Steve
My objection is not to the concept of the unconference meeting format or how
it develops. It is just that the neologism is more whimsical than
informative. (Webinar, by way of contrast, is reasonably self-evident and
describes a new way of interacting.)
I don't think that unconference has impressed this audience of experienced
and well-informed people and that, I suggest, means that the word has failed
in its purpose. Perhaps it would have been better if the calling notice had
made the "new" format evident up front and then said ". . . sometimes known
as an unconference."
Regards
Jim
=============================================
-----Original Message-----
From: The UK Records Management mailing list
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Steve Bailey -
JISC infoNet
Sent: Thursday, April 08, 2010 2:02 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Unconference: Storing Information in the Cloud - 21 May in
Manchester
Peter.
The only reason for not including the entire quote was one of brevity and
relevance to the topic in hand, but I think your response to the section I
left out really gets to the heart of the issue. Frankly I couldn't care
less whether you and other records managers like the term unconference or
not, or just see it as bullsh*t or not as you imply as this is purely a
matter of personal opinion to which we are all entitled. The trouble is
that like so many of these debates it misses the point entirely.
Its all very well for us to scoff, dismiss or ignore developments such as
these, but in doing so we are writing our own professional suicide note.
For whether we 'get it' or not will not make a hoot of difference to the
rest of the world who will continue to innovate, to change and to transform
without us. Records management is a profession which relies on an
understanding not only of the organisations who create records, but the
behaviours, attitudes and actions of the hundreds and thousands of users who
work in them and the technology that they utilise when they do. By cutting
ourselves off from the developments, trends and even the fads and temporary
crazes which influence how people interact and how transactions occur we
also cut ourselves off from the future supply of records that it is our
apparent duty to manage.
Its easy to dismiss things like this as just being the work of 'geeks' and
therefore somehow unimportant. People had exactly the same view of the
geeks and nerds who were 'wasting their time' with this new thing called the
'internet' in the early 1990s, what a load of losers they were. I wonder
what they are doing now: oh yes running Google, and Amazon and eBay and
determining how society, culture, business and government functions. Just
little things like that.
We don't have the privilege of being choosey and selective about which
trends and technologies we choose to 'honour' with our interest and those we
don't. I don't suppose the police much like it when a new illegal drug or
type of weapon is introduced to the streets, but its still their
responsibility to manage its consequences regardless. Turning your back on
it doesn't prevent it occurring, it just makes the process of managing its
implications that much harder. Even after 15 years as a records manager
(which I know is just a blip compared with your own experience) I still find
it astonishing how a profession whose actions are so intrinsically tied up
with processes of change can at the same time be some astonishingly
conservative in its outlook.
Now of course the results of this 'suicide note' will not be felt for some
time, we are not talking sudden decapitation here; more 'death from a
thousand cuts' as slowly but surely our sphere of influence gets a little
smaller and our perceived relevance a little less obvious. Sure there will
still be boxes to put on shelves, take down, put back and maybe even destroy
occasionally but if that remains the limit of our influence in 10 years time
then I think it will be time to call the coroner anyway.
Hope you're enjoying your retirement.
Regards
Steve
-----Original Message-----
From: The UK Records Management mailing list
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Peter Emmerson
Sent: 08 April 2010 12:53
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Unconference: Storing Information in the Cloud - 21 May in
Manchester
I notice Steve didn't provide the final line from the Wikipedia entry: 'The
term is primarily used in the geek community, though as of 2009 it has also
started to appear in the travel industry[2]'.
Instead we get another 'king's new clothes' smack for being so ill informed
and backward.
The same source describes a conference as: 'a meeting of people that
"confer" about a topic'. If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and
quacks like a duck, it's a duck.
Alternatively: If it looks like BS and smells like BS, it's BS!
This does not, of course, reduce the value of the event itself which will
contribute to the development of an important piece of work.
-----Original Message-----
From: The UK Records Management mailing list
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Steve Bailey -
JISC infoNet
Sent: 08 April 2010 11:56
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Unconference: Storing Information in the Cloud - 21 May in
Manchester
I rest my case...
-----Original Message-----
From: The UK Records Management mailing list
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Tinsley, Chris
Sent: 08 April 2010 11:49
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Unconference: Storing Information in the Cloud - 21 May in
Manchester
Or, as we call it a Conference.
