The case for data!

 

It should go without saying that the 'purpose' for musingplaces is the 'generation of knowledge and new understandings' but sadly  dilettantism infects too many musingplaces. 

On top of that there are 'Delusions of Grandeur' infecting musingplace's governance and management that in turn drives largely political inclinations to exert power to whatever end.

However, as Ronald Coase tells us somewhat poignantly “torture the data, and it will confess to anything.”

The sad reality is that there much work to be done on the ground in musingplaces to satisfy the passions and delusions of just about any dilettante. Essentially there are three key tasks in a 21st C musingplace despite the disruptions of 'information technologies', COVID-19 and pandemics generally and the growing imperative to 'decolonise' in an expanding world.

1. Gather data and archive it and protect it in whatever format it presents itself – analogue, digital, whatever.

2. Facilitate research not only within the institution but beyond it – collaboratively, cooperatively, whatever.

3. Publish and present the outcomes of focused research  –exhibits, performances, books, social media, websites, whatever.

The important component being the collection, collation and archiving of data in whatever format it exists. Musingplace collections are 'knowledge banks' and they belong to a diverse Community of Ownership & Interest (COI) as much as individuals and groups 'belong to' musingplace collections and the constituent communities COIs are made up of.

It is worth remembering that all data is ephemeral and none more so than 'digital date' under the camouflage of its apparent pervasiveness. Thus where there is the physical space to store it analogue data/material format it needs protection and musingplaces are often adequate custodians – not always the best stewards nonetheless.

Public musingplaces are often the worst case exemplars of the 'Delusions of Grandeur Syndrome'  forgetting that within their COIs there are 'collectors' – data hunters and gathers – who have the wherewithal to gather data and protect it – albeit subterranean in form. 

Albeit not so well known as a 'muser', Ayn Rand knew something about the syndrome saying "what is man/woman but a collection of chemicals with delusions of grandeur" – an idea worth keeping in mind. 

No longer are our public musingplaces the penultimate exemplars of 'knowledge curators/keepers' no matter what their keepers' CVs might indicate. Nonetheless, there is work for them to do 'gathering data'.– even if they regard it as penance. All to often these 'curators/keepers' exhibit hubris that is but a mask for ignorant arrogance.

Increasingly the 21st C musingplaces's governing bodies need to be forming collaborative and cooperative relationships with these 'subterranean musers' when and where they find them.

In Japan there is the phrase, "Shoshin," which means "beginner's mind." Our "original mind" includes everything within itself. It is always rich and sufficient within itself. 

This does not mean a closed mind, but actually an 'empty mind' – and a ready mind. 

If our mind is empty, it is always ready for anything. It is open to everything. In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities; in the expert's mind there are few.

In the end data needs to be, and wants to be, free and freely available – and in musingplaces. They are, if nothing else, storehouses  for data collected by their COIs and mused upon by their COIs!