Friends,
This list provides a valuable forum for wide-ranging conversation and
inquiry. The multiplicity and perplexity that can arise is are the
strength of this list as well as constituting an occasional problem.
That said, we have survived and done well for more than a decade now.
The list grew out of the first conference on doctoral education in
design. Victor convened the conference at Ohio State University, along
with Lorraine Justice – then at OSU – Dick Buchanan, and Dennis Doordan.
Following the conference, list owners David Durling and Keith Russell
developed the list on the predecessor system to JISCMAIL as a forum that
would enable us all to keep the conversation going. It has been an
extraordinary forum since that time, extraordinary for its simplicity,
flexibility, and staying power.
I have seen several dozen lists and web sites on design and design
research come and go since the birth of this list. Many have been
virtually content free -- that is, someone will post a note or query,
with no response. Or, odder still, the list will announce and emerge and
no one will participate, not even the founders of the supposed list!
At one or two heated moments in list history, this proposal has come up
in different ways. None has taken hold because the list works well as a
forum, and as a forum, this list serves to advance our field.
For myself, I like PhD-Design and I intend to keep reading. Whether I
merely lurk and listen or I take an active part, I find it to be a
valued resource. And it is a nice community, a community of people who
support each other through common interest and occasional argument as we
work together to explore and understand design and design research.
I concur with Victor. And I'll add that it's not entirely a democracy.
It is an open forum where each of us is free to raise the issues that
interest us and pursue them wherever they lead, but we don't actually
get to vote on whether the list continues. In that sense, there are only
two voters: list owners David and Keith.
Anyone is free to start new lists. Perhaps one will take on the kind of
durability this list has had. But PhD-Design does well as what it is.
The nature of recent comments has had me writing a longer note on some
of these issues. I'll post it before long. For now, I wanted to see that
Victor is quite right. I understand Ann's frustration, but breaking the
list apart is not the answer.
Warm wishes,
Ken
Ken Friedman, PhD, DSc (hc), FDRS
Professor
Dean
Swinburne Design
Swinburne University of Technology
Melbourne, Australia
On Tue, 25 Aug 2009 11:19:09 -0700, Victor Margolin <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:
Colleagues:
I would like to speak in favor of keeping the PhD list intact. I share
some of Ann's frustrations and want to suggest that her proposal is a
call to all of us to rethink how to best use this list. I think it can
serve designers and researchers well when genuine and valuable problems
are discussed and when the discussion strands stay on point to keep the
conversation going. Often we get off on side conversations that then
assume center stage. If we can actually discuss real problems of
practice and research we can move both endeavors along. The list is also
valuable for sharing and seeking information about events, research
sources, and so forth.
Victor Margolin
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