Are we giving you the programs you want?

By Michael Harvey

Providing you a slate of compelling programs is a priority for us this year. For our first program, we held Vision Day. We gathered good feedback from you about programs, work/life/STC balance, and how to kick-start our mentoring program. In September, we enjoyed an evening of bowling. Paul Jones, a pioneer of the World Wide Web, spoke to us in October about self-organizing communities on the Internet. In my view, these have been good programs. Unfortunately, attendance has been low.

At our November leadership meeting, I asked members of the administrative council for their thoughts about why folks aren’t turning out. It could be that since the September 11 terrorist attacks, priorities have shifted. There’s little doubt that the threat of further terrorist attacks and the downturn in the economy have affected folks. They are staying home with their families and cutting down on extracurricular activities, both to save money and to spend more time with loved ones.

Still, we started to have low program attendance before September 11. Over a year ago, we could count on big groups of 30 to 40, but since the beginning of this year, we are more likely to see turnouts of ten or fewer. This has been the trend with SIG attendance, too. Tell us what kind of programs you want! We’re planning programs about document usability, graphics, project management, and marketing yourself during tough times.

So here’s a chance for you to weigh in. Tell us what kind of programs you want! We’re planning programs about document usability, graphics, project management, and marketing yourself during tough times. Are these what you want or need?

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Or send me e-mail directly at: harvey_stc at hotmail dot com.