Chasing the Dragon's Tale

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 08:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Dr. Trent Batson writes Not Your Parents' 'Course Content Delivery' in today's edition of Campus Technology. Dr. Batson makes a great case for re-examining what most colleges and universities do in the way of online coursework.

From my personal perspective: Online courses (and online components of courses) evolved as a delivery system over several generations, moving from mail (snail mail) correspondence schools, to audio cassette lectures, to courses on video, etc. - and to more sophisticated package systems that allow multiple interactions with a student working in an online environment. The earliest models fit very nicely into a traditional, assembly line system system where an individual progressed at a pre-determined pace with a structured start and end point. Unfortunately, the assembly line model for both K-12 and higher-ed are showing cracks around the edges as a system needing a serious overhaul.

The following quote provides a great summary of Dr. Batson's direction for a new era of digital interaction:

Continue reading ""Course Content Delivery" - Time for a new direction" »

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 06:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 05:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

There is an interesting subculture among social media and online networking sites that warrants exploration. If you are a member of sites like Twitter, LinkedIn, Ecademy, or Facebook you probably have encountered some of the characters in the subculture. Until a better descriptor evolves, I will call the group "The Collectors".

Disclaimer
Before I describe the characteristics of this subculture, I want to be clear that there are individuals who are seriously engaged with a large number of friends/followers/constituents and 'fans' because of celebrity/organization status, their contributions to 'interesting-ness' within their online communities, or their proven professional status as an expert. I do not consider the majority of these individuals collectors.

The Rationale Behind Connecting/Collecting
Collectors seem to be obsessed with acquiring the most friends/followers or network connections (depending upon the terminology within a particular online site). I know many of these individuals from several years of participation and research within online communities. Their rationale for connecting (their term) varies but tends to follow one of several patterns:

• The individual with the most connections is somehow the best person you should connect to (quantity trumps quality)
• The perception that an individual's ranking (by quantity of connections) equates to brand value within the community (quantity equals name recognition)
• Competitive team power is derived from the size of one's list of connections (my team is bigger than your team)
• Huge following numbers can translate into increased 'sucker-link' traffic to other sites and financial gain (playing the percentages)
• Social Network Gamers who could actually care less about the intended purpose for a site but simply get a thrill by figuring out how to game the highest scores/rankings/numbers.

Continue reading "Social Media and Networking "Collectors"" »

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 09:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

We are convinced that Facebook isn't finished with its efforts to revise the Terms of Service...and the "From Facebook to Twitter: Rules, Rights and Realities of Social Networks" panel discussion Monday, March 2, 2009 at 7:00PM will probably raise more questions than can be answered in an hour...but we would like to make sure that you know this event is open to the public. Belmont students will be there (full disclosure: many just need convocation credit).

Login to your facebook.com account and let us know if you will be there. It might just keep you from standing rather than sitting comfortably in the Maddox Grand Atrium at the Curb Event Center.

Even if you cannot make the event, Belmont Media Studies students are polling and making plans to broadcast the event using Mogulus and CoverItLive. I will make sure that details for access get posted here. Belmont's own Multimediai Maven, Dr. Sybril Bennett, will moderate the panel of attorneys, social media advocates, and higher-ed leaders.

Garage parking is free at Belmont and the garage is attached to the Curb Event Center (See Campus Map).

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 07:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

With less than a week behind us, the three Belmont University, overseas missions' blogs just passed the 1,000th (cumulative) visitor mark and have already accumulated 115+ comments. I am still tracking the referrals that are coming in from the Facebook Flyers that were launched immediately following the departure of two of the teams....but the results look promising.

One post from Community Matters, Dr. Darrell Gwaltney's team in South Africa, received 35+ comments. By newly-launched-blog standards (of which there really aren't any), receiving that many comments on a freshly launched blog is pretty phenomenal.

The Brazil team, via The Rio Journal 2007, is not gathering as many comments at the Community Matters blog, however, readership from a team that is one third the size of the team in South Africa is very close statistically in total visitors (and is gaining momentum). Personal reflections like Josey's post from last night will likely boost comments and readership from the Belmont family/community.

The Mission to Cambodia blog was launched hurriedly (as compared to the other two blogs) with considerably less time to gather email addresses for notification purposes and no Facebook Flyer ad. Internet access appears to be a challenge for this group and their posting frequency may make it difficult to gain readership over the next week or two. Still, the personal reflections by students, rather than more generic posts, garner the most comments.

Generally, blogs are intended for longer terms than shorter term mission trips and study abroad programs. Defining the success of a short-term blog may require a different definition than visitor counts, page views, and comments. Re-purposing the convenient publishing systems into more traditional, archived HTML web sites may be the way to reap the benefits of these blogs. In the meantime, I'll have my facebook.com flyer alert you to the latest, short-term blog promotion.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 07:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It is the time of year when students have scattered to anywhere else besides their own college campus. Belmont University is no different...it is just a few days past final exams and graduation and the campus is just about empty.

Communication with students using any sort of official university channel while they are away can be a challenge. So, as an experiment this week, there are two Facebook Flyers running to let students know that some of their friends are blogging their mission trips and study abroad programs. For the uninitiated, Facebook.com, is a social network that connects hundreds of different networks, many of which are university student focused. If you can believe everything that is online here, then Facebook.com is the sixth most visited site in the United States. And the traffic on facebook.com does not cease when classes aren't in session...if anything, the social network site become THE preferred method for univerity students to keep up with their friends...thus the idea for using an ad (Facebook Flyer).

Connecting blogs to social networks that include blog-like (and other) features could easily result in extra traffic to the blogs and perhaps more active commenting on those same blogs. On the other hand, it may not create even the slightest blip on the social networking radar. We shall see.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 06:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

If you have never heard the name, Eric Volz, it is time you know what he is going through:

Doris Jimenez was killed Tuesday, November 21, 2006, between 11:45 am and 1:00 pm, in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua. Her body was found at about 2:00 pm inside a clothing store she owned. She was tied, strangled and asphyxiated. Doris was popular and attractive and her murder deeply unsettled this small tourist town.

