Geoff Brown on October 15, 2008: Thanks for the kind words Michael. We are all connected by no more than 1 or 2 steps these days. Open space has taught me much about myself and life and my blog (Yes!AndSpace) is a ’space’ where I can write, ponder and share life’s lessons.
 
Janine Ogg on October 6, 2008: Greetings! Regarding the session convened by Phelim McDermott on creating an Open Space Building….it was most remarkable reading this as I have just discovered the coolest “multiplex” yurts available here in the UK. These are the creation of Turkoman Gers, a maker of rental yurts in Gloucester. Their website isn’t up and running yet but we have a Yurt book with photos of the multiplex yurt in it…eco friendly and just like the...
 
Scott Schimanski on August 28, 2008: Michael: Our first Open Spaces event was a great success. There were great topics and great discussion. Here is a review of the first session: http://elegantcode.com/2008/06/03/boise-open-space s-recap/ We are doing our second one on Tuesday, September 9th. We look forward to many more. Thanks, Scott
 
Janine Ogg on August 15, 2008: Ps I am heading to the UK in September and would love to connect with anyone opening space over there…..
 
Janine Ogg on August 15, 2008: Thank-you for all the work you have put into this amazing website. I come from a small town in Aotearoa NZ and want to use my training in OS and whole person process to contribute to community change there….this website provides me with inspiration and a sense of community that gives me the confidence to take my ideas & dreams forward. kia kaha!
 
Christy Lee-Engel on August 4, 2008: Hi Julie, The proceedings for the conference haven’t been sent out yet, but the best way to find out when they’re distributed is probably via the international OS Listserv - are you subscribed to that? If not, this is where you go to subscribe (and to view the archives of the List): http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist cheers! Christy
 
Julie Boyer on August 4, 2008: I am so interested in the discussions surrounding these topics– (particularly “How to Transform a Town Using Open Space Tech.” and “Ways of Using Open Space to Weave Community..”) –will you be posting any more notes? I very much want to hear/read people’s thoughts on this!
 
Jeff Aitken on June 23, 2008: If you are near San Francisco in late July, join us in person to obtain your signed copy. Global innovator, consultant and storyteller Harrison Owen signs and discusses his new book Open Space Technology A User’s Guide Third Edition, Revised and Expanded (Berrett-Koehler 2008) Tuesday, July 22, 2008, 7:00 – 9:00 pm Golden Gate Room, Fort Mason Center, Building A Free admission; light refreshments; donations accepted. Signed books available for $30. Rsvp...
 
Doc List on June 13, 2008: Very reassured that Jason Olson, who is responsible for the upcoming Conference within a Conference at PDC 2008, seems to be serious about doing Open Space, not the - um - alternative version that was done at the MVP Summit.
 
Michael Herman on June 13, 2008: yep. she sher is. i did see picture and mother of twins and the whole thing in her blog, after i wrote ‘he’ and forgot to fix. thx.
 
Chris Corrigan on June 13, 2008: Integral Yeshe is a “she”, just for the record. That’s He;en Titchen-Beeth, a good friend in Brussels.
 
Steven "Doc" List on May 10, 2008: Not surprising that Diana would come up with something like this. I think it’s exceptional, focusing on impact rather than importance, outcome rather than impression.
 
AMADOU BOGNIMA COULIBALY on April 16, 2008: Bonjour à vous, je vous écris depuis la côte d’ivoire, pour vous demander de bien vouloir m’indiquer la démarche à suivre pour la mise en place et l’animation d’une structure de promotion de cette “nouvelle” approche des échanges. je crois savoir que l’inspiration de Harrisson Owen est africaine, aussi nous ne devrions pas rater cet autre train. je souhaite apporter à ma manière une...
 
aida morden on March 21, 2008: I have referred to you dissertation extensively in my PhD thesis. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience. Yours sincerely, aida
 
Lisa Heft on March 9, 2008: PS: the link above is to the registration. Before we launch our website, please email me if you would like more specific information on schedule, more info about the Open Space Learning Workshop (for those of you who wish to come to the WOSonOS who have not yet facilitated Open Space), or for any other activity happening in the WOSonOS week of activities. Lisa lisaheft [at] openingspace.net
 
Lisa Heft on March 9, 2008: Hello, Stephan and others - we are soon to launch our WOSonOS 2008 website, which will include a lot of information. Until then, feel free, anyone, to email me with questions - lisaheft [at] openingspace.net. In answer to your question: The WOSonOS is at two sites nearby to each other - the Golden Gate Club at the Presidio and the Golden Gate Room at Fort Mason, both in San Francisco. I have a full listing of accommodation, including pricing and distance from...
 
