Comments for sandyblair http://sandyblair.wordpress.com only through praxis will we understand Mon, 08 Sep 2008 14:47:28 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU hourly 1 Comment on Intranets: 1995 vs 2008 by sandyblair http://sandyblair.wordpress.com/2008/08/12/intranets-1995-vs-2008/#comment-103 sandyblair Tue, 12 Aug 2008 15:46:54 +0000 http://sandyblair.wordpress.com/?p=41#comment-103 Oooh great point Kerry, in several ways. The 'tidying up' of the intranet in the late 90s seems to have been a feature of many companies' intranet. They all did it for the same reason too, there was too much abandoned and poorly contected stuff. In the internet abandoned sites isn't an issue, there was enough good stuff bubbling to the surface, but that is a quite wasteful process (wasteful of a plentiful resource admittedly) and that mechanism wasn't kicking in on the intranet. Although it was an imposition to many sites to 'go professional' (and I'm poacher turned gamekeeper here), the end result was that a lot of un-maintained, badly organised sites were replaced by better sites. I'm not suggesting another round of overly prescriptive governance, but that's not the same as a free for all. I'm still not clear where the balance is between governance that ensures good, reliable content and one that doesn't stifle innovation. Neither am I saying that the governence needs to be top down there are processes that are inbuilt into social media / UGC publishing - however how close it is to the behaviour we see on the internet, the wikignomes etc described in wikipatterns.com is something that is still in doubt. Oooh great point Kerry, in several ways.

The ‘tidying up’ of the intranet in the late 90s seems to have been a feature of many companies’ intranet. They all did it for the same reason too, there was too much abandoned and poorly contected stuff.

In the internet abandoned sites isn’t an issue, there was enough good stuff bubbling to the surface, but that is a quite wasteful process (wasteful of a plentiful resource admittedly) and that mechanism wasn’t kicking in on the intranet.

Although it was an imposition to many sites to ‘go professional’ (and I’m poacher turned gamekeeper here), the end result was that a lot of un-maintained, badly organised sites were replaced by better sites.

I’m not suggesting another round of overly prescriptive governance, but that’s not the same as a free for all. I’m still not clear where the balance is between governance that ensures good, reliable content and one that doesn’t stifle innovation.

Neither am I saying that the governence needs to be top down there are processes that are inbuilt into social media / UGC publishing - however how close it is to the behaviour we see on the internet, the wikignomes etc described in wikipatterns.com is something that is still in doubt.

]]> Comment on Intranets: 1995 vs 2008 by Kerry Buckley http://sandyblair.wordpress.com/2008/08/12/intranets-1995-vs-2008/#comment-102 Kerry Buckley Tue, 12 Aug 2008 12:21:48 +0000 http://sandyblair.wordpress.com/?p=41#comment-102 I think the tension between the two models existed even in 1995 (or thereabouts). Remember the attempts in BT to shut down the 'unofficial intranet' when intra.bt.com was created? On one side were the corporate relations people, the top-down publishing model, the ban on links outside of the controlled platform and the 'sorrying' (automatic deletion) of all pages after two years. On the other, people running servers on scrounged hardware, 'keep the unofficial intranet' page badges, the denizens of bt.misc, and (for a while at least) most of the useful content. I think the tension between the two models existed even in 1995 (or thereabouts). Remember the attempts in BT to shut down the ‘unofficial intranet’ when intra.bt.com was created? On one side were the corporate relations people, the top-down publishing model, the ban on links outside of the controlled platform and the ’sorrying’ (automatic deletion) of all pages after two years. On the other, people running servers on scrounged hardware, ‘keep the unofficial intranet’ page badges, the denizens of bt.misc, and (for a while at least) most of the useful content.

]]> Comment on The Style Council by sandyblair http://sandyblair.wordpress.com/2008/05/13/the-style-council/#comment-98 sandyblair Mon, 19 May 2008 09:06:30 +0000 http://sandyblair.wordpress.com/?p=36#comment-98 The bold question was a bit of a swizz, everybody seems to be getting it wrong, probably because I didn't word it as well as I could have done. I've been trying to work out the answer to the question 'how do you know if a particular wiki is any good'. I particularly liked this blog post http://strange.corante.com/archives/2008/04/29/the_importance_of_pigheadedness.php And her highlighting of Clay Shirky's comment that most wiki's fail. Clay's answer to that is move on, try again, my answer (in an intranet) is sometimes it might be better to spot and fix the reasons for failure. The bold question was a bit of a swizz, everybody seems to be getting it wrong, probably because I didn’t word it as well as I could have done.

I’ve been trying to work out the answer to the question ‘how do you know if a particular wiki is any good’.

