Comments on: The importance of pigheadedness http://strange.corante.com/2008/04/29/the-importance-of-pigheadedness Picking out patterns in the chaos Mon, 21 May 2012 13:39:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: David Zuckerman http://strange.corante.com/2008/04/29/the-importance-of-pigheadedness#comment-3173 David Zuckerman Fri, 03 Oct 2008 01:37:08 +0000 http://strange.corante.com/2008/04/29/the-importance-of-pigheadedness#comment-3173 First, I have to say that "But the tech is only a fraction of the battle. The rest, like Soylent Green, is made of people." is one of the great lines I've read this year. But my thought was to say that "the problem of ignoring negative results" has been spotlighted as significant throughout scientific journals. Bluntly, though any scientist would agree that negative results can be as significant (meaningfull, useful) as positive ones, the journals don't want to publish them. Thus our capacity to learn from the broadest range of experiments is irrevocably limited. One might say that the problem with tech is only a fraction of the battle, that the rest, like Soylent Green, is made of people." Keep up your good work. First, I have to say that “But the tech is only a fraction of the battle. The rest, like Soylent Green, is made of people.” is one of the great lines I’ve read this year.

But my thought was to say that “the problem of ignoring negative results” has been spotlighted as significant throughout scientific journals. Bluntly, though any scientist would agree that negative results can be as significant (meaningfull, useful) as positive ones, the journals don’t want to publish them. Thus our capacity to learn from the broadest range of experiments is irrevocably limited. One might say that the problem with tech is only a fraction of the battle, that the rest, like Soylent Green, is made of people.”

Keep up your good work.

]]> By: Phil Hodgen http://strange.corante.com/2008/04/29/the-importance-of-pigheadedness#comment-3003 Phil Hodgen Fri, 12 Sep 2008 15:57:17 +0000 http://strange.corante.com/2008/04/29/the-importance-of-pigheadedness#comment-3003 @christine http://strange.corante.com/2006/03/05/an-adoption-strategy-for-social-software-in-enterprise You're welcome. Mr. Google found it for me; I didn't bother with the website's search functionality. :-) @philiphodgen @christine

http://strange.corante.com/2006/03/05/an-adoption-strategy-for-social-software-in-enterprise

You’re welcome. Mr. Google found it for me; I didn’t bother with the website’s search functionality. :-)

@philiphodgen

]]> By: Christine http://strange.corante.com/2008/04/29/the-importance-of-pigheadedness#comment-2861 Christine Thu, 29 May 2008 01:38:40 +0000 http://strange.corante.com/2008/04/29/the-importance-of-pigheadedness#comment-2861 Can you post a link to the "adoption strategy for social software" you mention? Could not find it in the archives :) Thanks! Can you post a link to the “adoption strategy for social software” you mention? Could not find it in the archives :)
Thanks!

]]> By: suw http://strange.corante.com/2008/04/29/the-importance-of-pigheadedness#comment-2860 suw Tue, 27 May 2008 11:23:27 +0000 http://strange.corante.com/2008/04/29/the-importance-of-pigheadedness#comment-2860 Sandy: Yes, we do need more than just some anecdotes. I've done a fair bit of work with businesses, and there are a fair number of case studies out there, but the problem I have is that whilst I could easily spend, say, six months pulling all of that information together and drawing up some guidelines, I also have to pay the rent in the meantime! That said, I do have an adoption strategy for social software, published on this blog, which has been successfully used by myself and by others (even the CIA!). And, indeed, I will soon be running a seminar to answer the exact questions you post at the end of your comment. There is expertise out there, it's just a matter of pulling it all together. Sandy: Yes, we do need more than just some anecdotes. I’ve done a fair bit of work with businesses, and there are a fair number of case studies out there, but the problem I have is that whilst I could easily spend, say, six months pulling all of that information together and drawing up some guidelines, I also have to pay the rent in the meantime!

That said, I do have an adoption strategy for social software, published on this blog, which has been successfully used by myself and by others (even the CIA!). And, indeed, I will soon be running a seminar to answer the exact questions you post at the end of your comment.

There is expertise out there, it’s just a matter of pulling it all together.

]]> By: sandy blair http://strange.corante.com/2008/04/29/the-importance-of-pigheadedness#comment-2859 sandy blair Tue, 13 May 2008 12:20:05 +0000 http://strange.corante.com/2008/04/29/the-importance-of-pigheadedness#comment-2859 Great blog post, the discussion about how to use social software in organisations often seems to be about the successful anecdote. It's a compelling, well established technique, Clay starts his book with a mobile phone story. But the plural of anecdote isn't data, and we could all do with more information of failures and how to avoid them. We've been round this loop before with 'plain old websites' and certain effective principles have emerged from the likes of Jakob Neilsen. We need to get to the nitty gritty now - how do you do the plan of launching a wiki, what do you do the first three months its up and running, what techniques are there to fix problems, how do you spot early there are problems.... Great blog post, the discussion about how to use social software in organisations often seems to be about the successful anecdote. It’s a compelling, well established technique, Clay starts his book with a mobile phone story. But the plural of anecdote isn’t data, and we could all do with more information of failures and how to avoid them.