Stephan on March 9, 2008: Just a question. In order to find a suitable accommodation near the conference site… Is there any information about where exactly the conference will take place in San Francisco? TIA Stephan
 
John Engle on March 7, 2008: Hi Alissa. Thank you for your interest! Yes, come take a look at what we’re doing: www.circlesofchange.com or perhaps in Haitian-Creole at www.eksperyansla.info Again, thank you for your interest and I look forward to learning more about your group and your interests. Pote ou byen, John
 
Alissa Hakime on March 7, 2008: Hi, I just found your web page while goggling about change in Haiti. I’m a young Haitian woman leaving in Montreal and myself and a few friends are building a group with the young Haitian community leaving abroad studying or otherwise that would like to g back home eventually and help change things. I was wondering what it is that this circles of change: Haiti Innovation. And if you had any resources or advise you could give us. Thank you Alissa
 
Michael Herman on February 27, 2008: so which open space principles (and mechanisms) do you use, al? what other things mixed in? and what does the whole process look like?
 
Allen Green on February 27, 2008: I facilitate creative collaborations using a variety of interactive “games” that include principles of Open Space along with many more to spark and guide participation in diverse community contexts - from urban renovation to ecological restoration - with a focus on realizing sacred social potential.
 
Skye Hirst on January 8, 2008: Thanks to everyone regarding your response to my inquiry about South Africa Open Spacers. I’ve past all your info along to Krista Dong “Krista L. Dong, M.D.” She is iTEach Programme Director in Hilton, South Africa and she has passed along your information to her community outreach division person in Thulani Zondi. She knows nothing of OS so this is an education possibility for anyone who might be in this region. Thanks again for...
 
Eksis Endüstriyel Kurutma Sistemleri on December 16, 2007: I would like to say thank you for this useful article.
 
oOgerryOo on December 15, 2007: Hi, I’m Gerald. Just saying hello - I’m new.
 
Skye Hirst on December 9, 2007: Thanks so much for all the great stories. Keep them coming. Love the videos. Now, I’m looking for someone in South Africa to work with communities on the aids epidemic or to help those who are in the communities to use OS. Anyone out there. Skye
 
Christy Lee-Engel on July 12, 2007: Salut, je vais envoyer votre message au comite organisateur. Christy Lee-Engel
 
james dougherty on June 17, 2007: I have had all kinds of occasions in my life where it seemed things were happening that were not supposed to happen; but upon careful and thorough study, it has always been revealed that the only possible thing happened that was perfect for that moment in time.
 
WESH Rosnel on June 5, 2007: Je suis intéressé à participer au forum et je vous demade de m’envoyer une lettre d’invitation. Je dois vous dire que je vis en Haïti et que je suis membre de l’organisation dénommée ” Action des Jeunes Etudiants et Universitaires pour la Reconstruction et l’Avancement d’Haïti” (AJEURAH).
 
Metta on April 28, 2007: To Meno Park ~ FYI, here’s Harrison’s response to this question, as it showed up in a recent interview referenced elsewhere in this blog: Q. What is the most OST online space in your opinion? A. The whole internet is a self-organising system! Funnily, the web, when it was all text, happened at the same time OST did. We were actually using the web as an adjunct to support Open Spaces. You could do Open Space completely on the web, or make a part of...
 
Francois Leduc on April 2, 2007: Hello, I am wondering if OST has been applied to an urban planning public consultation process ? If yes, you would be kind enough to show me the accesses to these projects. Thank You !
 
Briana Barrett on March 30, 2007: well well, as always, once intention is set, communicated, and creativity reigns, the answer shows itself surprisingly quickly! I care to share that I found the NCDD’s Learning Exchange very helpful, and there is a wonderful manual for us there! http://www.democraticdialoguenetwork.org/documents /view.pl?s=13;ss=;t=;f_id=789 also cool was the video http://youtube.com/watch?v=XvIP6Ms-Viw Thank you for being my midnight sounding board!
 
Briana Barrett on March 30, 2007: First, thanks to everyone reading this for being alive and using your two feet! (and ten typing fingers!) Immesurable value! I’m a fan of OpenSpace and World-Café with innate skill and talent, yet Zero experience in either. My impassioned sense of the methods spontaneously sparked the interest of a facilitator (currently using Formal-Consensus) for a local arts committee to collaborate in combining/trying OST/WC, which is a great opportunity to...
 
