The NYTimes on "The Prof. as Open Book"

Wow. Looks like the social media is catching up to Higher Ed! Well...sort of. If the NYTimes article is to be believed we Prof's are wildly connected.

Um...

Ok...maybe those they interviewed...and me...and um....

Anyone? Bueller?

Goodbye 802 Online and Inside Track. I'll miss U.

The local Vermont blog scene has lost several blogs this week. I knew there was something in the wind with the dramatic drop-off in postings...and alas, it was confirmed this week.

Cathy Resmer and Peter Freyne at SevenDays have hung up their keyboards and have announced they will stop blogging.

No more 802 Online. No more Inside Track. Call it blogger fatigue...call it too much work...call it burn-out...whatever you call it the loss of these two blogs will leave a gap in our blogger coverage here in Vermont for sure.

I have to admit to feeling a bit...well...bereft. My NetVibes will not be the same.

Of course, things will go on...just differently. Perhaps I'm getting old (turning 41 next week) and am beginning to resist change but even though Cathy will be editing the new SevenDays Community blog "Blurt", I'm not really excited about it. Time will tell if it will keep me up to date the way 802 did. As to Inside Track. Well...that's another kettle of fish. One of the best political columns that I have read -- and while I don't always agree with Freyne, it certainly has kept me up to date in a way that others just don't. We'll suffer for this one for sure. Political coverage in this state is well...um...not terribly diverse for sure.

This brings forth several interesting questions. If blogging is about building community, what happens when the blogger exits for whatever reason. What happens to the community? hmmm..... AND, who will fill the information gap that these bloggers have left behind?

Twittering about Twitter and Rock'n with Ginger: Come follow me!

So the other day, I was Twittering about Ginger and my sister called me. She's been "following" me for a bit through Twitter, but hasn't really done much with it. My Twit, "Rock'n the Ginger Widgets. OMG!" proved too much for her and she called me almost immediately. "What the HELL are you doing and WHAT is GINGER?" she asked. And so it began. Too bad I didn't have the folks at Common Craft to help me out (grin).


Call it social presence or micro-blogging or something else (some might call it crazy!), Twitter allows you to stay in contact with "friends" and others in short little bitess. Of course, Common Craft has just come out with their "Twitter" how-to...



In my Twitter world, as you know, I'm "friends" with politicians -- although right now I'm just getting Twits from Obama and Clinton. I'm also friends with other people too (check out my Twitter feed on the sidebar). What's the redeeming value...really? Here's what I think:

1. Conferences. Conference organizers could set up Twitter accounts that all attendees can "follow" -- the organizers send out one note and all the attendees get it...on their cellphones...in real time.
   
2. Groups. Keeping the group (no matter what the group) informed. Helping complete a project, working on a scavenger hunt, whatever. One text reaches all in the group, quick and easy.
   
3. Family. Just like the folks at CommonCraft point out...keep your family and friends in the know and learn more.
   
4. Classes. Here's an interesting one. David Parry a prof at the University of Texas talks about Twitter and his students. Me, not doing that now, but I'm on the Facebook and working the NetVibes Ginger, so perhaps Twitter comes next. I've thought about creating a Twitter for a class to send out important announcements...hmmm...perhaps.

The general concept however is connection. And following. And that leads me to ...

GINGER!

Imagine you had a way to get to your students all the important things they need to read without printing them out, or assigning the readings. And you could provide a brief context for WHY something was important. A roadmap. A model to teach and show students not what they must read as an assignment, but rather what you are reading and why you think it is important. And you can do that at any time...from any place. And you get them ready for what is to come when they are in the work world.

Well...

It's here!

NetVibes (my FAV RSS feed reader) has released (just a few days ago) their newest version "Ginger". It came off of beta mode just a few days ago. I signed up for it a few weeks ago and have just begun to realize its full potential. Rather than a regular private RSS feed reader, it now allows you to create a public "universe" where others can follow you. You can post blogs and information you read to your "public universe" and even send favorites to your public universe with a note.

So if you follow me you would see that I've shared the Common Craft video, a research article about Web 2.0 and information about the Social Media Release.

Students can also access my Public Universe (http://www.netvibes.com/ejyoung67) and see the feeds that I have that I think they should be paying attention to.

As I talk about RSS in the classroom and show students the potential we are having some great conversations about the use of the RSS for marketing. Well, I do know right now that the power of this version of NetVibes is going to be the power of teaching.

Why not sign up and follow me?

