Google That

Isn't it amazing to think that Google has become a household word? I mean 10 years ago if you told someone to go "google it," they would think you were crazy. I found that our last case on Google has been the most interesting and the most relevant to us as a class. Undergrads and Grads alike all use Google in their daily lives, making it the first case this semester that is clearly applicable to us and large organizations alike. Here are some of the main things I got out of the case:

- Google became successful initially due to their PageRank algorithm, but what has allowed them to sustain/grow their success is their company culture of commitment to innovation through technology and the upper management's control of business moves

- Google is committed to "Not being evil" something I found very funny, but also is important to ensure people trust their tools (practically only achievable by large prominent companies)

- Google's tools are not only growing out of their core search functionality but also growing into tools that are "useful" to people in leveraging all that the internet has to offer

- Regarding Google's future, they must be able to tap into the portal domain of Yahoo! and the software domain of Microsoft. BUT Google will only truly be able to achieve this by attacking each from a new angle using their innovation techniques as leverage and by gaining support of the Open Source community

- Google also needs to enter the global enterprise market by addressing the security needs that are not met by their free products as well as addressing cultural differences preventing Google from becoming popular

The interesting thing about Google is that because they revolutionized the internet and search relevance, everyone is looking to them to see what they will come up with next. BUT, Google has to tread very lightly. They have the trust of the public now, but this is the same way Microsoft started. Google must continue their innovation without becoming a dominatory bully. If Google can successfully sustain their innovation and creative persona, they will be able to sustain their growth and hopefully continue to revolutionize the internet in order or users to leverage the knowledge available to them. Such an interesting topic for students to be able to personally witness....anyone download Google Chrome yet?

The Integration of KM into Learning

As the semester progresses I have realized how much the KM tools really can improve knowledge sharing. Until this year, I have really skated by without using much KM technology beyond e-mail, instant messenger, my travel blog and facebook. This is my first time participating in any kind collaboration tools. I have never even had to use WebCT for discussion purposes. This semester a lot has changed. 

The first big change came with the use of the discussion function on WebCT. At first I was hesitant, but it is really interesting to see how everyone approaches such comments differently. I also underestimated the power of capturing those comments. It is amazing how much more I get out of these discussions than those in the classroom because everything is documented so well. 

The second big change is the wiki. I have never participated in anything like the wiki for our class either. My technique of studying has always been much like the essence of the wiki, in organizing my tacit and explicit knowledge onto paper (or in this case computer) so that I may better understand the whole. I really like reading how everyone is taking the class differently and again like WebCT, the documentation allows much better reflection on what we have learned. 

The last and probably most significant change is the use of Web 2.0 tools for my own use. This is the first time that I have been involved in project groups that insist on using collaboration tools. I'm not sure if this is due to never having worked with these people before or if the tools are really becoming that more prevalent and useful. One of my groups is using a wiki to communicate and create project documents while another is using a Google Group. I have to say so far, I am liking Google Group better because the functionality for collaboration space seems to be much more useful (Discussion functions, page creation, file uploading, and so on). It is really making our projects better and since finding time when 5 busy people can meet is so hard, this allows us to share our work as we accomplish it online. Turnover between group members has increased tremendously. 

Lastly I just wanted to note something I found very interesting in the presentations on Monday, EVERY single group presenting mentioned IBM. I know IBM is great at what they do but this is the first class I am learning about their great success, I wonder if anyone else is finding this? And if so, why??

KM's Issues brought to our class

Lots has happened in class since I posted last, but I think the most interesting thing to comment on is the way our class is encountering problems just like any ordinary business. Recently I have been having trouble keeping up with all of the different places our class is requiring us to utilize KM. Between this blog, the discussion board on WebCT, and the Wiki it has just seemed like there isn't enough information or time to go into doing all three well. And in class on Monday, it came out that I was not the only one having this problem. A few things that happened in class are prime examples of what can happen in the work place.

1. Passive Resistance

The first problem our KM system has encountered is a passive resistance from students. Students are not participating in the wiki and blog's as much as they should be. The common response is a lack of time, which I won't deny I have used myself. But something I brought up on a blog discussion last week, and was resonated by others, is a lack of confidence. I personally have never been involved in the content creation and organization of a wiki before and it is very intimidating. I have no idea where to begin with what content and where? How will other students take my content? So the problem before us is how do we get people to WANT to be involved with KM?

