Friday AM dynamics ...
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------=_NextPart_000_0008_01C35433.082DF240 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Colleagues: As much as we're having excellent, 20+ turnouts, and Jane's deck under the old apricot tree is very pretty, it seems that group interactions have declined considerably. I think that's a function both of the increased number of people AND the configuration of Jane's deck, with it's numerous small round tables which cannot be practically joined for group interaction. I observed this past Friday, that once we moved to the deck, the group split up into 6-8 groups of two or three people each, and that's how it ended. It's simply NOT as interesting that way. Perhaps we could think about how we might re-configure things to get us ALL back together again. Richard ------=_NextPart_000_0008_01C35433.082DF240 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; = charset=3Diso-8859-1"> <META content=3D"MSHTML 6.00.2800.1106" name=3DGENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY> <DIV><SPAN class=3D550520117-27072003><FONT face=3DArial=20 size=3D2>Colleagues:</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D550520117-27072003><FONT face=3DArial=20 size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D550520117-27072003><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>As = much as we're=20 having excellent, 20+ turnouts, and Jane's deck under the old apricot = tree is=20 very pretty, it seems that <EM>group </EM>interactions have declined=20 considerably. I think that's a function both of the increased number of = people=20 AND the configuration of Jane's deck, with it's numerous small round = tables=20 which cannot be practically joined for group interaction. I observed = this past=20 Friday, that once we moved to the deck, the group split up into 6-8 = groups of=20 two or three people each, and that's how it ended. It's simply NOT as=20 interesting that way.</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D550520117-27072003><FONT face=3DArial=20 size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D550520117-27072003><FONT face=3DArial = size=3D2>Perhaps we could=20 think about how we might re-configure things to get us ALL back together = again.</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D550520117-27072003><FONT face=3DArial=20 size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D550520117-27072003><FONT face=3DArial=20 size=3D2>Richard</FONT></SPAN></DIV></BODY></HTML> ------=_NextPart_000_0008_01C35433.082DF240-- |
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------=_NextPart_000_006A_01C35446.2CE86EE0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I agree with Richard. FRIAM has become something that's fun and interesting and serendipidously valuable in its own right, but we've lost a certain focus as well. Several observations on influences: 1. Ambient (background) noise. Some days the back deck at Jane's is peaceful; sometimes there's a lot of background (construction beep beep beep in the next block over, etc). People converse at a level they can be heard, so there's more small groups, which increases the ambient, and so forth. 2. New folks per week. The more new folks that show up each week, the more small groups form. Seems counterintuitive but that's what I think I see. 3. The bigger the membership, the smaller the time per person. For a lot of us, this is the only time in the week we see each other, so we end up wandering around to smaller groups to stay in touch. Solutions? Many might not see all the above as a problem, but we could think of these as some ways to make FRIAM better. A. Tables on the outside; people on the inside. Make a concious effort to not sit around tables or inbetween major groups. Convexify. Maybe smaller tables? B. Early arrivers scout for the quietest spots that day. That might not always be the back deck. C. More venues for the tribe in addition to FRIAM. We could use Safari more or do a second lunch, breakfast, BBQ, smart mob or something some other time during the week. FRIAM would still be the main venue. Carl -----Original Message----- From: [hidden email] [mailto:[hidden email]]On Behalf Of Dr. Richard Cassin - Rio Grande Venture Partners Sent: Sunday, July 27, 2003 11:34 AM To: FRIAM Subject: [FRIAM] Friday AM dynamics ... Colleagues: As much as we're having excellent, 20+ turnouts, and Jane's deck under the old apricot tree is very pretty, it seems that group interactions have declined considerably. I think that's a function both of the increased number of people AND the configuration of Jane's deck, with it's numerous small round tables which cannot be practically joined for group interaction. I observed this past Friday, that once we moved to the deck, the group split up into 6-8 groups of two or three people each, and that's how it ended. It's simply NOT as interesting that way. Perhaps we could think about how we might re-configure things to get us ALL back together again. Richard ------=_NextPart_000_006A_01C35446.2CE86EE0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; = charset=3Diso-8859-1"> <META content=3D"MSHTML 6.00.2715.400" name=3DGENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY> <DIV><SPAN class=3D011445518-27072003><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff = size=3D2>I=20 agree with Richard. FRIAM has become something that's fun and = interesting=20 </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D011445518-27072003><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff = size=3D2>and=20 serendipidously valuable in its own right, </FONT></SPAN><SPAN=20 class=3D011445518-27072003><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff = size=3D2>but we've lost a=20 certain focus as well.</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D011445518-27072003><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff = size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D011445518-27072003><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff = size=3D2>Several observations on influences:</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D011445518-27072003><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff = size=3D2>1.