The Dornbirn PM Camp made me thoughtful in various ways. For instance, I remembered something I experienced early in November.
Felix Köbler, a young and highly motivated computer scientist who is also doing research but will probably soon “take the plunge and become an entrepreneur“, gave a presentation for the VDE (Electrical Engineering Association) on “Crowd Sourcing”. It was a well-advertised contribution on an exciting future-oriented topic.
The presentation was held at TUM. I was interested in watching the presentation for various reasons and consequently rode my bike to the old and dignified TU building at Arcisstrasse 21 on the evening of November, 5th.
It was a truly great presentation. He gave a very nice description of the diverse and substantial potential for change by future tools, applications, as well as interface and user strategies. Consequences on the social level were described using an example, before the potential for the use of modern technologies offered by Web 2.0 was outlined. And he also told the audience all the things you can do with “Apps” and “Gamification” using “Mobility and Cloud Applications”.
So here is the bad news: there was hardly an audience! I knew most of them personally and therefore could safely assume that they mostly came because they wanted to hear the speaker. Those few among the audience who had come on the instigation of the VDE university section were few and far between. Moreover, this (small) group of visitors were rather over the top in terms of demographic development.
Mind you, this is Munich. We are not precisely talking the smallest German city, are we? Besides, Munich very much wants to be High-Tech oriented. Considering this, the attendance was rather a disappointment.
In Munich, you can also find many great things. Young engineers and entrepreneurs of the IT sector actually like coming to Munich. For instance, a short time ago there was a Barcamp for “Games”. Allegedly, it went quite well and a surprisingly high number of (happy) visitors were there.
Which means that the lack of enthusiasm for the presentation was not due to the fact that our “global” Munich has now suddenly turned bourgeois and saturated. The real reason is that the associations that at one time were so great and strong get less and less accepted in the age of the web.
Yesterday, at our Dornbirn PM Camp 2012, I met a “true” engineer. He told me he still held a membership at the VDI (Association of German Engineers). A short time ago, they sent him a letter offering the badge of honour for his 25 years of membership. So he decided it was about time to attend one of the VDI events. He returned with the feeling “never again – this is not what I can identify with”.
To be sure, associations like the VDE and VDI have attractive websites. They look quite nice. Nevertheless, these associations are on a downward spiral. One indicator is the high average age. The events have a low attendance and the publications are rather dry. The members are usually passive and only remain members because they are so used to it or because they are sentimental about it – after all, the “good old times” want to be remembered.
But then, this is something we (older) computer scientists know quite well from our associations: GI and GChACM. Those, too, can make as many efforts as they want. They are on the downward spiral. And whenever I ask my young students, they either do not even know what the GI is, or else raise their eyebrows. Neither does anybody read the GI Informatik Spektrum. Even if they try to artificially improve it by using strange posters that show persons like Steve Jobs.
Apparently, Steve is a great German computer scientist.
Basically, all that remains to be asked is which way the new associations will go, since they are dealing with current topics such as knowledge or project management. The GfWM (Society for Knowledge Management) or the GPM (German Association for Project Management), for instance, are absolutely “in” at this time. The GPM even managed to install itself as a “standardising and normative institution for project management”. Thanks to its certifying power, it seems to have an almost market-dominating position.
Incidentally, I believe that this, too, will not last long. They will get the funny stuff for a few more years, and then the downfall will come, along with the slow process of misery. Just like the other associations have already experienced it.
I only hope those associations the only purpose of which is lobbyism will meet the same destiny.
For us computer scientists, there is, for example the BITKOM (Federal Association for Information Business, Tele-Communications and New Media, e.V.). Just look at the term “Information Business”. Nomen est Omen. BITKOM is “our” lobbyist. Above all, they want to promote the IKT (Information and Communication Technology). In other words, they want to convince the politicians to spend a lot of money on IT infra-structure. However, to me it seems that BITKOM is not particularly successful. Just compare it with the nuclear and airplane industry in former times.
Even though Bitkom calls itself “The One And Only Hightech Association“, we do not really need them.
RMD
(Translated by EG)
P.S.
If you are among those who are looking for alternatives, here is some advice.
P.S.
The first is a Barcamp, Open Space or some such. Having the right kinds of seminar rooms is a necessary requirement. One of my next articles will be about seminar rooms and rooms in general.
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