right-on If your to important for the bull you may be cod. Humility allows
learning. Herring B. Smelt
-----Original Message-----
From: Ken Follett <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
<[log in to unmask]>
Date: Monday, July 26, 1999 11:29 AM
Subject: BP Serious or Social?


>BP Serious or Social?
>
>Several backchannel and in-person comments have been made to me regarding
the
>BS quotient on BP relative to *serious* technical information with an idea
>that I might have some power.
>
>My power here is a shamanic illusion -- I, as an individual, have no
control
>over the ratio. My personal inclination is that I love the BS and the
>technical sharing both.
>
>BP is no more than the accumulated effect of the correspondents bouncing
off
>each other. Anyone who wishes to change the nature of the dialogue on BP
need
>only be proactive to make their contribution by not lurking.
>
>My vision is that only very bright and intelligent people subscribe to BP.
In
>all cases I have aimed for attracting correspondents that are highly
>intelligent, professional, experienced, compassionate, and humor bearing
>individuals -- not all of them wearing the sign of authorized HISTORIC
>PRESERVATION. If you can laugh about your business then you must enjoy it
and
>be very good at it.
>
>Keep this in mind: all people are broken. It is only by supporting each
other
>that we can hold ourselves together.
>
>When people gather together they tend to do what they are going to do and
it
>is almost always something different than what anyone at first imagined. If
>someone does not take the responsibility to keep opening their mouth and
>speaking then the tendency seems to be for everyone to stop talking.
>
>Guiding an e-mail list is not a controlled process, it is one in which an
>individual either takes an active role to cultivate dialogue, or takes no
>role at all. If you do not speak out then the list will not have your
>character to shape itself around.
>
>In order to cultivate a technical list you have to be able to cultivate a
>technical dialogue... I am not suited to do this. I am suited for stories,
>management, strategy, and networking. I would certainly like to see more
>technical discussion on BP, but it will only occur insofar as the
>correspondents present technical problems on the list.
>
>My intent in making a noisy fool of myself on BP is that it creates a space
>where others can feel comfortable to make noisy fools of themselves. I'm
not
>always sure if this is working very well and I spend a lot of time worrying
>about it.
>
>My desire is to cultivate an atmosphere whereby we come to know each other
as
>people first, such that when real information is needed that as individuals
>we are equally willing to contribute from our expertise.
>
>Despite the high level of bullshit that occurs on BP, I see that when a
real
>question is asked that real information is exchanged. I am grateful for the
>help that I have often received.
>
>Swapping of real information is an important exchange considering that on
BP
>we have no other currency between us than the veracity of our shared
>experience.
>
>;-)) ][<en
>