I am being reminded of something I have known for quite some time — if you don’t post, people stop showing up. It leads me to wonder who I am doing this all for. I write for a ton of reasons, but when the comments dry up, the motivation does as well. Not that I am writing for comments, but I am writing to satisfy my own need for expression and my expanding interest in community participation. I think what I miss most about it is the lack of participation. The fact that the most comments I have received in the last couple of weeks was on a test post doesn’t make me feel any better 😉
It is my own fault. I am spreading my content very thin these days. Not that I am complaining … I have been spending a ton of my time thinking about and acting on things in my day job. I know that the content of this blog has become an extension of that activity and thus less than interesting to those of you out there in the non-PSU world. I have been using this space as a sort of personal decision making sounding board — a place to articulate ideas that I am finally willing to put into place. I guess not hearing people call me names here is a good thing.
I am wondering how we get the conversation started again? I am now doing a regular weekly podcast and wonder if anyone is listening … if you are, do you have topics we should be discussing? I’d love nothing more than to drag some real questions into the ETS Talk Podcast. I’d love to hear some feedback and know if this is providing any sort of value … I know it is providing value inside my organization. Honestly, I am just enjoying creating on a regular basis. So, if you are reading and want to know what is going on, ask … if you are listening and want to push us let me know. Production must go up, but where?
Cole,
Sorry to not be holding up my end of the bargain – really – I’m one of those silent lurkers who hangs on your every word ;^).
So I’ll try to jump in & echo this & argue with that on occasion, but wanted to let you know how much your efforts are appreciated, even tho the response might be channeled in ways that don’t get back directly to you.
My RSS aggregator would be pretty empty without you.
Will Taylor, MD
National College of Natural Medicine
http://blogs.ncnm.edu
cole – i don’t mean to leech. you ETS folks are doing a completely kick-ass job on the podcasts, so it’s been fun just to be able to eavesdrop. don’t feel like you have to post in order to keep us around. that’s what RSS is for. Post what you’re interested in, when you’re able. I’ll be there. Promise. 🙂
as for the podcast, I hesitate to suggest topics so early in its run. you guys are doing a great job just talking about what you’re doing. I’ve been very interested in the whole Angel vs. Facebook vs. MySpace (vs. blogging etc…) threads that have been on a couple of the podcasts. And, if you could talk more about just how you were able to collectively change the organization from a top-down to a more grassroots one. Did it take some serious support from the president / VP-Academic / etc office? Is funding an issue? (i.e., where does the money come from to pay for the hot teams…)
I kind of feel I shouldn’t post ‘cos I’m not part of your institution or loop but sometimes I just can’t stop myself. (Some sort of compulsive disorder?) I read your stuff (and some others) and I try to keep up with the podcasts. Morning routine is often – cup of tea check the feeds, where it used to be cup of tea and turn the telly on.
I suppose the over-riding sense your blog gives me is that I wish someone in our institutions tech department was as proactive as you!
I found a neat use for my blog (I teach in a music department) – calling it the New Music Forum where bands from my institution submit a tune (1 a month) and I mail the link to other students and music professionals to comment. http://pwhitfield.edublogs.org/2006/11/10/new-music-forum-november-2006/
As one of Cole’s highly-paid hot team members 😉 I agree with D’Arcy’s comment that there is a story to be told here about the leadership element of the mounting ETS transformation. I enjoy the tech posts and lurk like Will Taylor, too, but reading more about the “how” of leading change in a technology unit would be a nice complement to reading more about the “how” of technology changing the landscape. What about devoting a few posts to that story? There must be a lot of folks out there facing the same challenges in effecting technology-driven change within traditional organizational constraints. Or how about some insight into your experience effecting change in a technology unit in particular?
Tom – wasn’t meaning to imply that Cole flies you around the country on the ETS Gulfstream or anything (although he should be). But, freeing up time to run or contribute to a hot team means you’re not working on “paying” projects, so how do you balance the books? Is ETS a cost-recovery unit? Fully funded by the Uni? etc… That’s the part of it I’m struggling with at my institution. We’ve got to beat the bush drumming up business to pay the bills, so hot teams would be “unbillable” time, which means they’re lower priority.
The comments are well taken and I appreciate the vote of confidence. I would like to take a little time and discuss the ETS story — the thing to keep in mind is that it is a story that is still being written. One of my previous mentors told me that “culture take three years to change.” I am in the first year of an amazing journey and opportunity. I hesitate discussing it in the ETS Talk podcast series, but could begin to discuss it more here.
The thing that worries me is that it is of little interest to those outside the circle. Not that the other stuff I babble on about here is of consequence, but it is at least a little more teaching and learning focused. Maybe now that I am more of an (gulp) administrator I should refocus some of my writing in that direction. May not be a bad idea. I think, as Tom suggests, there is a balance to be achieved and I will go for that.
D’Arcy, I’ll address your questions in a future post and would love to have you visit with us on a future podcast. Will, thanks so much for the encouragement, it is a good thing to hear. Pete, always feel welcome and contribute anytime! Tom, who said you DON’T fly around on a Gulfstream … I do let you work from where ever the hell you want!
Again, I can’t thank you all for the kind words! This is new to us all … the idea that we write and anyone takes time to read, let alone comment, is amazing. Thanks! The feedback means more than you can imagine!
A lot of good stuff here, I visit a few times a week, and it’s late and I’m getting sleepy…
But it all reminds me of one of my definitions of blogging:
50 million writers and 20 million readers!