Working Openly
Intro
At OSE, we work openly. Working openly means some practical things as:
- Logging. Keeping a Work Log with links to work product so that anyone on the team can find out what another person is doing automatically, thereby facilitating collaboration with minimal orientation time. Key to this - The key to using a work log effectively is linking directly to work product, so that everything is transparent and self-verifiable. For example, don't put on your log - "I was working on the printer design today", but instead, post a direct link to the working CAD file.
- Work in Progress - publish work in progress, not just results. This allows for effective feedback loops for improvement - otherwise you are not really collaborating. Note that the majority of the time, a project is in development. Thus, if you publish only when it's done, you are missing out on most of the potential collaboration.
- Publish Early and Often. As soon as you start any document - upload it. This is 'publish early and often'. This serves two purposes: you've succeeded in backing it up - and for collaboration purposes - you now changed the document from a solo work to a collaborative project.
- Publish Once- But, whenever possible - use cloud editable documents to Publish Once - start them and make them open for anyone to edit. That is correct. We have never had vandalizing issues on working documents yet, even though they are open. You can close them up (remove edit permissions) when they are no longer to be edited.
- Use Digital Age and Open Source Publishing Tools. See the History of the Internet.
- Transparency. Keep relevant information transparent. For example, if you found out some piece of new information, and documented it - include a link so others can learn more if needed. Think of it - if someone else were studying my work, how can I help them learn faster?
- What you are doing is important. - Don't make documentation a burden. Start by understanding, at a deep level, the concept of Time Binding and Economic Time Binding - and note that humans have a unique and powerful capacity to build on past experience. If you appreciate this capacity - AND are working on an important project - that should be a good motivation for documenting, and not feeling that it's a waste of effort. And, make sure that what you are doing is important. Ask yourself, "if this is not important, why am I doing it?" and then eliminate any unimportant tasks from your task list. Why is your work important? Because working openly creates a new paradigm in civilization, enabling evolution to happen more effectively.
- Self-Esteem - Understand that high self-esteem is important to working openly - as working openly means you are vulnerable - to questions! Study the latest science about Self-Esteem and build it if you don't think you have it. Become like Muhammad Ali - double greatest.
- Findability - Enable any other collaborator to find your work. This could be anyone - an existing team member - or a new person - regardless of whether you know them or not. There will be others who will want to see your document - especially if you remember that what you are doing is important.
Collaborative Messaging Tactics
- If pictures are shared, share them to upstream social media, both organizational and your own. Specifically, if you get a notification of shared pictures, post to OSE Workshops FB Page or other OSE media.
- Comply with Collaboration Ecology and reach out to other technical groups. Many parts and modules that OSE uses are likely developed elsewhere. We specialize in integration into working ecosystems that follow the OSE Mission
- When communicating, attend to OSE Specifications for our design scope and principles.
- Distributive Enterprise and Mass Creation of Genius are core to our work. The former provides the financial independence required for the self-determination requirement of genius.
Links
- Working with OSE
- Psychology of Non-Collaboration
- OSE Principles of Collaboration
- Designing for collaboration - [1]
- Working Openly - Laura Hilliger - [2]
