SB1: Steve Bjorg, Firewalls

Title: Building Lasting Communities Behind Firewalls (ID SB1)

  • Language: English | License:
  • Room size: Small/medium
  • Category: WIKI USE
  • type:
  • Budget requirements: {{{budgetrequire}}}
  • Budget priority: {{{budget}}}

Author[s]: Steve Bjorg.

  • Contact: steveb@mindtouch.com [OTRS]
  • Contacted by: Jakob
  • (From: Redmond, WA, USA | available days: )
Abstract

Wikis are, at their heart, editable websites, but they are also much more. Combining editing features with information tracking and notification creates a new platform for collaboration. Wikis enable individuals to create structured content that remains relevant over long periods of time. They can provide incredible value to an organization and, if well-deployed and implemented, help create a lasting community of writers and readers. Building community in the workplace translates into many benefits beyond the scope of teams, groups or departments. As information flow improves, communities tend to work more efficiently and more in unison. A sense of belonging grows that can help organizations not only weather tough times but emerge even stronger. The ubiquitous file-server is a poor community-builder. Forums, blogs and plain old websites can offer some benefits, but wikis provide those and more: They are always available, give members an opportunity to contribute, have a lasting structure, provide easy entry for new members, help people stay up-to-date and find new information, and enable many voices to be synthesized into one. Essential when planning an internal wiki are the identification of an internal "champion" who promotes the community, a first line of contributors who can help with content selection and timing, and some early readers to provide feedback. The actual building of the wiki has its own challenges, in particular resisting the impulse to create as much new content and involve as many individuals as possible. A strong launch harnesses the natural curiosity of the organization's members to create a buzz around the project. Once unveiled, the success of the wiki depends on establishing roles to keep content up-to-date, promoting the wiki among its primary beneficiaries, and creating a member area to encourage its social component. Building a lasting wiki community also means planning for growth, revising plans for content as needed, reviving interest in case of a downturn in activity, providing incentives for new and frequent contributors, and promoting the wiki across the organization. That, in turn, might lead to new projects that enable even more people to employ one of the most sophisticated, yet simple group-collaboration tools available to date.

About the author[s]: Steve Bjorg is president and co-founder of MindTouch, Inc. He has over a decade of experience in software development and product design. He previously founded a company in Europe, where he led the development team for several products. Mr. Bjorg joined Microsoft in 2000 where he worked on incubating new technologies and determine their market viability. His creativity and pragmatism have contributed to many innovations ranging from development tools to social networking. Mr. Bjorg currently has lived in several countries, including Luxemburg, France, Switzerland, and the United States. He currently resides in Redmond, WA with his wife Brigette.


Status information in the templates is not up to date. Please see Internal:Speakers/Categories for final status information.


Note: see SB2 as well

  • accept:
  • reject: EM (we have those bases well covered already with Ross and Sunir), AB (too organization-focused), JV (better fits at a general Wiki or KnowledgeManagement-conference but less Wikimania)
  • notes: currently in contact with steve about sponsoring, so please consult with me before rejecting the submission entirely --Elian
  • status: