The Grove Thoughts from and for The Grove Worldwide Network

Panoramic, interactive displays featured in the movie the Minority Report are almost here, judging from this video from Oblong Industries, an organization claiming to make the first big interface revolution since 1984. They call it a “spatial operating environment,” where users wear gloves that allow 3D manipulation of text and imagery. Thanks to Grove associate Lynn Kearny for the link. There is little question that The Grove’s graphic facilitation work will eventually be supported by large, interactive walls of information. This could be a step closer!!! Check it out at www.oblong.com.

Interactive Digital Panoramas

I’m always stunned by spring in Baltimore, and not just by all the trees that break into a riot of blooms at this time of year. For 23 years in April I’ve been going back to facilitate the annual Visioning Retreat for the Leadership, a program run by the Greater Baltimore Committee. Fifty five leaders from public, private, and community organizations participate in this one year program, one of the most evolved in the country for people who are still full time employed. It’s a cross gender, cross race, maximum diversity group. If you’ve ever watched The Wire (on HBO for five seasons) you’ll appreciate just how tough things are for many in this city. But there is another side, which is the incredible resourcefulness of local leadership as they struggle to deal with problems. It is these “buddings” that inspire me the very most. I can’t share the confidential stories, but I’d like to share the format for this retreat. It is a time-tested success model.

We begin the retreat with an introductory exercise on a big bird’s eye mural of Baltimore that I create the evening before. We ask “what would you support or change” and everyone introduces themselves with their offering. I record it all, and this is the result. It hangs up the rest of the retreat as everyone focuses on what is being called for from his or her as leaders.

What Would You Support or Change in Baltimore?

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Is it possible to experience panoramic visualization without actually participating in a meeting that is graphically facilitated? We’re coming close in The Grove’s new Learning Center in Second Life. For about a year we’ve have been experimenting with how much of The Grove’s work we can portray in this interesting virtual world. We own an island there, called “The Grove.” Just click this SLURL and it will direct you. If you get lost search for “The Grove” under “Places.” Maps on the pier where you land at The Grove have clickable teleports, including up to the Learning Center, shown here.

The Grove Learning Center in Second Life

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