Chris Corrigan on March 27, 2007: Paul Gleiberman and Anne Stadler led an Open Space at Boeing many years ago that was held in two different sites at the same time.
 
Metta on March 22, 2007: Harrison, can you fill us in on the early history here? My recollections are sketchy and second-hand, at best… (Also, Michael, I wanted to acknowledge that this question was not originally yours, but that of someone from Menlo Park.)
 
Metta on March 22, 2007: Hi, Michael! I’m a little confused by your question, Michael, for a couple of reasons: (1) My understanding is that OST actually had its pre-emergent roots online — the story before this story: www.openspaceworld.com/brief_history.htm — and the folks who conspired with Harrison to pull off the first OST gathering were actually pioneers in facilitating online conversations, including Frank Burns of The Meta Network and Caucus: ` www.tmn.com/ `...
 
Gabriela Ender on March 22, 2007: Warmest regards to California! Between 1999 and 2002 we have developed the OpenSpace-Online® Real-time Methodology. Our services are based on the philosophy of Open Space Technology (OST) and on the basic assumption that the best solutions can be found in one’s “own system.” The real-time Internet method was developed to encourage respectful, open and goal-oriented collaboration that enables autonomous, fast and on-going work about important...
 
Chira on March 18, 2007: Hi, thank you for noticing! I don’t know how long I will be able to keep up the CHRI News project, as it takes a lot longer to sort through incoming news and blog than I though it would, but I sorely wanted there to be a news stream for developments in our field. Thank you for your work in this field.
 
Lin Grist on March 16, 2007: When I am facilitating a one day Open Space I find that the participants are pretty high and exhausted at the end of the day and I want something quick that will give some feedback for the next part of process, whatever that may be. I use a three part system - using post-its that are: A heart: What are you feeling? a Bubble: What are you thinking? an Arrow: What action will you take?
 
Chris Corrigan on March 15, 2007: Another type of evaluation for here: http://www.chriscorrigan.com/openspace/evaluation% 20form.doc
 
Larry Peterson on March 7, 2007: Michael: I just sent in the notes of the call. I am going to describe them on the list and make the connection to her. I assumue I put the URL for the blog in. Let me know when they are up. Larry
 
Michael Herman on March 5, 2007: got it, thanks! had it wrong in two of three places. but now all right.
 
TedErnst on March 5, 2007: Thanks Corinne and Eric!
 
Daniel Burstyn on March 4, 2007: Oops, you got Arlene’s name wrong in both the text and the link - try http://www.arlenegoldbard.com ! She’s a bard, not a barb!
 
Corinne Nelson on March 1, 2007: My husband did a rough translation for you that I’m passing along… con l’organizzazione dell’Open Space Technology, assieme agli ex-studenti del corso di Metodologie Partecipate e a tutti gli interessati. L’evento sarà incentrato sul tema della “mobilità sostenibile” ed inserito tra le attività della 3 giorni di fine marzo. …with the Open Space Technology organization, together with the ex-students of the Participate...
 
Larry Peterson on February 7, 2007: Thanks for alerting me to the “interupted time series” methodology. New to me. It sounds like a usful approach to discernable behaviours or results of an “intervention”. Does it also measure the internal states of individuals or community culture as part of the process. I’m convinced measuring from all perspectives is useful. One the wikki site Peg and I have posted two different approaches to gathering...
 
Michael Herman on February 6, 2007: It occurs to me that we might be asking Open Space to do more than it really can. Why would we expect a single meeting or series of a few meetings to be able to make a measurable dent in some of the large social issues mentioned above? My guess is that we do not ever hold other types of meetings, public hearings, and studies to the same standard. Has anybody ever researched the effectiveness of city council meetings or public comment hearings or even...
 
Dennis Embry on February 5, 2007: Dear Jeff,you are precisely right. Tony Biglan is a close colleague, and he and have have done the first intentional interrupted time series (multiple baseline) across states. We mobilized states on tobacco control issues using low-cost strategies in every county, and we were able to show state level effects, despite all the noise. That is the beauty of such designs: they filter out the noise and confuounds, in ways unlikte most randomized control group...
 
