At 03:49 PM 8/17/00 +0800, you wrote:
I have been trying to think of ways of adding to the "Technology" side of Open Space.
******************************** What you propose sounds fascinating and I am sure we can all learn a lot. So share if you Care!!! As of course you will. Anyhow -- computers and other technology have been a part of the Open Space World since the beginning. Along the way, I think we have learned a few things which may be useful to your explorations. Stated as principles the learnings are: a) Never use technology for something the people can do as well or better by themselves. b) Whatever technology you use, keep it light and as transparent as possible. For understandable reasons, my techie friends are always looking for new bells and whistles, which in themselves are wonderful, but tend to add an un-needed level of complexity -- so a certain friendly restraint is always in order. I guess the core issue here is the need to care for the space. As long as technology enhances the quality of the space - great. But if it clutters the space or impedes the process, then I would be very careful. The whole business with laptops is a case in point. Many people have suggested and a number have tried using laptops in the actual sessions under the notion that folks could then capture the discussion in real time and not waste time transcribing from newsprint at a later moment. Sounds great -- but my experience is a little different. First of all laptops can be dropped. They also go on "walk-about." But the real problem is that when folks record discussion in real time, it tends to be a raw data dump with little reflection and organization. On the other hand, when they have to look at a large pile of newsprint, there is a strong motivation for some useful editing and organization. At a subtler level, I find that something else (of value) is lost -- the community that builds around The NewsRoom. So data entry (writing the reports becomes more than a mechanical task -- it actually seems to enrich the over all experience. Anyhow -- Press onwards. I think it should be fun. And while you are at it -- you might think about a software package that would handle the whole event -- soup to nuts. Registration, report entry, prioritization -- with a direct connection to the InterNet for follow-on and follow through. I'll bet you would have a number of interested folks. Lastly -- Poor old "technology" as in Open Space Technology... The word got there mostly by way of a joke -- perhaps a bad one (Ralph :-) -- but in truth it is a technology in the precise definition of the term... A specific procedure for the achievement of particular results. I have never fought it too much -- first because I didn't think I could -- but mostly because I have had the hope that perhaps our collective notion of technology would expand to be more what I think it should be. Not just widgets etc -- but a rich part of the total human journey. I guess folks talk about "humanizing technology." For me it's always been human, we have just been too narrow in our definition. There was a time (perhaps not to be repeated) when a few of us used to talk about Advanced Human Technologies. Open Space was one of those, and we might add things like NLP, various esoteric practices (forms of meditation) etc. Oh well, all that was pretty weird. Or was it? Harrison Harrison Owen 7808 River Falls Drive Potomac, MD 20854 USA phone 301-469-9269 fax 301-983-9314 Summer Phone 207-763-3261 Summer Address 189 Beaucaire Ave. Camden, ME 04843 website www.mindspring.com/~owenhh Open Space Institute website www.openspaceworld.org