Fighting the Winter "Blahs"

As I look out at the snow coming down outside and I rest my aching back from the shoveling of my driveway I have come to realize that I have a really big bad case of the Winter Woes.

Of course, it could be that I'm in PhD recovery (I hear that it's a transition from those who have done it before), planning on selling my house (so I have to actually keep it kinda clean, and get it ready for the selling), just taken on another class due to adjunct interuptus (33 students in a severe case of major confusion and starting again at square one when we are already into week 5!), struggling to deal with an 11-yr-old and 6th grade homework issues...

Who knows.

What I do know is that my motivation is hanging out in a sunny warm space on vacation.

Edwards gets thanks from Clinton and Obama...really!

Check this out:

Wow! and he even didn't endorse anyone. Hmm....I wonder...is this a thank you because you are such a great guy or is it a thank you for getting out of the campaign (grin)?

The campaign site has done an update and the speech the candidate made earlier today is on the blog too.

Since Edwards has a fairly vibrant community it will be interesting to observe what happens on the campaign site. This is the one candidate (if you recall from an earlier post) who had an online community BEFORE he ran and if you notice in his speech today he talked a lot about "One America" which is the organization (the OneAmerica Committee) he formed after 2004. We'll see what happens at the campaign site now, which if you look carefully through Google still shows "One America" (the blog actually links to it directly). This, my friends, will be one to watch.

And the field gets smaller and smaller

Been a bit since I've posted. In that time...

Kucinich dropped out on Jan. 25th leaving a nice little message on his website, but hardly any ripples in the news media.

Obama won S. Carolina and gained "momentum" (more on that later).

and yesterday McCain won the Republican primary in Florida (check out the Huffington Post for a great recap of that one!).

This morning we hear that John Edwards is dropping from the race now as well as Giuliani. Let's see what their websites have to offer ...

As of 9:20 a.m. nothing at the Edwards site. Remember he had a bunch of the social networking things including Twitter -- my Twitter has not gone off, but my CNN alert sure has.

As of 9:20 a.m. nothing for Giuliani on his site either.

I'll check back after class. See if there is a difference/change.

It's Twitter-ific!

Today (Tuesday, January 22nd) I received yet another Twitter from the Fred Thompson Campaign. I've been getting them fairly regularly along with Twitters from the Obama Campaign.

However, today was a first.

At 2:40 BEFORE I got the alert from CNN (also on my cellphone), the Thompson campaign Twittered the following:

"Sadly, It's official. Fred says: "Today I have withdrawn my candidacy for President of the United States" Thanks for all of your support."

Over at the website there is a thank you image AND a post about the end of the canidacy. Well done. As a "supporter" who signed up for Twitter, I found out quickly which is the point of something like Twitter, isn't it?


























Better than what happened over at the Hunter site, which by now does have the posting that "Congressman Hunter has dropped out of the race" (quite unfriendly, by the way).

Richardson is out...just don't check his website...

So as noted in my post from the other day, Gov. Bill Richardson has dropped out of the presidential race.

I confirmed that through major news reports in the New York Times, and Fox News.

At least we find out about it through the media because his website sure isn't talking. The only evidence that he has dropped out is that there is still Iowa Caucus information on it. There isn't even a mention on his blog. The only other indication are several posts from supporters saying thank you.

Hmmmm....

Ok...scratch that. The real-time nature of the web and all...(grin). I just went back to check and there it is ... the thank you and I'm out of here announcement right on the site index page. Now if you've bookmarked the main page of the site..you won't see it.

Splash/Index page:

Main page:

And still no mention on the blog (hopefully that will change soon too).

At what point will politicians "announce" important information from their websites -- and that is where both the media and the constituents will get the news? So here's another case (as we watch them go by the wayside) where the website and social media they set up for the campaign don't fully and truly reflect the ending of the campaign in any meaningful way. It takes a full 48 hours or more -- when it should be the place that provides the information FIRST.

So a final goodbye to Presidential Candidate Bill Richardson...see you on the VP ticket (smile).

Thanks New Hampshire, Hello Michigan and Nevada and South Carolina, Goodbye Bill Richardson

New Hampshire is now over and the lessons learned are probably more important for the media than for anyone else. Um Polling...well...accurate...yeah. That's it...within +4/-4 points unless it's Tuesday in New Hampshire and then, well all bets are off. Consider it political fisbin!

