This group is for those who want to share feedback and ideas and essential questions about this online community platform and help make it the most hospitable, useful and heart-full place it can be.
As the "site administrator" I am having some challenges that I'd like to see us address together as a stewardship group if at all possible.
I think Ulrich's idea of a "Charter" or clear statement of intent might be a good response to these issues, but here are a few examples of what is coming up for me:
There seem to be many people coming in to this community lately who are completely new to the World Cafe - posting events (tours of the SF bay), requesting that they might start a group (for everything from World Markets to the culture of the people in the Arabian Peninsula), or blogging (on Home Prices in America).
Many of these contributions feel out of whack to me - like the people making the contributions have no idea where they are, and have not been properly introduced. That's why I like the idea of a Charter, or clear statement of intent, as I think it may clarify things for new people from the beginning.
I have some concerns that, especially in this early time of seeding the World Cafe online community, it's important we don't just become another nondescript "FaceBook"-type space that covers everything and therefore has no value to the people who could build a real community of practice here. On the other hand, I really want this to be a hospitable space, and certainly it is not only World Cafe people who are welcome - for example, we are very much wanting to create the environment for mutual exchange with people from the Art of Hosting, Kaos Pilots, Appreciative Inquiry, Open Space, etc. and we want new people who are genuinely interested in the World Cafe or conscious group process to feel like they are welcome, too.
So, here are some of my questions:
Should there be any restrictions or criteria for who's able to start a "group"? We currently ask that people who want to start a group must be willing to care for it, but are there other criteria we should be using, like that the groups should be about the World Cafe in some way, or they should only be able to be started by people who are already in the World Cafe somehow?
Should we make this community invitation-only, so we know where people are coming in from?
What about people who only ever post their events and make no contribution or have no interaction otherwise?
Are there any limits on the kind of events/blogs/conversations/etc. we are comfortable having posted?
If there is a feeling that some kind of simple Charter or statement of intent would help with some or all of these issues, Would someone be willing to draft it for us to look at, and where should we put it?
On another level altogether, we've had some real challenges with the Buddies and Mentors process - mainly that there are twice as many people who want buddies than there are willing to be a buddy, and that many of the people offering to be Mentors are not experienced enough to really carry out the role.
So, in response, I've started offering weekly Phone Clinics for tech issues, and I'd like to encourage people who need help or information to post their questions in the conversations area, and people who know the answers to respond to them.
How does this sound? Any thoughts?
Warm Hugs, and appreciation for your co-stewardship of this space.
You are raising questions about the boundary of this community; and I think it is good that these are clearly stated. It's like an identity. Making clear boundaries doesn't mean that there is no hospitable space - the point is if these people are interested in the same topic/question/learning - no, they are not. Actually I wouldn't see a problem in removing or blocking these people and their postings. Actually I would expect that from you/the webmaster that they keep an eye on that and that I don't come across those people/posts/comments.
Your question: "Should there be any restrictions or criteria for who's able to start a "group"? We currently ask that people who want to start a group must be willing to care for it, but are there other criteria we should be using, like that the groups should be about the World Cafe in some way, or they should only be able to be started by people who are already in the World Cafe somehow?"
I think a Charter is good for internal clarity, but people who don't care where they are, will not be stopped by this charter. I would just have some people who are responsible to keep an eye on these matters and let they decide. In Spiral Dynamics terms, don't be too Green! In other words: don't be too inclusive; to the point that the value is diminished.
Your question: "Should we make this community invitation-only, so we know where people are coming in from?"
To me that would go against the use of a social platform... but you could state that if they don't fill in the questions and make themselves known, that they will be blocked.
Your question: "What about people who only ever post their events and make no contribution or have no interaction otherwise?"
I would be very clear and radical: just delete.
Your question: On another level altogether, we've had some real challenges with the Buddies and Mentors process - mainly that there are twice as many people who want buddies than there are willing to be a buddy, and that many of the people offering to be Mentors are not experienced enough to really carry out the role.
Reagarding the Mentors... in the Art of Hosting community we are faced with a similar topic. People want to start AoH trainings in their local language, but they are not experienced enough to do so really well. We are hitting the limits of self-organising systems and we need to look as a network what is the right thing to do here. I don't have any easy answers...
Amy and all -
Looking at the other post on Cafes Online, in what ways might we plant this conversation in an online cafe and a) amplify this topic's generative energy and b) create a learning lab experience for those of us curious but clueless about how virtual cafes work?
I hope this post fits under "challenges" (otherwise I can repost this):
I'm wondering if there is any mechanism in place right now to back up the data on this social network to a separate server. This is a serious consideration.
A few years ago the company which hosted the Genuine Contact Program's electronic discussion list and forum went out of service. And all the data was lost! The Program subsequently created a new electronic list and then put that on a private server. It took more than a year to bring the virtual community back online.
Ria Baeck
You are raising questions about the boundary of this community; and I think it is good that these are clearly stated. It's like an identity. Making clear boundaries doesn't mean that there is no hospitable space - the point is if these people are interested in the same topic/question/learning - no, they are not. Actually I wouldn't see a problem in removing or blocking these people and their postings. Actually I would expect that from you/the webmaster that they keep an eye on that and that I don't come across those people/posts/comments.
Your question: "Should there be any restrictions or criteria for who's able to start a "group"? We currently ask that people who want to start a group must be willing to care for it, but are there other criteria we should be using, like that the groups should be about the World Cafe in some way, or they should only be able to be started by people who are already in the World Cafe somehow?"
I think a Charter is good for internal clarity, but people who don't care where they are, will not be stopped by this charter. I would just have some people who are responsible to keep an eye on these matters and let they decide. In Spiral Dynamics terms, don't be too Green! In other words: don't be too inclusive; to the point that the value is diminished.
Your question: "Should we make this community invitation-only, so we know where people are coming in from?"
To me that would go against the use of a social platform... but you could state that if they don't fill in the questions and make themselves known, that they will be blocked.
Your question: "What about people who only ever post their events and make no contribution or have no interaction otherwise?"
I would be very clear and radical: just delete.
Your question: "Are there any limits on the kind of events/blogs/conversations/etc. we are comfortable having posted?"
Yes, it should all be related to the world café in each of it's understandings and about its principles.
Your question: On another level altogether, we've had some real challenges with the Buddies and Mentors process - mainly that there are twice as many people who want buddies than there are willing to be a buddy, and that many of the people offering to be Mentors are not experienced enough to really carry out the role.
Reagarding the Mentors... in the Art of Hosting community we are faced with a similar topic. People want to start AoH trainings in their local language, but they are not experienced enough to do so really well. We are hitting the limits of self-organising systems and we need to look as a network what is the right thing to do here. I don't have any easy answers...
From a similar kind of frustration point...
Ria
Aug 21, 2009
Bruce Flye
Looking at the other post on Cafes Online, in what ways might we plant this conversation in an online cafe and a) amplify this topic's generative energy and b) create a learning lab experience for those of us curious but clueless about how virtual cafes work?
Bruce
Aug 23, 2009
Raffi Aftandelian
I hope this post fits under "challenges" (otherwise I can repost this):
I'm wondering if there is any mechanism in place right now to back up the data on this social network to a separate server. This is a serious consideration.
A few years ago the company which hosted the Genuine Contact Program's electronic discussion list and forum went out of service. And all the data was lost! The Program subsequently created a new electronic list and then put that on a private server. It took more than a year to bring the virtual community back online.
Sep 22, 2009