This is one of the reasons I left full-time IT work. Click the image to make it bigger.

Seems protests work when they are organized and really get going. Imus' show was just canceled by CBS.

I wonder if this punishment backlash fits the "crime?"

I find it interesting how the issue around the racial remarks Don Imus used during his morning show has snowballed to the point that he has now lost sponsors and distributors. Using race and derogatory comments is not new for shock-jocks, but it appears something has changed in what is or is not acceptable as humor. Perhaps it is just because of changing levels of taste? Perhaps these victims of the remarks? Perhaps the language used? Perhaps the persistence of Reverend Al? Or, as I am starting to think, perhaps all of this happened because the vision of equality is starting to take hold?

It will be interesting to see what will happen with future reactions of gays, Hispanics, Asians, the disabled, women, war veterans, those at the lower end of the socioeconomic status, etc., as perhaps it may become more in-vogue to challenge inappropriate comments by shock-jocks. Whether groups have or do not have protected status, that may or may not have much significance when acid-tongued personalities kick down those who are different from them. After all, taste cannot be legislated.

I was finally able to upload the photos I took of PodCampNYC; they are on Flickr. I still have to name them and describe what is happening, but the Flickr site is not allowing me to edit them tonight. Will have to revisit this again tomorrow. Please help me identify you if you see your picture here and I have not put your name on it yet.

Nevertheless, it was great to see Kiki Mulliner and Jenny Ambrozek again. I have written and presented with Kiki at a conference last year, and Jenny is somebody who I hope to work with on some projects in the future.

Like about everything else I do recently, I find I need to take time to debref experiences that are very new for me. Having spent too many years acting (or reacting) suddenly without any reflectivity, I am making a conscious effort to change this behavior. Thus, I will only mention that I really enjoyed PodCampNYC yesterday. 

I never really got podcasting before, partly because I am a visual learner and podcasting is a more auditory experience, and partly because I do not really listen to my ipod greatly since I do not have much of a commute and I am still taking an extended vacation from the gym. Regardless, I have a lot of information to process from this experience, and plan to discuss some of what I learned here over the next few days.

One thing that sticks in my mind from the latter part of the day is a session I attended late in the day, the Queer Podcasting Panel at PodcampNYC. I did not know there were so-called queer podcasters, and while some of the discussion was not quite germane to my interests, the discussion about self-segregation through tagging and an interest in showing a wider swath of the gay community (a topic itself that was intelligently discussed in contrast to a population) was a breath of fresh air for me. I am not accustomed to listening to a technically-savvy gay population that is interested in exploring more than the latest gossip. I was pleased to meet Mark Tafoya, a podcasting chef who exemplified active facilitation of a group without dimating it. While PodCampNYC was presented as an unconference, many of the presentations I attended were scripted and organized rather than a product of a group process and sharing. I was glad to see Mark toward the end of the day and introduce myself and speak briefly about this. I see I have a lot to learn about this new world, if only I can get away from my research projects!

This is why I am a qualitative researcher, as so nicely stated in today’s Dilbert. Click it to see the full-size.

So, Kathy Sierra seems to be directly addressing her (or more extensively, our) challenges with the online vicious attacks she has suffered. In an extended way, I think these attacks can perhaps be applied to all of us. The difference is that most of the rest of us do not have the readership or following to make this headline news. I am not sure to what extent free speech turns into aggressive and dangerous behavior, but someplace that line appears to have been crossed.

I am glad she is handling this situation, yet I am still concerned that she is, once again, quiet. While I can only wish her and her privacy and peace of mind the best, the longer it takes her to get back to leading her life as she best sees fit, whether online or off, the longer we can suppose that perhaps her bullying attackers may see themselves as having won. While in a very different situation and time and place, I think about the time it has taken, now six years later, for the rebuilding to begin downtown New York after the bullying attacks on 9/11. While we don't want to rush back into things, the status quo of sitting back and watching things go by is very compelling.

I do not think life can ever "get back to normal" after an assault that changes our very habits and ways we live, but the more our lives remain disrupted and our free voices silenced, the more I believe the longer-term effect holds us back from moving forward in our lives. Of course, who knows how we choose to live our lives in the future?

Thinking about Kathy Sierra's and Chris Locke's Joint Statement, I wonder why it was only on Chris' blog, as opposed to both of their own blogs? Furthermore, while I was at work on Monday so could not watch CNN, I wonder why there has been so little discussion about this since then. Strange how things so quickly go back to normal for those not directly affected by adversity.

If you are planning to come to New York City this weekend for PodCamp NYC and are following the The UNOFFICIAL Guide to PodCamp NYC and you want to take the subways or buses to get around (hey, they are a bargain at $2.00 and are relatively safe), there are two websites you should check out:

MTA.info
For those coming from out-of-town who want to take the New York City subways or buses, check their website since the weekend often has significant service changes:
http://www.mta.info/nyct/service/advisory.htm

HopStop
If you are not sure which train or bus to take, try the great directions and travel time estimates at this website: http://www.hopstop.com/?city=newyork

Though I live here, I find myself using these as well for weekend travel, especially when the trains run on different lines and make express stops on the local tracks!

Like everybody else, I suppose, this has been a challenging week. As I am trying to catch up, I am thinking about three of the people I met at the ProBlogger Meetup this past week beside Darren Rowse himself who I remember because they impressed themselves on me in different ways.

• I finally met and spent some time speaking with Philip Liu, whose blog I Help You Blog (with its nifty new tag line "Demystifying Blog Worth And Increasing Blog Value") says it all. Philip is brimming with ideas, and it is great to see somebody with such focused ideas blogging in their spare time. I suppose Philip does not need much sleep, especially with all the work he puts into his blog. Having read Philip for some time, it was nice to finally meet.
• Rachel Clarke I have seen at Social Media Club NY, but have not had the opportunity to speak with before. When I got to the meetup, Rachel was the first person who smiled at me and, while she was also an attendee as well, made me feel welcome. I am fascinated by those who write about online marketing and technology, and look forward to speaking with Rachel again at the next SMC.
• I also found myself sitting next to and eventually having a lovely conversation with Valeria Maltoni, whose work in communications and conversations in particular was most evident in how engaging she was. I enjoyed speaking with her, and find her blog a rich source of information and thoughts that may help with my own communications courses I teach.

Interesting how one event brings different people together. I hope Darren holds another one in June, as he mentioned recently; who knows who will meet then to develop the next big thing!