[OSList] New Animal from London - "The Fly"

[Harold Shinsato]

In London last week Phelim formally introduced a new animal to add to 
our familiar butterflies and bumblebees. As noted in an earlier post, 
Phelim called it the Fly.

There was a sketch of the Fly on the wall - an insect with huge eyes, 
wings, and a camera. When Phelim introduced the creature on one of the 
morning openings, the fellow with the large high quality video camera 
came to demonstrate an aspect of "the Fly". When the fly came close to 
Phelim, he shooed it away. And then soon it came back. And he shooed it 
away again, repeating several times.

Having video taped a number of sessions and events in Open Space before 
- not with as excellent equipment - the Fly metaphor is really 
resonating. We're like the proverbial "Fly on the Wall" that provides 
access to events that others wish they could have seen. But the Fly can 
also detract. Some people get annoyed. It hampers their safety in being 
able to share. Sometimes people want to swat the Fly so they can just be 
present in the moment.

It felt like we had a professional "Fly" at WOSonOS 2012, and I look 
forward to some of the sweet stuff he captured after it gets digested.

But it also seems like the Fly is not a new animal at Open Space 
Technology events. In some ways, "The Fly" is part of the documentation 
story, not just for video but even for notes, drawings, audio 
recordings, and photos. Even written notes help those not present to be 
"the fly on the wall", yet it can be annoying to be quoted, or even to 
be the notes taker. Phelim even warned folks that the notes are visible 
to the whole world - so be sensitive to what you share!

I'm thinking of adding the Fly to our crew of insects to help remember 
some aspects that come up especially for videographers as they record 
and document. The metaphor empowers the participants to have a dialog 
with the recorders, empowers them to shoo away the flies, and prepares 
the flies that they may indeed be invited to stop recording in a light 
and fun way.

Does this metaphor fit? Is there a better one?

-- 
Harold Shinsato
harold at shinsato.com <mailto:harold at shinsato.com>
http://shinsato.com
twitter: @hajush <http://twitter.com/hajush>
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