Chris Jones' takeaways on learning and collaboration from latest Inmagic user group meeting

If you couldn't make it to our last user group meeting in North Carolina, you have another chance to get the scoop. Our guest speaker, Chris Jones from SourcePOV, has shared his takeaways from the meeting and slides from his presentation on his blog.

Here are few takeaways I found interesting:

1. People produce knowledge, not process or technology; as ‘knowledge workers,’ they do this by applying context to raw information; metadata (via tagging) continues to be a primary means
   
   
2. Due to the flood of electronic content, the workload of knowledge workers is ever increasing
   
   
3. Social media is unlocking many doors to knowledge worker collaboration, but proliferation of niche SM tools remains a challenge; vendors are making headway as they work toward the needed integration, a key factor in Enterprise 2.0 enablement
   
   
4. Learning and innovation share common threads (discovery, visualization, vetting of alternative solutions), prompting the question: Are ‘learning’ and ‘innovation’ really the same thing? Or perhaps driven from the same cognitive skill base?
   

You can read the rest on his blog. Thanks again, Chris, for speaking and sharing your insights!

The right E2.0 strategy for your organization

We've talked before about how E2.0 is not just about the technology. It's not just about the culture either. And it is not just about you, or your boss, your customer, and the guy you worked with three years ago that made it big. It's about all of these elements combined.

Dennis Stevenson wrote about the "Fundamentals of Enterprise 2.0 Culture" in a recent post on the Original Thinking blog. He is correct when he says that culture and technology are not mutually exclusive entities when it comes to E2.0 adoption and use. But I disagree that one (culture) is more important than the other (technology). They are equal and necessary requirements to a successful E2.0 initiative.

For instance, some companies might be open to cultural diversity and change, which can help E2.0 flourish. But the company also needs the appropriate social technology so that it can take advantage of that culture and use it to realize business benefits of E2.0.

The social technologies that get it right will be chameleon-like in their ability to fit into any given organization's structure and culture -- whether their social boundaries are high, low, or somewhere in between. These technologies will also be adjustable, as companies figure out the right balance of social for their enterprise. Companies should be able "dial up" and "dial down" social controls as they see fit. At the end of the day, the right E2.0 recipe will be different for everyone based on these factors.

What do you think of SLA's proposed name change?

If you haven't heard, the Special Libraries Association (SLA) has proposed changing its name to the Association for Strategic Knowledge Professionals. The organization wants to find a name that better communicates its value in the workplace.

All SLA members are encouraged to voice their opinion on the propsed name by casting an electronic vote in a special referendum that will run Nov. 16 to Dec. 9. The result will be announced on Dec. 10.

There have been a lot of discussions going on about the name change, and you can hit SLA's blog to learn how to join the conversation.

And if you want to catch up on how SLA arrived at the name "Association for Strategic Knowledge Professionals," you can check out the research the organization did.

Five reasons to socialize your knowledgebase inside the firewall

If you're a regular reader, you probably are well-acquainted with the reasons we write about for bringing social media tools inside the firewall, and socializing your knowledge repository. ITBusinessEdge invited me contribute a guest piece on the subject, and they published it yesterday. In it I distill the five major arguments for socializing your knowledgebase:

• Faster access to rich, relevant information
• Consolidated information silos
• Increased productivity
• Reduced IT footprint and costs
• Improved organizational effectiveness and ROI

For details of each, turn to the article.

Latest version of DB/Text Web Publisher Pro released

For everyone using Web Publisher Pro out there, we released the latest version of the tool, v12. It's now compatible with our recently released DB/TextWorks v12. Web Publisher Pro v12 will be made available to all maintenance-paying customers through a maintenance notification. For more deets, take a look at the press release we put out.

Read more »

SharePoint industry events to watch

There are a couple of key shows coming up surrounding Microsoft SharePoint -- the Microsoft SharePoint Conference and SharePoint Connections.

Las Vegas plays host to the Microsoft SharePoint Conference Oct. 19-22. It'll be the first time Microsoft publicly shares all of what SharePoint 2010 has to offer. Almost 250 sessions are planned, covering topics including upgrading to the new version, building in it, best practices for deployment, and more. You can learn more about the sessions on the show's site. Unfortunately, the show is sold out, but you can still put yourself on the waiting list if you're jockeying for a spot.