-----Original Message-----
From: The UK Records Management mailing list
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Steve Bailey -
JISC infoNet
Sent: 08 April 2010 11:44
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Unconference: Storing Information in the Cloud - 21 May in
Manchester
HI Eldin
For information:
"An unconference is a facilitated, participant-driven conference centered on
a theme or purpose. The term "unconference" has been applied, or
self-applied, to a wide range of gatherings that try to avoid one or more
aspects of a conventional conference, such as high fees and sponsored
presentations."
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unconference
It's a type of event which is becoming increasingly common (and successful)
in many part of IT and new media and I think its great (and long overdue) to
see a similar event being planned for RM. Another example of how the world
of which we are supposed to be a part continues to leave us trailing far far
behind...
Hope this helps
Cheers
Steve
-----Original Message-----
From: The UK Records Management mailing list
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Eldin Rammell,
Rammell Consulting
Sent: 08 April 2010 11:11
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Unconference: Storing Information in the Cloud - 21 May in
Manchester
Unconference?? I assume this is a conference / workshop / meeting?
I know what a conference is. I know what a workshop is. I know what a
participant-led conference is. I know what an economically-priced conference
is. But "unconference"??
I think I need an undrink....that's a drink that tries to avoid one or more
aspects of a conventional drink ;-)
Regards,
Eldin.
-----Original Message-----
From: The UK Records Management mailing list
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Nicole Schulz
Sent: 08 April 2010 09:25
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Unconference: Storing Information in the Cloud - 21 May in
Manchester
****Apologies for cross posting***
'Storing information in the Cloud' Unconference
21 May 2010 in Manchester
Full schedule available here:
http://www.dis.aber.ac.uk/en/news/cloudworkshop.asp
Venue: Centre for Excellence in Enquiry-Based Learning (CEEBL) at Manchester
University, C24 Sackville Street Building, Sackville Street, Manchester, M60
1QD (http://www.campus.manchester.ac.uk/ceebl/)
Format: short keynote (15-20 minutes) followed by workshop based on cloud
scenarios
Cost: £65 Includes Lunch and coffee
To register download the registration form here:
http://www.dis.aber.ac.uk/en/news/cloudworkshop.asp
Registration ends 12 May 2010
This workshop-based unconference is part of a project currently run by the
Department of Information Studies at Aberystwyth University and funded by
the Society of Archivists looking into security, operational and governance
issues of storing information in the cloud.
Cloud computing, that is the provision of IT services via the internet, is a
trending topic within the information communities. In recent years many
organisations already have or are actively planning to outsource some of
their IT services such as email, information storage, payroll etc. to cloud
computing providers such as Google and Amazon for cost and efficiency
reasons. Cloud computing can have financial and operational advantages such
as reduced deployment cost, increased storage capabilities and scalability.
However, cloud computing raises security and compliance issues that need to
be addressed when outsourcing information storage to third parties. Our aim
at this one-day workshop-based unconference is to generate debate and to
highlight some of the security and governance issues surrounding the storage
of information in a virtual environment.
The unconference is aimed at information professionals such as information
managers, records managers, archivists and librarians as well as at IT
professionals who are faced with organisational initiatives to move
information into the cloud and who are looking for a starting point on how
to tackle information management and security requirements in the cloud
environment. The unconference is divided into three streams (governance,
security and information management in the cloud) chaired and introduced by
three industry experts in their field. A short presentation from the chair
of each session is followed by an open workshop working through the issues
relating to the storage of information in the cloud from a governance,
security and IM angle as well as some possible approaches to managing the
cloud-based information environment. The highly participative, open
unconference format provides participants with the opportunity to exchange
opinions, ideas and approaches with fellow information professionals in a
friendly, yet informed environment.
Conference schedule:
9.30 a.m. Registration and coffee
10-10.30 a.m. Welcome and topic brainstorm
10.30 a.m. - 12 p.m. Session 1: Information Governance - Chair: Dai Davies,
Brooke North LLP
12-1 p.m. lunch and networking
1-2.30 p.m. Session 2: Information Security - Chair: Paul Miller, Cloud of
Data
2.30-2.45 p.m. Tea break
2.45-4 p.m. Session 3: Cloud computing challenges and the future of RIM -
Chair: Steve Bailey, JISC
4-5 p.m. Cloud Service Provider Q&A Session (tbc)
--
Nicole Schulz
Teaching Fellow
Department of Information Studies
Aberystwyth University
Llanbadarn Fawr
Aberystwyth SY23 3AS
Tel: +44 (0)1970 622151
For any technical queries re JISC please email [log in to unmask]
For any content based queries, please email [log in to unmask]
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