21st Century Knowledge Management: Continuing the thread that Kevin Werbach started. There are three main structures you can hang knowledge off (knowledge is the new word for content). A calendar, a search engine, and a taxonomy (which is a fancy word for directory). He's right that getting people to use special tools to gather knowledge… Continue reading 21st Century Knowledge Management:
Why K-Logs and e-mail integration:
What does e-mail integration with K-Logs mean? Here are some thoughts on how e-mail would work as a:
1) K-Log authoring tool. E-mail can be used to publish to a K-Log. E-mail systems typically have spell checkers (most K-Log publishing tools do not) and the ability to format HTML through a simple point and click interface. It also has nearly ubiquitous (including PDAs and phones) availability. The downside is that it doesn't have the full feature functionality available in a K-Log publishing system: editing and deleting of posts, posting annotated news, the ability to rearrange posts, categorization, etc. At best e-mail K-Log authoring is merely an ad-hoc publishing extension for mobile K-Loggers.
2) Source of content for K-Logs. E-mail often contains great conversations and content that can gain value through use in a K-Log. The challenge is to get it to the K-Log tool so that it can be organized and published. Three options exist: a) forward the e-mail by hand, b) manually build rules that forward specific e-mails, or c) use automated systems that generate rules that forward related conent (I haven't seen many of these systems even though they are needed). Once published in a K-Log e-mail conversations and content gain value. They can now be searched by workgroup members via keywords in a semi-public archive, categorized and routed to specific user groups, and organized via an outliner.
3) Mechanism for K-Log alerts or to initiate K-Log workflow. E-mail, as well as instant messaging, can prompt subscribed workgroup members to visit newly posted content or participate in K-Log workflow. Also since most e-mail systems now support HTML and K-Logs are at core a Web publishing tool, it is possible for individuals to send HTML e-mails that initiate interaction with polls, surveys, ratings, forms (that populates a table or interactive database), image libraries (and resource directories of all sorts), etc. Within a permissive environment, like a corporate or university LAN, all two-way interaction (data entry) can be done directly with a desktop K-Log client via HTTP. In a non-permissive environment with firewalls, the recipient should be able to interact locally with their K-Log client software and relay data to the publisher via the K-Log cloud or P2P. Regardless of the mechanism, two-way interaction with a K-Log, initiated by e-mail, will be a useful addition to K-Logging. [John Robb's Radio Weblog
Why K-Logs and e-mail integration: What does e-mail integration with K-Logs mean? Here are some thoughts on how e-mail would work as a: 1) K-Log authoring tool. E-mail can be used to publish to a K-Log. E-mail systems typically have spell checkers (most K-Log publishing tools do not) and the ability to format HTML through a simple… Continue reading Why K-Logs and e-mail integration:
What does e-mail integration with K-Logs mean? Here are some thoughts on how e-mail would work as a:
1) K-Log authoring tool. E-mail can be used to publish to a K-Log. E-mail systems typically have spell checkers (most K-Log publishing tools do not) and the ability to format HTML through a simple point and click interface. It also has nearly ubiquitous (including PDAs and phones) availability. The downside is that it doesn't have the full feature functionality available in a K-Log publishing system: editing and deleting of posts, posting annotated news, the ability to rearrange posts, categorization, etc. At best e-mail K-Log authoring is merely an ad-hoc publishing extension for mobile K-Loggers.
2) Source of content for K-Logs. E-mail often contains great conversations and content that can gain value through use in a K-Log. The challenge is to get it to the K-Log tool so that it can be organized and published. Three options exist: a) forward the e-mail by hand, b) manually build rules that forward specific e-mails, or c) use automated systems that generate rules that forward related conent (I haven't seen many of these systems even though they are needed). Once published in a K-Log e-mail conversations and content gain value. They can now be searched by workgroup members via keywords in a semi-public archive, categorized and routed to specific user groups, and organized via an outliner.