Eric Volz was two hours away in Managua at the time of the murder. Eric, a 27-year old American, had been living in Nicaragua for some two years. Not only were there 10 witnesses who saw him in Managua during the time of the murder, none of the physical evidence recovered from the scene linked Eric to the crime. Indeed, none of the blood, fluid, hair, or other physical evidence collected at the scene had any tie to Eric.

In spite of the evidence, Eric was sentenced to 30 years in prison. Please read THE FACTS and find a way to take action now. The appeal's process just started a day or so ago. Honest reporting and exposure in the media could do this case some good. There has been a miscarriage of justice. The wrong man is in a Nicaraguan prison.

I do not know Eric personally. I do know some of his relatives. I cannot fathom their pain, neither can I sit idly by and say nothing of their suffering or Eric's incarceration. Some US congressmen are already involved...more need to be.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 07:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

Dave Winer server on jury duty and shares his reflections on how important amateurs are in the Do It Yourself, American scheme of things...including jounalism:

"It's good that everyone gets a chance to be a journalist. That doesn't mean that everyone will be one, but it's important that everyone can be one if they want to. So teach the kids to be journalists, take the mystique out of it, show them how to vet a source, what integrity means, how to think for themselves."

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 01:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I am not one of the early adopters of Twitter but evidently the Mini-blog is the talk of Silicon Valley (Financial Times - MSNBC.com). This was the first reference to Twitter as a "mini-blog" that I have seen, but it is a reference that begins to make some sense in the practical application arena. As far as I can tell students and educators do not yet have Twitter on the radar, however, there is something about the ease of use, mobility, and connectivity that could easy capture the imagination of the facebook and myspace crowd.

Jonathan Schwartz, chief executive of Sun Microsystems, singled Twitter out at the end of last week as the latest hit from the post-YouTube generation of "viral" internet applications that have the potential to attract massive online audiences..."This is the first application that people have got excited about since Flickr came out," said Ross Mayfield, a Valley entrepreneur, comparing it to a popular photo-sharing site bought by Yahoo in 2005. "I don't think it will be the next YouTube – but I do think it will gain wide adoption," he said.

Stay tuned: Is Twitter a passing fad or is it the next viral tool for connectivity?

Hat tip: Rex Hammock

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Paul has no plans to hang lanterns in the tower or anything, but some of these people are coming to Belmont University's campus on Saturday, October 21st for a demonstration and panel discussion that will focus on podcasting. For now, just save the date and pencil-in 2:00PM-3:30PM for 10/21/2006. The event is sponsored by the university's Information Technology Services department and will be free. Watch for additional details... coming to a blog near you soon.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 08:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (1)

TechRepublic.com offers up their article:"10 ways to become a better blogger " (plus user questions/comments). 'Sorry, but it requires a login to read...something that a blog shouldn't do, for sure...but it IS free and I recommend the subscription. If someone ever asks you to define a blog (or blogger), consider the following introduction and advice:

"It's an activity that spans all age groups and occupations. There are personal blogs, social blogs, and professional blogs. Whatever the topic, someone has probably blogged it. Some of us get paid to blog and others pay for the privilege of blogging (on a particular site or with particular software).

The Internet made it possible for anyone to publish content to a worldwide audience. The Web log, or blog format, has made it easier and more convenient. But all blogs are not created equal. Some draw an eager following and others languish in obscurity. Regardless of your reason for blogging, you can make your blog better, more readable and--if it's what you want--more popular."

Of course, I am asking myself, "aren't the readers of this blog already familiar with blogging by now?" So, make it better according to TechRepublic:

• Define your purpose
• Create visual appeal
• Use the proper tools
• Make it easy to navigate
• Stay in one place (one URL/domain name)
• Engage your readers
• Establish a blogging schedule
• Keep it concise
• Proofread before publishing
• Go syndicate yourself

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 07:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

In spite of the short notice for a meet-up, the turnout and conversation at last evening's WKRN gathering of Nashville bloggers was wonderful. Mix in an opportunity to meet Amanda Congdon of rocketboom.com fame (and more recently AmandaAcrossAmerica) and you have a formula for an interesting experience (not that all meet-ups aren't interesting...this one just seemed especially so).

The AmandaAcrossAmerica site raises the bar for vblogging (video blogging)... it also demonstrates what a team effort can pull together as a model for similar projects. Note to Spring Semester, Electronic Practicum students in Media Studies: start taking notes on AmandaAcrossAmerica now.

The award for making the best of Amanda's Nashville vist goes to Blake Wiley Wylie who spent several minutes of on-camera interview time with the touring video blogger. In spite of appearances in this picture, Amanda was all smiles... and Blake may have to have the grin on his face surgically removed. Blake will probably have his video interviews online before the day is over...it's a tough editing assignment, but someone has to do it *smile*.

Thanks News2, Mike, Mike, and Brittney for hosting the evening! Now that I have confessed to my corporate-blogging-for-money project, maybe I can get back on the Nashville is Talking blogroll again...I might even blog more often here, who knows!? It was good to see the nocturnal branch of the Nashville blogosphere again.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 09:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (1)

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I am in a classroom this morning on the campus of Belmont University, standing before a convocation-starved crowd of 25 students. We are talking about Blogging for Beginners... a convocation title developed by Nathan Baker of Belmont Vision and Reporting from Honduras fame. I will try to make this session as informative as possible, leaving a large chunk of time for Q&A's.

Social Networking Technologies
I would guess that over 90% of the people in the room already have Facebook accounts and of those, I would guess that less than 20% realize that the old guy standing in front of the room also has a Facebook account (students are taking notes at this point to remember to log on to Facebook and restrict access to their profiles from all faculty and staff). What students may not realize: the same social networking principles that allow facebook users to connect with one another applies in a similar manner to building communities of bloggers. We may not get as far as learning community building (in the Peter Senge sense) in the 50 minutes or so of today's presentation, but it is a seed that is worthy of planting.

Continue reading "I'm Blogging This" »

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The Philidelphia Enquirer article was the first I found to recognize the recent EduBlog Awards...and I do believe they 'get it':

"When I look for vision and new direction in the educational technology community, I look to professional blogs. The cutting edge exists on the part of the Web that is living, unpolished, free of word limits, and not always beautifully edited."

