Comments on: Being open about being open. http://www.loudmouthman.com/2007/07/31/being-open-about-being-open/ Social Networker and Opinioneer Fri, 05 Sep 2008 17:46:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Jordan Hatcher http://www.loudmouthman.com/2007/07/31/being-open-about-being-open/#comment-5963 Jordan Hatcher Thu, 02 Aug 2007 06:30:53 +0000 http://www.loudmouthman.com/2007/07/31/being-open-about-being-open/#comment-5963 SNIP "The most frustrating of comments concerns the idea that the list will have “better quality discussions if it remains private”. Really ? Well I suppose the same argument could be made that better software will be developed if it remains closed." SNIP Comparing list discussions or corporate governance structures to software can be a bit misleading. I don't think anyone can disagree with the idea that (at least some) people are much more frank and speak much more freely when they speak to a smaller and more intimate group of people. I see three questions in relation to this. Are people on the list really being more frank and speaking more freely because of the existing list settings? -- Is it "better" to have people be more frank and to speak their mind more (if the existing settings encourage this) in terms of the ORG list and ORG governance? --and-- Are people under a delusion of the level of privacy of the list? Frankly, sometimes discussions or the governance of an organisation do work better with a closed model. Being "open" is not a priori always a benefit. SNIP
“The most frustrating of comments concerns the idea that the list will have “better quality discussions if it remains private”. Really ? Well I suppose the same argument could be made that better software will be developed if it remains closed.”
SNIP

Comparing list discussions or corporate governance structures to software can be a bit misleading. I don’t think anyone can disagree with the idea that (at least some) people are much more frank and speak much more freely when they speak to a smaller and more intimate group of people.

I see three questions in relation to this.

Are people on the list really being more frank and speaking more freely because of the existing list settings?

–

Is it “better” to have people be more frank and to speak their mind more (if the existing settings encourage this) in terms of the ORG list and ORG governance?

–and–

Are people under a delusion of the level of privacy of the list?

Frankly, sometimes discussions or the governance of an organisation do work better with a closed model. Being “open” is not a priori always a benefit.

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