by Stephen
Sometimes it’s okay to say “no.”
July 2, 2009 in Current Affairs, Misc., Web by Stephen
I know we all like to be nice and share just about everything, but I respect the wishes of a presenter who chooses not to do so. Here is a great post that illustrates this.
Recently,Chris Penn was asked whether he would post a presentation of his to the web, and he said, “No.” I have a recording of that presentation, and I am also honoring his “no” and won’t be posting it or my notes to the web. Why would people very involved in the podcasting community and in shraing, people who host events about group learning decide to say no and withhold information from others? Chris got a lot of email from people who were upset with him for saying no, for imposing a limit. Yet my question is “Why do you feel entitled to his presentation and intellectual property for free?”
People were getting upset that he decided he would not share his information out further. Chris decided to say no, simply and elegantly. He set a boundary, and people got mad, just like the two year old who’s told it’s bedtime.
My question is this: If you aren’t willing to attend someone’s session, if you aren’t willing to give him your presence when he speaks, why should he give you his information later on? What have you done to earn or deserve it? And why should someone else like me, who may have recorded the session, make that material available to you?
The community doesn’t like the word No. They will tell you it’s against the very nature of bringing people together to set up limits and boundaries. But these are the same people who said No to getting up early, to taking in an experience even if it was inconvenient. The no’s balance out perfectly, and harmony should be restored.
One of the challenges internet communities have is that the all-access pass of communication, 24 x 7, gives an illusion that anything you want should be yours. And that simply is not true.