Why BlogTalk?

I have visited two previous editions of this conference (2003,2004) and enjoyed the intense exchanges and conversations both times. So basically I am coming back for more!

Always curious to see more about what is happening in the world of social software and to discuss how we might use them for my main interests: effectivity of knowledge work and working in groups, ability to change, and innovation as a culture.

Have interest in how the ‘social’ in social software provides us the means to deal with information abundance by using our social networks as filters, and for pattern detection. Also interested in ways in which we can bring social network analysis to the individual, and how to create peer to peer versions to replace ‘networking platforms’ like OpenBC, LinkedIn etc.

So all in all, I think it is great that BlogTalk is broadening scope from weblogs towards the whole social software family.

What I do

I am a knowledge management consultant in his mid-thirties with a background in electrical engineering and philosophy of science. I like to be in the place where people and technology meet. With experience in designing business processes, quality assurance and knowledge management I try to always take an integral approach to things. So that individuals, organisational structures, communities and the tools they use to support their work are all balanced right. Knowledge after all is the ability to act, and I very much enjoy increasing that ability to act for the people and companies I work with.

I consider myself to be a networked individual, working in a networked world. I spend my time with different groups in different settings, but on topics that feel very much connected, at least to me.

Regularly, I present on topics like social software, information strategies, dealing with information abundance and innovation as a culture.

Where I do that

With 10 colleagues I work for Proven Partners, in the Netherlands.

Since 2002 I have been writing my own weblog Interdependent Thoughts.

Together with Lilia Efimova and Sebastian Fiedler I organize regular workshops around social software, called BlogWalks. They take place mainly in Europe, though the series also visited North America and Australia on occasion.

I am also a founding Boardmember of the IFCCC. This institute is a think and do tank of people from different nationalities and cultural backgrounds working and living in the Netherlands. We look at work routines and organisational structures in a networked and knowledge intensive setting, and promote innovation as a culture/attitude. (In the Netherlands innovation is usually about building a new product only)

PRACTICALITIES

I will arrive in Vienna on Sept. 30th around lunch time and take part in the Vienna BarCamp that afternoon/evening.
Date of departure Oct 4th, early afternoon.

Feel free to get in touch, it is all about interesting conversations after all:

E-mail: ton [dot] zijlstra [at] gmail [dot] com
Skype: ton_zylstra (send chat message first)

Programme Contribution

Together with my partner Elmine Wijnia (weblog) we will present our paper IFCCC PatchworkPortal: the co-evolution of an emergent community and a social software platform.