FW: The challenge of "luminaries"

Deborah Hartmann deborah at hartmann.net
Thu Aug 23 05:14:13 PDT 2007


 > Kaliya has tried to clarify what Open Space is with people who were 
doing some kind of hybrid unconferencing but calling it open space.

Speaking from experience: this is REALLY challenging, and "good for 
you!" Kaliya for taking on the challenge! Techies discovering 
unconferencing can be enthralled by the "cowboy" freedom they see, and 
get quite resistant to adding back any discipline around their 
conferences. However, it can soon enough degenerate into something less 
than open :-(

And, while we're listing those pioneering OST with techines, don't 
forget Michael Hermann who opened space at Agile Software Development 
conferences as early as, I believe, 2001. (Correct me if I'm wrong, 
Michael!)

deb

Chris Corrigan wrote:
> Tree...just for some clarification about what I know of Kaliya's work...
>
> When the tech community first discovered "unconferencing" in about 
> 2002 or 2003, several of us piped up about using Open Space Technology 
> to run conferences.  For as long as I can remember Harrison has been 
> saying things like "Open Space is the internet in real life" so when 
> techies discovered OST, I thought "What took you guys so long?" 
>
> An interesting thing happened in the tech world around 
> unconferencing.  The way I understand it, several people tried to use 
> OST and they were rebuffed by conference organizers who were keen to 
> jump on the new wave, but not so keen to actually try an OS. 
>
> From what I know of Kaliya (and Deborah Hartmann, and there may be 
> others), she has taken up the challenge full bore of helping the tech 
> community really discover the power of Open Space, by helping them 
> really use it.  She has written extensively about why one shouldn't 
> mess with the process - why the integrity of the proces is important, 
> and what people miss when they start messing with the process.  I am 
> also aware that Kaliya has tried to clarify what Open Space is with 
> people who were doing some kind of hybrid unconferencing but calling 
> it open space.
>
> So, in short, I personally have a great interest in Kaliya's 
> experience, because she is on the edge of addressing these questions 
> in a big and active community that talks al ot to each other.  How she 
> has dealt with luminaries, used elements of OST and seen the process 
> mashed and bent should be in a book somewhere.  And I have let her 
> know on several occasions how much I have appreciated her stand for 
> clarity about what OST is and what it isn't.
>
> Anyway I just thought I add that for clarity, and I guess as kind of a 
> public appreciation for Kaliya's work.  Tree, I think your questions 
> are good ones for people like Dave Winer, an influential unconferencer 
> (Google him) and many others who almost get it but not quite. 
>
> Cheers,
>
> Chris
-- 

Deborah Hartmann
Agile Process Coach
deborah.hartmann.net

"Learn the principle, 
abide by the principle, and 
dissolve the principle." 
-- Bruce Lee


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