=20 Ambient (background) noise. Some days the back deck at Jane's is=20 peaceful;</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D011445518-27072003><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff = size=3D2>sometimes there's a lot of background (construction beep beep = beep in the=20 next </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D011445518-27072003><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff = size=3D2>block=20 over, etc). People converse at a level they can be heard, so = there's more=20 </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D011445518-27072003><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff = size=3D2>small=20 groups, which increases the ambient, and so forth.</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D011445518-27072003><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff = size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D011445518-27072003><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff = size=3D2>2. New=20 folks per week. The more new folks that show up each week, the = more=20 </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D011445518-27072003><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff = size=3D2>small=20 groups form. </FONT></SPAN><SPAN = class=3D011445518-27072003><FONT=20 face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff size=3D2>Seems counterintuitive but = </FONT></SPAN><SPAN=20 class=3D011445518-27072003><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff = size=3D2>that's what I=20 think I see.</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D011445518-27072003><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff = size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D011445518-27072003><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff = size=3D2>3. The=20 bigger the membership, the smaller the time per person. For a lot = of=20 us,</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D011445518-27072003><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff = size=3D2>this=20 is the only time in the week we see each other, so we end up wandering=20 </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D011445518-27072003><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff = size=3D2>around=20 to smaller groups to stay in touch. </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D011445518-27072003><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff = size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D011445518-27072003><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff = size=3D2>Solutions? Many might not see all the above as a = problem, but=20 we could </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D011445518-27072003><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff = size=3D2>think=20 of these as some ways </FONT></SPAN><SPAN=20 class=3D011445518-27072003><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff = size=3D2>to make FRIAM=20 better.</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D011445518-27072003><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff = size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D011445518-27072003><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff = size=3D2>A. Tables on the outside; people on the inside. = Make a=20 concious effort to not sit </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D011445518-27072003><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff = size=3D2>around=20 tables or inbetween major </FONT></SPAN><SPAN = class=3D011445518-27072003><FONT=20 face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff size=3D2>groups. Convexify. = Maybe smaller=20 tables?</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D011445518-27072003><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff = size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D011445518-27072003><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff = size=3D2>B.=20 Early arrivers scout for the quietest spots that day. That = might not=20 always </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D011445518-27072003><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff = size=3D2>be the back deck.</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D011445518-27072003><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff = size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D011445518-27072003><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff = size=3D2>C.=20 More venues for the tribe in addition to FRIAM. We could use = Safari more=20 </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D011445518-27072003><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff = size=3D2>or do=20 a second lunch, </FONT></SPAN><SPAN class=3D011445518-27072003><FONT = face=3DArial=20 color=3D#0000ff size=3D2>breakfast, BBQ, smart mob or something = some other=20 </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D011445518-27072003><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff = size=3D2>time=20 during the week. FRIAM would still be the main = venue.</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D011445518-27072003></SPAN><SPAN=20 class=3D011445518-27072003> </SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D011445518-27072003><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff = size=3D2>Carl</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=3Dltr style=3D"MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV class=3DOutlookMessageHeader dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><FONT = face=3DTahoma=20 size=3D2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> = [hidden email]=20 [mailto:[hidden email]]<B>On Behalf Of </B>Dr. Richard Cassin = - Rio=20 Grande Venture Partners<BR><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, July 27, 2003 11:34=20 AM<BR><B>To:</B> FRIAM<BR><B>Subject:</B> [FRIAM] Friday AM dynamics=20 ...<BR><BR></FONT></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D550520117-27072003><FONT face=3DArial=20 size=3D2>Colleagues:</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D550520117-27072003><FONT face=3DArial=20 size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D550520117-27072003><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>As = much as we're=20 having excellent, 20+ turnouts, and Jane's deck under the old apricot = tree is=20 very pretty, it seems that <EM>group </EM>interactions have declined=20 considerably. I think that's a function both of the increased number = of people=20 AND the configuration of Jane's deck, with it's numerous small round = tables=20 which cannot be practically joined for group interaction. I observed = this past=20 Friday, that once we moved to the deck, the group split up into 6-8 = groups of=20 two or three people each, and that's how it ended. It's simply NOT as=20 interesting that way.</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D550520117-27072003><FONT face=3DArial=20 size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D550520117-27072003><FONT face=3DArial = size=3D2>Perhaps we could=20 think about how we might re-configure things to get us ALL back = together=20 again.</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D550520117-27072003><FONT face=3DArial=20 size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D550520117-27072003><FONT face=3DArial=20 size=3D2>Richard</FONT></SPAN></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML> ------=_NextPart_000_006A_01C35446.2CE86EE0-- |