Last year about this time, I was celebrating the Newcomer of the Year recognition (my 15 minutes of fame and increased blog traffic). This year I am celebrating the increase in quality of the 2005 EduBlogs that made the short list and am impressed/inspired by the winners:

Kudos to All (and a list of favorites)
• Best Newcomer: Blog of Proximal Development
• Best Teacher's Blog: (tie) Blog of Proximal Development (see above) and Anne Davis' Edublog Insights I count myself as one of Anne's biggest fans.
• Best Audio/Video Blog: Ed Tech Talk
• Best example/case study of use of Weblogs within teaching and learning: The Polar Science Project
• Best Individual Blog - Runner-up: Will Richardson's Weblogg-Ed I would personally grant Will the Blogvangelist Award for his work in promoting blogging in education
• Most innovative edublogging project, service or program: Edublogs - James Farmer's project removes many of the excuses for educators who want a stab at blogging, it is a free service.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 08:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

According to Red Herring:

These “spam blogs” now comprise 10 to 20 percent of all blogs, according to Umbria, a Boulder, Colorado-based intelligence company that monitors blogs for its clients. The blend term “splogs” was popularized by Mark Cuban, the outspoken entrepreneur and investor. He is intimately familiar with splogs from his work running a blog search engine called IceRocket.

“We are killing off thousands a day, but they keep on coming. Like Zombies,” wrote Mr. Cuban in an August blog post. “It’s straight from Night of the Living Dead. Brain dead splogs. Coming at us by the thousands.”

While the number of blogs has risen exponentially in the last 18 months, with 23.9 million by Technorati’s count, the amount of spam blogs has grown even faster. Only 2 percent of blogs were splogs in March 2005, according to Umbria.

I rate sploggers right up there with the casino, P*o*r*n, and pharma idiots who seem to believe that propagating volumes of electronic ilk is a constructive practice. Are people actually influenced to buy products or services from mindless splogs? If search ranking is driving the onslaught of splogs will this not eventually negate the effectiveness of internet and blog search engines?...and then what? When the blogosphere is splog-clogged, will the next big thing be a Draino-like backlash? Or will the epitaph read: blogs came, blogs were effective for an age, but were eventually conquered by splog. It is comforting to know that some are figuring out ways to fight back...cheer them on, please!

You may return to your regularly scheduled (positive) programming...

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 05:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A recent question of the week at techlearning.com may provide some insight into attitudes toward blog use in schools. Blog use may be growing, but as a tool for educators and school communicators, it does not appear to be the tool of choice. The "unnoficial' use of blogs by teachers may be the most promising statistic on the chart below...I am guessing that many of these teachers see the benefits and are simply figuring out how to make appropriate use of the technology in spite of school/district leadership.
From the comment section following the poll, I found the following general thoughts to be interesting:

• I wonder if the 44-48% who aren't using blogs are still asking themselves, "What'a a blog??"
• There may be resistance to adding comments to a blog, in part, because people are more comfortable with email.
• Fear of predators was given by one person as the reason for not using blogs.
• Personal privacy and privacy of academic exercises is a concern.
• Some feel that it is a good tool for administrators and teachers to use for school communications

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 09:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (1)

This is news from Monday that I somehow missed: Six Apart and Yahoo! partner to provide blogging platform.

This morning (Monday) SixApart and Yahoo! announced a deal integrating the popular MovableType blogging software into Yahoo's Web Hosting service. By bundling MovableType and web hosting, Yahoo! is targeting businesses and independent professionals "seeking to maintain high-traffic blogs on a scalable, reliable platform".

Interesting. From the article, it sounds like SixApart may get a B12-financial shot in the arm. Yahoo, on the other hand, may benefit from hanging around with some first class blog supporters.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 01:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Let's assume that the war between journalists and bloggers (citizen/volunteer journalists) will end some day. Electronic media delivery will evolve into something that we may not yet understand...but some students in higher education are preparing themselves for the work force every semester without a clue as to real world expectations.

In terms of technology, what kinds of skills do you believe will be most important for the next generation of professional journalists? Should they know, understand, and actively engage the blogosphere? Will they be expected to capture and deliver digital images? Do they need experience in audio recording for podcasting purposes? Will video capture and editing become something that is needed in a journalist's tool box? Is there a need for understanding online discussion ( interviewing) whether that be synchronous or asynchronous? What role will the technologies of social networking systems play?

This is not a quiz. Your answers will not affect your final grade. Your responses will not be held against you in journalism court. Relax, tell me what you think, please.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

Jonathan Weinberg's Wackiest web names ever article raises a few eyebrows, offers a touch of humor, and includes a word of caution in your choice of domain name:

"Ever done something then instantly regretted you didn't check things out a little bit more closely! First there is "Who Represents?" - a database for agencies to the rich and famous: http://www.whorepresents.com

Second is the Experts Exchange, a knowledge base where programmers can exchange advice and views:
http://www.expertsexchange.com

Looking for a pen? Look no further than Pen Island:
http://www.penisland.net

Need a therapist? Try:
http://www.therapistfinder.com

Finally we have the Mole Station Native Nursery, based in New South Wales:
http://www.molestationnursery.com "

A wag of the tail to Cog for his What's in a (Domain) Name post.

Another late entry comes from BusyMom : loanus.com...as they say "every body has one (a US loan, that is)".

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 11:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (1)

Yes, it is Saturday. Right now, you are probably siiting at your desk or hooked up with a w-fi connection somewhere comfortably...and, of course, you are reading this. It IS the Geekend, after all...and I know who some of you are. You are either lurking over at Nashville is Talking...or posting as the weekend blogger. You may be looking at that list of draft posts sitting in the background of your blog wondering what to post or who might be interested in that stuff. You may just be surfing the blogosphere in search of some gem of wisdom, humor, or signs of life. At any rate, it is the end of the week and many of us are (still) attached to our computers.

So, my burning question: How do you spend your Geekends? (Don't be shy, you know that you want to answer that one.)

As for me, I'm off to a long, geeky, video editing session...sitting in front of a computer, of course.

