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Nice Stuff Today
Jul. 18th, 2007 03:52 pmOn my schedule today were a brown bag presentation and a lunch with someone I had a couple conversations with that I wanted to make contact and have lunch with before they turf me out here. Both went really well. Whereas most presentations (of any sort, not just brown bags) have been full of the worst sort of Power Pointillism ™, this one was so much more dynamic. Plus the subject matter was really interesting. Later this summer these guys are going to launch a site called "Remixing Çatalhüyük" that looks to be really impressive. Of course the proof is in the pudding. I wasn't able to sit down and actually use the site on something less than a T1 so I could judge it for accessibility and user-centric design, but it looks awesome. Now, this would be good anywhere but it's especially impressive at the University of California because most UCB sites suck bongwater. That's what happens when you take the taxpayers' money and dump it into private sector-distorted salaries for regents, chancellors and a bloated administration - the actual educational mission of this institution gets buried sometimes...
Then the co-worker and I actually had our brown bag lunches by the banks of Strawberry Creek. He was alternately exhilarated and crestfallen at the presentation. A similar project he'd worked on for 5 years hadn't been able to get the support it needed to reach full fruition. But he was certainly impressed and intrigued by the work this other group had been able (and allowed) to achieve. We tossed ideas back and forth about the department, approaches to presenting information, my job prospects, his job prospects, etc. He told me "you say what you think - don't ever change that about yourself...I love that." We got up to go back to work and he thanked me for some ideas I'd given him. I emphasized that I wanted to keep in touch even if I couldn't stay at the university and he said honestly that he's pretty terrible at doing that but he'd try. I was glad that he framed it candidly ahead of time like that. Otherwise I might have taken it personally instead of just realizing he's very busy and he's bad at using some of the other means folks have for staying in touch.
After I got back, I dropped a line to the brown bag presenter. He'd asked me my name as I was leaving and I spaced. Plus I wanted to make actual memorable contact with him. I dropped him a line and he replied saying, "Of course, I remember you--particularly, as the articulate spokesperson for common sense at [our big department] meetings". Whee!
I came back to an email from my lunching co-worker saying he's really enjoyed our talks. I'm glad that my idealism and candor, which have probably held me back most of my working life, are actually appreciated by some folks.
Then the co-worker and I actually had our brown bag lunches by the banks of Strawberry Creek. He was alternately exhilarated and crestfallen at the presentation. A similar project he'd worked on for 5 years hadn't been able to get the support it needed to reach full fruition. But he was certainly impressed and intrigued by the work this other group had been able (and allowed) to achieve. We tossed ideas back and forth about the department, approaches to presenting information, my job prospects, his job prospects, etc. He told me "you say what you think - don't ever change that about yourself...I love that." We got up to go back to work and he thanked me for some ideas I'd given him. I emphasized that I wanted to keep in touch even if I couldn't stay at the university and he said honestly that he's pretty terrible at doing that but he'd try. I was glad that he framed it candidly ahead of time like that. Otherwise I might have taken it personally instead of just realizing he's very busy and he's bad at using some of the other means folks have for staying in touch.
After I got back, I dropped a line to the brown bag presenter. He'd asked me my name as I was leaving and I spaced. Plus I wanted to make actual memorable contact with him. I dropped him a line and he replied saying, "Of course, I remember you--particularly, as the articulate spokesperson for common sense at [our big department] meetings". Whee!
I came back to an email from my lunching co-worker saying he's really enjoyed our talks. I'm glad that my idealism and candor, which have probably held me back most of my working life, are actually appreciated by some folks.
