What You Can Do
Why did you release We-think in draft form?
As I was researching and writing We-think over the past eighteen months and more, it became increasingly evident that I could not write a book about collaborative creativity in a traditional way. My argument is that creativity is invariably collaborative and that opportunities for largely self-organising creative collaboration are going up the whole time. Seems odd then not to apply that thinking to the book itself.
That is why - with the full support of my publishers at Profile - I am releasing the book in draft form before its formal and physical publication, planned for summer 2007. Most of the first draft was made available in September 2006, with the final chapters following. I hope that by opening the book up to readers' comments before it hits the bookshops we can make it a better book. When you write a book you gets lots of comments from people after it is published, by which time it's too late to do too much.
But the point is not just to make We-think a better book. The point of the book is to provoke a conversation about the emerging opportunities for us to organise ourselves in ways that are more collaborative and creative. By releasing the text ahead of time we hope to start that conversation earlier.
What can I do with the text?
You can do pretty much whatever you like with it.
If you want to print it off, read it, copy it even, send it friends, you can do that. If you want to make comments about the nature of the project or the overall argument, you can do that by leaving a comment either appended to the introduction or at the start of one the chapters. I am not always great at detail so you may well spot mistakes, errors or omissions. If you want to point those out you can use a notes tool which allows you to attach a comment to a particular piece of text. Just highlight the text you want to comment on, as you would in Microsoft word, and a comment box will appear on the right of the screen.
I have tried to acknowledge the books and other sources I have drawn from but most of these footnotes and references are in draft form. The web publishing programme I am using does not carry over footnotes inserted in Microsoft word. So the text is virtually devoid of footnotes: these will be added for the final draft to be sent to the publisher. If you want to point out where there should be a reference or a link to someone else's work that would be helpful. And of course it would be helpful to know where you think I've got carried away or material does not seem relevant.
You can also edit the text directly or input your own comments through the wiki version at http://wethink.wikia.com
How do I make a comment?
You can make a comment either by posting a comment through one of the comment boxes which you will find at the start of each chapter. Or you can use the notes tool to highlight a piece of text you want to comment on in particular. Just highlight the text you want to comment on and a comment box will appear on the right of the screen.
Do I have to register?
No, we've tried to make the site as open access as possible. If you want to post a comment all you need to do is leave an email address.
How might you use what I contribute?
I plan to incorporate as many of the comments and suggestions that people leave, including those critical of the argument, in the final manuscript which should be published in bookstores in the summer of 2007. I am due to deliver a revised text to my publishers, Profile, at the end of January 2007. My current plan is that some of the comments people leave will be referred to in the text, as a commentary on my ideas, an alternative way of viewing them. Other comments will either be in square brackets in the text, appended to the end of a chapter or in footnotes. My hope is that when the book is published it will be by me and many other people.
Is publication the end of the process?
I hope not. For a start there may be other editions of the book, in paperback and in other countries. Even after the book is formally published discussion about the ideas could continue on the We-think site but also in other settings.
Will this work?
I have no idea but I figured it was worth giving it a try.