Newsletter #1

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"Lynne Oetjen-Gerdes"
Junior Member
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Mar 29, 2002 3:39 am

Newsletter #1

Post by "Lynne Oetjen-Gerdes" »

I received this message on the CYBCOM list and thought it might
be of interest to SD subscribers.

From: "Lynne Oetjen-Gerdes" <
lynneog@earthlink.net>

> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> Date: Tue, 11 May 1999 22:00:47 -0000
> From: myersk@us.net
>
> Newsletter #1, May 1999
>
> Several systems thinkers from around the world have formed a network.
> The idea began with graduates of the former Social Systems Sciences
> department at Wharton. After holding conferences in 1998 and in March
> 1999, we decided to continue the network, but to also make it new and
> larger. We decided to involve many more like-minded people who are
> located throughout the world and who are pursuing vital systems-oriented
> learning. Our interests are broad but generally involve management,
> consulting, education, and research.
>
> We will issue an occasional newsletter. The newsletter will be the only
> message you will receive through this mail list. If you choose to get
> more involved in the network -- and we hope you will -- please contact one
> of the working committees or respond to one of the individuals or
> organizations mentioned in this newsletter.
>
> This network will hold its third general conference in conjunction with
> the World Congress of Systems Sciences, to be held in Toronto, July 2000.
> That meeting is not as far off as it sounds, especially since we are going
> to make extensive preparations for high-impact sessions. To join in
> developing our conference themes and procedures, contact the Conference
> Committee <www.egroups.com/group/systems-meet>. Some of the initially
> proposed themes are: enterprise software and the multidimensional
> organization, unmanageable systems, social capital, beyond systems, and
> national development.
>
> This network is about much more than conferences. An Institution
> Committee is at work on the design. Currently, 13 organizations are
> interested in serving as hubs. They are on most continents and on some
> quasi-continents (Antarctica no, Australia yes).
>
> We are a glocal network, communicating internationally, but also aware
> that face to face work on real problems is how we learn. A local version
> of the global network is taking shape in Washington. It is called Systems
> Thinking Network / Washington. That group will be in contact with the
> global network, and some interesting collaboration might develop. A local
> cell is forming that will hold seminars on Peter Senges new book.
> Washington needs some learning!
>
> The proceedings from the March 1999 conference, "Russell Ackoff and the
> Advent of Systems Thinking," are available on the web, thanks to the good
> people at the Villanova University hub site. Go to
> <www.villanova.edu/~ackoff>. Proceedings from the 1998 conference are
> available at <home.us.net/~myersk/s3/html/proceedings.htm>.
>
> Several interesting papers were collected from members of this network and
> will be published in a special edition of the journal, Systemic Practice
> and Action Research. Peggy Nicholson and Kent Myers were the guest
> editors. The journal should be out in early Fall. In a later edition of
> this newsletter, we will pass along some excerpts.
>
> There are other committees. The Web Committee
> <www.egroups.com/group/systems-think> is pondering our web presence, whose
> purpose is to foster face to face encounters. Plans exist for regional
> meetings, one in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and the other in Europe. A
> Learning Committee will become active as we proceed, and we will be
> reporting on educational innovations, such as the Villanova MBA curriculum
> design. Any of these committees welcome enthusiastic members, especially
> from among those who were not able to attend either of the first two
> conferences. If you want to shape our destiny, now is the time to get
> involved!
>
> If you need some personal care and orientation to this network, contact
> Bill Roth <wwroth@nni.com> or Kent Myers <myersk@us.net>. Bill has the
> big picture and Kent has the mechanics. These are just two of the
> facilitators: there are many others you can deal with directly and who you
> will want to meet and converse with.
>
> Members of this network are asked to make the following minimal
> contributions:
>
> 1. Stay on this list. (There will be no other use of the list except for
> occasional newsletters, and there will be no other general distributions
> except through this list. There is no cost, and the egroups service
> provides elaborate privacy and spam protection. Just ignore the ads. If
> anybody wants to make a donation, we can pay to have the ads turned off.)
>
> 2. Expose your interests to others. (Please contribute a minimal
> personal profile. See instructions below. If any network activity
> appeals to you, please join in. If for some reason you must limit your
> exposure to others, you can do that and still receive the newsletter.)
>
> 3. Invite others. (Wed like to create more connections among systems
> practitioners who have not interacted much in the past due to
> geographical, institutional, or historical constraints. This is
> definitely not a tight little club. Look for the "invite" button on the
> web site: any member can use it.)
>
> 4. Send in news. (For the moment, Kent Myers <myersk@us.net> will
> collect news and redistribute it through this newsletter.)
>
>
> The egroups system is currently the best free system of its kind, and 4
> million people are using it. It is not perfect, but it works and is
> getting better. If you dont want to be troubled with the technology,
> just leave things alone and you will receive the newsletter just fine.
> However, we believe that a directory of members, containing additional
> information that you submit, will help build the network. It is easy to
> post and maintain your egroups profile. Here are instructions:
>
> - This mail list has a web site <www.egroups.com/group/systems-all>.
> There, you can see old newsletters, change settings, contact individual
> members, and leave a profile. You have two pages for personal settings.
> One is for the entire egroups environment (the profile), and the other has
> additional settings that are specific to the systems-all list.
>
> - After any initial set up that may be required, whenever you go to the
> top page of the system -- <www.egroups.com >-- you will see a button
> called "my space". Hit that, then hit "user info". Thats where you can
> place your profile. We ask for just two items: your name, and in the
> "remarks" box please describe current systems-oriented interests. Any
> other information is most welcome, including your location, home page
> address, and photo.
>
> - Jump from the "my space" page to systems-all, or go directly to
> <www.egroups.com/group/systems-all>. Click on "members". Find your
> address. (One letter will be displayed incorrectly, even though the
> underlying record is correct. This technique disables robotic name
> sweepers.) If you click on your name, you will be able to edit your
> global profile. If you click on somebody elses name (such as
> myersk@us.net) you can view that persons profile (assuming that the
> person submitted something and permits viewing). If you hit the "edit"
> button next to your name, you can change settings that are specific to the
> systems-all list.
>
>
> Remember item 4? Send in some news, please.
>
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