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Wikipedia Harvard Business School Case Study

Following up on my earlier posting from today on the topic of Wikinomics and online collaboration, via Professor Andrew McAfee's blog, I've learned that Harvard Business School has now published a case study on Wikipedia, and it's freely available online:

• Wikipedia Case Study

Harvard (Professor's McAfee and Lakhani) would love feedback.

Wikinomics - Pushing Collaboration

Everyone should download and listen to the Optimize magazine's podcast interview with the author of Wikinomics, Don Tapscott. This new business book, Wikinomics, explains how "smart companies" are using the value of Web 2.0, and social networking software to increase online design collaboration, and thus increase the speed of VPD (velocity product development).

Perhaps what makes this book different from many others is you, the reader, can help author the final chapter. The book, Wikinomics, comes with a wiki! The idea is to practice what you preach. The wiki is from SocialText ... an open source build upon Mediawiki. Finally, this book espouses how to use Web 2.0 collaborative tools in the corporate environment ... not just to author / create content for the open source community. Here are some important links:

• Wikinomics
  • Blog
  • Chapter #1
  • SocialText - Ross Mayfield
  • Wiki
  • Root Site
• Wikipedia
  • Harvard Case Study
  • Professor Andrew McAfee

Get Me The Geeks!

This morning, like most Monday mornings, I listened to the 60 Minutes podcast while driving to work. Today's episode was: Get Me The Geeks! Since I'm a nerd, I was intrigued. The basic theme of the story is we folks who really understand software and hardware have become what was the "valued" automotive repairman of yesteryear. How many of you maintain systems for friends, family, etc.?

• Get Me The Geeks Podcast - 60 Minutes Archive

Quite frankly, if you're not time shifting using RSS feeds, you don't quality as one of the geeks! I also time shift by hooking my computer up to my HDTV's SVGA input and then watching network programming via the web. This is how I watch 60 Minutes video. RSS feeds free me from the task of tracking what new content has become available.

Is The Sun Setting on the Publishing Industry?

About eight years ago, at the dawn of the eBooks industry, my company purchased some of our first downloadable software manuals from a forward thinking gentleman, Chris Charuhas. I lost track of Chris; but fast forward a bunch of years and through research I was conducting on OpenOffice.Org, our paths have crossed again . This morning when I logged in to email, I found a message from Chris. He asked my opinion about an expository paper he just released on his own web site:

• Killing Off the Camel: Why You'll Never Have to Buy Another Computer Manual

Chris raises some excellent points, and provides some good links (Krugle Code Search for Developers). I agree with the basic premise of his essay. Knowledge should, and will be free. However, companies that can put context around that knowledge and enhance it's value will still make money. It's worth reading his posting.

As follow up to this posting I invite you to read / link to:

• My Thoughts on Wikimania
• Wikimania 2006 Archives - mp3's, videos, etc.
• The Changing Media - Googlezon Video

Finally, I'm willing to give a plug for In Pictures, a web service of Chris Charuhas. You will find MS Office and OpenOffice.Org online software tutorials ... in pictures. As 100% of the content is free, Chris  obviously believes what he has written in his essay.

55 Ways to Have Fun With Google

I just finished up coaching my boys at the Minnesota State H.S. Lego Robotics Tournament. We didn't win, but were awarded the judges trophy for innovative design! This is an all day affair ... starts at 8:00 a.m. and ends at 5:00 p.m.

Anyhow, how best to relax? Download (free) and use 55 Ways to Have Fun With Google! (eBook)

I already used one of the suggestions to trick my high school, nerdy son! ... the disappearing "oo's" in Google.

Finally, check out my Google Co-Op eBook Manual Search Engine.