OSS Barcamp Dublin

There’s an OSS Barcamp in DIT Kevin Street tomorrow focusing on the latest developments in the open source software world. Some very interesting topics being discussed.

Check it out:

Semantic Web: From Web 2.0 to Web 3.0

FYI…

Semantic Web: From Web 2.0 to Web 3.0

7 Apr 2009

The Institute of International European Affairs present

Round table with Liam Ó Móráin, Digital Enterprise Research Institute.

Liam Ó Móráin, representing the Digital Enterprise Research Institute, will discuss the work of DERI on the semantic web and the transition from Web 2.0 to Web 3.0. Liam Ó Móráin develops DERI’s industry links and is working on semantic web startups.

The Semantic Web is the future generation of WWW technology that envisages information from diverse sources being easily combined and used in profoundly different and more powerful ways. This “Web 3.0″ will use additional information about concepts, terms and relationships, rendering what appears in websites easily understood – rather than simply displayed – by a new generation of Web applications. This capability will mark a major change in the Web environment for users, developers, and service providers. This round table meeting is an essential meeting for those interested in any aspect of the Web.

http://www.iiea.com/eventsxtest.php?event_id=431

Wiki Patterns

I finally purchased Wiki Patterns by Stewart Mader.

It was recommended to me by Colin Mooney months ago but I never got around to picking it up. I’m looking forward to reading it. I’m hoping I’ll get even more out of now that I’m 6 months into a major client wiki development (plus several personal experiments).

I’ll update more as I get into the book. Meanwhile, here’s a video of Stewart in an action.

Blog as new company website

As of today I’m using a blog platform for my company website. Before now, I’ve had different sites for different things which is messy for everyone. A blog platform allows me update the site with new items while also serving up the static content, e.g. contact details. It’s a trend I’ve noticed in the last few months and I think it’s a smart one. So for now, everything is in this one site.

UNESCO language map

This study and resulting map certainly increases the knowledge of the earth’s languages:

Safeguarding endangered languages

Interactive Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger ©UNESCO

Intervention logic

I heard about “intervention logic the other day at a KM networking event.

The gist of it, as it was explained to me, was that by breaking things down to their constituent elements, you can then see why you are doing things and make clear choices on where you will intervene.

There’s very little info on it from what I can see. It seems particularly big in New Zealand. I’ll be on the look out for more info on this topic.

KM conveyor belt

An organization’s knowledge and information is constantly changing, in a constant state of flow. The closest approximation to what I’m selling is a conveyor belt for knowledge. Once the conveyor belt is set up, I then train people how to get stuff on and off. It is assumed that people already have knowledge to put on the system. They need help organizing it and moving it around.

The conveyor belt system is varied, made up of rollers, magnets, rubber, etc. Each bit of the system does something different. They have different attributes, offer different benefits and designed for different things. They’re all intended to move things around – different things, in different ways.

To my mind, KM is the practice of moving knowledge and information around an organization. The aim is to make sure that it is available to people whenever then need it. The challenge is to anticipate what people will need and when (which is pretty much impossible). The solution is to have constantly updated/revised information and the appropriate  mechanisms to deliver it . Most commonly the mechanisms are computer based, but not always, e.g. debriefings, CoPs, sharing sessions, etc. The most important element are people. IT systems are nothing without the right inputs and usage.

It’s not about the conveyor belt. It’s not even about the packets that are moving around the belt. It’s about the people putting on and taking off the packets. Eveything else is just a mechanical process.

ECKM – call for papers

The 10 European Conference on Knowledge Management, which is taking place in Italy on September 3-4, 2009, is currently calling for papers to be considered for presentation:

Abstract Submission Form:

http://www.academic-conferences.org/eckm/eckm2009/eckm09-abstract-submission.htm

KM – defense/offense

KM is part defensive and part offensive

D = trenches, foundations, barricades, walls… knowing what you know/what you’ve got

O = innovation, collaboration, obsolescence, … using what you know to make new stuff, knowledge, products, etc.

Wikinomics – How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything

I picked up this book the other day. It’s a treasure trove of ideas and information. I highly recommend it. More detailed review coming soon.

The chapters are:

1. Wikinomics
2. The Perfect Storm
3. The Peer Pioneers
4. Ideagoras
5. The Prosumers
6. The New Alexandrians
7. Platforms for Participation
8. The Global Plant Floor
9. The Wiki Workplace
10. Collaborative Minds
11. Enterprise 2.0

Authors website: http://www.wikinomics.com

on Amazon

Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Atlantic Books (1 Jun 2008)
ISBN-10: 184354637X
ISBN-13: 978-1843546375