3) Mechanism for K-Log alerts or to initiate K-Log workflow. E-mail, as well as instant messaging, can prompt subscribed workgroup members to visit newly posted content or participate in K-Log workflow. Also since most e-mail systems now support HTML and K-Logs are at core a Web publishing tool, it is possible for individuals to send HTML e-mails that initiate interaction with polls, surveys, ratings, forms (that populates a table or interactive database), image libraries (and resource directories of all sorts), etc. Within a permissive environment, like a corporate or university LAN, all two-way interaction (data entry) can be done directly with a desktop K-Log client via HTTP. In a non-permissive environment with firewalls, the recipient should be able to interact locally with their K-Log client software and relay data to the publisher via the K-Log cloud or P2P. Regardless of the mechanism, two-way interaction with a K-Log, initiated by e-mail, will be a useful addition to K-Logging. [John Robb's Radio Weblog
The Battlefield in the American Mind
The Battlefield in the American Mind – Mark Danner: “In the gulf, as in other places and at other times, America stands not for freedom but for stability. Its interest is in the unfettered flow of oil from the gulf to the industrialized world. Now, as in 1991, American policy makers will struggle to achieve… Continue reading
Making Forms Object-Oriented
Making Forms Object-Oriented. Object-oriented programming is an efficient and powerful technique. It allows one to create reusable, easily adjustable components that make programming process fast and, honestly, very much fun, too. I hope, my little experience that I presented here will inspire you to build your own libraries of classes that would be a basement… Continue reading Making Forms Object-Oriented
NetObjects Products Find a Home
NetObjects Products Find a Home. Website Pros, a provider of Web site design and support services, has signed an agreement to acquire the assets of NetObjects. NetObjects Fusion (a Web site building product) and Matrix (a hosted Web site-building platform) received high praise for their innovation and sophistication; however, when NetObjects ran out of cash… Continue reading NetObjects Products Find a Home
Taxonomy Software to the Rescue
Online Journalism Review: Taxonomy Software to the Rescue. One way to manage problems of information overload is by using taxonomy software. Simply put, taxonomy can be described as an effort to incorporate a “categorization” mechanism that allows functional search and retrieval to extend beyond keyword results. [Tomalak's Realm]
WTC Attacks Have IT Rethinking Storage
eWEEK: WTC Attacks Have IT Rethinking Storage. Many companies are examining their preparedness in the wake of the disaster are re-evaluating digital scanning and archiving procedures and systems. IT managers and business leaders at those companies are asking if they are scanning the right documents and if they are being stored on a cost-effective and… Continue reading WTC Attacks Have IT Rethinking Storage
Preparedness Places Special Urgency on IT
Computerworld: Preparedness Places Special Urgency on IT. Dan Gillmor. But Sept. 11 boosted the rationale for decentralization of a more profound kind – including people and data – and it has absolutely forced a reassessment of the technology all companies will need to stay in business in tomorrow's changed climate. [Tomalak's Realm]
Patent 6,304,886
USPTO: Patent 6,304,886 [Scripting News]
Productivity: A major reason companies are cutting back on IT spending is due to a lack of measurable productivity improvements that can be linked to investments in technology. Why aren't knowledge workers more productive now, given that they each have a computer and lots of productivity software? A major reason is that most of the work people do with computers is done in relative isolation. This results in information silos that are difficult if not impossible to share and organize to productive advantage. The net result: people spend as much time getting value out of their technology than time saved using it.
What specifically do I mean by an information silo? Office suite documents. E-mail. Calendars. Outlines. PIMs and to-do lists. Have you ever seen someone with 10 k e-mails in their inbox (or the converse: how many hours a day does it take to keep e-mail organized in directories no one sees but you)? Have you tried to find a document on a file server and gotten horribly lost? Are people in your group writing reports that no one reads? These are some of the symptoms of technology out of control.
K-Logs provide some of the answers to these problems. They include:
1) Knowledge development. The ability to quickly find important information that has the necessary context for understanding. Knowledge rises to the top with K-Logs: good stuff is pointed to by other K-Loggers and can quickly be found by using community tools that map the K-Log knowledge network (hotlists, blogdex, etc.). Compare this to the needle-in-the-haystack approach with e-mail inboxes and document directories on file servers.