LATE UPDATE: Video editing session was indeed longgggg...who'da figured that a 15 second intro could take three hours to (over) produce.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

I just finished reading Anonymous Blogging :: SOA Zimbabwe Guide. The read gave me cold chills. Considering all of the normal problems with infrastructure, training, and accesibility that frequently define the digital divide, adding layers of governmental restrictions, monitoring, and threats of incarceration should send chills across the blogosphere. I am not certain of the blogger's credibility, but the following description of conditions in Zimbabwe should raise freedom of speech concerns in any country:

Anyone in Zimbabwe who seeks to express himself or herself must be acutely aware of the level of oppression in the country. The dictatorship of President Robert Mugabe has grown more and more tyrannical over the years to a point where, currently, the most benign criticism of the regime is likely to land one in a jail cell, or at least earn one a visit with the gentlemen of the Central Intelligence Organization.

Zimbabwe is one of the most wired countries in Africa. That is just one indication of the surfeit of “raw materials” for democracy that the country contains. No longer the “breadbasket of Southern Africa” Zimbabwe teeters on the edge of famine. Likewise, the brain drain has weakened the country intellectually. However, enough of the vigorous minds have remained that Mugabe has felt it necessary to increase restrictions on free speech to include the electronic realm.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 10:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It should be no surprise that American teens devour and feed Web's content.

"Frankly, in my opinion, it's quite healthy and [adults should] not to be discouraged. Teens have always had opinions. They have rarely had a voice. The Internet gives them a place to be heard," said Jim Lenkner, the education technology coordinator for 3 Rivers Connect, a tech nonprofit Downtown (Pittsburg).

Just because the writing is blasting off into cyberspace, it does not mean they are meant to have a worldwide audience -- they mostly use the Net as a new way to communicate with existing friends. Sixty-two percent of blog-reading teens said they only read blogs written by people they know.

Reading blogs written by friends sounds like a good sign, perhaps that phenomena is an indication that there are seeds of 'community' being planted. People with something in common, connecting via the technology most familiar to their particular generation, and using that technology to share thoughts, ideas, and to build relationships. Yes. I take that to be an encouraging sign.

It is little wonder that facebook.com has such a huge following on college campuses...and I do mean huge. The freshmen and sophomores in my Spanish class this semester invited me to create an account just to see what it was all about (and probably as a dare, thinking that the 'old dude' wouldn't actually create a profile...an alien in unchartered territory). There are 'connections' in facebook.com of all sizes, shapes, and descriptions...some good, some that are troublesome. To say the least, this is one tool that the Digital Natives know how to use. How long will it be before new student orientation includes a session called Facebook (or MySpace) 101...with an expert, 18 year-old, leading the session?

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 11:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (1)

For the last several weeks, I have noticed a growing trend when linking to online magazine articles published by MSM. Articles that are just a few days old tend to be more active and articles that I have linked to that are a little older may re-direct a readers to a login page. Such was the case this moring when I wanted to link to an article on the technology that ex-cons face who have been in prison for ten years or longer. The New London, CT TheDay.com site posted he following instead of the original article:

"Please Note:
Registration is now required to access articles on TheDay.com that are one (1) day old to one (1) week. News articles written by Day staff after one (1) week will require purchasing....If you have not created a FREE TheDay.com account, you may do so by clicking here. Registration gives you access to many new tools and features, and unlimited access to the past one (1) week of articles online."

I fully understand that the MSM print sector is struggling to make ends meet and I do not blame them for trying to make a buck from their online investment. The situation does make it more difficult in the academic environment when attempting to provide proper attribution to an article in a research paper. It also makes it more difficult for bloggers to provide source material when quoting something from an online magazine source.

Continue reading "Is MSM fighting back against blog links?" »

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 10:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I do not know of anyone who started blogging with the expectation or objective of meeting other bloggers, but when it happens it is an amazing thing to observe. If I didn't know any better, I'd say that there is something Baptist in the heritage of most who showed up for a Nashville bloggers' night of free pizza...confirming the old adage, "If you feed them, they will come". Many thanks to Rex for paying the pizza bill and to Mr. Roboto and Brittany (sans Tootie) for getting the word out. Good conversation seemed to be the order of the evening and introductions were frequent. I now have a face to place with Ain't No Rodeo Queen, Salem's Lots, Big Orange Michael, The Monroe Doctrine and others...whose names have already slipped my mind ('sorry). Many of the other 30 or so I already knew and tried to get around to at least say hello. I understand that Sharon Cobb was not feeling well enough to attend....note to Sharon: be well and be there next time so we can hear your side of the family history *grin*.

Aunt B was...well, Aunt B! ...keeper of the coolest blog t-shirt on the planet and the most adept person present for generating substantive and off-the-wall conversation. For those who read her rants... she posseses neither horns, pitchfork, or claws (although I am not sure about the claws).

Busy Mom endured my interview well. I am intrigued/amazed/jealous of the amount of attention that a mom sharing (well wriitten) anecdotes about her family attracts each day. If you are not already a reader, add BusyMom to your blog diet. And no, I was not actually hitting on BusyMom...at my age, that would require a user's manual with large print instructions.

I am anticipating many pictures of smiling faces to appear across Nashville blogs later today...links or a snagged image may be added here later.

UPDATE: Image added 1 Nov 2005 - thanks to rugdesigner

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 10:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (2)

I tried out the What is your Blog worth site this morning. Humbling comes to mind. Give it a try, go to the site and type-in the URL for your blog.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 02:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

There are a ton of draft posts sitting in reserve here, so what do I do? I remodel the place. It was just time to look a little more like Belmont (only blue-er *grin*)...and besides, I need the practice playing with CSS. And if this design looks awful in Safari, don't tell me. I'm already suffering enough from browser burnout.

Since I am not doing anything particularly productive in the way of writing, take a look at Hebonics...perhaps there's a chuckle in it for you. I'm outa here.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 05:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

Bill Hobb's announcement that he is re-adjusting his blogging priorities away from his personal blog to focus on family, career, and other consulting opportunities is both encouraging and perspicacious (and I do like that word). It is encouraging because I have wondered how in the world one stops blogging, particularly if there is an audience...and Bill has quite a large following. I suspect that Bill will neither abandon blogging nor will he actually stop blogging. He understands that there are people who value his skills and keen understanding of what blogs can do and (hopefully) he will demonstrate to the rest of us how to cash in on that experience and expertise. A Hobbs' book on blogs wouldn't surprise me in the least...I'd buy it in a heartbeat.

