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There's a lot of great input. As a software developer myself, and I
know Maestro is basically software, I'm wanting to warn against
attempting to "get it right" the first go. I hope Burt is aware of
agile software techniques, iterative approaches, and simple design.
<a href="http://shop.oreilly.com/product/0636920019879.do">User
Story Mapping </a>would be a great way to look at this big suite
of functionality by having the product people (Maestro) talk to
customers (us), and visualize the various needs.<br>
<br>
One core idea in user story mapping and an iterative approach (as
well as Lean Startup ideas) is beginning with the Minimal Viable
Product. In this case, I believe the key feature here is letting
people move themselves around, rather than be moved. And rather than
calling it an "Open Space Platform" with all the controversy that
may rightly arouse, you could just start with providing the needed
"raw materials", and let the meeting facilitators and event
designers either make it "valid" Open Space, or something else.<br>
<br>
I think Maestro already has tools that let you make the opening
plenary and the evening news session (or event closing). After
people line up and announce their sessions - it's not too hard to
put up a grid on a wiki or a Google Doc that the attendees could
share. This is probably the second most important feature Maestro
would need to offer - so people didn't have to go somewhere else.
But it might also be nice to have a phone keypad method to select
sessions and preview currently posted ones. But I bet you could find
creative ways to help with accessibility with helpful people at a
keyboard and the phone - maybe with a schedule helper "room" or two.<br>
<br>
Michael Herman and I are two of the software people on the list. I
agree with him, keep it simple - at first. I could definitely use
Maestro for Open Space if it only added a feature that lets people
move themselves to different rooms. And don't worry about rooms
getting too crowded. The Law of Two Feet takes care of that.
Self-Organization makes the facilitators job much easier in terms of
work, even if it challenges the facilitators need for control!<br>
<br>
<div class="moz-signature">-- <br>
Harold Shinsato<br>
<a href="mailto:harold@shinsato.com">harold@shinsato.com</a><br>
<a href="http://shinsato.com">http://shinsato.com</a><br>
twitter: <a href="http://twitter.com/hajush">@hajush</a></div>
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