I particularly liked this blog post
http://strange.corante.com/archives/2008/04/29/the_importance_of_pigheadedness.php

And her highlighting of Clay Shirky’s comment that most wiki’s fail. Clay’s answer to that is move on, try again, my answer (in an intranet) is sometimes it might be better to spot and fix the reasons for failure.

]]> Comment on The Style Council by Steve Ellwood http://sandyblair.wordpress.com/2008/05/13/the-style-council/#comment-97 Steve Ellwood Sat, 17 May 2008 12:19:23 +0000 http://sandyblair.wordpress.com/?p=36#comment-97 7/10 - I got less style :( [bold and u/l were my downfalls], but I agree witht he general thrust of the article, and I'd think a wiki gardner would be quite entitled - natch - to move to chosen house style. I'd add that wikipedia has a lot of protected pages, so it isn't all free for all, and AFAICR you have to log in to edit some pages. [I've done 2 wikipedia edits; hardcore!] 7/10 - I got less style :(

[bold and u/l were my downfalls], but I agree witht he general thrust of the article, and I’d think a wiki gardner would be quite entitled - natch - to move to chosen house style.

I’d add that wikipedia has a lot of protected pages, so it isn’t all free for all, and AFAICR you have to log in to edit some pages.
[I've done 2 wikipedia edits; hardcore!]

]]> Comment on What five metronomes, two soda cans and a piece of wood can teach us about intranets. by markmorrell http://sandyblair.wordpress.com/2008/05/03/what-five-metronomes-two-soda-cans-and-a-piece-of-wood-can-teach-us-about-intranets/#comment-86 markmorrell Tue, 13 May 2008 15:15:56 +0000 http://sandyblair.wordpress.com/?p=35#comment-86 I like your postings - especially the videos which are beyond me to include in my blog (maybe your next posting explains how?). Very engaging and humorous! :-) I like your postings - especially the videos which are beyond me to include in my blog (maybe your next posting explains how?). Very engaging and humorous! :-)

]]> Comment on What five metronomes, two soda cans and a piece of wood can teach us about intranets. by Steve Ellwood http://sandyblair.wordpress.com/2008/05/03/what-five-metronomes-two-soda-cans-and-a-piece-of-wood-can-teach-us-about-intranets/#comment-79 Steve Ellwood Sun, 04 May 2008 12:57:38 +0000 http://sandyblair.wordpress.com/?p=35#comment-79 So, more about this governance. Going to look at /. or digg for reputation/karma - or do we run a wikipedia semi-protected model? I can't wait for your next post on this. So, more about this governance. Going to look at /. or digg for reputation/karma - or do we run a wikipedia semi-protected model?

I can’t wait for your next post on this.

]]> Comment on What five metronomes, two soda cans and a piece of wood can teach us about intranets. by Steve Ellwood http://sandyblair.wordpress.com/2008/05/03/what-five-metronomes-two-soda-cans-and-a-piece-of-wood-can-teach-us-about-intranets/#comment-78 Steve Ellwood Sun, 04 May 2008 11:03:11 +0000 http://sandyblair.wordpress.com/?p=35#comment-78 Excellent video. I really like the "Governance of Crowds" © I assume? or at least ® How much of this will/would be due to a shared culture or are we ascribing this to the performance of generic crowds as Surowiecki suggests? Excellent video.

I really like the “Governance of Crowds”
© I assume? or at least ®

How much of this will/would be due to a shared culture or are we ascribing this to the performance of generic crowds as Surowiecki suggests?

]]> Comment on The Crooners quiz by Ross Chestney http://sandyblair.wordpress.com/2008/04/22/the-crooners-quiz/#comment-77 Ross Chestney Wed, 23 Apr 2008 07:46:23 +0000 http://sandyblair.wordpress.com/?p=34#comment-77 Johnny Mathis is definitely a crooner. :-) Johnny Mathis is definitely a crooner. :-)

]]> Comment on The Crooners quiz by Chris Leonard http://sandyblair.wordpress.com/2008/04/22/the-crooners-quiz/#comment-76 Chris Leonard Tue, 22 Apr 2008 22:35:36 +0000 http://sandyblair.wordpress.com/?p=34#comment-76 6/10 for me on both - could do better... 6/10 for me on both - could do better…

]]> Comment on Quiz update by shaidorsai http://sandyblair.wordpress.com/2008/04/19/quiz-update/#comment-75 shaidorsai Sat, 19 Apr 2008 21:04:38 +0000 http://sandyblair.wordpress.com/?p=33#comment-75 6 out of 10. Disaster. Can't help with the embedding. I have a feeling iframes aren't allowed in .com blogs? 6 out of 10.
Disaster.

Can’t help with the embedding.
I have a feeling iframes aren’t allowed in .com blogs?

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