2. Lack of Consistency

The second problem our KM system has encountered is a lack of consistency. Like mentioned above, there are three different places that we are supposed to be updating and constantly using. I am not alone in my overwhelment. I realize that for our classes purposes our professor is trying to expose us to as many different KM 2.0 tools as possible, but I can see how this would be a large problem in the workplace. Personally I have been more involved in the discussion board on WebCt and I know others who have been more involved with the Wiki. These two tools seem too similar, and have too many similar functionalities to be seperated in my mind. I also think that if each student were to have their own page on the Wiki, that it could act as their own personal blog as well. Overall, the three tools assigned to us are very similar to companies who try to use too many tools in their workplace. There is great information in all three places, but the information won't be maximized unless users know where to find it....all in one place.

So what do we do about these two problems?? The first problem might be solved through more incentives or structure. Even if the structure isn't assigned to us by the professor, if the students sit down together and decide what they will be responsible for they might be a lot more likely to particiapte. Regarding the second problem, we have already started to fix this problem by changing the discussion board over to the Wiki. The next problem we might encounter with this is keeping track of all of the discussions. But by moving the discussions over to the Wiki we might begin to also solve the first issue. The greater lesson we can learn from all of this, is how we can fix our problems until we are satisfied by the results. Hopefully we get there by the end of the semester!!

Research, research, research

Well since I posted last I have done some research on what exactly KM could be in our lives. So far I have really enjoyed what I see. The social aspects of life has potential to really change the way we live. We are becoming so connected with each others lives that sociological laws and boundaries are shifting to accommodate the number of people we can be connected with. After digging around a little (no pun intended) I found some Knowledge Management websites that I found to be really great concepts. I listed my favorites as links on the right side bar of the blog, you should all check them out.

I also have to say that these are really great sites that I use on a regular basis, with the exception of Twitter, and I think most people do too. All of these sites approach KM in a different way. But a common thread among them is that all of the "noise" from different areas comes together to create knowledge at the end. Whether it be knowledge about news on the internet from Digg , knowledge about friends on Facebook , or knowledge about traveling on Wikitravel , they ALL involve organizing messy tacit knowledge into a way we can sift through the madness. Since people use these resources by choice, there is a huge incentive for the authors to entice its users in by constantly making them better. They also can change as the technology changes, much like the open source networks. The future of these sites and the new ones being created every day leave the world of KM at our fingertips. But it leaves us open to the question, how long will it take for our society to be COMPLETELY dependent on communicating through them 24/7?

The First Day: What IS Knowledge Management?

Welcome to my blog on my experience with Knowledge Management! I'm not sure about most students, but the extent of my Knowledge Management experience is very limited. It doesn't really go beyond Facebook and another blog I have written for when I was traveling. So when I showed up at the first day of class I wasn't really sure what to expect. I wasn't even really sure what "Knowledge Management" was. From my understanding of the first class and the couple of readings that were assigned, KM is anything we do to harness intellectual property in order to use, re-use, access, and realize it. The intellectual property can range anywhere from organizational culture to processes on dealing with clients, to actual data on products. My feeling is that companies would not be so successful today if they didn't use some kind of KM already, no matter how primitive. So my question is, would a pencil and paper be one of the most primitive forms of KM? Would your doctor's hand-written file on your yearly visits be considered KM? And if we can figure out what the primitive versions of KM are, can we better create technologically advanced KM that won't waste billions of dollars on functions with no promise like Adrian Ward suggests?

A bit unrelated to what we discussed in class but a really fun article to read, is an article I found on the NYTimes website:

"Brave New World of Digital Intimacy - I'm So Totally, Digitally Close to You"

I think this article really shows how not only the corporate world is using KM, but how also our generation is becoming dependent on it to define us. If all of this stuff is defining the generation, then I have no doubts that it will work itself into the corporate culture. It's just a matter of time... and getting the generations above us to understand/ utilize its greatness.