Re: [unrev-II] Eugene's work Organizing the Record

From: Eric Armstrong (eric.armstrong@sun.com)
Date: Mon Sep 17 2001 - 12:40:48 PDT

  • Next message: Jack Park: "[unrev-II] Personal Construct Theory -- Repertory Grids"

    The word :"interface" does not apply to a set of superficial widgets.
    Rather, it applies to the functionality and usability of the system as
    a whole.

    Your system is usable, by you. Most systems are usable by their
    developers. (For example, NLS.) The question is, how usable is
    it by others? The answer to that question determines the eventual
    acceptance and penetration of the technoglogy.

    The fact that you can dip into your record and find things is excellent,

    and your ability to do that is greatly valued by this community. But
    that, by itself, does not constitute the ability to structure an
    argument
    or produce an inherently readable/browsable/usable history of the
    discussion.

    Some aspects of POIMS are integral to the eventual solution. Some
    aspects of Traction were integral. Some aspects of email are integral.
    You get the idea. The list goes on.

    I tried to recognize what you have, in fact, achieved. But I do not
    wish to over-represent it as the solution.

    Rod Welch wrote:

    > Eugene,
    >
    > In another letter this morning, Eric was "amazed" about Rod's memory.
    > What if
    > it's not Rod's memory, but rather a technology that can leverage
    > everyone's
    > memory? Eric worries that it would be nice to have a better
    > interface. How
    > cogent and compelling is that reasoning in light of demand cited by
    > Eric, and
    > echoed by you and others, for an effective way to use the email
    > archive
    > productively?
    >
    > This group has witnessed use of the archive almost daily for 18
    > months,
    > beginning OA 991222, that demonstrates a new way of working called out
    > by the
    > group leader, Doug Engelbart.....
    >
    > http://www.welchco.com/sd/08/00101/02/99/12/22/104523.HTM#L280907
    >
    > Organizing the archive for this group is a small part of a much larger
    > body of
    > knowledge that is easily and daily connected into a web of
    > intelligence called
    > out by Doug. Email is a small part of the requirement for an effective
    > knowledge
    > base. It is integrated into the workflow minute by minute, hour by
    > hour, day by
    > day over months and years, as discussed with Eric on 000517 during a
    > meeting at
    > Intel....
    >
    > http://www.welchco.com/sd/08/00101/02/00/05/17/160031.HTM#5073
    >
    > Accordingly, Eric is incorrect. The record of this group is not lost
    > to any but
    > those who refuse to see, to try, to learn.
    >
    > Eric wants a better interface. He discloses in a letter on 000503 not
    > knowing
    > how to develop support for "knowledge," but he probably knows
    > something about
    > computer interfaces. It is possible that a better interface for
    > knowledge would
    > be helpful, but nobody knows that for sure until experience is gained
    > working
    > with the process that converts information into knowledge. Once that
    > experience
    > is gained, then it is appropriate to discuss how to deliver it with a
    > better
    > interface. Eric and many others are capable of this task. So what is
    > the real
    > fear that prevents progress? It has to do with climbing mountains....
    >
    > http://www.welchco.com/sd/08/00101/02/95/09/15/123020.HTM#4930
    >
    > Prattling about interface is really a concern that it takes more than
    > 20 minutes
    > to learn SDS for moving civilization forward. No interface will ever
    > reduce the
    > learning curve that takes several months and actually extend over a
    > lifetime,
    > although folks can pick up some basics in a few hours. Transitioning
    > from IT to
    > a culture of knowledge that lets everybody remember and use the
    > archives to
    > guide planning and improve performance of daily work, takes a little
    > bit of
    > commitment to improve the work, not a new interface, as discussed with
    > DOD on
    > 010730.....
    >
    > http://www.welchco.com/sd/08/00101/02/01/07/30/054920.HTM#AE5M
    >
    > The only missing ingredient is leadership -- the vision to see, the
    > courage to
    > act and the will to persevere. With leadership we can create a better
    > interface
    > and secure the blessings of a powerful advance that lifts civilization
    > to new
    > plateau.
    >
    > Rod
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    > Eugene Eric Kim wrote:
    > >
    > > On Sun, 16 Sep 2001, Eric Armstrong wrote:
    > >
    > > > * There are thousands of words in the unrev archives that may
    > > > never see the light of day, because its just to damn hard to
    > > > find anything. This mechanism could provide the answer to
    > > > that problem.
    > >
    > > This was really the main reason I decided to experiment with dialog
    > > mapping of e-mail in the first place. A lot of valuable information
    > is
    > > hidden in e-mail archives. Dialog mapping is an effective way of
    > > converting this raw data into organizational memory.
    > >
    > > The fact that dialog mapping serves as a nice way to direct
    > discussion is
    > > icing on the cake. (However, it wasn't entirely unexpected. I was
    > > heavily influenced by Jeff Conklin's IBIS workshop, where Jeff made
    > an
    > > effective case for dialog mapping as a facilitation technique in
    > > face-to-face meetings.)
    > >
    > > > * The archives are plinked (purple numbered). But Eugene has
    > > > the modified mail server to do that as messages are archived,
    >
    > > > as well as tools to plink past archives.
    > >
    > > I recently founded the OHS Launch Community as a way to experiment
    > with
    > > various tools and methodologies. I'll post more about it later, as
    > I'd
    > > like it if some members of this list joined.
    > >
    > > I limited my experiment to the OHS LC's mailing list rather than
    > unrev-ii
    > > for a number of reasons. First, people on this list use a variety
    > of
    > > e-mail clients, and my plinking software is very dumb. With a more
    > > constrained community, I don't have to worry about people formatting
    > their
    > > e-mails in bizarre ways that render my plinking software useless.
    > >
    > > > * It takes a lof of effort to build the map.
    > >
    > > This is the other reason I didn't experiment with this list. Dialog
    >
    > > mapping can be hard. Simply creating a dialog map of Eric's e-mail
    > > requires a considerable amount of time (although probably less than
    > the
    > > time Eric needed to construct the e-mail).
    > >
    > > > * One thing the system needs to do is to post links to the
    > > > summarized information. Those links would "complete the
    > > > circle" -- the index has pointers into the email archive,
    > and
    > > > the messages would have responses that point to where the
    > > > information is summarized. The most important result of such
    >
    > > > notification pages would be the ability to click a link to
    > see
    > > > how a discussion I have been part of was summarized -- in
    > > > case I want to make changes. (Or maybe become further
    > > > enlightened.)
    > >
    > > Yes. It wouldn't be too difficult to hack a back-link database for
    > links
    > > between the dialog map and the e-mail archive. However, I'm
    > starting to
    > > feel the urge to stop hacking and to start building real software.
    > >
    > > -Eugene
    > >
    > > --
    > > +=== Eugene Eric Kim ===== eekim@eekim.com =====
    > http://www.eekim.com/ ===+
    > > | "Writer's block is a fancy term made up by whiners so
    > they |
    > > +===== can have an excuse to drink alcohol." --Steve Martin
    > ===========+
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