Comments on: the culture of beta http://laurenpressley.com/library/2008/05/the-culture-of-beta/ reading, thinking, and experimenting with the future of libraries, education, and information Mon, 15 Mar 2010 19:40:59 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: lauren pressley http://laurenpressley.com/library/2008/05/the-culture-of-beta/comment-page-1/#comment-15636 lauren pressley Fri, 30 May 2008 00:23:44 +0000 http://laurenpressley.com/library/?p=534#comment-15636 Hey Kenley, good point re: gMail! I'm with you on the exciting/pulse/innovation line of thinking. Innovation is one of my primary motivators, and I'm a big fan of trying out new things and seeing how they go. Lately I've been wrestling with the issue of assessment and planning. I see some colleagues in the field looking for more processes and plans for implementation of services they plan to use, which makes me think that there are less "culture of beta" people than I might have expected. I'm trying to figure out how to bridge their work needs with the "culture of beta" idea. I also see great value in focus groups and having conversations with our users, so I am thinking a lot about that, too. However, I think that a lot of those conversations and focus groups can meet around new services and projects as they arise, not slowing down the process in the planning phase. I particularly like your "I want to have a pulse and I want the organization I work for to have one too." Amen to that! Hey Kenley, good point re: gMail!

I’m with you on the exciting/pulse/innovation line of thinking. Innovation is one of my primary motivators, and I’m a big fan of trying out new things and seeing how they go.

Lately I’ve been wrestling with the issue of assessment and planning. I see some colleagues in the field looking for more processes and plans for implementation of services they plan to use, which makes me think that there are less “culture of beta” people than I might have expected. I’m trying to figure out how to bridge their work needs with the “culture of beta” idea.

I also see great value in focus groups and having conversations with our users, so I am thinking a lot about that, too. However, I think that a lot of those conversations and focus groups can meet around new services and projects as they arise, not slowing down the process in the planning phase.

I particularly like your “I want to have a pulse and I want the organization I work for to have one too.” Amen to that!

]]> By: Kenley Neufeld http://laurenpressley.com/library/2008/05/the-culture-of-beta/comment-page-1/#comment-15574 Kenley Neufeld Wed, 28 May 2008 03:53:42 +0000 http://laurenpressley.com/library/?p=534#comment-15574 Technically, gMail is still in beta and institutions of higher education are switching all their mail services to this beta product. Who would have thought? Thinking, analyzing, planning all have their place but at some point you just have to do it. In some institutions one can spend so much time with those steps that you miss out on the opportunity to be innovative. To be exciting. To have a pulse. I want to have a pulse and I want the organization I work for to have one too. Technically, gMail is still in beta and institutions of higher education are switching all their mail services to this beta product. Who would have thought?

Thinking, analyzing, planning all have their place but at some point you just have to do it. In some institutions one can spend so much time with those steps that you miss out on the opportunity to be innovative. To be exciting. To have a pulse. I want to have a pulse and I want the organization I work for to have one too.

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