Impressions from the Berkeley Meet and Other Matters

I'll kick off this discussion with a brief of my impressions of our meeting in Berkeley. It would be nice to have a place to share afterthoughts (some of which were shared in e-mail - but here they can be made public).

I found this to be one of the most spiritually and intellectually stimulating experiences of my life! To be amongst a group of dedicated and incredibly smart people was a real thrill. David's discussion thread in the main page captures much of my thoughts about the experience. But in addition I returned home with a stronger sense of purpose than I have had in a long time.

My general sense is that we share a common general goal and much of it revolves around making sense of sensemaking so that we can develop the tools that will allow sense makers to work efficiently and at scales commensurate with the global nature of the challenges humanity faces. Some great ideas are out there on the table. And the tools that some of you have produced have been a real eye opener for me in terms of how to gain perspective on problem analysis and discourse. I'm eager to pursue the development of some kind of integrated platform that will allow the general users to be productive in seeking solutions to our multiple problems.

I also enjoyed the conference, which I decided to attend at the last minute. There were many great ideas presented there, and I found them very stimulating.

In all it was a trip well worthwhile. I sincerely feel a bond with you all in this endeavor and look forward to more meetings (in real space) where we can further evolve these relationships.

Regards to all.