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C'maaaaaaan, read the whole thing and then write me back.
I dare you all.... :)
It's carved up into (relatively) manageable mini-rants, which you
can take on all at once, or not.
If you wdn't mind, just send it to me (you don't have to but...) I'll put
together what I get and circulate it somehow , to keep from choking the
pipes?
=================
Most of the people reading this will receive more than one copy because
they're on more than one committee. Sorry. It's part of what I think is
one of our blessings/biggest problems.
e.g., *Everyone* who has shown up for Commnxns Committee meetings
--admittedly rare of late--is on at least ONE other committee, which
means, for one thing that they have no more than 1/2 as much time for each
committee as they would if they were only on one.
What can we ALL do about this?
(write answers here)
The three addresses in this header, and ccn-tech (please pass it on)
probably reach (most of?) the best-qualified people to speak to the
pile-o'-questions I'm about to throw at you all. Those four addresses
probably reach almost all of the few dozen people who --to my
still-relatively new eye--appear to be doing most of the work around here.
So speak up, experts! and don't just tell us we need a higher profile.
We know. Tell us who we need it with and what they need to know.
Don't worry about it being obvious; I need to hear and talk about first
principles. Does everyone have the same ones? They did six years ago, but
that, with respect, is not going to help us next year.
Assume I know nothing. Assume I'm an outsider, b/c I AM. Tell me
in baby talk. I won't be insulted.
The communications committee shouldn't decide things in a vacuum.
Example, just to stir up the pot: We don't offer "free" internet access
any more than a pay-what-you-can matinee is "free" theatre and I don't
think we should put it that way--one, it cheapens what we do, two, it's a
lie, and three, it's counterproductive: it plays to people's assumption
that it *is* a lie, that there's always a catch with "free", and they
ignore the whole message.
But if the usual suspects (bless them all) @ a commcomm mtg. agreed
with me and we started to promote a Chebucto that ISN'T "free" from
get-go--that's policymaking, not PR. It's also a waste of time and
resources if we gallop off in the wrong direction.
The communications committee can get the word out. But we
can't invent the fodder. We can't make up success or human interest
stories out of thin air or passing comments. People need to pass them on.
What are the best venues for doing that?
(write answers here)
Postings to ccn-comm would seem to be a simple solution.
That done, how do we cull those myriad postings for the best gems?
because we can't--and shouldn't--pull out all the stops on everything.
(write answe ...oh, you get the point)
CCN people can talk in public, print and on the air about community
development, web design, web culture, online learning, tourettes, Y2K,
butterflies, beermaking, parenting....in any number of venues, mentioning
every time that they are part of Chebucto Community Net.
We need names, people who are prepared to talk when the opportunity
presents itself.
We can make a directory or a list for the contact-hungry media who are
always looking for fresh voices and faces.
But we can't make it UP.
I think general press releases are, for our purposes, generally not worth
much. Mark and I could sit down tomorrow and write ten each on the many
worthy and informative programs CCN offers...and we both know where
they'll end up. Cheap graphic access, bilingual software, even awards for
community development sites aren't "news." If they do happen to get in the
paper, we're the only ones who'll notice.
Brochures? Pamphlets? If that's Job One, piece-o'-cake, we can have 'em
next week (espy see below re: help for IP's).
But....What do they say?
Where do they go?
WHo do we want to read them--are they written for those people?
Are they put where the right people will find them?
How will we know if they do or don't?
How many go where?
If you're getting a picture of the inside of my head...you won't be the
first to think it's not a pretty place. :)
Make it worse. Please chip in your .02. Please chip in your toonies.
Please bear with my hyperbole and run-on sentences.I can only edit for so
long before I have to send the sucker and get on w/ the day. :)
I will hold off on Freenets du Jour for a bit, in the hope of having to
deal with a deluge of responses to the extremely open-ended semi-survey
that follows.
oh, and Happy Monday
Sue
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