Continue reading "When this becomes work...what next?" »

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 09:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (1)

Finally. There is a Bloggers Anonymous (BA) support group. I should be relieved. The next time that I see a new college grad's name with a BA extension, I will know that I am among friends.

Let's hope than anonymity doesn't make us an endangered species.

Now, all the group needs is a logo.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 09:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

I love my blogrolling application for simplifying access to the blogs that I tend to read more frequently. If a blog appears on my blogroll, there is a good chance that the blogger has something interesting to say...when I decide that the content is no longer interesting (to me), I do a little housekeeping and remove blogs from my list. It is that simple.

Recently, I noticed that some bloggers are being judged (condemned) for having links to other blogs that contain hate messages, racial slurs, and material not necessarily suited for public audiences (whoever it is that makes that decision is a little beyond me...I generally trust my conscience on such matters, not someone else's conscience). I do find "guilt by linkages" to be a disturbing phenomena.

When I started out in this experiment, my blogroll was pretty much a birds-of-a-feather list...recognizing only a small minority of dissenting voices. Over the last year, I have included blogs written by what I would classify as ultra-conservatives, ultra-liberals, gays, wonks, members of non-Christian groups, the elderly (80+) and the young (anyone under 20). Personally, none of those classifications fit me, N.O.N.E. But I want to hear what they have to say...and I tend to comment (agree or disagree) more frequently to those on my list.

To some, evidently, a blogroll represents an endorsement, and I understand that may be the case particularly among the political party pundits. But to others, myself included, I consider my blogroll to be more of a community of conversations. I do not ask that you agree with my choices...but I do ask that you judge me by what I write instead of what I might read...Please do not judge me by the people whom I engage in conversations. Conversation does not (always) result in some sort of ideology contagion or conversion...the lack of conversation on the other hand results in ignorance and polarization.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 09:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Of course this is way off topic, but the American Airlines Debacle affects Jake McKee, a blogger who shares an interest in online and offline community building...he also works for LEGO Company, which instantly grants him elevated status in the eyes of an old LEGO fan. The long and short of it: American Airlines has made a customer service blunder. The blunder may send several thousand dollars of AA tickets to a competing airline. To salvage the situation, Jake has asked for a reasonable response and as of this writing has received NOTHING.

Jake has a counter running on his site indicating the time elapsed since he requested a response. He is offering (undefined) prizes (I'm hoping for LEGO's) to the individual who comes closest to guessing the correct duration of time that it takes American Airlines to respond. Go. Add your two cents worth and guess. Let's take this blogosphere-community-thing out for a ride and see what it can do.

And, in my best inflight-PA voice, "attention American Airlines, other customers are watching to see how you respond...in the meantime our seats will remain in their unlocked positions and our tray tables will be down."

UPDATE: Doug Petch has joined the frey (early Saturday morning bloggers...a rare breed, indeed).

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 11:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Following an interesting post on the asynchronous nature of blog readership from Jackson Miller, it struck me that writing/posting and reading habits are different. That is not exactly an earth shattering thesis, but I wonder if there is a relationship between one's blog posting habits and one's readership...more specifically, one's intended/targeted readership? Aggregators like the one at Nashville is Talking (NIT) garner significant traffic throughout the normal business day and aggregated posts probably receive traffic from top level exposure as the right-hand column listings are periodically updated, but the aggregator continues to post blog feeds even when the NIT blog host isn't there and reader traffic slows down. (yes, there is plenty of conjecture in all of that). All of that to ask, Is anyone intentionally timimg their posts to correspond with higher traffic periods on NIT or any other aggregator? Does NIT traffic make some of the comment-traffic/converstaions more syncronous in nature rather than asynchronous? How important is a community-type aggregator to driving traffic to your blog?

For now, I will settle for identifying any sort of patterns in posting habits...it is not all that scientific, but may provide more fodder for questions. When you respond to this poll, please select the time period based upon your particular time zone. And if anyone has all of this 'figured out'...we need to talk!

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 10:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In light of my previous post on job applicant bloggers, I want to extend that conversation via the Neanderthals post and comments at YP plus a noteworthy post on Pith in the Wind. The PITW post includes several comments to "The Muzzled Life". This part, I found a little disturbing:

Keeping work issues off your personal blog does not mean that your employer won't hold the blog against you. "It doesn't matter if you blog about skydiving or pornography," said Daniel M. Klein, a partner at the Atlanta law firm Buckley & Klein. "If your employer feels the blog makes you a poor representative of their corporate values, the executives have the freedom to disassociate themselves from you."(my emphasis)

I wonder how many bloggers started blogging with the intent of making their employer look bad? If an employee has a complaint (or criticism of his/her company), I would like to believe that most employers would rather that conversation find an appropriate internal venue. Bloggers who inadvertently post something that is deemed derogatory have all the tools available to them to correct that problem (even better tools than newpapers, magazines, etc....who tend to bury their errata). If a blogger finds conditions so abhorent that some social statement of criticism is needed, I would suggest that a simple letter of resignation is much more effective than a globally accessible rant on a blog.

Continue reading "Ongoing conversations - consequences of blogging" »

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 02:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

In the untamed and free-spirited world of blogging, there are no hard, fast rules...that, in part is the beauty of democratized, self-publishing on the web. But there are times when good advice comes in handy. One such case is Nancy White's Lessons in Live Blogging. These are practical, well anchored in personal experience, and short on you-must-be-a-journalist-or-else dogma. Nancy references another post over at Flink Designs with a top-10 (minus 5) list of tongue-in-cheek Don'ts:

Top ten things NOT TO DO

1. Don't tell anyone what the name of you session is or what conference you are at. Let them figure it out by clicking around, and, off your post.
2. Waste time on innoucous details such as; I am wearing my favorite yellow argyle sweater to this session . The banana bread at this conference is great, moist and not to sweet. DO get to the important details of the session and do your best to be concise even if it's not second nature.
3. Don't publish your post until the session is well-over. In fact spend about two hours after the session polishing off your language. Because "live" really means, when ther are no more spelling mistakes.
4. Don't spend more time explaining your opinion of what is beng talked about then what is actually said by the other people in the room, including the presenters. I mean, it's your blog, why waste time on reportage? If the other participants want to be heard, let them blog about it themselves, right?
5. Whatever you do don't summarzie and don't try to give an impression of what the session highlights were. Just write a huge post where the important parts are buried inside expository paragraphs about a nit-picking argument between two participants overheard during the smoke break.

