Comments on: Cognitive Edge: Hubert’s error http://distributedresearch.net/blog/2007/02/10/cognitive-edge-hubert%e2%80%99s-error Distributed Action Research, communities of practice and social objects by Andy Roberts Mon, 01 Dec 2008 23:05:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2 By: Andy http://distributedresearch.net/blog/2007/02/10/cognitive-edge-hubert%e2%80%99s-error#comment-1471 Andy Sun, 11 Feb 2007 10:44:13 +0000 http://distributedresearch.net/blog/2007/02/10/cognitive-edge-hubert%e2%80%99s-error#comment-1471 Thanks very much for the comments so far. I don't believe I have any significant difference with either Dave or Euan here, so it's hard to see where to go without the authentic voice of Hubert St Onge himself. The half way house is an interesting description, to me suggesting a temporary unidirectional role, whereas I feel the simple focus and reach of unmoderated peer to peer newsgroups or lightly facilitated listserves will persist more centrally as environments in which collaboration can thrive, more so than was originally envisaged when the new web tools came along. But I suspect the context of St Onge's comment is related entirely to corporate driven projects to implement tools behind the firewall, where control may be more of a concern than dilution to those wanting to restrict the proliferation of communication channels. That's not to say that dissipation isn't a threat to critical mass, because hyperlinks only work when people are motivated to click on them and risk becoming side tracked, which is a different type of behaviour to the more linear "read next unread". Thanks very much for the comments so far. I don’t believe I have any significant difference with either Dave or Euan here, so it’s hard to see where to go without the authentic voice of Hubert St Onge himself. The half way house is an interesting description, to me suggesting a temporary unidirectional role, whereas I feel the simple focus and reach of unmoderated peer to peer newsgroups or lightly facilitated listserves will persist more centrally as environments in which collaboration can thrive, more so than was originally envisaged when the new web tools came along.
But I suspect the context of St Onge’s comment is related entirely to corporate driven projects to implement tools behind the firewall, where control may be more of a concern than dilution to those wanting to restrict the proliferation of communication channels. That’s not to say that dissipation isn’t a threat to critical mass, because hyperlinks only work when people are motivated to click on them and risk becoming side tracked, which is a different type of behaviour to the more linear “read next unread”.

]]> By: Dave Snowden http://distributedresearch.net/blog/2007/02/10/cognitive-edge-hubert%e2%80%99s-error#comment-1468 Dave Snowden Sun, 11 Feb 2007 06:33:09 +0000 http://distributedresearch.net/blog/2007/02/10/cognitive-edge-hubert%e2%80%99s-error#comment-1468 Andy - thanks for this reflection. However I want to take issue with you on a couple of things. Firstly, the list serve issue. Yes I take part in them (less since the blog) and take a provacative stance. I also <i><a href="http://www.cognitive-edge.com/2006/12/natural_numbers_networks_commu.php" rel="nofollow">suggest</a></i> that people use list serves, along with blogs and wikis to get started with km. I am not arguing that blogs replace collaboration per se, but I am arguing that they are a form of collaboration. List serves are also to my mind a half way house between the formal collaboration environments that Hubert is advocating and tools such as blogs and wikis. Secondly - I agree with Euan. Andy - thanks for this reflection. However I want to take issue with you on a couple of things. Firstly, the list serve issue. Yes I take part in them (less since the blog) and take a provacative stance. I also suggest that people use list serves, along with blogs and wikis to get started with km. I am not arguing that blogs replace collaboration per se, but I am arguing that they are a form of collaboration. List serves are also to my mind a half way house between the formal collaboration environments that Hubert is advocating and tools such as blogs and wikis. Secondly - I agree with Euan.

]]> By: euan.semple@gmail.com http://distributedresearch.net/blog/2007/02/10/cognitive-edge-hubert%e2%80%99s-error#comment-1469 euan.semple@gmail.com Sat, 10 Feb 2007 20:41:16 +0000 http://distributedresearch.net/blog/2007/02/10/cognitive-edge-hubert%e2%80%99s-error#comment-1469 You're last point Andy is why I reckon Hubert's second point is wrong. People learn that the different tools are good for different things and rather than a mess what you get is really easy hyperlinks between different levels of communication - sometimes about the same topic. A spontaneous idea on a forum can be moved to a wiki for further work and people can use their blogs to provide their own personal gloss on what is happening - and they all interlink easily. You’re last point Andy is why I reckon Hubert’s second point is wrong.

People learn that the different tools are good for different things and rather than a mess what you get is really easy hyperlinks between different levels of communication - sometimes about the same topic.

A spontaneous idea on a forum can be moved to a wiki for further work and people can use their blogs to provide their own personal gloss on what is happening - and they all interlink easily.

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