2 comments

• 

  sabram

  1 year ago

  Family Man:
  
  I suppose it would look like a soundbite phenomenon if one limited oneself to just panel discussions (or short reports thereof) and blog postings. That would be a shame. All of the panelists in this session write books, long form articles and public reports exploring in deeper ways the issues explored in this session. a variety of formats creates a healthy discussion ecology. One would hope that our blogging and panel discussion formats, where soundbites are used to engage and challenge the audience, would encourage our professional colleagues to read a little deeper before forming an opinion, strategy or policy. Then again I've been following the discussion about our ALA session on Web4Lib and most people seem to be reacting not to the 90 minute session live or the MP3 file/video but to the 3 paragraph short blog report on the LJ blog. I am quite amazed at my colleagues ability to write deeply felt discussion list postings based on a blog soundbite (sometimes impugning or imagining the speakers' intent) that are longer than the LJ posting! I hope they'll eventually gather and build a fully informed opinion. I am not distressed about this but it worries me that so many of our colleagues might neglect to verify the facts before uncritically sharing their conclusions and opinions.
  
  Thanks for thinking about the roles of the various formats for enlivening discussion of the issues facing our profession and users.
  
  Stephen (Another family man)
  reply
• 

  FamManLib

  1 year ago

  Stephen,
  
  Thanks for commenting. I am in the process of writing a followup post
  because of having listened to the MP3 recording (I finished listening to it
  late yesterday). (Kudos to LITA for making that available.) I should have
  listened to it first, before commenting on Roy's post, because it does
  indeed provide a more well-rounded picture of the discussion and has changed
  my view of the discussion.
  
  Steve
  reply