From all this, I am NOT a good candidate for live blogging...my overdrive keyboard speed of some 30 words per minute, my tendancy to process (slowly) what I hear/read before posting, and the taboo that Flink lists regarding leaving out the minutia of sideline controversy just takes all the fun out of it. I shall be content to do as I have done here...recognize expertise, share their expertise with others, and be comfy in understanding my place in the frey...there is just something about good banana bread that deserves space in a blog! *grin*

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 07:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Thomas Power, co-founder of Ecademy has started a personal blog, A Friend in Every City. Thomas and Penny Power are incredible people with a long history of success in the area of business networking, both online and off. I consider Ecademy's success in the UK and the EU to be a model by which other business/social networking community sites should be measured. Thomas' first (and only thusfar) post addresses a frequently debated topic within the networking community, why quality emerges from quantity.

It will be interesting to follow Thomas' blog to see how he adapts from Ecademy's version of blogging to something more like personal blogs within the global blogosphere. He is off to an interesting start and I wish him well.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 11:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

YASNS = Yet Another Social Networking Site Just this week, I received invitations to join two social (business) networking sites that I have never heard of. The individuals who invited me are terrific people, people whom I admire for their business skills. I am beginning to wonder, however, do these people ever have time to actually transact any business? Do the math: let's say you spend an hour or two each day on a couple of networks like LinkedIn, Ecademy, Orkut, Friendster, Ryze, SoFlow, Hi5 (warning), Facebook, (and there are at least 50 others listed on Wikipedia among YASN's). Add to that an hour or two to respond to email, make a few phone calls, sort through each day's snail mail, and perhaps post a story or comment on a blog... I could see a whole day blown away without much productivity to show for it!

The good networkers that I talk to get really defensive when I ask about productivity...most claim that it is a matter of prioritization, working efficiently, and making the best of the connections they make online.That is well and good for a person with self-discipline, but I suspect that far too many people place their emphasis on the social aspects of networking and less time on the actual business networking aspects. The addictive quality of online networks can feed the social junkie and the business junkie alike and perhaps that is the reason for the proliferation of these sites. Which leads to my burning question of the day...just how many people have (or feel that they must have) internet access in their bathrooms?? (Better yet, how many would admit to it??) Hey, that could be a new category in the have-and-have-not's world of the Digital Divide *grin* - and with great restraint, I'll not explore the potty humor in my cynical question.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 08:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (2)

I have read "Chronicle Careers - Bloggers need not apply" two or three times now trying to figure out if it is sarcasm or serious advice. If the article is serious, then the condemnation of bloggers as job candidates is a shocker...albeit justfiable in this case, particularly if the anecdotal stories are true. If the blogs described in the article were all that bad, then the search committee should be thankful for a resource (bad blogs) to weed out candidates that aren't a good match, reveal details of an individual's lack of integrity, or indicate character flaws that cannot be legally addressed in an interview.

"More often that not, however, the blog was a negative, and job seekers need to eliminate as many negatives as possible.

We all have quirks. In a traditional interview process, we try our best to stifle them, or keep them below the threshold of annoyance and distraction. The search committee is composed of humans, who know that the applicants are humans, too, who have those things to hide. It's in your interest, as an applicant, for them to stay hidden, not laid out in exquisite detail for all the world to read. (my emphasis) If you stick your foot in your mouth during an interview, no one will interrupt to prevent you from doing further damage. So why risk doing it many times over by blabbing away (my emphasis) in a blog?"

Ivan Tribble (pseudonym)

I do more than my share of blabbing away (whatever that means) here on CTDT...but I try to be open minded about issues and opinions that don't match with my world view. So, to Ivan Tribble, "humanities professor at a small liberal-arts college in the Midwest", how do you feel about writers who choose anonymity to stereotype a segment of the population as negatively as you did in this article, with only a token acknowledgement that good bloggers might actually make better candidates than those who do not have the discipline, energy, and creativity to "blab away" in a public arena...thus revealing their true voice, warts and all? There is something condescending in the tone of this article that says to me that Quaint Old College would rather I put up a good front in an interview and wield only a traditional, reliable, print resume... My advice to the search committee at Quaint Old College: search out the great academic blogger candidates on the blogosphere first...then, match those candidates with the treeware versions. And, be thankful that the bad candidates blogged their way out of your sights. Personally, I would be asking the really great job candidates, "Why don't you have a blog?"

OK, scratch off one more college that I need not consider for employment...*sigh*

Continue reading "Bloggers need not apply" »

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 07:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (1)

If you have been here at CTDT for any length of time, you're geekness probably includes a basic knowledge of what a WIKI is. English Wikipedia is the largest application and most popullar of this online publishing technology. Will Richardson offers an excellent commentary on how WIKI contributors on Wikipedia reported the recent London bombings:

At this writing (a day and a half after the incident) the article just crossed 2,500 edits and is nearing 3,500 words in length (my emphasis). I'm not going to count how many different contributors there have been, but it's easily in the hundreds. The amount of information is once again amazing. And I would argue the accuracy of the article is probably as good as you'll get from any major media outlet (although the writing may not be as good.)

...This feels like such a big shift, such a HUGE shift for educators. And it's just totally manic right now. The beauty of Wikipedia. The ugliness of spammers and other ne'er do wells. Opening things up creates both, unfortunately.

Will is right. This is a huge shift for educators...image what a shift this would be for a news reporting agency, armed with something like a large VJ (video journalist...not to be confused with video jockey) staff, each contributing to a story simultaneously. I can only imagine the co-author-wiki-battles that would occur in the political arena of the news, where 'fact' seems to be a negotiable term and ideologies blur the distinction between news and commentary.

