Daniel Pimienta wrote:
>I have spent and I still spend a lot of time explaining to Mistica
>colleagues, especially the young ones that there are many reasons
>why people dont go to the web and check.
>
>1) Because our web is not enough intuitive.
>
That is simple enough to fix. We can do that in December. For me, the
main reason I do not keep up with regional websites at this time is
because they lack RSS (XML) feeds of updates. I offered to fix this last
year for people, by installing a content management system (specifically
for CARDICIS, CIVIC and I do believe I did offer the same to MISTICA). I
did this in the way someone brings a pie to a party. We know we will be
hungry, and that we would wish to eat some of the pie. So we bring a pie
to *share* such that we may get a piece.

>2) Because redundancy is necessary to give incitation
>for people to pass the wall of communication and reach
>the information.
>
This is the core problem. I will tell you what I think.

I believe that people wish to have their interests pushed to the top at
all times, because as humans we still believe that as individuals are
the center of the universe, and our own personal sphere is more
important than the greater sphere. Yet - this is the very thing that
CARDICIS is supposed to be helping to fix. It requires conscious effort.

We are all busy. But are we busy doing what we agreed to do at CARDICIS?
And do we make it easier for others to follow what we do? I have a
proposal: One website can actually centralize various email lists such
that it becomes easier to combine information throughout the region and
make it more transparent.

If I could be guaranteed of some cooperation - I would volunteer and
donate this to the region. That is my level of commitment.

>I dont know about you; many busy people (and this is my case)
>do not surf and do not go check bookmarks. We basically
>go to the web hitting an URL in a mail or looking something
>with Google. The only few sites I am checking directly
>which are in my personal bar are : my bank, meteo
>forecast (I am a fisherman, hey!), few newspapers online...
>and that's it!!!!
>
This is because we have too many emails! Imagine you could communicate
with all the people in the region in a central area.

>My recommandation here is that you should newsletter your web site
>even unformally adding in your signature some "what's new in my
>web site motivator".
>
That is what RSS feeds are for. RSS feeds have been around for years at
this point. Since my website is updated daily, must I write things more
than once? That's why I write on the website - to avoid that.

>3) Because we are all too busy and this is an obstacle to the
>threshold for cooperation which represent the minimum time
>we should dedicate to other people information.
>
>And here I can just say that you are right and there is
>a serious problem to adress (not with you personally by the way).
>I feel guilty not checking colleagues web sites
>
It is difficult. It could be made easier. See above.

>Some years ago I invented the concept of "hyperload" in an
>IDRC meeting gathering many project managers to pave the
>way to collaboration.
>
>Overload is always forecast in projects to account for
>administrative cost and this is fair.
>Hyperload wouls be money for project managers to account
>for time to dedicate to colleagues and even to expenses
>for meeting with colleagues.
>I still believe that project funder should add a 15% money
>to the projects they fund and have project managers commit
>to use it ... to read Taran's Blog and meet with Taran
>(and others).
>
Imagine if you could go to one website and skim headlines... but that
would require all websites to have RSS feeds.

>I do not pretend this is THE solution but if we do not
>integrate in our daily practice a minimum slot of time
>to check colleagues how would we learen to collaborate?
>
>I received some personal reactions at your mail I wish we
>can share here. I will ask permissions and come back.
>
I look forward to these reactions. I imagine some are negative, for if
they were positive then they would have been posted to CARDICIS. I do
not like cloak and dagger discussion. Perhaps those with things to say
would be willing to participate in the discussion where this all
originated. The mailing list.

And THAT is another horrible problem that people consistently contribute
to...

-- 
Taran Rampersad