Desert Island Pond Sculpture

Posted on July 20, 2011 by John

Desert Island Floating in a half-barrel is a desert terrarium.  The terrarium has several cacti as well as a small bone, snake skin, and a lava rock for additional effect.

I have several goldfish in the barrel and water lilies. This is the second summer for the floating island, third for the gold fish, and all seems to be doing well.  I take most of it inside for the winter.

The terrarium was an old globe from a 1970’s  light fixture.  The cap I did myself with low-fire clay.Desert Island Shore

The sun strikes the island quite directly at times, but I think the water helps keep things cool.

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Folders Vs Metadata – Document organization

Posted on June 23, 2011 by John

Folders and Metadata

Moving from the familiar desktop metaphor, with it’s storing files in folders, to metadata can be difficult, if not traumatizing for those used to the more spacial way of putting things in context.  To help introduce and explain, I came up with this cartoon (feel free to use).

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Posted in Collaboration / Community, Medical Informatics | 2 Comments

Technology Adoption and Crossing the Chasm

Posted on June 20, 2011 by John

Carrick-a-rede rope bridgeProjects fail, promising technologies are put in place but never adopted, IT rolls out another application that only a few business people use.  Where’s the disconnect? How might things be improved upon?  Here’s 10 well considered ideas from an expert.

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Opportunities for Transformative Tech

Posted on June 14, 2011 by John

IT tools are often introduced into an organization with little to no use by its members. I’ve been doing research as to why and recently read Connie Gersick’s work on the idea of change manifested through Punctuated Equilibrium Paradigm*. I think this paradigm can help one identify opportunities for transformational tech to be accepted.

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On “The 2011 State of Community Management Report”

Posted on June 9, 2011 by John

If you took a room full of online community management experts and had them write down their most valuable tips on 3×5 cards you could get something like “The 2011 State of Community Management Report“. Each finely tuned sentence only hints at much bigger concepts and issues at hand.  Indeed,  the authors know 95 pages is not enough and thankfully include forty or so links to additional references.

That said, this is a great way for someone starting out to get a sense of what community managers are currently concerned with.  Those already in the field will recognize many of the recommendations, but may pick up a few tips. I think it makes a great checklist for anyone that has a community and wants to make it better.

Some things that struck me:

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