Category Archives: Higher Ed

Tanking at Tweetups?

Posted on by jesskry
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Like you, I try to attend as many Tweetups as possible. They’re great for networking, nice for adding to your resume, and helpful in staying up on the latest happenings and technology. Luckily, being in Boston, there are several per day/week/month to choose from. But what I’ve noticed lately, is that I may not be cut out for professional Tweetup starlet: the more I go, the more I wonder if my networking skills are truly this bad.

When attending several Tweetups in Boston, you’ll find the same groups attending en masse. Maybe its the healthcare crowd. You always have at least 3 Twitteratti in the room. Higher Ed usually represents. But are we making it better or worse for ourselves by coming in cliches? Is it just about our own ability to branch out and mingle?

I’ve attended 2 high-profile Tweetups in the past month. Both of which, I’m sad to say I left early. I’m not great at the mix and mingle part, but do love being in on the conversations. I’ve found, for me, structured gatherings work best. Whether around a common theme, conference or short agenda, I’ve felt more at home and had an easier time connecting and talking with people. When left to just a large gathering of those who heard about the event, I find myself stammering, feeling awkward and needing an excuse to leave ASAP.

I’m trying to push my boundaries, rely less on my higher ed Tweetup going brethren, and flex those networking muscles. What are your tips for successfully navigating a Tweetup? How has your Tweetup experience been? Do you have tips on mingling to share? What are your faves?

Much Love, #HigherEd Tweeps.

Posted on by jesskry
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My head is spinning – but in a good way. After coming back from HighEdWeb Regional at Vassar, watching the #PSEWeb conference Tweets, following #PSUWeb10 + #hesmlaw online, catching a few EduComm moments, among others, my brain is abuzz with new ideas, questions, strategies and overall #highered love.

Taking a step back, I see all the opportunities that lay before us: individually at our respective schools, and collectively as a thought leading team. In no other position have I felt the momentum and urgency to learn more, try harder, and most of all, to be humbled by the ever-changing environment and those forging ahead in it. Seeing all that we do – including the not so great moments – helps keep me sane, because I know all of you are also going through the same thing and can be a shoulder, an ear and a resource.

It’s hard to determine where to start. I find that returning from a conference or after being a part of great conversations online I want to do everything. Right now. Knowing that can’t happen makes it difficult to get going on just one thing but being able to prioritize – both what is right for the audience and what is right for the internal politics – can put the earth back under your toes.

With that in mind, I just wanted to say a thank you. To all of you for what you do, how you do it, and your ability to turn with the tide and ride it out fully. You truly make this position the best challenge and learning experience a girl could ask for. It’s the difference between just a job, and a chosen career.

Much Love.

Hey Facebook: Who do You Think You Are?!

Posted on by jesskry
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If you’re like me, you’re up in arms about Facebook’s recently revealed changes. Not only from a personal level with all of the privacy issues, but also from a business perspective in higher ed and beyond. This brings up a lot of issues across the board for everyone: personal users, professional users, the government. Wow, way to really eff up, Facebook!

From an SEO perspective, the ‘Like this’ function is something to consider. Do we all run out and immediately add it to our web pages and blogs? Sure you’ll get instant traffic, but is it an added step in what otherwise would have been found and shared content? Sharing content in Facebook is nothing new: people use several different ways to do this, be it Stumble Upon, Google, or just simply cut and pasting.

This week’s Whiteboard Friday from SEO MOZ sums it up: Facebook thinks it can out Google – Google. Liking is not truly bookmarking. Its sharing. How often do you share web content versus how often you bookmark items. Also, do you primarily share content in Facebook or do you do it more so in Twitter? I’d argue that those who are web savvy enough to really use the ‘Like This’ button are those savvy enough to not see its benefit. And to think that ‘Liking’ could be a new or better way to search is interesting, but not nearly an earth shatteringly new idea. Thats why we have dedicated sites like Yelp and Blip.fm – to share content you like with others. Can Facebook take on being better at what all these other services already do while also taking down Google? I think not.

And using Wikipedia for the new ‘Community Pages’? How lazy is that? Is Facebook having a personality disorder? On one hand its showing lofty Google goals, on the other is zapping privacy and acting like a hungover college student copying from the internet for a final paper.

Facebook should concentrate on being who it is and stop trying to find ways to monetize. Its only making it suck.