What's more exciting than a "coronation"? (Don't really like that term -- we are a democracy not a monarchy!) A knock-down, drag-out may the best PERSON win, neck and neck dramatic story. Gets people excited. Makes them feel like their vote matters. De facto = low voter turn out. Any body's guess = high voter turn out. Weather, not a factor! (grin).

So far the results are (not delegate numbers):

Clinton (D): New Hampshire
Huckabee (R): Iowa
McCain (R): New Hampshire
Obama (D): Iowa
Romney (R): Wyoming (yeah...remember them??)

Total delegate numbers are (remember, it's really not about the popular vote folks!):

Clinton 183
Edwards 44
Giuliani 0
Gravel 0
Hucakbee 31
Hunter 1
Kucinich 1
McCain 7
Obama 115
Richardson 20
Romney 19
Thompson 3

So now we move to:

• Michigan - Jan. 15th
• Nevada (Caucus) - Jan. 19th
• South Carolina (GOP) - Jan. 19th
• South Carolina (DEM) - Jan. 26th
• Florida - Jan. 29th.

How many times do you think the political pundits and media commentators will "declare" this a "done deal" for someone? I'm sure it will be more than once!

And as we move on to Michigan and leave New Hampshire behind, the AP is reporting that one more has dropped out on the Democratic side: Gov. Bill Richardson. However, this article at MSNBC tells a different story. So it would seem that the MOST EXPERIENCED candidate (really...check out his record) will, at the very least be focusing in on New Mexico work (he is Gov. after all), and backing off on the campaign. Reports stated that he would announce on Thursday.

Hmmm....

I'd assume that if the candidate was dropping out, he'd know that, wouldn't he? Perhaps it is on the campaign website -- which isn't loading. Wonder if he is getting a spike in traffic, or if it's just "comcastic"?

Nothing new at MySpace. (website still trying to load...perhaps its the wind?) Over at Facebook there is much support:

Noooo!! I'm still a devoted Richardson fan till the end!!!!

PLEASE DONT DO IT!! DONT DO IT RICHARDSON!!please, keep your hope up!!
AMERICA NEEDS YOU!!!

Please Bill, Don't Leave Us

I am so disappointed. Bill, please keep your voice LOUD, our country needs
your ideas and experience. Are you endorsing another Democratic candidate? You
will always be my #1.

So I wonder if he has any staffers to get in there to provide some information...that's that engagement factor!

The site will barely load -- and it doesn't look like much has been updated. If that is any indication, I'd say we'll hear more tomorrow, if the candidate doesn't do something tonight.

Emotional Women...here we go again...

By now you've probably already seen the "emotional" Hillary Clinton piece. It's been on all the news channels this evening -- even the BBC ran it.

Reacting to a question about "how she does it" (in other words, gets through all of the grind), she seemed to answer honestly...and...OMG...showed....

EMOTION.

Yep.

There it is folks.

EMOTION.

Actually, my take on it is that she showed how deeply she cares about all of this.

But...

Rival John Edwards saw it differently. Mr. "I care about you, and your family and am the one who will get you health care" responded with the following statement:

I think what we need in a commander-in-chief is strength and resolve, and presidential campaigns are tough business, but being president of the United States is also tough business,"

Of course the media isn't helping either. Here we go...

ABC News: Clinton Gets Emotional on Campaign Trail and
Can Clinton's Emotions Get the Best of Her? N.Y. Senator's Recent Displays of Emotion Have Political Analysts Buzzing
CBS News: The Woman Who Elicited Clinton's Emotion
NBC News: Hillary shows her soft side (Andrea Mitchell noted that Clinton "was clearly showing the strain and was right on the edge")
FOX News: Clinton Dismisses Claims of Being Too Emotional
NYTimes: Clinton Talks about Strains of Campaign

Many thanks to the folks over at Think Progress who point out the interesting fact that when Romney chokes up it's "a genuine moment" or when Pres. Bush chokes up it's "an extraordinary display of emotion" or when Robert Gates, Sec. of Defense choked up he was bringing a "human side".

But when a women chokes up ... she's too emotional to be president or she is just calculating.

God I hope this doesn't turn into a Howard Dean "Scream" moment -- you would have thought the media would have learned from that.

And frankly as an "overly emotional" woman myself, I cringe at this coverage. For heavens sake, when did being emotional mean a woman isn't able to lead? Being emotional means you CARE.

Good luck Hillary. It certainly will be interesting to see how this one pans out. I've got some tissues if you need 'em.