WEBLOG TECHNOLOGY NOT BEING USED

Years ago, crooner Sam Cooke was very successful with his “Twistin’ The Night Away”, a song high on the popular music charts for many months. Some of us feel like we’re out there twistin’ and turnin’ in the breeze, all alone, trying to make a difference.

CDR Robert Burke, USN-Ret, working closely with webmaster Gloria, has created this weblog feature as part of the Council’s website.

This issue will come up for discussion at the upcoming 26 April EXCOM meeting. Following CDR Burke’s briefing, talk will center on the website and its content as well as the blog feature. We may determine that there is not enough interest to continue the weblog as it exists now.

The technology, for whatever reasons, obviously is not being utilized by the Council’s officers and directors or chapter presidents, officers, directors and members.

This technology gives us a capability to communicate up and down the state, almost in real time, and in an interactive way. We can share our ideas, state our positions, tell others what we think and feel. Then, others almost instantly can post comments, reacting to what the writer has said. The intent is to provide an opportunity for both casual conversation and more serious discussion of the issues.

For many weeks, in preparation for the EXCOM meeting and its discussions, we could have been using the blog to present what’s on our minds, identify the issues, have some online discussion, and even reach some tentative conclusions in advance, saving time and effort in Oakland. But it didn’t happen.

As of this date, more than 140 items have been posted to the weblog, with all but two by the same officer. Two postings were announcements only. There have been only three or four comments posted, and by only two individuals.

Again, the weblog is not designed to be a simple newsletter with an editor selecting and writing content, only one person involved. It is an interactive technology, with the intent that there will be many writers, many who choose to post comments, with the general membership participating fully.

Be prepared to consider CDR Burke’s ideas about the new website and, in particular, the future of this weblog technology. No sense having it if we’re not going to use it.

Still out there twistin’!

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