Jeff Aitken on February 5, 2007: It seems more likely to me that the “interrupted time series” method could be used to assess OST interventions. Biglen, Ary, and Wagenaar introduce the method in their article “The Value of Interrupted Time-Series Experiments for Community Intervention Research” (Prevention Science journal) at http://www.springerlink.com/content/r615u05320743n 01/ as follows: “Time-series designs enable the development of knowledge about the...
 
Larry Peterson on February 5, 2007: “randomized control group studies or high-quality interrupted time series studies showing actual impact on outcomes of organizations or communities.” — I think these research methodologies are not approriate for studying OST. The complexity of the context of any OST event means that finding a “control” group is almost impossible. I worked with one researcher to explore having parallel OST, Appreciaitve Inquiry and Future...
 
Diane Brandon on February 5, 2007: I’m trying to imagine how such research would look. You’d have to have two similar communities, each trying to bring about a measurable community outcome, such as (to make up examples) increasing affordable housing or decreasing mercury emissions. Or maybe “cleaning up a city park.” Then you’d have to have a planning meeting in each community, one using OST and the other using another process. You’d have to hold...
 
Harrison Owen on February 5, 2007: To the best of my knowledge there is nothing that meets the research criteria proposed, certainly not prospectively, and probably not retrospectively. However, something that comes close to what Dennis may be looking for relates to a little gathering we did in Rome for Israelis and Palestinians. The first part is reported in a piece I did (http://openspaceworld.com/opening_space_for_peace .htm) and I understand that Tova Averbuch, Avner...
 
Rene on January 30, 2007: @ Michael: Thanks for your extensive explanation. I’m starting to understand now the relation between the principles on one hand, and the practicallity on the other hand. @ Mark: I recognize this approach, and agree that it really works if the organizational culture allows it… I decided now to create some timestamps/location combinations on sticky notes, and that the conveyers can stick those on their topic description. Since these are post-its, the...
 
Mark R. Jones on January 29, 2007: Hi Rene. There was a time when I led OS-based meetings in very strucured government environments. The culture itself guided how the “Principles” and the “Law” were understood and implemented. Thus, each “Convenor” — including myself — determined in that cultural context, when the sessions would start, and who the “Right People” were. Typically, this meant that sessions (meetings) started...
 
Michael Herman on January 29, 2007: first, the principles are not rules, they’re more like hints about what’s coming. the grid of post-it notes with places and times is only for supporting the convening of meetings. it’s not uncommon for sessions to start later than posted, usually by just a few minutes, but sometimes nobody comes and it’s rescheduled for the next day, perhaps, so it starts a whole day ‘late.’ then sometimes it doesn’t finish,...
 
Steve Pashley on January 28, 2007: Yes, National Health Service, although nowadays, with the advent of political devolution, the English experience of the NHS is increasingly different than the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish versions.
 
TedErnst on January 26, 2007: You’re very welcome, Steve. Was I right that NHS is Britain’s National Health Service? I couldn’t find out for sure on your site.
 
Steve Pashley on January 24, 2007: Ted, thanks for the mention. Steve
 
joyce on January 23, 2007: would like people who are interested in researching the impact of silence on interpersonal communication
 
Bernd Weber on January 21, 2007: Michael, I am coming to the surface again, and find the new OPENSPACEWORLD. Congratulations. Really good work. I changed my existence as an expatriate to Africa (after 13 years) and came back to Austria and have now some time to put my collected digital pictures of OS events on flickr. Since there is a lot, this will take a while and since I am still learning its work in progress with mistakes. Ah… I went to your “Online Forums” and...
 
Jesse Robbins on January 13, 2007: We’re really excited about using OST to empower our community. We will be posting an open invitation in a few days. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me directly jesse.robbins at blackrockfederal (dot) com.
 
Netra P. Kaphle on December 17, 2006: Dear OST family, Merry X-mas and Happy New Year 2007. Netra / Nepal
 
Henry on November 15, 2006: I became involved in my former position with OST in sessions that ranged from 14-80 people. OST was a tremendously powerful tool in engaging people to create, expand and implement a vision and direction for my group.
 
TedErnst on November 10, 2006: Works for Agile and a while lot more!
 
Phil Aspden on November 9, 2006: Hello I am looking for any Open Space events that could usefully use an experienced facilitator and trainer to observe OS [no payment needed] in action. Also if anyone knows of any open space training. Both in the UK please
 
Dennis Britton on November 3, 2006: As an agile coach, I am always looking for ways to facilitate collaborative teamwork. OpenSpace seems like a great way! I’m eagerly looking forward to my first event. Dennis
 
Len Aron on October 23, 2006: How well does open space mtg work when you bring together teams for all over the US, who at most only see one another once a year but do share a focus and concern on a particular topic?
 