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Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Richard (and others): You could look at as an experiment in sociology and see how groups form=20= and take notes. I have often observed that dinner parties fail to=20 sustain one single conversation beyond 8 people. It is a kind of=20 combinatorial catastrophe, an entropy that defeats even well=20 intentioned efforts at order. cheers, Bruce Sawhill On Sunday, July 27, 2003, at 01:34 PM, Dr. Richard Cassin - Rio Grande=20= Venture Partners wrote: > Colleagues: > =A0 > As much as we're having excellent, 20+ turnouts, and Jane's deck under=20= > the old apricot tree is very pretty, it seems that group interactions=20= > have declined considerably. I think that's a function both of the=20 > increased number of people AND the configuration of Jane's deck, with=20= > it's numerous small round tables which cannot be practically joined=20 > for group interaction. I observed this past Friday, that once we moved=20= > to the deck, the group split up into 6-8 groups of two or three people=20= > each, and that's how it ended. It's simply NOT as interesting that > = way. > =A0 > Perhaps we could think about how we might re-configure things to get=20= > us ALL back together again. > =A0 > Richard --Apple-Mail-4--561910910 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/enriched; charset=ISO-8859-1 Richard (and others): You could look at as an experiment in sociology and see how groups form and take notes. I have often observed that dinner parties fail to sustain one single conversation beyond 8 people. It is a kind of combinatorial catastrophe, an entropy that defeats even well intentioned efforts at order. cheers, Bruce Sawhill On Sunday, July 27, 2003, at 01:34 PM, Dr. Richard Cassin - Rio Grande Venture Partners wrote: = <excerpt><fontfamily><param>Arial</param><smaller>Colleagues:</smaller></f= ontfamily> =A0 <fontfamily><param>Arial</param><smaller>As much as we're having excellent, 20+ turnouts, and Jane's deck under the old apricot tree is very pretty, it seems that <italic>group </italic>interactions have declined considerably. I think that's a function both of the increased number of people AND the configuration of Jane's deck, with it's numerous small round tables which cannot be practically joined for group interaction. I observed this past Friday, that once we moved to the deck, the group split up into 6-8 groups of two or three people each, and that's how it ended. It's simply NOT as interesting that = way.</smaller></fontfamily> =A0 <fontfamily><param>Arial</param><smaller>Perhaps we could think about how we might re-configure things to get us ALL back together = again.</smaller></fontfamily> =A0 <fontfamily><param>Arial</param><smaller>Richard</smaller></fontfamily> </excerpt>= --Apple-Mail-4--561910910-- |
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okay. i've been putting this off , but here's my two cents worth. from a
design point of view, richard is right. because round tables tile badly (if at all), we don't even try to make a unified space out of them. because jane's gets a lot more early morning use than the museum hill cafe did, we tend not to take over as many tables as we would really need to make a useable unified space out of them but instead try to make maximum space of the tables we do have by sitting around all 360 degrees. this automatically fragments the group. because jane's back deck is a small space with a sharp drop off, circulation between groups is difficult to dangerous and is consequently curtailed. easy first try at a solution would be to talk to jane about the number of tables she feels comfortable with us commandeering. maybe she has extras hidden away. with enough tables we could build something sort of patterned after an amino acid (tryotophan, anyone?) which would be great for interaction but is terribly inefficient use of space. about noise: without a specially designed space, you've got it. outside there's ambient noise. inside, we're our own worst enemies. pending a long search and a lot of negotiation, i think we just have to live with it. finally, and then i'll shut up, i don't feel real positive about edy's suggestion, seconded by mary, that we give the meetings a more formal structure. (sorry, guys.) for me, the value of the friam meetings is in the potential for serendipity which in turn promotes creativity and discovery. it seems to me that the formal side of things is taken care of by the friam talks, for which many thanks, steve. i know we can't all get to all (or any) of them and perhaps that needs to be addressed. but that is definitely for another time. dede "Dr. Richard Cassin - Rio Grande Venture Partners" wrote: > Colleagues:As much as we're having excellent, 20+ turnouts, and > Jane's deck under the old apricot tree is very pretty, it seems that > group interactions have declined considerably. I think that's a > function both of the increased number of people AND the configuration > of Jane's deck, with it's numerous small round tables which cannot be > practically joined for group interaction. I observed this past Friday, > that once we moved to the deck, the group split up into 6-8 groups of > two or three people each, and that's how it ended. It's simply NOT as > interesting that way.Perhaps we could think about how we might > re-configure things to get us ALL back together again.Richard |
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