We’ve been round this loop before with ‘plain old websites’ and certain effective principles have emerged from the likes of Jakob Neilsen.

We need to get to the nitty gritty now - how do you do the plan of launching a wiki, what do you do the first three months its up and running, what techniques are there to fix problems, how do you spot early there are problems….

]]> By: Suw http://strange.corante.com/2008/04/29/the-importance-of-pigheadedness#comment-2858 Suw Fri, 02 May 2008 20:36:01 +0000 http://strange.corante.com/2008/04/29/the-importance-of-pigheadedness#comment-2858 It's not just blogs written for an external audience we're talking about here, but all social software endeavours in business. They are rather like bonsai - if you don't give them enough of the right sort of attention, they die. Quickly. (And I've killed enough bonsai in my time to know!) Strategy and planning is essential, but it's not the only thing you need. The best laid schemes o' mice an' men, after all, gang aft a-gley. But just because a project goes a-gley, doesn't necessarily mean that the tool is flawed. Perhaps there's a flaw in the plan? Perhaps the plan was fine but the execution lacked? The problem is, it's easy to succumb failure and dismiss the tool out of hand, rather than examine the reasons for failure, and then try again with a better plan. I can't count the number of times I've heard "We installed blogs/wiki/social bookmarking in our company, and it was useless!" and, when I've dug a little, discovered that their plan was "Let's throw shit at the wall and see what sticks!" Organic is for vegetables, not software implementation and rollout. It’s not just blogs written for an external audience we’re talking about here, but all social software endeavours in business. They are rather like bonsai - if you don’t give them enough of the right sort of attention, they die. Quickly. (And I’ve killed enough bonsai in my time to know!)

Strategy and planning is essential, but it’s not the only thing you need. The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men, after all, gang aft a-gley. But just because a project goes a-gley, doesn’t necessarily mean that the tool is flawed. Perhaps there’s a flaw in the plan? Perhaps the plan was fine but the execution lacked? The problem is, it’s easy to succumb failure and dismiss the tool out of hand, rather than examine the reasons for failure, and then try again with a better plan.

I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard “We installed blogs/wiki/social bookmarking in our company, and it was useless!” and, when I’ve dug a little, discovered that their plan was “Let’s throw shit at the wall and see what sticks!” Organic is for vegetables, not software implementation and rollout.

]]> By: lewis http://strange.corante.com/2008/04/29/the-importance-of-pigheadedness#comment-2857 lewis Fri, 02 May 2008 13:21:52 +0000 http://strange.corante.com/2008/04/29/the-importance-of-pigheadedness#comment-2857 there is also a really interesting clay shirky-daniel goleman conversation called 'socially intelligent computing' which you can listen to free samples of at the publisher's website www.morethansound.net there is also a really interesting clay shirky-daniel goleman conversation called ’socially intelligent computing’ which you can listen to free samples of at the publisher’s website http://www.morethansound.net

]]> By: Ian Betteridge http://strange.corante.com/2008/04/29/the-importance-of-pigheadedness#comment-2856 Ian Betteridge Fri, 02 May 2008 10:44:01 +0000 http://strange.corante.com/2008/04/29/the-importance-of-pigheadedness#comment-2856 Culturally, there's always an internal dislike of admitting failure - which is where consultants come in :) And Jenn's completely right about planning. More often than not, partly because of the way these projects start, they get built without a plan of "where next" - and thus flounder around and ultimately close. Culturally, there’s always an internal dislike of admitting failure - which is where consultants come in :)
And Jenn’s completely right about planning. More often than not, partly because of the way these projects start, they get built without a plan of “where next” - and thus flounder around and ultimately close.

]]> By: Jenn aka JeSais http://strange.corante.com/2008/04/29/the-importance-of-pigheadedness#comment-2855 Jenn aka JeSais Fri, 02 May 2008 00:03:04 +0000 http://strange.corante.com/2008/04/29/the-importance-of-pigheadedness#comment-2855 A blog, or any social networking enterprise, takes persistence above all else. It is not a case of "build it they will come," but rather like any business venture, you have to have a plan. Building a blog, posting a couple of times then wondering why no one comes by or comments is like opening a restaurant, not putting up a sign or doing any PR or advertising then complaining that its empty. A blog, or any social networking enterprise, takes persistence above all else. It is not a case of “build it they will come,” but rather like any business venture, you have to have a plan. Building a blog, posting a couple of times then wondering why no one comes by or comments is like opening a restaurant, not putting up a sign or doing any PR or advertising then complaining that its empty.

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