Ralph - I always like the way your mind works! I would take what you propose all under the heading of getting the middle man out of the way. Or something. Maybe we might call this the "disappearing OST." We could go a little further and understand that "opening space" is a basic human act - usually productive of such things as innovation, respect, creativity, fun. On the other hand "closing space" is (unfortunately) another basic human act - usually productive of regimentation, sterile thinking, and constrained actions, loss of agility. OST then might take its proper place as simply one way of going about "opening space." It is certainly useful in certain situations, and neither appropriate nor needed in others. And actually why would you go to all the bother of making signs, inscribing post-its, setting up chairs in a circle if you could just open space? I like it.
Harrison Harrison Owen 7808 River Falls Drive Potomac, Maryland 20854 Phone 301-365-2093 Skype hhowen Open Space Training <http://www.openspaceworld.com/> www.openspaceworld.com Open Space Institute <http://www.openspaceworld.org/> www.openspaceworld.org Personal website <http://www.ho-image.com/> www.ho-image.com OSLIST: To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives Visit: <http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html> www.listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html -----Original Message----- From: OSLIST [mailto:osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu] On Behalf Of Ralph Copleman Sent: Thursday, February 08, 2007 9:40 AM To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu Subject: A Capital Idea Hi, If we seek to have what we do become the norm, let's begin by normalizing the way we refer to it. Perhaps we ought to stop capitalizing the term Open Space. We don't see formats that are otherwise commonly used with capital letters, do we? I don't ever see... "Panel Discussion" "Committee Meeting" "Staff Meeting" "Meeting" ...in organizational communication. Why would we make "Open Space" an exception? I suppose "OS" is okay if we need an abbreviation, or "OST" if you insist, but I never capitalize "future search" for example, when I use it or write it, and that's a technique that is not likely to blend into ordinary daily application. From now on, I open space, rather than convene an Open Space meeting. Ralph Copleman * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist