What's next for Open Source CU
Posted by Matt Dean on August 18th, 2009
1 year, 10 months and 23 days. That’s how long it’s been since my last post on Open Source CU. I would say I’ve had a bad case of writer’s block, or that my latest project has kept me exceptionally busy, or that we focus on clients first, but really it goes beyond that. Let me explain.
Our early vision for OSCU was to help credit unions use the Internet to take advantage of their inherent cooperative nature, both among themselves and, more importantly, between themselves and their members. In fact, here’s a quote from our about page:
Created as an idea exchange, Open Source CU is an outlet and resource for credit union leaders toward the goals of opening communications between members and management, using technology that fits the movement’s inherent cooperative nature, and converting marketing sales-speak into legitimate conversation.
As an early participant and observer of social media among credit unions, I’ve enjoyed seeing the community of innovators and enthusiasts that have found new outlets for sharing their ideas and inspiring others, whether through Twitter, their blogs, podcasts, or commenting on the posts of others. Truly passionate people like Shari Storm, Tim McAlpine, Matt Davis, and others have demonstrated how to “open communication between members and management” and “convert marketing sales-speak into legitimate conversation”. They’ve done the industry a tremendous service by sharing what’s worked and – more importantly – what hasn’t.
The challenge, and the reason for my personal absence on this blog, is that social media doesn’t really need OSCU as a cheerleader anymore. I’m proud of the role we’ve played in helping encourage a community of collaborative innovation, but the community has quickly grown to the point where it doesn’t need a centralized soapbox.
So where do we go from here?
Of the original goals of OSCU, the one I’d really like to focus on is using (or in this case, envisioning) technology that fits the movement’s inherent cooperative nature. While I may write a few posts about technology that’s already available, my plan is to introduce one half-baked idea at a time and then gradually shape a prototype based on your input. I fully expect that we’ll have to trash a prototype or idea completely and either start over or call it a bust, but I think we’ll learn a lot from the process.
The ideas introduced will be open source – if anybody wants to build a real product based on the idea then they are free to do so, and if a credit union or group of credit unions wants help implementing the idea then I’ll try and connect them with someone who can make it happen (or determine whether it’s something Trabian would like to tackle). Also, if a credit union, league, or other group would like to have a more in-depth, on-site brainstorming session then I’ll travel to them, schedule permitting and at my discretion, as long as they’ll cover travel expenses. I’m also planning a weekly Campfire chat to discuss the current prototype.
I have a few of these ideas in mind, and those of you who were at last year’s symposium may know which one I’m planning to start with. However, I’m always open for suggestions. If you have an idea for a product you think would be a good candidate for an online prototype, let me know in the comments.
I’m really excited about this and look forward to collaborating with you! In my next post I’ll introduce the first idea I’d like to work through and give more details about how you can participate in the process.
Great to hear your voice again on OSCU. Very excited to see the next steps and where the path way will lead all of us.
I remember when I first started reading OSCU, I was a passive participant… simply checking out the latest blog post, thoughts and comments and not joining the conversation.
It even inspired me to build my first blog about 4 or 5 years ago called cuXchange which never took off.
Never the less, it has been exciting to see what an awesome contribution OSCU has played in moving the credit union world forward and excited to see what is next.
Rock on! This is what you’d been wanting for a long time, I can’t wait to see how it plays out.
It was a breath of fresh air to hear that the ideas produced will be open source, that you are available for travel and the Campfire sessions. The challenge to start over or call it bust is what is needed to move some of these exciting ideas forward. Without out nothing incubates and without that incubation nothing will come to life. You can count all of us at Mt. Lehman in on this!
OSCU fathered the cooperative social media community of credit unions, and I’m pumped to hear about how you plan on taking that to the next level.
Your concept as presented last year at the Partnership Symposium was brilliant. It proved, yet again, that you completely understand the power of these types of technology. Further, it shows that you continue to be one step ahead of the crowd.
This is like the Beattles coming back for a reunion tour. Matt, you should sell t-shirts.
Sounds like a great way to reinvent OSCU. Your point that “that social media doesn’t really need OSCU as a cheerleader anymore” is very true – Twitter has become the water cooler. OSCU as the cheerleader kicked this whole thing off and you should be proud of it’s place in the history of credit unions. Rock on!
“The challenge, and the reason for my personal absence on this blog, is that social media doesn’t really need OSCU as a cheerleader anymore. “
Really?? And that’s because of all the WILDLY SUCCESSFUL social media campaigns running for Credit Unions out there right now?
You know, the ones that can actually provide tangible metrics that even the CEO can understand of all the new members that have responded, the new services sold or provided, the tangible return for the dollars or efforts invested?
Do tell, fellow readers…...
Note: I’m not critical of the new direction, it’s just that the above statement feels a little like the “Mission Accomplished” banner hanging behind President Bush’s head at the start of the Iraq war.
Ed, after I published the above post I considered going back and clarifying my statement. What I meant by it is that the community doesn’t need Open Source CU to encourage people to get out there and make an effort to “open communications between members and management.”
Whether “social media” as executed today is the right approach in doing so is a secondary question to me, though personally I think it’s a good start. The point is that credit unions have recognized the need and capacity to establish more direct communication with their members.
For the specifics, the people who are executing social media strategies are in a much better position to share what is and isn’t working, and more often than not that conversation is happening via their blogs or Twitter.
I’m sure we’ll post an occasional link to something we think is noteworthy, but we’re no longer needed as an aggregator or filter—there are other ways for compelling stories to rise to the top.
@Matt. This blog has been home to lots of experts who over the years have proclaimed pretty loudly that social media all by itself is the ‘new” answer to everything Credit Union.
I say now, as I’ve said then, ‘show me the money’ as in show me a campaign that provided a quantifiable return for the dollars and time invested.
My point was not to rip on you in any way, in fact I like that you are going to actually try and develop a working model.