Tuesday, April 04, 2006

Contre-verse-see?

OK, I have a big mouth and I don't mind it if some people disagree with me. It makes my chiming in on the big Library2.0 "nomenclature" much easier. Since my days as a communication students, I have been a sucker for a good marketing line and it seems to go without saying that it's easier to sell it once you name it. But it shouldn't really matter whether it actually deserves it's own name, whether it's a movement or whether it is a shift or a big bang. As long as s#$% gets done, I really don't care...

I really think (and some have already heard me say it,) that there has been a significant change in the last few years in both the web and the library (and surprise! It's the same!!)

They have transformed from being places where people stopped in to get stuff, into places where people spend time to do stuff.

It's the actions that make the difference, not the words so much.

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Monday, April 03, 2006

dis'-CLAIM-her

Wow,
1st of all, I should reiterate that this is a personal blog. Although it mostly contains work related musings, it is not done in my official capacity. It is not sanctioned by MPOW. Yes, it's true, I am still somewhat a "closet blogger".

See, I am currently trying to get everyone at work to start a staff blog for internal communications. Think librarystuff.
I really thought it would be simpler. Here are a few things that surprised me:

Staff (many) stated their clear disappointment at the thought they would have to user their real names (I thought 1st name only so we know who you are right?). I have also had someone ask me: "so if someone posts something that I judge (her word) inappropriate, and I say so in a comment, will I get flamed for it?" I had to think for a second before reminding her that if she was going to disagree with someone, she had to be ready for others to disagree with her. Now, OK, I get it, I have no idea how difficult it can be for many to speak up since I have never had a problem myself shining a big spotlight on my face, even as I was inserting my big foot in my own mouth often times.

On the other hand, powers that be's 1st idea regarding a staff blog is to "establish standard naming conventions that should include your first name/your department" ... Bless their hearth. As much as I repeated to them over and over that what would be mostly required of them would be to "let go".

I know, I should have known all this was coming, right. Am I kidding myself that it is not unfair to ask folks to identify themselves here? It was not my idea but I don't see it as such a big deal. I just thought this should be about real people discussing real issues hoping to take real actions in the end... And with management, I know, I know, there is an innate need to organize and arrange everything in our business... Hopefully, the discussions will be light enough in the beginning to help everyone relax. Most of our efforts about this work blog has yet been spent on what to name it and what to use for names for participants. I have now spent a lot of my time campaigning to re-focus energies on the PURPOSE of this blog, the BENEFITS for all etc...Let's all talk about "Radical Trust".

So here we go, now we will see how it goes, and I have to divide my posts between here and there, hopefully to soon have the ability to link here from there. My voice is really starting to carry out of the closet anyway.

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