[sociate] More Monderman stories

I'd like to find more stories like
<http://www.sociate.com/blog/archives/2005_08_01_archive.html#11248649110526
4705> Monderman's: situations where the removal of structure, rules or
technology improves the situation. I'm collecting.

I can think of two others.

When he tells the story of the birth of the  <http://www.wikipedia.com/>
Wikipedia,  <http://www.jimmywales.com/> Jimmy Wales describes the
seven-step editorial process he and a professional researcher put in place
for the original Nupedia. They were going to solicit articles from qualified
experts, review them properly, then publish them. And 18 months later, they
had only a handful of finished articles.

Then Wales heard about wikis, switched the platform, and removed the
structure he had thought necessary. Participation shot up, articles began to
pour in -- and their quality was great.

The other story is about Harrison Owen, who spent a year producing a
technical conference with keynotes, panels, white papers and poster
sessions, only to fall into a funk after it was over, when he realized that
the coffee breaks had been more stimulating than the structured sessions.
Taking that instinct seriously, Owen designed a conference format that
self-organizes, called  <http://www.openspaceworld.com/> Open Space.

Open Space sometimes freaks people out a bit, because it trusts participants
so much. What do you mean, you're running a conference and you haven't laid
out who is going to say what? You haven't put the leading experts on a dais?

Strangely, it works. Sort of like my favorite line from
<http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0138097/> Shakespeare in Love: "
<http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0138097/quotes> It's a mystery."

So I'm looking for more such stories. More cases where structure removed
equals process improved. Please  <mailto:jerry@xxxxxxxxxxx> write me with
suggestions. (and thanks!)


posted by Jerry at
<http://www.sociate.com/blog/archives/2005_08_01_archive.html#11248682608531
3722> 12:11 AM

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