Koos, I visited your site. Thanks for setting it up! Even in Dutch, it seemed to be straightforward. I tried to add a message and got:
Sorry, u heeft een GebruikersNaam ingevoerd die niet is geregistreerd. Als u zich nog nooit heeft aangemeld kunt u dan nu doen. Aanmelden is gratis. The "sorry" combined with not seeing my reply posted leads me to believe it didn't take. So, here's my question: what do you think of enlarging the experiment by linking this to the Open Space Institute web site? (perhaps with some English for us single language types) Peg Holman -----Original Message----- From: koos de heer <[email protected]> To: [email protected] <[email protected]> Date: Thursday, April 08, 1999 2:11 PM Subject: Re: Fw: Open space tech >Bruce, Peg, and all, > >I have done some experimenting with software that might >serve the purpose of making internet connections between >Open Space locations. For one reason I think it could >work very well, for another reason I am afraid it might >not work at all. Which is why I am a little reluctant >to give it a try in real life. So far, my experiments >have been limited to fiddling with the software. I post >this to the list to get your opinions on this and maybe >find an opportunity to put it to practice. > >It is standard software and it does what it promises to >do. That is the reason why I think it could work. It is >called forum software and there is an implementation of >it running on my website. It is in Dutch but if you want >to give it a try, I have opened a special experimental >space for the purpose. The idea of a forum is that it >is a space where anyone can open a topic and post a >message about it. Others can react and contribute to >the discussion. Every discussion thread functions as a >small group in a break out room discussing a topic. >It can be found at: http://www.auryn.nl/forum. >When you enter the forum called Experimental Open Space, >you can click on a topic to read what was said there, >choose "post reactie" to add your thoughts to what is >there already, or click on "nieuw onderwerp" to start >a new thread of discussion. See? Dutch is not so hard >after all ;-) > >The reason that makes me think it might not work at all >is the fact that the software allows participants to >exchange just words. Words are an important part of our >communication, but especially in Open Space, I think we >communicate much more than just our words. A lot happens >because we are together and because of the way we are >together. The presence of the facilitator, the fact that >we open and close in a circle, the difference between >butterflies, bumblebees and the others, much of all that >is lost when we digitize the communication. >Another thing is the fact that Open Space usually works >best when it is compacted into a few consecutive days, >in which the OS is the main thing that happens. A forum >on a web site is a place where you spend a few minutes >or half an hour on a day and go on with your usual >business the rest of the day. > >The way I think it would work best is when there is a >real physical Open Space going on in a few locations, >with each location having its own facilitator who opens >and keeps the space. Each location would have a few PC's >linked to the internet. The results of each break out >group could then be posted to the forum and people could >also take part in the discussions in the forum between >sessions or while bumblebeeing or butterflying around. >That would also open the opportunity for folks who can >not attend physically to take part in the forum, but the >whole thing would be carried by the locations that do >have a real-life OS. > >I would really like to set up a thing like that, if there >would be an opportunity for it. I am eager to find out what >you all think of it. While writing all this, I become more >and more excited about the idea. I should be doing all >sorts of other very important things, but somehow I could >not get this out of my mind. Obviously there is passion >involved... ;-) > >Cheers >Koos > >------------ >koos de heer >auryn management advies >utrecht, netherlands >mailto:[email protected] >http://www.auryn.nl/
