Harrison, You never stop to amaze and show beauty with your crystal clarity and passion and I am, as we all are, forever grateful to be able to witness and be part of it. The invitation and commitment (is that a given?) <that we share what we are experiencing and learning OPENLY (what else?). > had taught me some courage and demanded articulation (and had all of us, US that are not US speakers, stretch out English) and was one of the main factors that moved my walls wider (Opened Space) by making way for me to actively earn and be part of the global community to the extant I am capable of.
This fish ball of OS listers had taught me everyday in a very tangible way that we are not alone (there will always be someone awake that cares enough to answer the most needy question.), and that it takes one to tango: If you reach out for long enough, invitation and authenticity will be answered (and will get you in even if you are "just looking".) and will wade through cynicism and prejudice. Knowing the nature of the list has put a constant demand for me to feel safe only by knowing my intention, with no givens but trust (and encouragement from you my friends of the list) . I can not always be open and intimate on the list, but it is liberating and rewarding when I can and I hope I'll get better with experience. By watching you, Harrison, and Chris and Michael and Peggy and Julie and all of you jewels -you on the list - I learnt that teaching oneself is a most precious gift we give to others. Thank you each and everyone. So, before I get too mushy (it is very late)I will end with a practical note: I know the OSList is right to be open to everyone because this is our "growing edge" in two ways: internally/personally and in number/influence, yet I wish that we give the newcomers a fair chance: Michael H (or anybody who cares) do we/could we have a nice "invitation to OS text" that would be the first page if entering to the archives directly? An inviting paragraph aligns the heart to deeper listening. I guess you would rightly say 'passion bounded by responsibility" and point it back to me - but , try with a little help from my friends Goodnight Tova Tova Averbuch Israel averb...@post.tau.ac.il -----Original Message----- From: OSLIST [mailto:osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu] On Behalf Of Harrison Owen Sent: Wednesday, April 07, 2004 4:07 PM To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu Subject: Re: So what should be done with the archieves now? . My concern, however, comes from a different place, and possibly a broader perspective. As I said in a note posted some little time ago, which simply re-iterated what I have said ad nausea, Open Space, from the moment I created, developed, stumbled into it (fill in the blank) is and has been free. BUT I have always insisted that there is a COST -- that we share what we are experiencing and learning OPENLY (what else?). This LIST has been and continues to be an incredible vehicle for sharing. Increasingly, it has become a global resource for anybody who wants to push back the walls of their world, ie Open Space. The nature of what we have shared covers a very broad spectrum from the perverse to the peevish to the profound -- and onwards to the philosophical, with multiple side trips to the technical details. In sum, it represents the full spectrum of our collective journey in Open Space, as we have chosen to share it. At no point in the history of this LIST has it ever been, nor was it intended to be, a private club. We have taken great pains, I think, to honor and respect each other, but at the end of the day the purpose of OSLIST, or at least my purpose for this LIST ever since I signed on -- has not been to provide a safe and secure sanctuary in which the members may communicate. Rather, it has been to build a body of knowledge and experience which will be available to anybody who cares. Speaking very personally, I can say that the fundamental purpose of my life has been to share whatever I am, have experienced, or might know -- with anybody who cared, to the extent that my presence, experience or knowledge might be helpful. Have I always been true to my ideals? Definitely not, but at least in terms of Open Space Technology, and all that I have learned about Open Space in my life and world -- I think I have given it my best shot. At a very mundane level, this is why I never chose to patent, trademark, or copyright Open Space. Certainly my books are copyrighted, but that was more a matter of convention, to say nothing of my publishers' wishes (after all they were investing the "big bucks" and wanted some sense of security). However, if you wander around the websites of the world dealing with Open Space you will find large passages of my material, and even my illustrations, presented without attribution. I am delighted! I know that Open Space is not about me. It is about US -- and that includes a whole mess of people who don't even know they are a part of US. So back to OSLIST. My image (vision?) is that of a wonderful electronic fishbowl with real people, opening real space, and reflecting on their experience right out there in front of God and everybody. There is, and has been, a real sense of intimacy and genuine community which is characteristic of every Open Space of which I have been a part. This intimacy and community is often manifest in wonderful hugs and kisses. It is also manifest in our willingness to confront and engage each other directly and with respect. Occasionally we have risen to the heights, and just as often we have found time for a little peevishness. In short, there has been chaos, confusion and conflict in abundance -- all included and transcended to become a viable, organic reality available for all to see. This, so far as I am concerned, is life in Open Space. Or to be truthful, it is just life. I have always assumed that the people who populate OSLIST (including all you wonderful Lurkers!) are of a special sort. They really care about Open Space (or want to know more about it), and they really care to share what they have learned and experienced with whomsoever. Our benefits on OSLIST are considerable -- we have received support, encouragement, challenge, suggestions, questions -- from which we (or for sure "I") have grown enormously. We have cried together, argued, pontificated, blown our minds in marvelous and positive ways. And with these benefits comes a responsibility to share what we are, and what we have learned with anybody who cares to know. That, at least, is my responsibility as I have come to understand it. Harrison Harrison Owen 7808 River Falls Drive Potomac, Maryland 20845 Phone 301-365-2093 Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org Personal website http://mywebpages.comcast.net/hhowen/index.htm osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives Visit: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html -----Original Message----- From: OSLIST [mailto:osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu] On Behalf Of Nicolai von Ertzdorff Sent: Tuesday, April 06, 2004 10:21 PM To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu Subject: So what should be done with the archieves now? Hi, I still wonder about the archieves. May be, I'm not completely up to date, putting just the same questions, as somebody did just before. - But I still didn't get, why the archieves can be found and accessed by google. Or is this just something, which is planned? I mean, archieves can be very interesting for a community. But the so called "container" , the "skin" , the "whomb" with the "cellular compound", the baby inside has to be respected also. To me, it's very important, to know about. Not, because it bothers me personally. But it's just important, to know about who in this is list is feeling like to do what?-I know some archetypes of interests, but not much more...but to know, whether finally this becomes a "tabu", just represented by having more "lurkers", or whether there is a true consensus in the community, to me it's important.-So, finally, I'd like to know about the problems quality: Is it a technical problem, or is it a decission - problem? If it is something to be decided, where is a statement in favor of why the archieves should be opened to anybody, even not being in the list? -To me, It would be, like taking away the protecting skin, even if I have not the slightest problem about, for eg, making jokes on "W"'s..being found later at somebodies webpage.. But, may be, there are some convincing arguments also? Besides, dealing with container-images: It's also important, that the "mother" feels good. If the mother doesn't feel good, the baby neither won't..But who is who in this case ? <grin> If it is not, then, why it's not just possible, to maintain the archieves protected by a simple password, like it's usual in many lists? If somebody wants to make for eg a research, he can ask, simply.. Or, is it some problem, wich the "boisy"-staff is not able to solve, actually? And what would be necessary to resolve it? I'd love to be enabled to get some clear opinion about the issue .-)) With passionate interest in this list Nicolai * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu, Visit: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu, Visit: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ This Mail Was Scanned By Mail-seCure System at the Tel-Aviv University CC. * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu, Visit: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html