Trust and Web 2.0 Technologies

I was running a KM executive briefing this week, in the UK, and I was again reminded in our discussions of the huge dilema facing large organisations, especially Public Services organisations. Most large organisations have developed silo's and, therefore, the knowledge doesn't flow very freely across them, if at all. This leads to knowledge fragmentation. The larger and more dispersed the organisation is, the less knowledge flow and the less people feel adequately 'in the know'. This eventually breeds a fear based culture, and of course, we all know that a natural knowledge sharing culture can only be based on a trust based culture.

Making matters worse, many people in the UK spend much of their working hours based at home, even more dispersed, fragmented and even less in the know.

But then I thought, if you look at the Web 2.0 technologies and the phenomena of social networking tools, not least the wiki's and blogs, they are totally dependant on open, collaborative, learning, sharing and trust based environment, and they are very successful indeed.

The same people who might not share knowledge freely from within their organisations, seem to be willing to share with the world! Also, they are not being paid anything for it either!


So is there, perhaps, a learning here? I have some views on this but I would like to invite and encourage your feedback and comment first, and then publish the overall conclusions later.

Ron Young

More at:

http://www.knowledge-management-online.com

Open Source KM Wiki

We have embedded a KM Wiki into our website and invite you to browse, learn, discuss, question, share and contribute your topics and articles.

Be patient, we have just launched and we all have to start somewhere, but we are expecting a continuous flow of topics and articles over the coming months from the Open Source KM Community.

Ron Young

More at:

http://www.knowledge-management-online.com

Knowledge as a Global Public Good

I enjoyed this article on knowledge from the World Bank.

I received it from
Dr. Donat Agosti
Science Consultant
Research Associate,
American Museum of Natural History
and Naturmuseum der Burgergemeinde Bern

So thanks, Dr Agosti


You can read the article here by Joseph E. Stiglitz

http://www.worldbank.org/knowledge/chiefecon/articles/undpk2/index.htm

KNOWLEDGE AS A GLOBAL PUBLIC GOOD
Joseph E. Stiglitz

Senior Vice President and Chief Economist
The World Bank

Ron Young

More at:

http://www.knowledge-management-online.com/

Knowledge Management and the pasta machine

I was reminded today of the story of the pasta machine


and its relevance to tools to support KM.





A couple were given a pasta machine for a xmas present.


Because it was given to them, and not in a situation of real


need, at that time, they were very thankful and put it into a


kitchen cupboard. There it remained for three years, unused.





But if the couple had a real need or desire to make pasta, they


would have bought a pasta machine and immediately started


to use it properly.





It's the same with technology tools that are thrust upon us.


If there isn't a proper need, and proper understanding for how


the technology can really help us work better, it will not be used


correctly.





I hear people who say, 'Oh yes I tried blogging and wikis when they

first appeared, but I don't use them now'. And I think to myself,

do they really understand what these new tools can do for us,

as knowledge workers, or are they like the couple with the

xmas pasta machine present?



Ron Young



More information at:



www.knowledge-management-online.com

KM and a WebOS as the ultimate personal mashup

I have highly recommended before, the work of Nova Spivak and his article on Web 3.0 and the Semantic Web.

He also talks about a Web Operating System replacing much of the PC OS and/or acting as a hybrid OS . Makes great sense to me.

In a personal knowledge management context, I am interested in, to quote Nova "the WebOS as the ultimate personal mashup!" RDF, SPARQL, OWL and the Semantic web will become more prominent to support such a personal platform. I am interested in how personal information management tools could develop into personal knowledge management tools through such Web 3.0 developments.

Ron Young

You can read more from Nova Spivak at:

http://novaspivack.typepad.com/

For more information go to:

www.knowledge-management-online.com

Most popular KM website searches

In an analysis of our website visitors over the past
18 months, the two most popular searches, by far
were, and continue to be:

Q1 What's the difference between information and knowledge?

Q2 Who, What, Why, Where, When, How?

Interestingly, they are not confined at all to a
particular area, but come from all parts of the world.
Furthermore, they not only come from schools and
universities and education sector, as you would expect,
but from a wide cross section of industry, public and
private.


So, clearly, there is a healthy appetite for understanding
and applying better knowledge!

More at:

www.knowledge-management-online.com

Open Source KM Consulting Methodology and Tools Version 1 is now available

Open Source KM Consulting Methodology and Tools
Version 1 is now available to members for downloading.

So become a member today.

Immediately download Open Source KM Consulting
Methodology and Tools Version 1.

Start reading, learning, applying and helping us all
to further develop and improve towards Version 2.

Let's harness the global knowledge and experiences
of members around the world, and demonstrate
rapid new knowledge creation, for the good of the
whole KM community.


Ron Young

More at:

www.knowledge-management-online.com