Where are the big shots in KM ?

Interesting discussion the current state of the KM profession going on at Denham Grey's Weblog.

Check it out at:
http://denham.typepad.com/km/2005/06/where_are_kms_b.html?

Where have all the KM experts gone ? (played to the tunes of a sixties song..

Upcoming event: Personal Knowledge Management with TikiWiki

InsightKnowledge will be announcing an interesting event shortly - utilizing the open source CMS Tikiwiki as a Personal Knowledge Management tool.

This free offering will allow you to learn the basics of how to use Tikiwiki as an efficient tool to capture, manage and share knowledge easily.

Further details will be announce shortly. Watch here for updates, or goto http://www.insightknowledge.com and check the calendar for events.

Please feel free to discuss the topic of 'Personal Knowledge Management' (PKM) at http://www.insightknowledge.com's PKM forum.

Knowledge Tidbit: Windows Indexing Service

For those of you that use the MS Indexing Service as a search engine on your home computer, know this:
-the service can query connected network computers, if the UNC option in the search paths are pointeding to them (\\computername), instantly creating a network search service.
-by using a '!' in front of a query in your regular startbutton/search function it will utilize the indexing service pre-indexed database - causing the searches to be really quick.
-you could also just download goodle's desktop search and its plugins to do the same. while this is great, it also creates large index files (for those who have storage issues).

If you have any questions about knowledge retrievel, please contact me at http://www.insightknowledge.com via LIVEHELP

Personal Knowledge Management - the use of webfolders

Useful tidbit of information: Webfolders

I hardly know anybody who is using webfolders on their desktops. Here is some information that may convince people to give it a try.

Webfolders are really useful. Within a Windows environment (starting at windows 2000), one can setup a webfolder by adding a new network place (I won't explain the details here, but please visit http://ww.insightknowledge.com, passcode: insightfor more information).

Once setup, a webfolder behaves like a regular folder. One can browse, work with files, and the likes.

BUT really helpful is a webfolder when working with Microsoft Office or OpenOffice. Both programs allow to open and save documents into such a webfolder. This means one can create, share and edit documents in place over the internet. It will ask for login/password if security is applied to the folder. Using the building versioning of the office suites, this is great for sharing documents.

Now it gets a little bit more techincal - for those who are interested to host their own webfolders (like your home computer).

Needed on the (server) receiving side is a webdav compliant webserver. Zope is an easy and powerful way of getting this setup. Apache allows this fucntion too, but needs more configuration work. Please feel free to contact me for consult you on the setup and use of a zope server.

A side effect of this setup is that everything is http based and does not create any problems with a firewall.

Don't hesitate to contact me for questions: http://www.insightknowledge.com and use LIVEHELP.

KM Training and Certification Review Forum

InsightKnowlege Inc. is making a forum available to gather and discuss the different offerings of Knowledge Management trainings and certifications.

Please visit
InsightKnowledge Inc.
forums to review or participate

Passcode for registration: insight

Fewer students major in computer - USA TODAY 5/23/5

http://km.ittoolbox.com/news/dispnews.asp?i=129587&t=4&a=KM

Why am I mentioning this article you ask ?

Knowledge Management really utilizes computers to make the masses of data, information and potential for knowledge manageable.

If you don't believe this - ask yourself: Who does research without GOOGLE nowadays ?

Computers are like weapons and nuclear science. They can be used for good and bad. With the purpose of automation, safety and cost-cutting measures, they take on more and more functionality.

Knowing that fewer and fewer people will know how to 'tame the beast', should get us thinking.

Some will say, (specifically potential students): "but the market crashed and the future is not certain".

It will be important to understand that while these uncertainies do exist, flexibility in the area of computers is essential. Computer systems, architecturs, programs and programming languages are changing faster and faster.

There may not be a straightforward answer, but a criteria for a successful future will need to include that the general understanding of computers, their impact on everybodies daily life and the responsibility of using and not misusing them, will need to increase dramatically.

If you would like to discuss this topic further, please visit http://www.insightknowledge and the 'Learning from Experience' forum.

Passcode for registration: insight

America's Eroding Knowledge Edge - Posting on Yahoo News

REFERRED POSTING

Congratulations Mike Ruettgers !

I wholeheartedly agree with your article on the erosion of knowledge in America.

If one takes an objective look at the state of education across the states..

If one looks at the statistics of the skill levels of the nations youth..

one must start thinking: We may be overrun by other countries, who invest more in managing their knowledge and experience.

India is investing heavily in Knowledge Management. Discussion groups and forums are filled with indian experts and those who soon will become expert.

The world is continouing to outsource business processes. One can argue that we don?t outsource the knowledge that goes with it. But if one does not perform a process any longer, how can one gather experience from it?

It will be essential to find ways to turn this trend around.

Possible action may include:
-teach children conceptual thinking and problem solving, not only facts
-teach consequential thinking and impact analysis
-promote sharing of knowledge as the new way of being a hero
-guide business to create knowledge management solutions for outsourcing that bring the experience back to the employees
-.. and others

Please feel free to visit >Sharing Insight< Forum

Passcode for registration: insight

Collaboration for Online Networking Groups now available at InsightKnowledge Inc.

InsightKnowledge Inc. just opened the doors for their new service that enables online networking groups with a place to collaborate.

Additionally to similar tools, >Sharing Insight< allows the secure participation in multiple networks simultaniously and enhances the capabilities of individuals and groups to share information specifically with other individuals and/or groups - effectively creating a Personal Knowledge Management tool to capture and share knowledge as one would offline.

InsightKnowledge Inc. also started offering knowledge subscription services, bringing quality Knowledge Management information to specific business audiences on a subscription basis, allowing them to tap into Knowledge Management expertise and utilize it for their business.

