Jack Park
Palo Alto, California
650 388 1108
jackpark@thinkalong.com
Date: Mon, 23 Sep 2002 11:18:46 -0700
03 00050 60 02092302
Mr. Morris E. Jones
morris.jones@intel.com
Intel Corporation
2200 Mission College Blvd
Santa Clara, CA 95052 8119
..
Subject:
Bridge to a New Way of Working Begins with Study
Dear Morris,
Thanks, Morris [...for your letter to Rod earlier today on his call for
building a bridge to a new way of working that starts with study to understand
Knowledge Management, which Rod supports with links to SDS records that
illustrate work product, and to publications on Communication Metrics that
explain rationale and process based on experience using the SDS program...]
..
Rod, as I said in our longish telecon last evening, I think you are taking
an instructivist approach with your message: you insist on hammering out
essentially the same verbiage in response to nearly every comment someone
makes. I suggested that you take a look at constructivist approaches,
where, while you, like your mother, always knows best what's needed, you
engineer (manipulate is the term teenagers use on their parents when they
figure out what's going on) situations where people come back to you for
more in-depth discussion. You simply don't do that. You're being yourself
on another thread you have shared with me; you continue badgering away with
tons of links, and, when confronted with that, you return to your
traditional arguments (which I have characterized as insulting) that people
just don't want knowledge. True, they don't necessarily want it your way.
..
Eric Armstrong, in his historical comments on SDS, has been, IMHO, quite
perceptive and correct in saying that your methodology AS YOU PRACTICE IT
is quite powerful. I have said as much myself. Such observations,
however, do not, again, IMHO, give you license to badger people with your
brand of stuff. I do think they give you license to become creative in
finding ways to sell your ideas; thus far, you seem to be a stuck record:
"take my links or you must not be smart enough to see what I am doing."
..
I have said before, and I'll say it again: the time is right for you to
come up with some software that you can share (and be proud to share) with
others (meaning: not sitting around sweating whether users will give up
within the first week). NexistWiki, my project, is clear evidence that the
user interface had better be simple, pretty, and intuitive, no matter how
powerful the underlying metaphor is. NexistWiki is, IMHO, a train wreck
looking for a place to happen. I hope to fix that in Version 2. It's time
for you to do something similar.
..
And, I think, it's time for you to stop being so damned combative. I know
that's the instinct of a good wrestler, and a good pit bull. I also
suspect that you may find it difficult to re-craft yourself in light of
such suggestions. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I think you
are doing things, maybe, you have created a methodology, that merits better
exposure. I have also said and will repeat it again: you don't seem to be
the person who should be taking your ideas on the road.
..
Finally, I will not consider it responsive if you reply by thanking Morris
and me for contributing to a better understanding, followed by a list of
links which back up (with your own words! -- "if you don't believe me, just
ask me") your continued arguments. It's time, I think, to find a new story.
Those are my views; the mileage of others may vary.
..
Sincerely,