Process is an embedded reaction to prior stupidity

Posted by Clay Shirky

“Ben Hyde upbraids me for overstating the case about process in my post about Wikis, Grafitti, and Process. Says Ben:

What pisses me off about Clay’s note is that he’s playing to people’s most base instincts. First he’s encouraging people to assume that process is a reaction to other people’s stupidity. That’s kind of thinking is toxic to community; it encourages people to label others rather than strive to find more functional processes.

He’s right. In writing that piece, I overstated the case. Process is an essential part of group work, and without it, groups would suffer paralysis. However, though I overstated the case, I didn’t misstate it, and I stand by the core observation: Process is an embedded reaction to prior stupidity.”

PS: Recent Clay podcast (30mb) at Demos for your download + your enjoyment.