Interesting times these are for news organizations and for education...

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 07:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

This is a well crafted online survey that I would recommend to all bloggers, regardless of your topic or particular interest. If you are a blogger, please take the five minutes or so to participate. Some graduate student's thesis probably hangs in the balance... and I am beginning to understand what that feels like.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 07:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The space at Belmont University that was filled this last weekend with the blogosphere's elite (and elite-wanna-be's) is now filled with headset-ed-exam-cramming students. I have high hopes that both of those populations manage to demostrate actual learning. OK, so I am a romantic and an optimist.

There are a few lingering thoughts about BlogNashville that I want to post for myself. I have read and read and read the banter and interesting commentary from so many attendees that if I do not write this down, these thoughts will be drowned from my consciousness in the text-spewing aftermath.

Missing generations - I heard from older voices at this conferences who are (or will be soon) blogging. I simply want to hear more.

Wasted passion - The political corners of the blogosphere seem to be passionate almost to volatility. If this means that more people will become involved in the process of governance, decision making, and accountability, then I am all for it. If it means that all we are going to do is yell at one another without seeking understanding, then we are yielding the power that all of these combined voices can have and we are wasting our breath and bandwidth.

Dedication to expression - I appreciate what it takes to generate copy for a blog on a regular basis (personally, I prefer interesting, combined with substance and humor...although I rarely manage that myself). I admire those who deliver the good stuff on a regular basis. I met many of you this past weekend and consider it a priviledge to know the faces behind the blogs.

Discovery of Community - I am convinced more than ever that blogging is not about the technology, nor is it about rankings, nor even the passionate messages (however distorted those messages may be). There seems to be a groundswell of need to come from our 20th century cocoons and engage one another. Blogs can be a catalyst to connect people in conversation: some online, and more and more in a much more intimate, heartfelt, personal way. I really don't want to talk to my blog (or anyone else's), I find people (and some dogs) to be much better company and conversation.

I did warn you ahead of time, I am a romantic.

Technorati tag: BlogNashville

UPDATE: Jim & Lynnette have a terrific synopsis of the events, people and pitures on their Fun Times Guide.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 07:24 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (2)

Dave Winer moderated a loosely structured discussion that ultimately returned to a moderately moderated discussion (IMHO).

I would contend that this BlogNashviile discussion raised far more questions for personal reflection than it attempted to resolve with any degree of concreteness...and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

Is civil conversation possible? Can we agree to disagree, agreeably? Can we listen with understanding without feeling somehow that we are relinquishing our beliefs/positions/values? Are there common rules of civility for discussion? Who sets those rules and who decides what is civil and what crosses the line?

Is anarchy the rule of the day across the blogosphere? Can we distinguish between debate and dialog? Is the platform more suitable for debate or is it more suitable for dialog? How important is it that at some point we meet face-to-face , rather than merely interact in a text-based environment, so that we may better understand one another? Are we willing to police ourselves, even when someone who you may agree with gets out of line...rather than sitting on the sideline and taking no action?

There was discomfort in the room today as many of these questions were raised. I hope that we all learned something about ourselves as well as one another as we witnessed how difficult it appeared at times for us to carry on a respectful conversation. I hope that we all can become more comfortable with being uncomfortable...and through that learn that disagreement can mean growth instead of decay.

That last bit was a little heavy...perhaps someone could rephrase with better clarity.

Technorati tag: BlogNashville

UPDATE: Other perspectives on this discussion group

LaShawn Barber moderated the BlogNashville Faith-based blogging discussion group. Blogs within the faith based area of the blogosphere do not speak the same language and that can be a source of negativism even if unintentionally. The use of super-charged words or words that mean totally different things to different faiths can be a source of confict or engaging discussion or encouragement, depending upon both the messenger and the reader.

If there was a zeitgeist of today's discussion, it is that faith-based blogging is in its infancy. Mainstream religious communities and denominations are just learning of the potential of blogs. There has not yet been a seminal moment or turning point within the faith-based corner of the blogosphere to bring the same kind of focus that, say the political arena enjoys. So, what are we doing to prepare for that moment?...for sure, we need to talk to one another regardless of our personal religious beliefs, even if we disagree!


Technorati tag: BlogNashville

UPDATE:LaShawn Barber has added a few reflections on BlogNashville.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 01:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The Citizen's Media discussion room is filled with people, many of whom are feverishly blogging what is happening within the room. This image is the back row, closest to the electrical outlets and includes four individuals typing away (I excluded myself for fear of glare from my forehead). One of the three in this picture is not (yet) a blogger... perhaps this conference needs to end with an altar call to pull those who have been lost in the blogosphere, into the fold. If you ever get an opportunity to attend an event such as BlogNashville, make it a priority...it is simply incredible!

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 11:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (1)

..just a few images from the Citizen's Media discussion that is part of today's BlogNashville at Belmont University. Dan Gillmor, the moderator of this discussion, is the author of We the Media, what I personally consider a must read for anyone interested in blogging.

A ton of discussion ensued regarding legal and ethical issues that bloggers and citizens need to understand when joining the frey of any grassroots technology that delivers media to the public. Be sure to check out the following site for information on what rights and obligations do bloggers have: ChillingEffects.org

Today's discussion is one of the first where I have actually heard the phrase "protecting bloggers"...if nothing else, that may be a sign that more and more people are actually taking note of what is going on in the blogosphere.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 10:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (3)

Just a few images from this morning's session lead by Henry Copeland on what the issues, models, niches, etc. that may lead to profitable business models for bloggers. Discovery of unique selling propositions, matching demographics to product exposure, and tracking traffic all seem to come into play from the traditional models. Bloggers tend to be driven by things like passion, fun, trust, and personality...factors that generally do not "fit" into advertising models.

Great questions:

Should you accept ads on your blog? Does that have an impact on flavoring your message?

Technorati tag: BlogNashville

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 09:21 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (1)

Brittney encountered a problem this morning at Belmont while attempting to access a wireless connection. Once in the Beaman Student Life Center and/or the Curb Event Center, look for a wireless connection on your PC labeled Nashville Blog. You should be able to access that connection without a login. The connection labeled Belmont requires authentication... if you are nice to Brittney, maybe she'll give you the login information and the secret handshake.

