Knowledge wants to be very, very expensive

There’s a paradox at the heart of knowledge management, isn’t there? On one hand, it’s the old dictum that “information wants to be free” and the new ditty that “knowledge shared is knowledge doubles.” But on the other, the whole premise of KM and the whole knowledge economy thingy is that organizational learning and knowledge are the most valuable resources that any company (or nation or individual) can posses for a competitive edge.

Which brings me to my extremely mixed feelings about the release of Ark Group’s Next Generation Knowledge Management, Volume 2. It’s an amazing collection of collective and collaborative wisdom, based on the Association of Knowledge Work’s Star Series online roundtables featuring Bob Buckman, David Gurteen, Patti Anklam, Carl Frappaolo, Megan Santosus, Verna Allee, Nancy Dixon, Rob Lebow, Nick Milton and others.

Dave Snowden and I anchored the first confab-turned-chapter. The June 2004 online event, “Comparing and Contrasting Corporate and Personal KM” was ostensibly a “debate” between the individual perspective of bottom-up personal knowledge management and the complex socially-oriented collectivist approach. There was little debate really, but a wonderful symphony on the symbiotic relationship between the organism and the organization. (You can get a flavor of the discussion from my closing remarks.)

Like its preceding volume, Next Generation KM II is edited by Jerry Ash, who has made a huge contribution to the KM community by maintaining what is one of the few successful membership organizations in the field. The AOK forum on Yahoo! is a lively and productive learning experience thanks largely to Jerry’s skills as a moderator who keeps the discussion civil but never nannies the creative abrasion.

Here’s the thing: Ark Group is selling the book version for US$645. It is indeed a value added product in some ways, compared to the original forum posts. It has been lightly edited and there is a useful appendix with profiles of the most frequent participants. But besides convenience, there is little here that you can’t get by reading the original posts. Before I make my next comments, let me specifically recommend that you pay the $50 membership fee and join AOK and join the conversation.

My discomfort comes from the assumption that knowledge productized is knowledge fairly shared. The PKM/CKM discussion went on for three solid weeks, during which time Dave and I were reading and posting daily. I wrote my own posts in a Word file which tallied 10,000 words before the session was over. Dozens of other members made the effort to contribute long and thoughtful posts themselves. All of us made a conscious choice to donate to the community our ideas and experience, even though virtually all of us sell our knowledge for a living.

I’d really like to know what people think: Is Ark taking advantage of those Star Series participants who gave freely of their time and knowledge? Or should I just stop complaining and send a copy to my mother?

Next Generation Knowledge Management, Vol 2

Edited by Jerry Ash

Ark Group 2007

From a reseller’s press release:

This 240 page report looks to answer the key questions surrounding the ownership of knowledge and knowledge management within the organisation.

The 2nd volume in this indispensable new series of reports continues to separates KM myth (and hype) from the reality, detailing the thoughts of these leading KM gurus, and presenting their theories in a highly practical context.

With positive and realistic perspectives, this unique report illustrates the theories and practices that enterprises must understand if they are to be successful in acquiring and exploiting knowledge management. Areas covered include:

- Comparing, contrasting, connecting corporate and personal KM;

- The road from command and control to knowledge sharing;

- Interpersonal knowledge management (IPKM);

- Social network analysis and social software;

- Seven steps to personal knowledge management;

- How do we know knowledge works;

- Relationship of CRM and other disciplines to KM;

- Knowledge networks and value creation;

- The creation and reuse of project knowledge;

- Achieving accountability through shared values;

- New roles for top and middle managers;

- Increasing performance through knowledge;

- Defining and organising communities of practice.

Next Generation Knowledge Management, volume two draws together feedback from thousands of interviews and meetings with those people currently facing, and engaging with, the challenge of KM. Presenting their combined experience in a highly practical reference source this report is essential reading for you and your organisation.

The first volume of this vital new series for organisations and professionals involved in knowledge management quickly sold out and we expect demand for volume two to reach similar levels.

Comments

[Valdis]

I agree. I used to be a frequent commentor on the AOK list, frequently sharing my SNA/ONA experience/advice to what I thought an intelligent group of like minded people who also shared their experience and knowledge -- nice deal, we all learn from each other. Now, I find out about this and I will definitely cut back on my contributions. No more freebies.

$645 is ridiculous, if you want to be part of the knowledge stream join AOK like Steve said. Yet, realize that quite a few contributors are not happy with this and will cut back on posting... so the AOK conversation may be a little muted, compared to the great free exchange of years past.

Hey ARK, can you spell "chilling effect"?

[Arjun Thomas]

True... the price for this sort of information seems ridiculously high, specially since the whole intent of the original knowledge was to have it freely shared...

Cheers,
Arjun Thomas

[Jerry Ash]

Hi Steve.

Thanks for asking me to respond to this thread.

First, I agree that the price for the Next Generation Knowledge Management (NGKM) Series is a marketing problem.

Believe me, I'm on your side. I have repeatedly raised the issue with the Ark Group without success. As a passionate champion of knowledge management I would much rather get the word out to as large an audience as possible.

But the business model for the Ark Group is based on limited distribution at the high price, and from a financial standpoint they tell me that works for them.

As a writer, I really have no leverage. I have proposed similar publications to the general distribution business press and found no takers. They simply will not take the risk on this kind of primary document. They want the slick, condensed stuff and I want NGKM to be a cleaned up version of an incredible discussion that has extended over the past seven years. I want the people who are actually architecting knowledge management to get direct credit for their collaborative contributions. In time, I want this series to be the bible, the genesis of the KM movement, the Mother Lode for KM research and retrospective of the future.

If Ark were not publishing this series at its high price (and by the way the Exchange Rate is part of the problem--almost $2 for each British pound), all that has been said by hundreds of thought leaders and practitioners would be gathering dust in Cyberspace.

So, I accept the possible and hope for a different day when there is enough media interest in KM and all its meanings to extend our reach beyond ourselves and the well-heeled few. But it isn't now, my friends, and I'm doing the best I can.

As for contributors to AOK's STAR Series Dialogues, they have always been made frequently aware that their contributions are copyrighted and become the property of AOK and may be used in the production of articles, books and other documents. I also promise to share these documents with all contributors before any draft is submitted for publication. Any one who is unwilling to have his or her posts used can simply say so and the material is happily removed. But, frankly, regardless of price, few would want not to be associated with such an illustrious group of thought leaders.

As for the value of the books, I say they contain a great deal more substance than a two day conference for which most Kers would pay twice the price!

Jerry Ash
Writer, Ark and Inside Knowledge Magazine
Founder, Association of Knowledgework
jash@kwork.org

[kittu]

I have gone through your page its good and i found many interesting things to read gathered information.

[Katherine]

Books help us to increase our knowledge!!