Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Monday, December 15, 2008
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Monday, December 8, 2008
The Get-A-Cluetrain Manifesto
At the beginning of the class in September, I made a rule for myself that I would never use the blog for ranting or mindless drivel. I did so because I hated reading it when other people ranted so i figured they wouldn't want to read my rantings either. But after that class today, I'm making a new rule...let the rantings begin. (But only when absolutely necessary)
....
I wrote the previous paragraph directly after our most recent class on Thursday. I was angry and eager to vent. However, I (luckily) realized that while it would have made me feel better, it wouldn't have accomplished anything other than possibly make the situation worse. Since that class, I've had time to think over what happened and to work towards making a constructive critique rather than an angered rant. Therefore here are a few of my thoughts about that class and the subsequent points others have raised in the wake of the class...
The Get-A-Cluetrain Manifesto
1) (The best) classes are conversations.
2) Classes consist of human beings, not mind readers.
3) Expectations are best delivered from instructor to students when conducted in a normal human voice.
4) Whether delivering information, opinions, perspectives dissenting arguments or humorous asides, the human voice is typically necessary and should sound open, natural, and uncontrived.
5) People recognize what is expected from the sound of the instructors voice.
...
9) While the internet is enabling new forms of class organization it has not fundamentally altered how we, as students, have been trained to converse and exchange knowledge.
10) That is not to say that we are not striving to get smarter, more informed and organize in riskier ways. Participation in this class has fundamentally changed me.
11) People in classes like this have figured out that they get far better information and support from the resources than from one another...so much for professional rhetoric about using each other in an open source network to accomplish something.
12) There are secrets. What may work for the goose may not necessarily work for the gander.
14) One goose may not speak in the same voice as the rest. They direct their conversation at one intended audience and may sound hollow, flat and literally un-gooselike to the rest.
15) It is the homogenized sound of mission statements and brochures for rubber tubing that seem contrived and artificial.
16) It is the act of speaking without saying anything, of talking a lot but saying a little.
17) Those who assumes that all conversations are the same are kidding themselves. Those who assume that we are afraid of criticism are kidding themselves as well. It is only when those criticisms attack a lack of creativity (that we were not asked to apply) that a sense of annoyance is created.
....
I wrote the previous paragraph directly after our most recent class on Thursday. I was angry and eager to vent. However, I (luckily) realized that while it would have made me feel better, it wouldn't have accomplished anything other than possibly make the situation worse. Since that class, I've had time to think over what happened and to work towards making a constructive critique rather than an angered rant. Therefore here are a few of my thoughts about that class and the subsequent points others have raised in the wake of the class...
The Get-A-Cluetrain Manifesto
1) (The best) classes are conversations.
2) Classes consist of human beings, not mind readers.
3) Expectations are best delivered from instructor to students when conducted in a normal human voice.
4) Whether delivering information, opinions, perspectives dissenting arguments or humorous asides, the human voice is typically necessary and should sound open, natural, and uncontrived.
5) People recognize what is expected from the sound of the instructors voice.
...
9) While the internet is enabling new forms of class organization it has not fundamentally altered how we, as students, have been trained to converse and exchange knowledge.
10) That is not to say that we are not striving to get smarter, more informed and organize in riskier ways. Participation in this class has fundamentally changed me.
11) People in classes like this have figured out that they get far better information and support from the resources than from one another...so much for professional rhetoric about using each other in an open source network to accomplish something.
12) There are secrets. What may work for the goose may not necessarily work for the gander.
14) One goose may not speak in the same voice as the rest. They direct their conversation at one intended audience and may sound hollow, flat and literally un-gooselike to the rest.
15) It is the homogenized sound of mission statements and brochures for rubber tubing that seem contrived and artificial.
16) It is the act of speaking without saying anything, of talking a lot but saying a little.
17) Those who assumes that all conversations are the same are kidding themselves. Those who assume that we are afraid of criticism are kidding themselves as well. It is only when those criticisms attack a lack of creativity (that we were not asked to apply) that a sense of annoyance is created.
34) Companies must share their concerns with their networked communities
43) Creativity and the desire to take risks only happen when the conditions are right. You cannot force or demand creativity. The best you can do is suggest it and those willing to take that risk will either take on the challenge or not. You cannot assume that by asking for it once, the desire will resurface again and again.
45) Anger tends to route around misunderstanding.
46) This class organizes students in many meanings of the world. Its effect has been more radical than any class I have experienced so far.
47) While this scares me witless, I should not resist the urge to improve these networked conversations.
48) When students are constrained by the fear of failing and ingrained rules, the types of conversations they participate in all sound remarkably like a boring recitation.
50) Today, conversations can be hyperlinked without being "creative" in their form. It is possible to learn a lot without creating something risky. Participating in something risky does not necessarily imply taking more from the experience, from the text. Respect for knowledge gained should win over respect for risks taken. Especially when that specific risk taken doesn't amount to any higher degree of understanding.
62) Students do not want to talk/listen to flacks and hucksters. They want to participate in conversations that actually mean something.
64) Conversations that give access to information, plans, strategies, the best thinking and genuine knowledge. I will not settle for an abstract monologue "chock-a-block" with ear candy but lacking any substance.
73) You're invited, but it's my world. Take your shoes off at the door. If you want to barter with me, get down off that camel!
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Group 3's notes on readings for 12/4/08
Chapter 5
- Fort Business => once you enter the office the old hierarchy of business wants you to conform and have no connection to the outside world. That was then.....now they only way to succeed is to make as many connections to the outside world as possible while still remaining locked in the castle. Innovative workers should strive to lower the drawbridge.
- hyperlinks/networking - use all that you have, try to get into and have as many networks as possible
Chapter 6
- the system of command and control is a hard mold to break; get free from the assembly line method of organization
- the human voice is primary attractor
- irony is the most common form of internet communication
- create a parallel infrastructure controlled by people acting in their own self interest
- human spirit is the casualty of a job
- invisibility and ignorance are powerful weapons
- no 'grand plan' for the internet
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