2) Shared organization. The ability to create an open archive (on the Intranet) of organized information, so other people in the company can benefit from one individuals effort to organize resources. For example: a Web accessible directory of important file and doument URLs that are project specific (so you don't have to remember convoluted path names on files servers), a directory of important e-mail conversations displayed as Web pages, or a simple well-organized bookmark directory. Contrast this to a situation where a well organized team member can't share his/her e-mail and directory organization with a co-worker sitting five feet away.
3) Connected content. The ability to make a post to a K-Log that eliminates the need to develop an office document. Also, to link that post to relevant directories or K-Logs that have additional relevant information that is accessible within the same environment (the browser).
4) Collaborative content. The ability to post to a project K-Log collaboratively with each team member making a contribution. Contrast this to the tug-of-war that often develops over who owns the latest copy of a project document.
5) Intelligent information routing. The ability to route information via RSS newsfeeds and categories to specific groups and individuals automatically. Compare this to ad-hoc way e-mail-bound information is produced and routed.
Let's not look for solutions that automate a broken process. Let's look for solutions that reinvent the process to achieve lasting productivity improvements for knowledge workers. [John Robb's Radio Weblog
Productivity: A major reason companies are cutting back on IT spending is due to a lack of measurable productivity improvements that can be linked to investments in technology. Why aren't knowledge workers more productive now, given that they each have a computer and lots of productivity software? A major reason is that most of the work people do with… Continue reading Productivity: A major reason companies are cutting back on IT spending is due to a lack of measurable productivity improvements that can be linked to investments in technology. Why aren't knowledge workers more productive now, given that they each have a computer and lots of productivity software? A major reason is that most of the work people do with computers is done in relative isolation. This results in information silos that are difficult if not impossible to share and organize to productive advantage. The net result: people spend as much time getting value out of their technology than time saved using it.
What specifically do I mean by an information silo? Office suite documents. E-mail. Calendars. Outlines. PIMs and to-do lists. Have you ever seen someone with 10 k e-mails in their inbox (or the converse: how many hours a day does it take to keep e-mail organized in directories no one sees but you)? Have you tried to find a document on a file server and gotten horribly lost? Are people in your group writing reports that no one reads? These are some of the symptoms of technology out of control.
K-Logs provide some of the answers to these problems. They include:
1) Knowledge development. The ability to quickly find important information that has the necessary context for understanding. Knowledge rises to the top with K-Logs: good stuff is pointed to by other K-Loggers and can quickly be found by using community tools that map the K-Log knowledge network (hotlists, blogdex, etc.). Compare this to the needle-in-the-haystack approach with e-mail inboxes and document directories on file servers.
2) Shared organization. The ability to create an open archive (on the Intranet) of organized information, so other people in the company can benefit from one individuals effort to organize resources. For example: a Web accessible directory of important file and doument URLs that are project specific (so you don't have to remember convoluted path names on files servers), a directory of important e-mail conversations displayed as Web pages, or a simple well-organized bookmark directory. Contrast this to a situation where a well organized team member can't share his/her e-mail and directory organization with a co-worker sitting five feet away.
3) Connected content. The ability to make a post to a K-Log that eliminates the need to develop an office document. Also, to link that post to relevant directories or K-Logs that have additional relevant information that is accessible within the same environment (the browser).
4) Collaborative content. The ability to post to a project K-Log collaboratively with each team member making a contribution. Contrast this to the tug-of-war that often develops over who owns the latest copy of a project document.
5) Intelligent information routing. The ability to route information via RSS newsfeeds and categories to specific groups and individuals automatically. Compare this to ad-hoc way e-mail-bound information is produced and routed.
Let's not look for solutions that automate a broken process. Let's look for solutions that reinvent the process to achieve lasting productivity improvements for knowledge workers. [John Robb's Radio Weblog
K-Logs provide some of the answers to these problems. They include:
1) Knowledge development. The ability to quickly find important information that has the necessary context for understanding. Knowledge rises to the top with K-Logs: good stuff is pointed to by other K-Loggers and can quickly be found by using community tools that map the K-Log knowledge network (hotlists, blogdex, etc.). Compare this to the needle-in-the-haystack approach with e-mail inboxes and document directories on file servers.
