Knowledge Management in the 21st Century - a first Knol article

Well today I have created my first Knol article on Google entitled 'Knowledge Management in the 21st Century'. Its my current point of view on the state of KM, where it might be going, and some challenges over the next years. It's good to see other Knowledge Management Knols appearing already. Google define a Knol as a unit of knowledge.

My first article is far far from complete, but because it is a Knol, it can be rapidly developed, continually improved, and I can refine and develop it further over time and experience. What I urgently seek now is comments and even reviews. Any sort of feedback is very much welcomed.

So I see the blogsphere as a marvellous fragmented or loosely connected global space which is ideal for capturing and developing opinions, ideas, insights, learnings, comments etc chronlogically, and often spontaneously, and I see the knolsphere (if it can be called that for the moment)as a space to develop ideas, opinions, insights, learnings and comments into articles that can be peer reviewed and further developed.

If we wish to, we could then develop several Knols into book chapters, and/or website themes and so on. Of course, the Knol can accomodate collaborative authoring in public and private modes, so, together with blogs and, say, ebooks it could be used as part of a progressive authoring suite.

Coincidentally, or maybe not so, I first heard of the Knol through using my 'Google alerts', learned more about it through 'Google Groups' and 'Search', of course. I use Google reader to better aggregate and track what I am reading, and I am now sharing my thoughts on a Google blog.

I think I badly need a vacation!

Ron Young

For more information:

www.knowledge-management-online.com