social

Service desks and spontaneous user combustion

Submitted by skeptic on Sun, 2013-03-24 23:24

There is much talk about users spontaneously creating their own communities for mutual technical support. This phenomenon of spontaneous user support is presented as a threat to IT. We're told that if we don't do something to engage these communities then they will render IT redundant. The absurdity of this shouldn't need explanation but apparently it does. I'll deal with that separately (I started here). Never mind the absurdity of the predicted consequences, does it ever happen?

What will affect the service desk over the next three years

Submitted by skeptic on Sun, 2013-02-24 00:20

Malcolm Fry asked me this question for his Session 602 The Service Desk: Past, Present & Future at the upcoming HDI conference in the USA. His question reminded me that I have been off in the philosophical never-never for too long. It is high time I got back to the bread-and-butter folks at the pointy front end of IT: the service desk team. So here are my thoughts on Malcolm's excellent question: What will affect the service desk over the next three years? Tweet this.
[Updated 25/2/13: added Bring Your own App and internal social media]

On collaboration and debate

Submitted by skeptic on Sun, 2013-01-27 23:30

Social media has taken collaboration to new levels of connectivity over distance and inter-connectedness of specialists. We are creating whole, new online business communities thinking and working together. Business collaboration isn't some kumbaya love-fest. Tweet this. Collaboration is not going to reconcile east and west or spawn a better society. Collaboration facilitates debate and grows ideas.

The anti-email crowd is shooting the messenger. Email is lovely

Submitted by skeptic on Fri, 2012-10-26 23:01

If I see one more rant about "email is dead" or "let's replace email" I'm gonna throw up. Email is great. There's a reason it is so wildly successful and widely adopted.

User self-help - a skeptical view

Submitted by skeptic on Sun, 2012-02-12 19:37

Continuing our debate about social media it occurred to me what a load of bollocks this idea is that users are going to support each other without a service desk.

Transformational technologies are a small view

Submitted by skeptic on Tue, 2012-01-24 07:40

It seems to me that new technologies such as cloud, social media, or mobile personal computing, are seen as much more transformational by some of us in IT. I suspect that is because of our industry's fixation with technology at the cost of people and process.

Social ITSM - a skeptical view

Submitted by skeptic on Sun, 2012-01-22 04:58

The hype around social media is reaching the usual almost religious fervour typical of our industry when faced with anything novel. We run shrieking into the street like kids chasing a noisy carnival parade. Social media is a distraction to our day job, just like Cloud. Social media is a communication channel, and not a very good one. Get over it.

We need a movement

Submitted by skeptic on Tue, 2011-03-29 04:33

"What if..." "What if..." So many great minds, and a few not-so-great ones, are trying to "solve" ITSM right now. It's a geek thing. It's a man thing.

Five things to remember about social media titles

Submitted by skeptic on Tue, 2010-07-20 23:06

When writing the title to a blog post or a tweet or other social media where you want to grab an audience, always remember:

  • The first word must be a number and the second a noun.
  • Odd numbers work better than even numbers.
  • Compose the rest of the title of buzzwords like "social media".
  • Any formula for content gets tired after a while.
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