Copying Cultures.

 

Sometimes I think that my postings appear to be … well … weird.

The way the sentences are build up. The topics. Strange words.  Sometimes I have the feeling that when you read this, you think "WTF?!"

Recently I even wrote a Glossary for words I often use, like bootstrapping, border control and adventure map.

I think people will need that.

Why do I make it so complicated to read these posts? Why do I need to use other words and insist in talking metaphorically?

Basically so you will read it. And not somebody else.

If you find it interesting or intriguing, perhaps fun, you'll stick around and feel comfortable hanging out here. People that don't like it, well, they don't hang around. Simple as that.

The language, the topics, the layout are all cues. Indicators of a certain culture. A small culture for sure. Centered around this blog.

Actually, those are cues of my identity. Digital-Me. And the expression of this identity scales up to a culture. The cues work as border control. People in. Or people out.

It’s this whole labeling and group affiliation thing again.

But only now you are creating your own group and the labels that are associated with it.

If you missed the whole labeling thing:

“We radiate to the outside world our icons like Gantt Charts, two-digits precise risk assessments, large documents that seems to cover every little aspect imaginable. If you are a member of our group, you ooze control. I once told my wife that I was “unable to comply to her request”. She smacked me on the head telling me that she was not my customer. So, I assume that we also have a specific language that sets us apart from other mortals. By adopting our symbols, our rituals and speak newbie PMs try to affiliate themselves with the group called Professional Project Managers."


A couple of weeks ago I wrote about bootstrapping, the art of revealing a culture. I explained that culture is partly bootstrapped by imitation.  One person starts a thing and when enough people start copying it, start doing it, it becomes part of the culture.

A culture is transferable. It can move from one group to another and change slightly.

This blog is a good example.

I am a big fan of the Fluent Self blog by Havi Brooks. I linked to her writings more than once in my postings. I really recommend it. Fantastic. Awesome.

I like it so much that after reading it intensively the last couple of years, I started to adopt some of her layout techniques, use of words and even topics.

It is hard to tell exactly which parts I copied. Or to be accurate, more or less unconsciously was adopting. But that's besides the point. It wasn't a thing planned. It was a thing that happened.

It's a culture transfer. With mutations. From blog to blog. By imitation.
 

And now the cool part.

I am convinced that if you read to the end of this post, you'll fit right in at Fluent Self. I am not so sure about the reverse though. :)

Bas de Baar is a writer who draws about people in transition. He loves to make visual maps and travel guides for the collaborators of our brave new world.