Social software

Jack Vinson gives a good roundup of why social software can succeed in KM efforts.

The point of epiphany for me?

In relation to this, there is the recognition that you are not just a contributor OR reader. You are both. Contributors get their ideas by reading what others have to say. And without readers, I doubt that the authors would be able to keep up their passion for the material.

and

There is much less sense of hierarchy in the social world. Anyone can provide feedback or comments to anyone else. In the corporate settings, people tend to be more aware of who is listening and modify what they have to say.

But, as is typical of me, I think of what or who it could include. Sure social software would never capture "tacit knowledge" , the level of competence that is called "Unconcious competence" that is passed on by observation rather than actual coaching. These systems can however point and connect people, so that when they meet face to face they can actually get to level four.

The other issue is that the people who would benefit most from this are people who are open to these systems and have the time, willingness and resources to access such systems. So, people who are not literate in the lingua franca of the net, English, will have their knowledge continued being lost. People who are not very good at expressing by writing like some learners would also lose from sharing and gaining.