02-15-06 Midtown Innovation Network Map

Submitted by Betsey Merkel on Thu, 02/16/2006 - 16:46.

Click on the link below to take a look at the Midtown Innovation Map so far. Different weeks are represented by different colored nodes. Here is the color code: New Names added Forum 01.11.06 = maroon; New Names added Forum 01.25.06 = green; New Names added Forum 02-08-06 = blue.

At this point, the map offers a visual picture of how Midtown Wednesday attendees are connected. The map will grow over time and become more complex as relationships build. Each link represents, at the least, ideas exchanged. This is the beginning of innovation and entrepreneurship.

Join us next week to be a part of building the Midtown Innovation Zone.

Be a part of the Midtown Map!

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It's very exciting to see the network map grow

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Thu, 02/16/2006 - 22:35.

I think it is great you are building this network map - I was there and filled out a form for a session two weeks back so I know I'm included on that one. I look forward to seeing what the process discovers.

Network Mapping

Submitted by William on Sat, 02/18/2006 - 12:40.

I think the network mapping of folks who come to I-Open events is a great idea.

 

CAAO is looking to do a network-mapping project.  We are looking to use the network mapping system to study social connectivity of African American entrepreneurs in Northeast Ohio.  There have been many studies that suggest that African American entrepreneurs need to improve their social networks.  Before one can come up with solutions to improve the situation in NEO one needs to find out what the social connectivity looks like now.  From this find the gaps and then work on solutions.  CAAO is looking to use same software I-Open is using to make this happen.

 

CAAO is hoping to include all the programs in NEO that focus on African American entrepreneurship to be part of the mapping process.    I will keep you updated on the process of this project.  If anyone has any suggestions please feel free to send them to me.

USE NAMES - BOLDNESS WILL PAY OFF

Submitted by Jeff Buster on Fri, 02/17/2006 - 12:41.

Betsey, 

Thanks for the graphic representation of collaboration in NEO.

Building trust is always the background mantra for I-OPEN.   Yet simultaneously many organizations  take affirmative steps to conceal the identities of their members, of their participants, and their organizations finances.   

I think this is hypocrisy and detrimental to the advancement of the most attractive aspects of the ethics behind open meetings and open economics.  

For example,  the publicly funded wind meeting which Green Energy Ohio organized last year  affirmatively deleted all email addresses from the attendees list.  GEO kept these addressed tight to their chest.  Why?  Not out of any  legal basis or consideration to the attendees.  Out of knowledge is power.  That's shortsighted and definitely not representative of an "open" economic model.

So,   why not put the names on the network map which is up on the web  – just as the participants handed them in to Valdis?  If North East Ohio’s involved citizens are too reluctant to be connected to their friends  on a web published network map,  I don’t think there is much hope. 

 

The I-Open network is knowing

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Fri, 02/17/2006 - 16:25.

I filled out one of the forms at an I-Open meeting and saw a map with names, and the one posted last week had names, so I think this is a different type of network map/visual. But your point is good, and gets back to the "knowing and loving" thing. Here we are mapping people we know, based on certain criteria that are based on types of relationships (e.g. mentor) - they relate to what I would call degrees of "love".

 

We'll need to get all this clarified, as it is very interesting and I-Open seems to be on to something here. Betsy, can you provide more details on how the mapping is being used and your vision with it going forward?

TRANSPARENCY = OPEN SOURCE

Submitted by Zebra Mussel on Fri, 02/17/2006 - 21:20.

Sorry for the mini rant but I keep seeing InFlow (Mr. Krebs network mapping software displayed above)  with all the values hidden.  I myself have been polled along with my possie for another map.  We are all scratching our heads waiting for full access to the map we collaborated on.

Showing only the graphic with no text I feel harnesses about 1/10 of the full power of Valdis's software.   That being said I am sure there are technical hurdles to web deployment that I can not fathom as well.  I love the power of mapping... Inflow and Udig are both phenom mapping tools.  I am a visual learner, a picture speaks a thousands words.. but I keep seeing Inflow maps that need more data to be meaningfull to me.

Please dont map me.. and then keep the results under wraps... its been months since I was mapped out and I have had about 3 minutes of text off access.  Interesting this came up here... and in another forum recently.

*Note I am not referring to the Midtown Map.  =-) 

Mapping NEO Networks - who is interested?

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Sat, 02/18/2006 - 11:28.

I'm glad to see people discussing network mapping as well. There has been lots done with this around NEO over the past few years and I've only seen a few outcomes. What I've seen, whether InFlow or The Brain at Green City Blue Lake, offers lots of potential. REALNEO enables network mapping, and lots of other networks are developing and maturing - there is a need to connect the networks better, which requires mapping them, which offers great opportunities at the presentation, navigation and community building levels. At this stage, I think the people interested to accomplish this need to get together and develop a unified plan. I expect that will happen in the coming months, and I plan to join in the planning. Who else is interested?

Names were there

Submitted by prelude2cinema on Sat, 02/18/2006 - 00:51.

I think it's just a software thing.  Betsey is pretty open. I saw the last one had names.

Sincerely,

Alex P. Michaels

Building the Knight Movie Studio Incubator

http://prelude2cinema.pbwiki.com

Would I-Open share its mapping vision

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Sat, 02/18/2006 - 11:33.

I-Open is doing some of the most innovative economic development work in town, and one of their initiatives is mapping the networks connecting around I-Open and midtown, using InFlow software. If you've attended an I-Open activity (each Wed. at Meyers College - always posted to the REALNEO calendar) you've filled out a form to enable I-Open to add you to their network map.

 

As this is such an organized and structured mapping process, it would be useful for the NEO community to really understand the underlying processes, purposes and outcomes as expanding this initiative and integrating it with others would offer the region great competitive opportunities. What more can we learn about this process? Perhaps I-Open can hold a session or we can hold a roundtable on mapping NEO networks to explore this further - any interest?

Network Maps at Midtown

Submitted by Dennis Coughlin on Sat, 02/18/2006 - 12:55.
I put together the maps for I-Open and the first map that we posted had names.  The current map posted does not have names as the intent was to look at the relationships of the nodes.  I did not want, on this particular occasion, to have the distraction of names.  I was looking to evaluate how tight or loose the clusters were, how new nodes were being added, and where new nodes were being added.
The names do make the map more personal and there are benefits to see who is connected to whom.  I am concerned in that there is the potential problem of how well the instructions for completing the questionnaire were written and understood. We asked originally for three names in six catagories and currently are asking for three names each in three catagories. At all forums now we are asking people to keep adding new names as they occur.
We are mapping only with the people who have attended the Midtown Forums as many already have.  It is helpful to allow those attendees continually to update their information but at the present time that will only occur if that person attends an additional Midtown Forum at Myers University.  In this way we can better evaluate what is going on with the Forums.  There is the possibility that, if a person attends a forum and then goes off on an initiative and connects more fully, we will lose some potentially powerful data.
If anyone would like to see the network maps every week with names, please come to a forum.  From time to time we will post a network map with names on our Midtown Wednesday Forum site at:  http://www.midtownwednesdays.blogspot.com/