2) Shared organization. The ability to create an open archive (on the Intranet) of organized information, so other people in the company can benefit from one individuals effort to organize resources. For example: a Web accessible directory of important file and doument URLs that are project specific (so you don't have to remember convoluted path names on files servers), a directory of important e-mail conversations displayed as Web pages, or a simple well-organized bookmark directory. Contrast this to a situation where a well organized team member can't share his/her e-mail and directory organization with a co-worker sitting five feet away.
3) Connected content. The ability to make a post to a K-Log that eliminates the need to develop an office document. Also, to link that post to relevant directories or K-Logs that have additional relevant information that is accessible within the same environment (the browser).
4) Collaborative content. The ability to post to a project K-Log collaboratively with each team member making a contribution. Contrast this to the tug-of-war that often develops over who owns the latest copy of a project document.
5) Intelligent information routing. The ability to route information via RSS newsfeeds and categories to specific groups and individuals automatically. Compare this to ad-hoc way e-mail-bound information is produced and routed.
Let's not look for solutions that automate a broken process. Let's look for solutions that reinvent the process to achieve lasting productivity improvements for knowledge workers. [John Robb's Radio WeblogProductivity: A major reason companies are cutting back on IT spending is due to a lack of measurable productivity improvements that can be linked to investments in technology. Why aren't knowledge workers more productive now, given that they each have a computer and lots of productivity software? A major reason is that most of the work people do with… Continue reading Productivity: A major reason companies are cutting back on IT spending is due to a lack of measurable productivity improvements that can be linked to investments in technology. Why aren't knowledge workers more productive now, given that they each have a computer and lots of productivity software? A major reason is that most of the work people do with computers is done in relative isolation. This results in information silos that are difficult if not impossible to share and organize to productive advantage. The net result: people spend as much time getting value out of their technology than time saved using it.
What specifically do I mean by an information silo? Office suite documents. E-mail. Calendars. Outlines. PIMs and to-do lists. Have you ever seen someone with 10 k e-mails in their inbox (or the converse: how many hours a day does it take to keep e-mail organized in directories no one sees but you)? Have you tried to find a document on a file server and gotten horribly lost? Are people in your group writing reports that no one reads? These are some of the symptoms of technology out of control.
K-Logs provide some of the answers to these problems. They include:
1) Knowledge development. The ability to quickly find important information that has the necessary context for understanding. Knowledge rises to the top with K-Logs: good stuff is pointed to by other K-Loggers and can quickly be found by using community tools that map the K-Log knowledge network (hotlists, blogdex, etc.). Compare this to the needle-in-the-haystack approach with e-mail inboxes and document directories on file servers.
2) Shared organization. The ability to create an open archive (on the Intranet) of organized information, so other people in the company can benefit from one individuals effort to organize resources. For example: a Web accessible directory of important file and doument URLs that are project specific (so you don't have to remember convoluted path names on files servers), a directory of important e-mail conversations displayed as Web pages, or a simple well-organized bookmark directory. Contrast this to a situation where a well organized team member can't share his/her e-mail and directory organization with a co-worker sitting five feet away.
3) Connected content. The ability to make a post to a K-Log that eliminates the need to develop an office document. Also, to link that post to relevant directories or K-Logs that have additional relevant information that is accessible within the same environment (the browser).
4) Collaborative content. The ability to post to a project K-Log collaboratively with each team member making a contribution. Contrast this to the tug-of-war that often develops over who owns the latest copy of a project document.
5) Intelligent information routing. The ability to route information via RSS newsfeeds and categories to specific groups and individuals automatically. Compare this to ad-hoc way e-mail-bound information is produced and routed.
Let's not look for solutions that automate a broken process. Let's look for solutions that reinvent the process to achieve lasting productivity improvements for knowledge workers. [John Robb's Radio Weblog