Funny thing happened on the tube this morning. An Arabic looking bloke carrying a rucksack hopped on at Earl’s Court, and you could feel the whole carriage tense up. This unease and the awkward glances stayed for a couple of stops, until someone he knew spotted him, and the two started chatting. At that point, people visibly relaxed. Much to my shame, myself included.
It’s a horrible feeling, prejudice, however short-lived.
The sleeper service from London to Penzance is a godsend about to be cut. There’s a petition which you can sign if you want to help keep it. Nothing like a government interfering with holidays to get me politically active …
To: Secretary of State for Transport Alistair DarlingWe, the undersigned, are extremely concerned that the government plans to cut the vital “Night Riviera” sleeper train service from London to Penzance.
This train is a vital link to South West England for business and leisure travellers: one whose loss would be felt keenly across the region. It is the only way to get from Cornwall to London before 0900 hours without staying overnight in the capital, and the government�s own figures suggest that it is well-used. How can it not be value for money?
We urge you to instruct the Strategic Rail Authority to provide a full and binding commitment to retain and develop this critical service for the good of the people, economy, and transport infrastructure of the South West.”
It’s an old problem, but many have been obsessed with capturing “best practice” and encouraging others to copy it. And many react against that obsession, pointing out that it prevents innovation. The idea that there is a best way, or best set of ways, to approach a problem limits your thinking, and prevents you from seeing other, possibly more fruitful solutions.
The reaction against best practices gains more weight the more complex the problem becomes, partly because the solution becomes more difficult to imagine. What’s the best way to solve a simultaneous equation? Easy. What’s the best way to run a country? Hmm. Much easier is to avoid worst practices - so runs the argument.
It’s one of those debates that runs across various domains. People react against “best practice, things are solvable, the world is orderly” approaches in broadly similar ways: Shirky et al react against the constraints of taxonomies and ontologies; postmodernists react against the supposed truths of science, the self-made react against MBAs, and so on.
Inuitively I agree with the doubters. My gut tells me that heuristics and experience, rather than rules are the way forward. But here’s my problem: aren’t statements such as “avoid best practices” examples of a best practice?
read on »
I’m sure you know this by now, but just in case police have taken over all the mobile networks within the M25. If you can’t get through to people that’s very likely the reason.
If you’re in London, yu’re no doubt aware of the shutdown of tubes and buses following this mornings explosions.
Friends of mine in the centre of London have been mailing about the controlled explosions possibly about to take place. Advice is to stay calm and stay where you are (inside).
BE SAFE
There is a casualty number about to be released, and I shall post it here as soon as I hear of it.
Very chuffed to get a mail this morning from Ted Nelson - he who coined the terms “hypertext”, “intertwingularity” and the like - offering to kick off the Network Enabled Organisation seminar next week and join us for the first day.
His “locally rational, globally paradoxical, but somehow it makes sense” take should be fascinating.
On July 14th and 15th I’m organising a small seminar on the Networked Enabled Organisation at Templeton College in Oxford. Numbers are limited to 20, but there are a few spaces left, so do let me know if you’d like to come. Alternatively, if you know someone who is a KM pracitioner whose street it might be up, it’d be great if you could pass this on. I’m hoping it’ll be a nice mix of interesting speakers, interesting people and interesting conversations.
Formal details are here. The aim of the day is basically to get professionals together to discuss social computing in the context of organisations and their social dynamics. Not just blogs, but the whole kit and kaboodle. And not just organisations, but the people in them.
I’ve tried to put together some thought-provoking speakers, to give people food for thought, and provide time for people to chew that food over together.
Thoughts to chew are:
- Costs and benefits of different network structures (Dr. Sean Gourley)
- Geography and Shared Architecture in Virtual Spaces (Dr Andrew Smith)
- The Art of Conversation (Dr Theodore Zeldin)
- Anthropology and Social Capital (Will Davies)
And in terms of chewing real food, there’s a dinner run by Theodore Zeldin’s Oxford Muse, which should be fun.
Anyway, do let me know if you’re interested and can come (it’s �150 btw with accommodation extra)- either via KnowledgeBoard or at piersDotyoungAttempleton.ox.ac.uk (removing the dot and at).
Hope to see you there! 
[Update: some related links if you’re interested are:
Andy Smith and 30 Days in Active Worlds
New Scientist coverage of Sean’s research on the costs of centralised networks
Dr Theodore Zeldin selected talks
Will Davies paper on Social Capital- “You Don’t Know Me But …”: ]
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