Unconferences

Wed Sep 8 08:48:47 PDT 2010

Thought I would throw in a little bit of "unconferencing" history here.  Back in 2005 Johnnie Moore (UK based OST facilitator), Rob Paterson and I engaged in a 20 minute conversation which we podcast on the architecture of conferences.  We were responding to the fact that the social media world was beginning to find a discrepancy between what they did and how they met.  I'm not sure if we talked much about Open Space per se in the podcast, but it is interesting to hear again some musings from nearer the beginning of the unconferencing phenomenon.

You can hear it here:  http://www.johnniemoore.com/blog/archives/001019.php

Cheers,

Chris
----
Chris Corrigan
chris at chriscorrigan.com
http://www.chriscorrigan.com

On 2010-09-08, at 4:02 AM, Annamarie Pluhar wrote:

> Thank you Lisa, Harold, Jon, James, Mamading, Harrison for chiming in. 
> 
> I think Lisa your "not the complete form" is a wonderful phrasing and what I was thinking.  It's also so kindly put. By opening the subject I've learned about "bar camps" which I have not encountered before this. Love reading the book of proceedings from Berlin. Can't say I listened through the tape of the conversation.  Like with good writing, I think that there's a place for editing to help the non-attendee use the material.  It will be interesting to see how the use of video and audio evolves as the editing tools become common. Right now I think we are all enthralled (I include myself) with the ease of recording and posting. Oh that's a new subject...  From HO, the question why do unnecessary work? But that's a Trickster's response because the work is behind the scenes in setting up the event. As my favorite Liturgics professor used to say, "What we are doing is planning for spontaneity." 
>  
> For Michael's info (keeper of the listserv, right?) I did not get something from Kaliya. Messages I got from the people listed above. 
> 
> Annamarie Pluhar
> 
> Pluhar Consulting
> Results through effective group process
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> 802.579.5975 (cell)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On Sep 7, 2010, at 10:52 PM, Lisa Heft wrote:
> 
>> Hi, Doug (and others) - I should have lifted the words Harold gave for Kaliya's description from his earlier posting and placed them in my posting - rather than simply refer to it. Sorry about that.
>> In Harold's earlier posting he mentioned that "Kaliya calls it a bunch of Alpha Geeks rushing at the blank wall to grab the best spots."  
>> The words you bolded are mine.  And thank you ;o)
>> Lisa
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> On Sep 7, 2010, at 7:35 PM, doug wrote:
>> 
>>> Lisa--
>>> 
>>> I am not clear--are these words bolded yours or Kaliya's? Either way I like them a lot.
>>> 
>>> :- Doug.
>>> 
>>> On Tue, 2010-09-07 at 17:40 -0700, Lisa Heft wrote:
>>>> Hi, Annamarie -
>>>> Harold, I think Kaliya describes it so beautifully.
>>>> From what I am hearing, the word 'unconference' - when used by most people - seems to be a generic term for 'not the usual PowerPoint type of meeting/conference' - started perhaps in the tech communities but is now a term used by others.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> It does not mean Open Space. To everyone.
>>>> And just as we often hear of groups using 'Open Space' and then when we ask them to describe it, it's something completely un-Open Space (but just uses a circle, or just uses topic signs on a wall, or something), I hear that in the tech / hybrid / mashup world what often is referred to as Open Space or Unconference is not anything we would call Open Space. 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> So often what I hear is it is not the complete form:
>>>> - Opening Circle - invitation and explanation of process, principles and law
>>>> - participant-driven co-created agenda (without clustering, without facilitator's 'helping', without voting or elimination of topics, and done at a time-for-everyone speed rather than whoever-thinks-the-fastest speed)
>>>> - multiple participant-led discussions around the room (that folks can wander amongst) for multiple session times (without facilitators 'helping', with time enough for not-just-the-quickest-responders to participate, ideally with some sort of participant-generated documentation of the discussions)
>>>> - as mentioned above - ideally some sort of participant-documentation component that ultimately becomes a co-created Book of Proceedings (to share more than the moment of talking / to provide data to all, to share knowledge with everyone about what you discovered and learned in the certain sessions you hosted or attended)
>>>> - facilitator becoming totally present and completely invisible and holding space - not directive or intervening or traffic controlling - after welcoming/inviting/explaining/opening
>>>> - Closing Circle for comment and reflection
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> Not squished into too short a time frame, not hybridized or morphed (for this results in different deliverables than the compete OS tool delivers), not cut into pieces, no pressure to present, and ideally welcoming of all kinds of people (quick responders, slow responders, topic convenors, witnesses, established leaders, emergent leaders, folks of lower power or rich difference, and so on).
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> So. I hear there are some wonderful facilitators who use true Open Space for tech-based Unconferences / camps. Certainly most 'agilistas' (Agile community) seem to help each other learn Open Space well.
>>>> I know some of you folks who specialize in using OS in tech communities / camps / unconferences personally. You are amazing.  You do it so well.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> I also hear there are things that sound sort of like it, that are not it, that I wish were not called Open Space. I would love it if the term 'Open Space' were only used for the complete form. I welcome people to do any parts of interactive / dialogic work that work for them - I just like participants and other users to know which tools deliver what - proper naming for understanding proper use of tools.  Just like knowing a hammer is best for some things and when you say hammer you have thought about what it's most useful for and what it's design can deliver. Rather than using it for everything or pulling it apart into components and expecting the same results.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> I welcome all experimentation, all stretching, all sharing of different experiences, too.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> What do others think?
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> Lisa
>>>> 
>>>> 
>> 
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