To All the "Others!" Tomorrow is Your Day. We Welcome Your Posts and Comments on Tuesday, All Day!

Hey, we've had a nice response to our recent conversations about "the others."

So on Tuesday 10/22 we welcome all of your posts and comments. There's no need to register as a correspondent. Anyone with a Google account can comment already.

But if you want to post some of your own academic misery, just send your email direct to the mods and we'll put it up. Guaranteed "insider" status! Tomorrow!!!

We're very gently asking our regulars not to post on Tuesday. Fill up the comments as usual, but we've started collecting posts from a bunch of new folks, and we'd like to offer them the whole day. Back to the normal madness on Wednesday.

PS: We're rolling out at least 7 new "others" posts tomorrow, 2 I wrote, 3 by Hiram, and 2 by Ben. (Part of that sentence is an inside joke. But tomorrow we're all insiders, so leave it at that.)

Round Three of "The Others" Interviews. With Nikola From New Castle.

1. What is your role in higher ed? Professor, part-timer, student, just an interested observer?Part-timer currently, seeking a tenure-track (or at least full time) position.
2. Why do you read CM? Is it useful? Are you learning anything? Are you just eager to hear about the demise of the planet through the activities of horribly prepared freshmen?
   I read it partly for the entertainment value (I have a soft spot for reading stories/rants about snowflakes in any arena, things like Tales from Retail, etc.), but it also gives me a window into the world I've convinced myself I want to be in. There's a lot to be said about academia from sites like the Chronicle, but it's always felt filtered and edited. CM feels raw, and more in line with the day-to-day life of faculty.
3. Why don't you participate through posting or commenting?
   Many reasons. Though I enjoy reading the bitches and rants of others, I'm not much of a complainer myself... and as I said before I don't really possess the snarkiness that makes for the best CM posts. Also I'm not generally a frequent commenter, even on other sites. As a newbie prof, I don't feel I have much to offer those seeking advice. Finally, there does seem to be somewhat of an in-crowd of the same people making comments on every post, and while I don't feel that they are in any way hostile to other commenters, there is a sense that I would be intruding a little.
4. Is there anything about CM that you don't like? Or several things?
   I don't dislike them, but I tend to skip over things like the haikus and other weekly features (not the Thirstys though... those are great!). It seems like there's not always enough content to make it interesting week in and week out.
5. What do you think CM could do a better job of?
   Honestly, not much. There are a few tweaks I might make if I were in charge (such as being less jargon-y), but I'd be worried they'd mess with the formula that's made CM what it is.

Tweedle Darlene is Up Next in Our "The Others" Interviews.

1. What is your role in higher ed? Professor, part-timer, student, just an interested observer?
   My husband and I are both t-t in a small NY college.
2. Why do you read CM? Is it useful? Are you learning anything? Are you just eager to hear about the demise of the planet through the activities of horribly prepared freshmen?
   Mostly because a lot of our colleagues are real Kool-Aid types, latching on to the most recent fashionable student empowerment pedagogy. It's all crap, of course, and I know that your readers understand that. I think my husband found you first and we giggled about the characters and how similar we felt to your writers. I learn nothing except that I might be in the wrong profession, or maybe just at the wrong school.
3. Why don't you participate through posting or commenting?
   Well, we both have commented, but only once or twice. I guess for me I'm just not comfortable about my IP address being spotted or reviewed or whatever. I only read the page at home or on my phone, but I confess I feel naughty when I'm on the blog. I know my colleagues would look down on me if they knew I was here.
4. Is there anything about CM that you don't like? Or several things?
   No, I don't think so. I so want to understand the inside jokes more, really. There are things going on in the background among the loudest members that just go right by me. It's as if I need a cast of characters or a synopsis of stuff. I do not read every day, but I do feel that Leslie K and Fab Sun have both been terrific to me when I have written in privately through email. I like to spout off to them, and I swear it makes me feel better. They are both great online correspondents, but I don't "know" anyone else on the page enough to get involved with the jokes and so forth.
5. What do you think CM could do a better job of?
   The page feels very very private, as if it's only intended for the Miami 4 (or now the Ogden 4?) Maybe open up some days to newbies? But I really don't have the right to ask. I could just wallow in and get into an argument or two (most likely with Stella, who I love to love and love to hate sometimes, sorry), but again I just don't feel comfortable for that. But your blog has saved me countless times. I read the Thirstys religiously like they were part of an advanced PhD in teaching. And we do proudly display the RTFS bumper stickers you did last year. (But I have to tell you we clipped off the martini glass logo with the web address...sorry. We do get questions about the stickers sometimes, and for people who we feel close to, we even tell them the real answer.

Round Two of the CM Interviews: Ask "The Others." First Up, Janice P.

One of the questions we're asked from time to time is about "the others," a large group of readers who are not active on the page through posting or commenting - although occasionally they will venture into the fray, and we always welcome that. This week I thought I'd ask a couple about their CM experience to see what we could learn about them and ourselves. Janice P. is first!

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1. What is your role in higher ed? Professor, part-timer, student, just an interested observer?
   I'm a tenured prof of music in the southeast.
2. Why do you read CM? Is it useful? Are you learning anything? Are you just eager to hear about the demise of the planet through the activities of horribly prepared freshmen?
   Oh, I read it for the yuks, and also for the occasionally brilliant news story I might have missed otherwise. I complete eschew the Crampicle and its type! I may not learn much here, but I get a real kick out of the interplay.
3. Why don't you participate through posting or commenting?
   Partially because I'm a little private anyway, and even though with pseudonyms I feel I would give away too much of my real life, my real colleagues, etc. That's a headache I wouldn't want. Also, it feels to me like there's a set "lineup" of regulars who do battle, and I don't see how one would ever get in that particular club. But I don't regret that. It's an entertaining world to visit.
4. Is there anything about CM that you don't like? Or several things? 
   I wish there were more people! I know that I've just sort of contradicted the previous answer, but if I see a person's name on a comment or post, I can pretty much guess what they're going to say. Strelnikov is going to suggest killing a dean or freshman with an arcane Russian rifle that I'll have to Google.
5. What do you think CM could do a better job of?
   Nothing! I wouldn't even presume. It's a perfect little way-station in my academic world and I'm grateful it exists!