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34
Virtual Realities
Insight
surprise, when I advertised for local people
“Imagine my moral dilemma when I
to help with a video about the project,
to have a special effects man from Harry
began the project by searching for local Potter (Bob Bridges) volunteering to do the
champions... only to discover that there was
post-production editing, and that he too
came from Market Harborough.
already a website... doing what my project
All these anecdotes are leading to
had been funded to do, and worse still the the observation that the status of the
site was better designed than my company
knowledge professional is being eroded
by technology and overtaken by those
had the capability to do”
who have passion and interest in an
area of knowledge, and have access to
the internet, and discretionary time. GPs
increasingly get consulted by patients with
and knowledge networking techniques “Don’t I know you from somewhere?” to specialist conditions armed with print-outs
for community development. which he replied “Of course you do – I’m and a greater in-depth knowledge of their
your milkman!”. To say this came as a situation and its prognosis. School teachers
The business model for sustainability was shock would be an understatement. Here and college lecturers regularly encounter
based on the premise that the project was I, an IT professional with over 30 students with higher levels of in-depth
would connect Mass Mitec better with years experience in communications and knowledge and more honed skills.
local companies and generate a sustainable computing, counselling many blue chip
income stream from website development corporates with my expertise, faced by the This erosion of status and levelling of the
and other associated digital media services. prospect of my milkman doing a better job knowledge playing field leads me to the
Imagine my moral dilemma when I in his spare time, on a machine he built conclusion that knowledge mentoring,
began the project by searching for local himself, self-taught in HTML coding and coaching, networking, brokering and
champions to collaborate with, only to developing the website with the most basic facilitation are the way forward for those
discover that there was already a Market of tools. with a passion to develop the skills of
Harborough-based website called Bigfern knowledge of others, and that our minds
which was, to a large extent, doing what My immediate reaction was to think I should also be open to receive wisdom
my project had been funded to do, and had discovered someone from another from the most unexpected of sources.
worse still the site was better designed planet, but I quickly learnt as the project This does however leave society with the
than my company had the capability to do. developed that there are Frank Bingleys all challenge of the status and remuneration of
over the world in almost every community. the knowledge worker overtaken by those
Modest, unsung knowledge experts whom he or she is expected to counsel.
whose passion, combined with access
to technology, makes them potentially Community and in-house knowledge is a
immensely valuable as teachers and vast untapped reservoir and it saddened
examples to us all. me to meet my ex-milkman Frank Bingley a
few years after ComKnet had finished and
to hear him say: “You are the only person
who has ever shown any real interest in my
work.” If you have a milkman, check him
out – you could learn a lot from him!
Bigfern Website Today – www.bigfern.co.uk
Part of me wanted to celebrate the fact
David Wortley is Director of the Serious
that I had uncovered untapped local skills
Games Institute (SGI). The World of
and talents and part of me was worried
Learning will host a Serious Games Zone
and the Serious Games Theatre will be
that this competitor would damage my
hosted by West Midlands – Serious About
business if I involved it in the project. Games on 19 & 20 November. To pre-
Confident in the size of the market and Bob Bridges Filmography
register, visit www.learnevents.com or
our own capabilities, I sent an email to the
call +44(0)20 8394 5171. For more
Bigfern webmaster inviting him to come As the project developed, I was to discover
information on the SGI call David on
+44(0)24 7615 8202 or visit
to see me and discuss the project. As the that Frank was the tip of the community
www.seriousgamesinstitute.co.uk.
webmaster (Frank Bingley) walked in I said knowledge iceberg but it still came as a
learningmagazine.co.uk
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