A Compound of Alchymie

Last Entry for 2005

I've been struggling over the last few weeks to complete a variety of blog entries. The Christmas 'holiday season' is a tough time for much reflection. Had to work right up to the line including a key presentation for an interesting new e-learing project on 21st December! So much for getting any shopping done! Anyway, 2006 is almost upon us so as a final brief entry for 2005 I have some neat web links:

Google Montage - Brilliant fun but also has a really thought provoking - try entering a phrase like 'knowledge management'. The montage below is for 'knowledge sharing'.

Writeboard - Brilliantly simple but effective approach to document collaboration. 2006 WILL be the year of neat Web 2.0 collaboration tools!

Mathilde Aubier - Just a nice web site with a brilliant mix of interactivity and usefulness.

Google Montage for 'knowledge sharing'

Happy Birthday!

This blog is one year old today! Time really flies in the blogosphere. It's been a useful but quite time consuming exercise and not something to be taken lightly but I've learnt a lot - not just about blogging but about how blogging can be integrated into one's business model. It's already caused me to re-think my web site and to develop a structure that enables me to integrate this blog with the main site.

All is not as it appears...

Our brains can often work against us.

Check out the 'checkershadow illusion'.

Technogeek or Technophobe?

I completed the recent short survey on Yahoo!  to establish where I was on the Technogeek/Technophobe continuum.  Happily I'm neither - just plain old Technormal:

Technormal
"Congratulations! You make the most of technology to lead a healthy up to date lifestyle and are fully in 2005. You've embraced the technical revolution but you've kept your feet on the ground. You're tech savvy and love it! The more you surf the more you enjoy being connected. You don't need an interpreter to tell your Wi-Fi from your WAP, but computers don't rule your life either. Naturally curious, you've learned to control your technology to take advantage of the web's benefits. You know the internet is not just for practical things in life not live - please can you change the spelling from live to life."

What's Alchemy Got to do with it

Very little actually, but it may turn into some sort of allegory further down the line. The title comes from a book written by one of Britain’s early alchemists, George Ripley, in 1475. I picked up the reference in a book called ‘Medieval Lives’ by Terry Jones and Alan Ereira – which was written to accompany an excellent BBC TV documentary series of the same name. The series set out to challenge the popular view that medieval Britain was, well ‘medieval’, and uncovered ‘a vibrant society teeming with individuality, intrigue and innovation.’ In a chapter on philosophy the role of alchemy is investigated and the following quotation appears:

“… to discourage the fools, for although we write primarily for the edification of the disciples of the art, we also write for the mystification of those owls and bats which can neither bear the splendour of the sun, nor the light of the moon.” George Ripley, The Compound of Alchymie, 1475

Ripley saw alchemy as a ‘holy science’ and sought to control knowledge relating to his work by writing in code. He wanted to pass on knowledge only to those who had the knowhow to use it effectively. In practice he used pictographs combined with lavish illustrations and his book, the Ripley Scrolls, is a true work of art (even if you do need to be ‘in-the-know’ to work out it’s message).

ExLink: Ripley Scrolls

First Post

This weblog is loosely focussed on the things that I’m involved with in my work – primarily helping organisations to develop new ideas, approaches and strategies around information, knowledge and learning. Effectively it provides a lens on our 'knowledge economy'. I also intend to mix in some technology stuff where appropriate - and specifically the use of technology to support access to information, knowledge and learning (IKL as we shall call it in this weblog).

I’m not sure exactly where this weblog will take us over the coming months, and hopefully years, but that’s the attraction when you’re just starting out. I hope to get guest contributions, link to other weblogs and generally make connections that might not otherwise be made. If you work in this area and think a little like me then please e-mail me or add some comments. If you want to know a little more about my work check out my web site.

ExLink: www.e-konsult.com