Don Duke on October 5, 2006: How do I join? I want to inform people about an event. Do I write it here? Best Duke
 
Chris Corrigan on October 3, 2006: Harrison’s point about passion is dead on. When you have a ton of passion around the real conversation, Open Space is the thing that shows up, and no one even stops to think about the process. Beautiful.
 
Jorn Bettin on August 7, 2006: Hi, Am organising an Open Space workshop within a large corporation and was thrilled to discover the new web site. Really like the way the material is structured, an excellent reference! Originally came across the Open Space concept as part of an OOPSLA conference workshop in 2001, and have used the technique several times since then - at conferences and in a corporate context. The technique has never failed to produce valuable results. Looking forward to...
 
Chris Corrigan on July 30, 2006: Yes…and a leader in using Open Space in the grassroots tech community!
 
Kaliya Hamlin on July 23, 2006: I happen to also have been the facilitator which they didn’t explicitly say in the article.
 
Shahid Mahmood on May 17, 2006: I participated in an open space progam in Karach, Pakistan whos trainer was Mr.Michael M Pannwitz from Germany. The methodology and approach was much more interesting and I learnt a new technique of getting knowledge.
 
Christy Lee-Engel on April 24, 2006: Hi Philip, Welcome! If you will send to the OSList all the details that you’d like put on the Open Space news weblog, and request that it be posted, then one of the current writers will post it for you. If you’re not subscribed to the OSList yet, you can do that at this link: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=o slist&A=1 Christy
 
Philip Rogers on April 24, 2006: How do I join? I want to inform people about an event. Do I write it here? Best Philip
 
Christy Lee-Engel on February 25, 2006: How great to see you here, Julie, and thank you for your comment expanding on the magic of these branching communities. With appreciation for your buoyant and connective energy~
 
TedErnst on February 25, 2006: Good to see you here, Julie! I really like Michael Herman’s river metaphor. A few people have been in the main current throughout these 3 events and others have travelled along, eddied in and out, come from tributaries, or whatever. By the way, the 2nd omidyar members event is July 14-16 in Chicago. All are welcome, even if not (yet) affiliated with o/net.
 
Julie Caldwell on February 18, 2006: The dialouges seem to be connected even though the 3 events occured over an 18 month period. With each event, I find the friendships deepening. Ted, Gerry, and Michael whom I met for the first time at the first event in 2004 and so many more that attended the 2005 event, not to mention how many of these folks I’ve met online first. Something very magical about connecting face-to-face with my on-line communities. Its interesting to watch...
 
TedErnst on February 17, 2006: Michael Herman was certainly a constant in all three of these events. I also wanted to point out Julie Caldwell, Gerry Gleason and Laure Dillon, who were also at all 3 events, as was I. Plus, plenty of other people came into the mix at various stages, such that most of the work getting RecentChangesCamp to happen was done by others.
 
John Engle on February 5, 2006: Michael, The site is looking great! And congratulations on launching Worldwide Market Place initiative. I hope to add more. Can you add this: Haiti Salon 2007 http://haitisalon.com How can we improve our efforts to support Haiti? Haiti Salon is an inclusive two and a half day gathering in New York toward furthering justice, peace and democracy in Haiti. “There is a lot of disconnect. Many people are doing interesting things but independent of the other....
 
Christy Lee-Engel on January 26, 2006: Thanks for this, Wendy! I am just reading Joe Jaworski’s Synchronicity (meaning to, for a long while, finally getting around to it because of the recent little flurry of recommendations on the List)–he also references Bohm’s deep exploration of dialogue, which very much influenced and expanded Jaworski’s understanding of his own amazing work.
 
TedErnst on January 4, 2006: Thanks, Ashley. I cannot find the full paper online anymore, but have changed the post to point to a library instead.
 
ashley on January 3, 2006: Hey Ted, The link to the paper doesn’t work. Thanks, Ashley
 
Tom Lidstrom on December 22, 2005: HI! I am the organizer of the largest spiritual festival in northern europe, the No Mind Festival in Sweden. We are planning to have the whole second week of the festival next summer in the pririt of Open Space. We would like to invite one or two of the best Open Space facilitators in the world to come. Can you get me in touch with someone like that? Most of all, we want to have Harrison Owen here, but any of the “top” people would be...