Should we "Restructure" the System Dynamics Community?

[Bruce Skarin]

Hello again,

This is somewhat in response to the query, ""(Re-)Structuration of System
Dynamics,"" but it is really leading me to a parallel discussion. Already in
my comparatively short experience with System Dynamics (and modeling in
general) I have had numerous debates and read numerous discussions and
papers regarding the merits of qualitative and quantitative models. These
discussions have been perhaps some of the most intense and insightful over
the years. And yet, the debate goes on. This is a good thing!

I find it rare that large numbers of people really care enough about an
issue to voice their thoughts and beliefs. I think these instances are the
perfect opportunity to create a very extensive body of knowledge. Yet
creating masses of information is only very useful to those working with it.
It is therefore worthwhile to be working towards a very succinct and
understandable statement about not only the field of System Dynamics but all
of science.

I would like to once again prod and poke the idea of working together to
become more organized in our efforts. ""Structural"" improvements to the field
System Dynamics do not always have to be a painfully slow process! Things
are changing quickly now in the world and if we don't take advantage of what
is out here, I believe we will eventually loose valuable ground in the
growing body of information.

A fairly simple starting point is to group and index our own existing stores
of information. I would like to encourage those of you that have yet to give
the online forum (http://www.ventanasystems.co.uk/forum/index.php) an honest
chance, to do so now. I previously suggested on the forum that we should
index the SD Review, but now I think we can even take it a step further.

To help with the organizing portion I suggest, Tony, that we perhaps create
a few more sub-forums and topics in the System Dynamics Discussion forum.
For example we could start with the sub-forums: Community, Software,
Methodology (with topics of: Qualitative-Quantitative,
Continuous-Discrete-Agent, Optimization, etc.), Modeling Applications (with
topics of education, environment, economics, industry, etc.), Miscellaneous,
and so on. Don't worry! The e-mail list has a purpose and will still carry
on strong, but we need more people to occasionally index the ongoing
discussions.

Inside the topics we can continue these ongoing discussions and link and
attach previous sources. For example, this posting could be in the Community
sub-forum. Another example would be a response to the Jean-Jacques Laublé's
query which could go in the Methodology forum, Qualitative-Quantitative
topic and is in response to: ""(Re-) Structuration of System Dynamics""
(http://www.ventanasystems.co.uk/forum/f ... php?fid=31) which is
related to ""Balancing Activity in Investigating Dynamic Problems""
(http://www.ventanasystems.co.uk/forum/v ... hp?tid=221) which is
related to ""Using Statistics in Dynamics Models""
(http://www.ventanasystems.co.uk/forum/v ... p?tid=1996) and these
are all related to papers published in the System Dynamics review,
conference proceedings, and other sources.

I know that there are already some System Dynamics sub-groups out there with
their own lists and sites, but we should seriously ask ourselves; ""what is
the benefit of keeping these related stores of information in separate
locations versus a single location that is interlinked?""

I know I am busy, we are all busy, but if Tony can find the time to put a
Forum online, and Anastássios Perdicoúlis the SD Sustain Archives, the least
we can all do is use it to our advantage!

Thanks again, to those of you trying to help. I hope everyone else
understands why I am so determined to periodically push and poke this
important issue.

Best Regards,

-Bruce
From: ""Bruce Skarin"" <bruceskarin@hotmail.com>