The IT Skeptic - Comments for "itSMF International needs to unite the ITIL community"

Twice actually

skeptic — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 21:53:41 +0000

Twice actually. ITIL’s dead elephant: CMDB can't be done and here. Three if you count Dead cat syndrome which is actually an entirely different metaphor. If it is death in general which upsets you, then you might also count Is ITIL Dead in the Water?, which brings us to four. I am glad, I'd hate to think you were wrong about anything.

not even a national structure

skeptic — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 21:39:08 +0000

You raise a good point that I missed. In some countries it is not even a national structure but further fragmented. Fortunately i believe this is rare. Hopefully the new chapter support processes will do an even better job of mentoring your country towards a unified structure. There are plenty of examples to work from. Here in NZ we have one national infrastructure, with local committees in the three regions receiving an allowance out of national funds, running the local meetings, organising speakers for them, and organising local sponsors for those meetings. National sponsors support the annual conference. This two-tier sponsor structure would address your concerns I think.

Agree

ITIL citizen — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 20:30:55 +0000

I have been part of a local itSMF chapter for a few years now.

We do our best to meet the needs of the local Service Management community in our area.

Currently we are in transition to a new model with our National Chapter providing backoffice, bookstore, and e-mailing system (who has the money & time to put together a newsletter?).

I like being part of the board because it allows me to connect with other professionals right in my community........but

I find your comments to paint a disturbing picture of those at the top or should I say in the back.......lurking in the shadows?

Sponsorship of local chapters conflicting with National is becoming a common debate in our meetings. It's our task to come up with a model that serves the local players who cannot afford the big $ of going with a national sponsorship.

And visitor is?

JamesFinister — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 20:30:13 +0000

I think you at least owe it to Rob, and the rest of us for that matter, to reveal your identity?

Rob is in no way alone in wondering how the whole itSMF structure is organised and driven. I can say with some certainty that when the ITIMF was formed it was very much meant as a user group, if only because nobody back then had any idea it would spawn such an industry.

Sounds like a chicken's way

Visitor — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 19:22:57 +0000

Sounds like a chicken's way out... sad! You would have been a good person to help change things - you ought to have the balls really. Instead, I guess, you'll always be outside the tent pissing in! And yes, cange the metaphor - you've used it 4 times at least on this site as far as I can see.

clusters

skeptic — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 19:13:17 +0000

Thankyou for that update - it is good to see there are clusters.

I hope the two northern ones are more substantial than the Aus/NZ one you cite, which is still at the discussion stage - there is no commonality between the two countries (too bloody right mate).

Actually one isn't: "mutual liaison" sounds like discussions. So we are down to one shared service: a rotating conference between five countries.

This doesn't exactly invalidate my point about massive redundancy of effort does it? How about membership? Websites? Newsletters? Administraion?....

dead mice

skeptic — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 19:06:40 +0000

I make more contribution to itSMF than most members and have done for years. Whether I did or not does not make my arguments less valid - you are resorting to ad hominem attack which is uually a sign of someone bereft of intelligent counter-argument.

You also completely missed the point of the post, which is also a sign of....

The new committee will do a great job of cleaning out the dead mice while the dead elephant bloats. (hmmm I think we need a new metaphor here: deckchairs and Titanics?)

Fantastic Rant Skeptic

Visitor — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 18:00:27 +0000

So... It sounds like you need to engage with the new Chapter Development Committee that they've set up. Why don't you do so and champion the cause. Do it now though or forever be on the outside. And for god's sake do us all a favour and put up or shut up!

South Africa

JoePearson — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 15:39:23 +0000

The headquarters should be in South Africa. People love coming for meetings here, and then going on safari or staggering round the wine routes!

Regional Chapter Liaison

Visitor — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 15:17:15 +0000

Skep,

With regards to one of your points I would like to update you:

>There are no regional conferences for clusters of countries.
The Chapters in the former Yugoslavia (Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia & Macedonia) are holding their 3rd Regional Conference on May 27-28 in Macedonia. This Regional Conference rotates around these Chapters (with Slovenia & Croatia holding the last two events)

There are Regional liaison between Chapters with the Nordic Group (Norway, Sweden, Denmark & Finland) most active in working together on areas of mutual interest like Events & Conference, Marketing collateral. There is also co-operation between Chapters in Asia Pacific (they collaborated on an ITIL Implementation Survey) as well as between Australia & New Zealand.

Amen

John Worthington aka MySvcMon — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 14:18:18 +0000

Totally agree. Kinda like a fragmented, tribal IT organization. :)

John M. Worthington
MyServiceMonitor, LLC