Socialtext - Eugene Lee - Curiosity

As much as the great presentation on web 2.0 and enterprise, what I got from Eugene Lee of Socialtext was that he took the time to come and present to our class. He really embodies what he's talking about as one of the "nodes" of information, one of the people who has the connections and who adds value to organization by knowing people, by knowing where to look for something. The common factor I've seen in our presenters, is that they share an enthusiasm for their work and a need to put technology to use to help people. (I guess you have to be enthusiastic to make it 'till 10pm!)

Eugene asked us to think of a way Socialtext could could apply to learning in the workplace. We talked about the value of acquaintances, or "weak links" between people. If you want to find a job, you probably don't get it through your best friend, but through a friend of a friend etc. My idea is that these kind of social networks could more formally acknowledge "weak links of curiosity". Eugene seemed enthusiastic, passionate and curious about how to use technology. I think that the things I'm curious about and what I'm interested in are what I'll put a little time into investigating. These might be the things I have a good idea about how to use.

First, as with the phrase "soft skills", I'd look for a more positive way of saying "weak links", (or was it "weak ties"), anyway we've seen their strength, are they really weak?

Secondly, I think by keeping track of what a lot of people are curious about we can see what ideas are gaining traction, what's hot like the next meme, and we can provide a forum for a further investigation. Maybe it goes somewhere or maybe not, but often times people are thinking along similar lines. I think this is where learning and web 2.0 can come together. I was trying to see where this happens in the Socialtext software and I guess it happens in many places, but by enabling this collaboration, without having to make it into a major official project, by allowing it to be casual and possibly lead nowhere, without an agenda, we might learn a lot more than we think.

I'm also a musician and now am off to google Condi Rice on YouTube playing piano and send it to my friends...