Clay Shirky has posted his seminal keynote at the O'Reilly Emerging Tech conference:
I want to talk a pattern I've seen over and over again in social software that supports large and long-lived groups. And that pattern is the pattern described in the title of this talk: "A Group Is Its Own Worst Enemy."
So I just posted my comments from the same conference which were in some ways a response to Clay's presentation:
I want to suggest there's a reason why we keep making the mistake that Clay specifically points to: the failure to adopt a group "constitution." It's not because we don't learn. It's because of the importance - in even the most vocal groups - of the unspoken.
Posted
by D. Weinberger at July 1, 2003 05:58 PM
Comments
It's that unspoken - that I wanted to resolve when it comes to the ThreadsML site. I don't have access to change-update it. Nobody else does either - except for you.
But instead of asking for access, I thought that getting Ben H. to do some copy editing might be the right approach. But NOOOOOOOOOOOO (said in along drawn out sarcastic manner.......)
So we still have a nebulous site - even though we're getting traction technically and working example code (and a cool, re-entrant conversation example.)
Now some would call that - just the ants being unorganized. Others might call it 'stoppage'. Me - I'm fascinated with the unspoken, chaordic realities of trying to get something done in this NEA world. This is the 'problem' with a world of ends.
With no boss - basic things never get done.
Posted by: Marc Canter | July 1, 2003 09:15 PM
Marc, I'm sending you the login info for the site.
Posted by: dweinberger | July 1, 2003 10:53 PM
And often, with many bosses, not much gets spoken.
Where's Yossarian when we need him ?
Posted by: Jon | July 2, 2003 10:50 AM