Voices from Pots

"Voice, or its lack, is how we tell what's worth reading and what's not," p 51

 

There's an interesting meme from Levine, an apologetic tone for using technology as much as he does. It goes against his sense of creativity; of course, he goes on to explain the creative aspect of conversation.

 

He also makes a point of discussing the need to always create something new, a stubborness that left to his own devices, he can create an original voice of some kind. He refers to this as the idea of the craftsman.

 

Within that idea, he brings up an interesting point: "...indivuals who see the details of the things they produce in the light of the trials and triumphs they experience while creating products." This idea is the nexis of why people strive for control + are reluctant to turn things over to the community:

1. when you build something, you see it for the process not the final product
2. when you turn that over to people, you expect that too
3. when it doesn't happen, you have a desire to exert control to "fix" that
4. forgetting that other people are now invested in it to, which makes them want to exert control

 

The ease with with electronic communication enables this "conversation" means we get to #4 much quicker than ever before.

 

If we are not engaged with those people (and they can tell), they will not respond to us. The personal + the professional have merged (and the multi-tasker is easily spotted). We respond to authenticity, not arbitrary mandated control.

 

Wired Conversations

The entire book -- maybe the entire Web + social media sphere -- can be boiled down into 5 words: People talk to each other 

 

E-mail

"The basic operating rule of email is that anyone can send mail to almost anyone else -- all they need is an address." p 52

 

Email is quick + conversational. We expect it to be honest and messy. 

• One aspect to think about: when email happened, we used that as the "instant" communication. Now rank these: email, IM, texting, phone calls, conversations. What are your expectations with each of these?
• Why do you text instead of emailing? or calling? or visiting during office hours?

 

Mailing Lists

"The commitment required to understand the content and context of a list before you post to it is part of the conversational ante this aspect of the Net requires." pg 53

 

• One-way: one --> many blasts, where there is a centralized expert who is giving information to people (e.g. my mass emails to the MIN majors)
• Two-way: one --> many --> one, where people can have a conversation in public about something. Others may eavesdrop and even contribute 

 

Either way, the role of the moderator -- whatever form that takes (and you can see 8 Rules for Building a Community for what that may look like) -- determines the experience of the list.

 

Newsgroups

"Companies need to harness this sort of caring and let its viral enthusiasm be communicated in employees own voices. Pay a little, get a lot. Talk is cheap." p 60

 

Newsgroups are simply mailing lists that your computer has to go check. We know this today as RSS, which we'll be covering very soon. Essentially, your computer is acting as an agent (Licklider talked of this in Man-Computer Symbiosis).

 

By the way, the Usenet groups discussed in the book. Yeah, Google bought those. You know them as Google Groups now.

 

The newsgroup method exists in one place - unlike mailing lists which are sent to everyone's inbox (although there are often public archives). These are destinations, places you go for conversation and information. They exist today in places like Facebook and NING as well, informal places where conversations take place.

 

When I tell you that conversations are happening, whether you are involved or not, this is what I mean. The social media sphere almost promises that somebody somewhere is talking about you. Your decision to engage or not is irrelevant to that fact; however, your decision to converse or not says volumes.

 

Chats

These real-time discussions demand that we lose our "pretense" and speak as ourselves. This has changed over the years. In the 70s and 80s, it was common to interact as someone you weren't. It was a game. These days, you are offline who you are online.

 

Web Pages

"The Web lets us look into other people's lives in an intimate way." p. 63

 

We find ourselves, when we are surfing, digging into the small components of information that WE find interesting. We are ever in search of the personal FOR US. 

 

In that sense, Web pages are stories. They are personal stories told by those who put them together. That is why "businessspeak" is so glaring online. It doesn't make sense. It sticks out. It doesn't fit.

 

Millions and Millions Served

"The volume of conversation about us we don't participate in directly is almost always greater than the volume we are personally involved in." p 66

 

Talk happens. You can't stop that. People will also make their own informed decisions based upon everything they read and hear. You can't MAKE people think one way anymore. At least, it's much harder.

 

The new problem: do you need to coordinate all those messages into one cohesive thought or can you let the mass exist (this gets us back to Cluetrain (Chapter 2) when we discussed the merits of control versus freedom.

 

You must also find a way for the conversation to be TRULY two-way. The conversations must lead to changes and growth.

• Java developers forum: free site, Q+A, answers directly, turns into a knowledge base, with access to deliver notes to Java developers, which turns into new + better products

 

But you must find a way to manage the trivial.

 

Always keep in mind that just because people aren't talking doesn't mean they aren't listening. 

 

Silence is Fatal

You can't stop the conversation. But you will be judged on how you deal with the conversation.

• Enquirer and it's continued "closing" of forums