Report by Tree

Who's here:  Sue Woehrlin, Dave Pollard, Tree Bressen, Dan Doherty, Daniel Lindenberger, Kathy McGrenera.

I am grateful for the work done on more than 30 different patterns since the last time we met in person 2 months ago--it's the first time people have really followed through on commitments to work between meetings.  Go group!  Thanks to Daniel Lindenberger and Kathy McGrenera, Chris Corrigan and Carol MacKinnon, and Dave (who singlehandedly edited 18 patterns since last time we met).

TUESDAY NIGHT:

We're off to a good start here.  Tonight we worked out criteria for the selection of images to support the project:  http://grouppatternlanguage.org/wagn/image_archive.  This was helped considerably by the arrival of card decks! that have one pattern to a card and include a picture, name, and "heart" of the pattern.  With this tool we can sort through and categorize far more easily--thus, in order to decide image criteria, rather than argue over it conceptually at length, we each picked out our favourite images from the decks and then looked at (a) what they had in common, and (b) which images were chosen by 2 or more people.  Out of ~45 pictures, there were only 9 selected by 2 or more of 4 people, so that tells me we have a ways to go in collecting suitable images!  But we already knew that, right? 

WEDNESDAY & THURSDAY: 

Major pruning work underway!  26 fewer patterns on the Map than before, yea.  Also many "mergers and acquisitions."  Much of this is being tracked on the work management page, as well as in discussion links added to the bottom of various specific cards.  I'm hopeful that will help us target our future efforts more usefully, so that writing work will be on patterns we have more confidence on including in the language.   We have started up a few more concepts:  the Boneyard for patterns that are being retired for active use (often because they are a "companion planting" combo of several other patterns) that we will want accessible (they will not appear on Map), and the Potting Shed for patterns that need substantial development work yet before we decide whether or not they'll be included.

By the end of the session, people had volunteered to shepherd every single pattern, at least getting its Heart better written in time to produce new card decks for the NCDD Portland conference.  (See Meetings and Events for specific dates.)  Heart Criteria have been written for guidance.

Dave invented a game with the cards that we tried out playing.  Major potential for teaching and sharing the pattern language.

Here are some pictures, mostly by Sue:

This group is incredible:  competent, dedicated, hard workers, enjoyable company, knows how to have fun, while doing work that is deeply meaningful and fulfilling--a wow experience for all involved.