Then it's a return to Sin City for SharePoint Connections on Nov. 9-12. It will cover both SharePoint 2010, as well as the current version, 2007. Some sessions will be best practices for SharePoint governance and design, virtualization options, and more. You can learn more and register on the show's site.

Info Pro-file: CM consultant Chris Brown talks content, context, and collaboration

Inmagic is welcoming independent consultant Chris Brown to the team, and we wanted to introduce you to him and give you an early look into his perspectives and strategies surrounding CM and KM. Janelle and Chris caught up last week for an Info Pro-file podcast, and hit the basics, as well as the nitty gritty industry questions.

Listen in to learn about Chris's professional background in content management and the technology surrounding it. He'll be providing his industry viewpoints and drawing from his consulting experience to help shape the future of Presto.

Chris and Janelle talk about employee turnover and knowledge retention in the industry -- something many employers should be concerned about now that the economy is showing signs of turning the corner and companies are coming off their hiring freezes. Chris believes there's a big play for new knowledge management technologies, which have a major advantage over portals. He talks about how portals are primarily gateways to information, and fall short of helping retain knowledge in an organization.

But more important, however, is how these KM technologies are used. Pretty interfaces might look nice, but the key to unlocking their potential is to use them in ways that provide context to content.

"Having one storage area that people can access doesn't solve the problem," Chris says. "Because their problem is contextualized access to this information."

He shares some signature pieces of advice he provides to organizations, including not to focus on the KM technology as much as the human factor. That is, thinking about how knowledge assets will actually be used, and how they can help employees collaborate and be more efficient and productive.

The conversation also turns personal, and Janelle learns what Chris likes to read, who his favorite old Hollywood stars are, and why he loves to travel.

Twitter list of Gilbane Boston 2009 exhibitors, sponsors, and speakers

Update on the Gilbane Boston Conference: You can follow the exhibitors, sponsors, and speakers using the Gilbane Boston 2009 Twitter list. Carolyn and I have added ourselves, as well as our Inmagic Twitter handle to the list.

Upcoming user group meeting: Chris Jones presents and lunch will be served

I always thought it was hard to pay attention to anything on an empty stomach. All you think about is food! Well, that's why we're teaming up with our partner InfoCrofters to combine our next user group meeting with lunch -- a lunch-and-learn, if you will. And the best part is, you don't have to be an Inmagic customer to attend.

The focus of this user group, which will take place on Oct. 15 in Research Triangle Park, will be on peer networking, getting industry advice and insight, and checking out the latest Inmagic technology. Our guest speaker is Chris Jones, KM expert and Consulting Principal of SourcePOV, an IT consultancy that specializes in collaborative innovation. He also hosts the #e20ws Twitter chat I told you about the other day. We'll provide lunch, light refreshments, and snacks.

Here's the agenda of the day:

11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.: Inmagic user group meeting and lunch
Connect with other Inmagic users over lunch to discuss best practices, trade tips and tricks, and discover how your peers are making the most of their Inmagic technology. (This session is open to Inmagic customers only.)

1:30 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.: Guest presentation by Chris Jones of SourcePOV
Get the inside scoop on the evolution of knowledge management when Chris Jones presents, "Imagine: A Knowledge Renaissance - Convergence in Traditional KM, Information Architecture and Library Science Fueled by Social Media." (This session is open to all.)

2:15 p.m. – 3 p.m.: Inmagic Presents Presto for Social Libraries
Learn about Presto for Social Libraries, a unique application of Inmagic Presto that brings together library workflow management, social technologies, and content publishing in a secure, Web-based environment. (This session is open to all.)

Need-to-know details:

WHAT: Lunch-and-Learn with Inmagic and InfoCrofters

WHEN: Thursday, Oct. 15 from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

WHERE: North Carolina Biotechnology Center
Board of Directors and Presidents Rooms
15 T.W. Alexander Drive
Research Triangle Park
Directions

COST: Free.

REGISTER: Pleas note, seating is limited. If you and your colleagues are interested in joining us, register by e-mail. In your message, please indicate what portion(s) of the event you're planning to attend:

* Full event: 11:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. (Lunch will be provided.)
* User group meeting/lunch only: 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. (Lunch will be provided.)
* Presentations only: 1:30 p.m. - 3 p.m.