SV: The Pros and Cons of OST? (plus use of the word 'technology')

[Allison & Jim Baensch]

Thanks to Claudia and all other respondents and interested parties,
I have got behind with my responses, as I was afraid I might.
This list has been a wonderful experience so far for me.
Part of the pleasure was in finding others with similar interests to  
mine.
Another source of enjoyment came from noticing ideas evolving before  
my eyes and in my mind.
This happened in parallel to our email messages 'to-ing and fro-ing'  
around the world at all hours.
Many suggestions were helpful.
My approach to the writing is now different from how it was when I  
posted my first email to this group.
The paper is due in tomorrow, and is shaping itself - it mainly needs  
a conclusion.
If anyone wants to read it, maybe I can put it somewhere for that  
purpose once I complete it?

The paper is not written wholly in Open Space, but has the flavour of  
OST.
And it is quite lengthy - around 7,000 words, so I reckon it'll be  
too long to post on the list.

I appreciate the help of list members in writing it.
Some time ago I wrote the first half of the paper then joined the list.
The paper's second half consists largely of cut and pasted  
contributions from list members to do with the topic.

I have one more question that I think will come up at the conference.
What is the thinking in OST circles about the use of the word  
'Technology'?
I notice that some people use the term Open Space Technology at times  
and others say 'Open Space'.
A discussion on this topic may have taken place on the list before,  
but being a recent arrival, I have not been party to it.
I think OST is a technology, and like to use the word, but would  
appreciate other opinions to broaden my own.
Cheerio,
Allison.





On 27/11/2005, at 2:25 AM, Claudia Haack wrote:

> Hi, Allison!
> I've tried to read everything on this thread but am not sure if I  
> got it
> all, so please forgive me if I'm being repetitive, or off the mark.  I
> think I was in a similar situation, where I submitted a paper for a
> session (for a group of public outreach professionals) and then got  
> put
> on the "poster session circuit".  I had planned to hold a session and
> actually engage people in a mini-OST.  The poster session was  
> terrible.
>  People just sort of meander around.  Typically the conversations were
> between the "presenter" and one or two other people, not a group.   
> It's
> totally free-flow.  Maybe they do it differently at this conference,
> with some "master of ceremonies" encouraging folks to move in groups
> from poster to poster, but that would be somewhat awkward, too.
> Anyways, it's a format, that is ok for topics that have great visuals
> but for something like this it is pretty deadly.  I've been at other
> conferences where the poster sessions were great (examples of maps).
> I think I might try to "buck" the system.  If it is really a poster
> session, I'd try to come up with a provocative question for that  
> group.
>  What is it (content wise) that this group is gathering around and how
> do they typically deal with it?  What would provoke a natural
> conversation? What is your objective?  Do you want to make a case for
> OST or engage them in thinking about it as a method in their practice,
> or do you see a possibility to hold their next meeting in OST format?
> Maybe a mini interview printed on a 1/2 sheet that asks questions that
> relate to the core of OST and push the envelope a bit. You could  
> engage
> whoever shows up by interviewing them, and encourage new folks to
> interview each other and take notes.
>
> Hope this is useful.
> Ciao, Claudia
> Claudia Haack
> KAIROS Alliance Inc.
> 606 Orchard Dr.
> Madison, WI
> phone: 608.288.8315
> fax: 480.247.4824
> www.kairosalliance.com


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