> Boise State, are tinkering with some givens.  A number of people on the
list
> are saying, "No problem, it doesn't matter to me, I like the container,
> maximum permeability is desirable - go forth and do good!"
>
> Yet there are other voices too, which to me all arise from the legitimate
> desire of participants to have a clear understanding of, and perhaps a say
> in, the givens - the very practical elements of our container.  Therese
has
> suggested that list participants be technically empowered to delete
specific
> postings from the archives.  Marei has requested that archives be closed
for
> now and that a participatory decision-making process be employed for
> conisdering the accessibility of the archives and also the FAQs.  Birgitt
> has requested clarity on who is making decisions and taking actions that
> alter the givens, and she has claimed authority for her own personal
> postings and withdrawn her consent that her words be openly available to
> search engines.
>
> To me, these <suggestions, requests, demands> remind me very much of
> legitimate concerns often directed at the SPONSOR in an OST event, or at
the
> organizational leader of an open space oranization (and believe me
Michael,
> I've been there).  Even if such concerns appear to be a "minority
opinion,"
> if the sponsor simply brushes them off or ignores them, there is a
> resounding effect on the quality of the space, which can include a partial
> closing of the space.
>
> Thus, the awkwardness of the current circumstance.
>
> Based on my experience with Open Space, the quality of the space of the
> OSLIST from this moment on will indeed be influenced by our shared clarity
> on the question of WHO'S THE SPONSOR?  WHO'S THE FACILITATOR?  In other
> words, who determines the givens?
>
> It's easy to say that we're all the sponsor and the facilitator.  If
that's
> the case, then the requests for a participative decision-making process
make
> a lot of sense.  Some voices have suggested that we don't need such a
thing,
> it would be cumbersome, it might not even be possible.  There's no doubt
> that someone or a group would need to shoulder the responsibility of
> designing and managing such a process.
>
> I am going to close this post like a big unanswered question mark, because
I
> don't have an answer.  But I do have a personal "conclusion" to this very
> heart-felt message.
>
> My posting was largely inspired by Marei's, which expresses what I feel
very
> well.  The container matters.  The container influences * the way we
> interact with eachother *  I do believe in trust, and in open sharing.
The
> availability of the archives is not an issue of great importance to me
(with
> the possible exception of my posting in 2001 about using snot to hang
> posters on the wall....on the other hand, you should go back and read it!)

>
> What DOES matter to me very much (as you can tell) is the quality of the
> space.  I hope that the list remains a space that moves toward wholeness,
> which is impossible if the space is not wide open to vulnerability and
> passion.  A space where a person can plop down on the sidewalk, shed some
> tears, and receive comfort.  If the list is like an OST event (or even
> moreso, an Open Space Organization), then we need to know who's the
sponsor,
> who's the facilitator, and how the very real responsibilities of these
roles
> are carried and made manifest among us.
>
> With Love,
> Chris
>
> PS - I just read your reply Michael to Therese re: Delete Function - Thank
> you for your continuing facilitation of collaborative sponsorship!
>
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