For more information, please visit http://www.insightknowledge.com.

Lessons learned - BSOD Windows XP

For all of you who run servers on their Windows XP machine and get a blue screen of death every once in a while - this maybe something to check out:

In order to optimzie the setup of my server, I went to the control panel, system settings and under performance, change the option for optimizing system performance from applications to services.

Nothing happened for a couple of days. Then more often, my machine cold crashed with a blue screen of death (BSOD), blaiming videopro.sys for it.

So I started researching and updating drivers and the likes. but nothing fixed the problem.

Just for laugh and giggles, I switched back the performance setting to applications instead of services.. and voila .. no BSODs anymore !

Hope this helps,
regards,
SL

First Mobile Blogging Entry, 2nd try

There is always a learning experience for the person, who does not like to read the manual..

Now that I did, my second try of a mobile blogging entry is more successful, and actually contains text (and most likely misspellings ;-)).

..more to come

Sorry for the long time no posting.. life has its way of keeping you busy at times.. (comments welcome :-) ).

I think that I will change the intention of the this blog a little. For a while I want to try if it is not more informational to you readers if I keep it as a kind of diary. Feedback welcome.

..tbc..

Find of the day (well its 9:29am, but its already pretty good!):
http://www.tfstech.com/solutions/products/tfssecuremessaging/free250/techreq.htm
A free (up to 250ppl) secure messaging server. I do not endorse the product, but in terms of hosting your own email system, this is interesting. If you have your own small company, definitely something to think about. Once I have implemented it, I will post installation and usage reports.

more to come..

My thoughts on.. follow a thought
The internet is great for a lot of things. Not for others..
If one has a thought - it is great.. just type it in Google or any other search engine and see where it brings you..
I like this ladies blog for that she has some very interesting ideas related to social networking, definition of KM and knowledge work. Check it out:
http://radio.weblogs.com/0121664/2003/06/12.html

News of .. .TODAY, 5/3/4
HP offers free Pocket PC classes. Again FREE. Check it out here

Thoughts on.. JIM MCGEE
Have you met him ? Do you know him ? No ? Well, you should ! Checkout his blog. We had him as a speaker for one of our KMPRO events and he was most excellent. Smart, funny, hands-on. An expert to remember and keep on the short list of your social network.
..No, I was not getting paid for this comment :-)

Thoughts on .. PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT

Let's see.. blogs.. wikis..CMS's..instant messaging..email..spamfilters..search engines..etc etc etc..

As it turns out there is so many things one would need to really manage one's own knowledge effectively.. (now i know why i have so many servers running at home)..

But then again.. there is no one service that provides this all to you.. and if.. well, it would not be free..

Look at Plone (plone.org). It is a CMS running on top of Zope that is growing into a KM system. It is free, powerful, easy to use and it continuously expanded to include more and more functionality (search engine, templates, taxonomy, etc. etc.). Way ahead of a lot of professional ($$$) CMS solutions.

Once again, this is only my $.02..

Thoughts on.. THE STATE OF KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT

I am a Knowledge Management Expert. That's what I do, every day, for nearly 14 years now. Day and sometimes Night (ask my wife). I continuously follow the market, look at the vendors and service providers, and companies and what they are trying to do with KM.

My observations are the following:
-The government knows it has issues (knowledge sharing, retention) and needs to do something. The have big KM efforts going
-Vendors still think KM is technology. My advice: RETHINK - talk to KM consultants and listen
-Service providers think there is no money to be made with KM. My advice: RETHINK - Knowledge work is the commodity of tomorrow, you better prepare to offer this service.
-On a daily basis KM is in people's mind and words - more and more. Do a google search on KM :-) (3.200.700 as of 4/23/4)

..to be continued..

Thoughts on.. Corporate Blogging
aka Weblogging.. Blogging is a hierarchical capturing of a persons thoughts, knowledge snippets, pieces of work.. etc etc.

For those who have the time, ambition and skill to do that.. it may be very helpful. It really comes down to one's point of view on sharing. Bloggers are sharing people, they want you to know something. In a corporate environment this can be really helpful, but it will come in short on the fact that not everyone will use it. There are always those who think knowledge is power - at that is something I DO NOT want to share. So let's look at it as another tool in the toolkit for knowledge workers. Also see my posting on the benefit of wiki's over blogs.

Thoughts on... OUTSOURCING
Outsourcing is a good idea... but needs to be very carefully approached. I am a consultant and advise my clients on such matters. Some facts:
-Outsourcing can help focus on important business objectives
-Outsourcing can save money
-Outsourcing can risk loosing core business knowledge
-Outsourcing is big.. specially to India
-Knowledge Management is huge in India's companies
-Read the two lines above again and reflect on it !!!

Thoughts on...
Knowledge Management and email chain letters

On the one side it is really nice that people send me all those emails that will make me happy, rich, sexy, horny, and whatever else if I forward this email to a gazillion more people via email.

On the other side it is a REALLY bad example of knowledge sharing. First you would think - well, no it is perfect knowledge sharing.. I share something for your benefit !. But that is not true. Knowledge is something that is experienced, information put into action. If you personally experienced that Microsoft pays every email recipient money (very popular hoax), than that is Knowledge created and I will definitely not mind that you send me that email sharing your personal knowledge. BUT YOU DONT KNOW. You have not experienced what it says in the chain letter. So PLEASE STOP SENDING EMAILS THAT YOU HAVE NOT PERSONALLY CONFIRMED AND EXPERIENCED !!!

Sorry - it needed to be said.
I am stepping down from the chair now :-).
as always - my $.02