I look forward to seeing you on campus at the BlogNashville events.

UPDATE: Just to avoid any confusion, tonight's panel discussion (Friday) is in the Massey Performing Arts Center. Here's a map (PDF).

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 04:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

With only a few days left, the number of registration slots remaining for Blog Nashville is rapidly approaching single digits. It looks to be a great program, although a little short on the educational blog side...but hey, there is much to be learned from the people who are already serious about the impact of blogging. I hope to see some of you there Friday night (and don't forget the party afterward, that's where the text-based bloggers transform into real people!). More on the party here and here.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 05:55 AM | Permalink

Blogher has (temporarily) re-defined mixed emotions for me. I am encouraged that there is an opportunity for creating and sustaining a learning community of women who blog. I am impressed with the list of women bloggers who are involved (particularly Rebecca Blood and Nancy White). I am mildly offended at the implication that women, who represent the majority of bloggers in the blogoshpere, need this conference. I am surprised that a group who proposes to promote blogging feels like the blogosphere is somehow segregated by sex and that discussion that includes only a token invitation to the opposite sex will somehow remedy that situation. But then, I understand that the conference is in California and it has a wonderfully catchy name...that explains a lot, and makes it OK (insert sneer). Enough smart a** rant. This sounds like an excellent conference opportunity and I would encourage anyone (even women) who have an interest in the blogging community to attend. I'll be on the sidelines, several thousand miles away, pouting...but enjoying the feed from fellow-ette bloggers at the meeting (meow).

If you are not able to attend the gathering of bloghers and you happen to be in the Nashville area May 5-7, 2005, let me invite you to join the discussion at BlogNashville!...registration ratio so far is roughly 15%/85%, women to men...draw your own conclusions.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 06:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

A number of patterns keep popping up in the world of blogging and social networking that I believe will make good thesis material. For some social networking applications, like Friendster, there is an obvious intent to hook people up in-person. In the blogosphere, that face-to-face connection doesn't seem to happen without some catalyst beyond the subject matter of an individual's blog. Carolyn Burke's informal study on the psycho-sociological stages in use... affirms that others recognize that there are stages of use (or comfort) for users of all kinds of social networking applications.

In the world of blogging and social network posting, I have witnessed and experienced the following stages:
• Enthusiam for self publishing based upon imitation of earlier adopters
• Personal satsfaction/instant gratification of early posts
• A turning point after a few months where the blog lives or the blog is abandoned
• Questioning one's motives, asking "Is anyone (else) reading this?"
• Playing the game to increase popularity: creating blog rolls, playing blogshares, claiming the blog on feedster, tracking referrals from sitemeter, being ranked at TTLB, etc.
• Connection with a reader base (however small)that increases the perceived expectation for something to be published regularly
• Learning about comment and trackback spam...and figuring out a defense (that includes hating porn, pharma, casino, & loan spammers)
• Discovery of one's genuine, personal 'voice'...and abandoning the illusion that a blog will generate network-journalism-level fame
• Discovery of peers with similar interests or opposing views - and the willingness to engage in comments
• A sense of online community from association with other blogs/bloggers
• An increase in traffic from the community of bloggers

And finally, (and the reason for this rambling list): There is a stage where bloggers meet face to face and the online digital persona is matched with the dynamic, breathing force behind the blog... preconceived notions of appearance disappear and are replaced with a kinship or kindred spirit of those who have endured any number of the previous stages.

So, thanks News 2, Mr. Roboto, Terry Heaton, and many others who made the second Nashville blogger get-together, an Evening with Mr. Roboto, a success...and confirmed the existence of this (new to me) pattern. You may read more about the event from BusyMom...and others, I am sure, as they awaken today and recover from the evening's festivities :)

LATE MORNING UPDATE: the Emperess PinkKitty created a link marathon of attendees; Kevin enjoyed the fellowship, and Terry has posted a bunch of great pictures.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 06:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Class blogs make grade tells of many successes in the use of blogs as a teaching tool. The article also included the following information on the level of use and understanding of blogs:

"From political commentary to personal diaries, blogs have given a voice to individuals across the globe. According to a study released earlier this month by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, more than 8 million Americans have their own blogs.

Yet there is a technology gap between the clued-in and the clueless: 27 percent of Internet users surveyed said they read blogs, and 12 percent have posted comments to them; but 62 percent of Americans said they don't know how to define the term blog.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 04:31 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (2)

From Seblogging via another hop from Online Business Networks ...Volume One of International Journal of Web Based Communities is available. The online journal includes an RSS feed for users...and a rather strange selection of subsccription services. Still, the topics in this first edition look worthy of further investigation.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 05:31 PM | Permalink

The Outsourcing Dilemma presents an interresting case for SROI (Social Return On Investment) that somehow struck my globally-social-conscious-citizen nerve.

Recently, the Roberts Enterprise Development Fund has been promoting the calculation of Social Return on Investment (or SROI) as a means of addressing these types of situational issues. SROI works much like standard business ROI calculations but attempts to quantify the social impact of investment as well as the economic. In the case of DDD (Digital Divide Data), consider the unfortunately common case of Soriya Nove, age 22. After being sold at the Thai border, she was rescued from a brothel last year and is now staying at a shelter for victims of sex trafficking while working for DDD. The cost for DDD to train her is roughly $1,000; she has the equivalent of a U.S. second grade education. In applying the SROI model to this case, one might measure the social impact like this:

Estimate that one in four urban Cambodian prostitutes have a lethal STD. Next estimate that the average prostitute my spread this STD to at least 20 people per year who then spread the disease to one additional person each, totaling 40 people now infected with a lethal STD annually and who will die prematurely. Now consider that the average prostitute works for three years and you arrive at a total of 120 people now likely to die because of one person's activities. When DDD hires 60 trafficked women, the math adds up to 1,800 lives saved! That means that a $33 investment for DDD results in one life saved. This is an impressive SROI, and it doesn't even consider the increase in standard of living, education, earnings power, and health care that come with DDD employment.

Continue reading "Convergence of Outsourcing, Entrepreneurship, IT, and Social Enterprise" »

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 02:22 PM | Permalink