Read about the RSA Networks event - see the videos

Information about RSA networks and OpenRSA here. More about this blog, and how to join in.

Tuesday 13 November 2007

Networks Prototype

Thanks for the detail Saul on the prototype. The Drupal platform looks very versatile and the Indianapolis Museum of Art site shows how exciting it can look as well. I particularly like their feature called 'Collaborative Book' which seems to create opportunities to really develop ideas. Importing from other media is essential as you show - particularly if the site is going to be used for information sharing as well.

It would be very interesting to see how the new types of networking opportunties that many fellows would like to create off line can be replicated online. From your flow plan your designs could facilitate the same type of collaborative 'spaces' to connect fellows over longer distances. One of the greatest needs expressed so far about opening up the network has been for fellows to get to know each other's areas of interest and expertise. The driver for this idea being developing trusting relationships around high-interest areas... and project ideas potentially growing from there. Frequently mentioned is the idea of open mic evenings for fellows to introduce their work and projects to one another in an informal setting and finding suitable ways of replicating this type of opportunity online would be very interesting. . . and exciting.

Groups functions would be very helpful for regional interest groups and LEGS to draw fellows to idea generating events . . .

Those attending the RSA meeting on the 22nd are really looking forward to seeing your prototype!

While I am here, just a reminder that there is an Informal Face 2 Face Meeting on the 19th November - more information and replies on the Facebook event page

2 comments:

Saul Albert said...

Hi Tessy,

Thanks for the feedback - and for the invitation. I'm looking forward to coming along on Monday and meeting some of the OpenRSA group.

You make a good point about the need for facilitating connection between fellows over geographical distance.

Maureen from the RSA's fellowship team also mentioned that it can be difficult to entice fellows who move abroad to participate because there is a perception that everything happens and that all the resources are concentrated in London.

While this is true to some extent (the building is wonderful), something simple like a google maps mashup of fellows around the world might help reveal the distributed (and far greater) resource and activity base of the fellows and their own social/professional networks.

Also, all this talk of meetups reminds me - I want to invite the everyone to come along to a super-informal last minute micro-meetup on Friday at 6:30pm at the RSA to see what we've got so far.

It won't be much more than wireframes - but we're planning on using Talkaoke to model the kind of face-to-face interactions and 'open mic' sessions (feeding into the online system) that have been suggested by yourself, David, Mark and other OpenRSA people.

More on that soon, but now, back to work at the Drupal coal-face...

Tessy Britton said...

Wow Saul - I like the geographic mapping idea! It would be great to look at this regionally as you say. Ultimately that is where a lot of the social innovation will happen. I am personally very keen to look for new ways of helping the RSA develop new forums for engaging Fellows and out of RSA communities to generate new ideas within their local areas. Any on line tools that could help collect interested people, have discussion space and make the maganement of events easier would be such an enabler for looking at approaching some of these issues a bit differently.