Toluu

Reflexions

Glimpse the maelstrom of unformed thoughts accreting around the human, Steve Barth

Hiking Icehouse CanyonJanuary 4

We’ve discovered great new trails—less than hour’s drive from home—in Icehouse Canyon, in the Angeles National Forest above Claremont on the road to Mt. Baldy. The canyon runs east-west between steep ridges, so the shadows keep the air frigid and snow frozen. The main canyon, about 4 miles from trailhead to saddle, is rocky drainage forested with oak, big cone spruce, pine, fir and cedar. However, other trails climb hillsides and side canyons and there are peaks to bag beyond the saddle. The scenery has been a perfect place to experiment with panorama images taken with the Lumix FZ28 and automatically stitched together with the photomerge feature of Photoshop CS4. Icehouse Canyon has a long history as a source of timber, gold and block ice for the growing towns below. A few cabins (privately owned) remain from the days of...

History’s Blind SpotJanuary 2

I caught the fascinating History Boys on cable, the film version of Alan Bennett's playwith the original stage director and cast. I liked the provocative and frequently contradictory views. I have always vehemently disagreed, for example, with the taboo on understanding causes of the Holocaust, which is summed up well by one of the characters: “To put something in context is a step towards saying it can be understood and that it can be explained. And if it can be explained then it can be explained away.” But in these twilight days of the Bush presidency, when so many analysts are rushing to judgment, I have been mulling over this quip: Our perspective on the past alters. Looking back, immediately in front of us is dead ground. We don't see it, and because we don't see it this means that...

Seeing the forest and the treesJanuary 1

A new study suggests that spending time in natural environments improves cognition more than in urban environments. Subjects tested better in terms of both memory and attention after walking in a park versus walking downtown. They suggest this is because the natural world is relaxing rather than stimulating. I think it’s possible the authors understand little about “cognition in the wild” and perhaps need to get out more. The natural environment may be more pleasing, but it is clearly as complex as the urban scene for anybody who is paying attention. Their notion that there is a more coherent and less confusing pattern of stimulation, and that's the key to better performance, is interesting. But if you’re confusing complex with complicated, you aren’t likely to survive in either setting. I suspect the real reason you’re smarter after a hike is...

Remembering MelissieOctober 26 2008

Today should have been Melissie Rumizen’s birthday. One of the things that she used to say was: “The golden rule of networking is to give.” Late last year, we had a brief memorial at KMWorld, led by friends Verna Allee, Dave Snowden and myself. Melissie understood everything you need to know about knowledge management—and then showed you how it’s done: That leadership is about setting examples rather than about executive titles; That learning begins with listening, rather than with opinions; That relationships are the way things get done. Below are some of the tributes we received

Making Documents “Smarter”October 24 2008

I'll be speaking about "Smarter Documents" in Kansas City during the 4th Army Operational Knowledge Management Conference hosted by Ft. Leavenworth's Battle Command Knowledge System. As artifacts of individual and organizational expertise, even smart documents cannot really contain knowledge, but they can evoke learning. On one hand, effective communication today leverages cutting-edge technological advances in collaborative authorship, individualized delivery, rich media, and online environments accessible through disparate devices. On the other hand, it still relies on timeless anthropological traditions of writing, design and publishing that honor the hand as much as the eye. The right process can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of organizational publishing, while the right presentation in form and function enhances both message and meaning. Some recent articles available online: "The Metaphor Drawer" KMWorld "Whatever Happened to the Page?" KMWorld "The Role of Typographic Design in Effective...