On behalf of the group that manages ICOS, Jerry Davis, Paula Kopka, and myself (Michael Cohen) I want to welcome you to the new website of the Interdisciplinary Committee on Organizational Studies.

In the new site you'll find all the old resources of the ICOS website (though at new locations), such as recordings of ICOS lectures and lists of upcoming events that may interest the community.

There are also a large number of new resources, such as special interest groups that can be formed ICOS members who can then have their own blogs and eMail lists. And we've implemented a system of "tagging" along with other tools that allow users to find resources at the website that will help them further their interest in organizational research.

Perhaps just as important, the new website is powered by Drupal, an open source content management platform with ever-growing capabilities. So the possibilities for community use of the ICOS website can evolve as new needs are discovered.

The new site was designed by a student group from the UM School of Information, Jonathon Cohen, Nik Rashid, Anindita De, and Ben Worrel. We are very grateful to them for all the efforts to understand how the ICOS community works and anticipate our needs.

All together, our hope is that the new website will knit together even more closely the community of organizational researchers at The University of Michigan, and provide connections to other researchers around the world.

Please register if you haven't, and WELCOME TO ICOS!

I have a handful of favorite metaphors that turn out to serve many purposes (Potemkin Village, roach motel, Taco Bell, burritos of knowledge), but stone soup is a particular favorite. Here is the story of stone soup, taken verbatim from Wikipedia:
"Some travelers come to a village, carrying nothing more than an empty pot. Upon their arrival, the villagers are unwilling to share any of their food stores with the hungry travelers. The travelers fill the pot with water, drop a large stone in it, and place it over a fire in the village square. One of the villagers becomes curious and asks what they are doing. The travelers answer that they are making "stone soup", which tastes wonderful, although it still needs a little bit of garnish to improve the flavor, which they are missing. The villager doesn't mind parting with just a little bit to help them out, so it gets added to the soup. Another villager walks by, inquiring about the pot, and the travelers again mention their stone soup which hasn't reached its full potential yet. The villager hands them a little bit of seasoning to help them out. More and more villagers walk by, each adding another ingredient. Finally, a delicious and nourishing pot of soup is enjoyed by all."

So, this blog entry is a version of stone soup, and I hope the rocks work to induce some tasty content!

Hello Faculty, Students, and Friends of ICOS,

I'm Jon - one of the four site developers that had the pleasure of working with Michael Cohen, Jerry Davis, and Paula Kopka to create a new Web presence for ICOS. On behalf of Anindita De, Benjamin Worrel, Nik Rozaidi Rashid and myself, we're extremely excited to share some of the new features and changes we think you might enjoy most:

Blogs - Have an ICOS member account? You have a blog! You could post your thoughts, ask for feedback, and participate in discussions. (also RSS friendly, for those who use Really Simple Syndication)

Tags - You can discover blogs, lecture recordings, and other members of the community by browsing with tags. Have fun with the tag cloud in the left sidebar or tags that appear alongside content to navigate. (tags are an easy way to give something one or many categories)

Groups - If you'd like to create or join a group based on interest or affiliation, you can participate in a group blog and subscribe to updates and receive email notifications.

Recordings - There's a whole new way to browse and view lectures - quite a few will work with Adobe Flash, which means much faster loading times. Here's one if you'd like to try it out sometime.

People - Find colleagues or make new ones using the People Directory. If you're already a member, consider filling out your profile so people can find you.

I'd again like to thank Jerry, Michael, and Paula for their guidance and the community for helping us get to know you. We'd really appreciate your feedback in the comments below - I'll check back from time to time and respond.

Thanks,

Jonathan Cohen

I have a handful of favorite metaphors that turn out to serve many purposes (Potemkin Village, roach motel, Taco Bell, burritos of knowledge), but stone soup is a particular favorite. Here is the story of stone soup, taken verbatim from Wikipedia:
"Some travelers come to a village, carrying nothing more than an empty pot. Upon their arrival, the villagers are unwilling to share any of their food stores with the hungry travelers. The travelers fill the pot with water, drop a large stone in it, and place it over a fire in the village square. One of the villagers becomes curious and asks what they are doing. The travelers answer that they are making "stone soup", which tastes wonderful, although it still needs a little bit of garnish to improve the flavor, which they are missing. The villager doesn't mind parting with just a little bit to help them out, so it gets added to the soup. Another villager walks by, inquiring about the pot, and the travelers again mention their stone soup which hasn't reached its full potential yet. The villager hands them a little bit of seasoning to help them out. More and more villagers walk by, each adding another ingredient. Finally, a delicious and nourishing pot of soup is enjoyed by all."

So, this blog entry is a version of stone soup, and I hope the rocks work to induce some tasty content!