I had to do an archival post of the greatest Terry P. contribution to this community. All this talk about linked articles and how they should be used brings to mind this titanic piece from June 2011. As is the custom, in the manner, there's some flava, but the link will take you to the rest of the greatness as it originally appeared. (This is often referred to as "the duck post.")
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This is an article I found about college professors. It also has some stuff about college students. It says we need to remember that NEW THINGS ARE...
SCARY.
It sounds like good advice to me, because I'm a professor, and I have students, and they're scared. And I forget that. I just think, "FUCKING MEATBAGS," when I see them, and forget that they're human.
This article that I'm directing you, too, though, takes a different approach. This lady who wrote it seems nice. She's a professor, too, like you or me. Although since she's at a community college, many of you will think she's probably just a half step above being a beauty salon worker, since at the community college I taught at when I first started teaching, we churned out as many beauticians and air conditioning people as we did transfer students.
It sounds like good advice to me, because I'm a professor, and I have students, and they're scared. And I forget that. I just think, "FUCKING MEATBAGS," when I see them, and forget that they're human.
This article that I'm directing you, too, though, takes a different approach. This lady who wrote it seems nice. She's a professor, too, like you or me. Although since she's at a community college, many of you will think she's probably just a half step above being a beauty salon worker, since at the community college I taught at when I first started teaching, we churned out as many beauticians and air conditioning people as we did transfer students.
But your horrible prejudices aside, I think this article below is something that MANY of you would enjoy, because the lady, I think it's a lady, because the lady is saying nice things about helping students, and shitfire we all could use some of that.
I've not posted the WHOLE article, because that would be absolutely fucking crazy. I mean it must be at least 500 words long. I'm sure Fab pays Blogger by the bits and byte, so I would never presume to waste his money or your time by giving you more FLAVA than is necessary for you to decide if you want to read the article or not.
You flattering SOB. Do I owe you money? Or are you mocking me? I can never tell with you.
ReplyDeleteI'm really impressed with how this community has evolved over the years.
ReplyDeleteYou spelled "devolved" incorrectly.
DeleteWicked Walter writes in:
DeleteListen, Iong ago I came to love and appreciate you crazzy motherfuckers. And despite complaining often and brilliantly about what the page COULD become, I accepted what it was and read it with gusto, for that is all I know about the world, Firebirds, science, love, and ribs.
But those of you of a requisite age will remember Joe Namath with the Rams and Willie Mays with the Mets. Sadness reigned. Grown men wept.
Y'all don't have enough content, and it's quite clear to readers that's the case. You post your statcounter once in a while and there are some nice gains. But where are the new voices? It's a small group keeping it all going, and yes, I can appreciate it's still a place to visit and enjoy.
But I fucking hate that it's not what it used to be, and that's on me. I could have contributed more. I could have taken a few swings at that meathead Frod when he says absolutely insane things - or tells another story about his accursed visiting prof days.
Where's Fab? Leslie K? Darla? Where's Hiram - except he appeared again today. Dick Tingle? Meredith. Dana. The Bitchy Bear. Yaro? Fucking Yaro? You should have closed when Yaro retired. I know I played a hyperbolic fool on the original site, ORIGINAL, and even here at CM over the years. But I meant nearly everything I said. What a brilliant idea this whole thing was, and at times it was breathtaking.
And now it's gasping itself. I'm not telling you to shut it down. I'm not telling you're wrong to still enjoy it.
But it pains me to see mascots and maps and recycled material - although I'll give you the Terry P. retread was worth the read. Terry needs to quit moderating and write a column a week.
What ever happened to that "Regulars" series that was going back in the goon old days (as Cal used to say)? That might save it. At least there was a guarantee of some new content.
If the big debate is whether there's not enough or too many LINKED FUCKING ARTICLES or not, then it's time to turn out the lights.
I was accused of dick swingery and grad student abuse on these pages over the years - although my lab rats continue to love and serve me well - but my heart was always in it.
I cared about the place and the community, and I'm here to tell you, it's gone. It ain't there any more. Maybe it's something else and maybe it's enough for the folks who still use it. But I wish you'd let it go.
WW in W
Walt, although I don't know you as well as some former mods, I appreciate your contributions to this longstanding community. And I don't argue with some of your points. But this page is going to be what it is going to be. It will grow or die dependent on the interest of its readers and writers. It won't ever be what it was. Nothing is.
DeleteI love this page and I hate it sometimes. And most of the people on it. But nothing bugs me more than the navel gazing. Make it work, don't make it work. That's fine. Like Terry says, it's going to be what it's going to be. But nattering about it and wishing for the good old days is a waste of time.
DeleteI'm torn about all of this because I love Walt but I also appreciate how hard the page is to run. It's discouraging to me, too, that more people aren't filling up the page, but as others have said, what are you going to do?
DeleteWalt, there's nothing to do. Contribute or not. Read or not. I took a long break for a variety of reasons, but I posted today because I had something on my mind. I'm as guilty as anyone for not keeping the page active, but, shit, everyone I know is busy. If I take an hour to mess around on here, that's an hour away from my family and my students and MYSELF! And everyone faces that. It's entertainment for me. I know Fab and others wanted it to change higher ed, but higher ed is fucked, as most of us know.
I'll always check in as long as there are some new posts, and occasionally I will put something up if I think people get a chuckle.
And Reg is right, too, too much navel gazing, which I don't like typing because I don't like the word navel.
Walt is a god to me. I had the good fortune to correspond with him a LOT in the goon old days and he's a funny and definitely crazzy motherfucker. And as said above, I respect his opinion on the community because he's been around it. But let us just see what happens. It's in Terry's hands now. I go through periods of inactivity as does everyone else.
DeleteIt is what it is. And it's nice. It is good. Some days, like a few days recently, it's been awesome. Certainly, without question, good enough.
ReplyDeleteI think trends in web and social media have affected this page. If you had a complaint about academia 10 years ago, you went to RYS. That's your only online option. Now, you can post it on Twitter or Facebook. Really creative people can make a series of videos, like the Ask Adam about Grad School series. Not to mention that there are eleventy million other blogs and Reddit threads for you to read and share your misery.
The social climate has changed also. By that I mean that people don't just piss and moan anymore. They are doing something about it (I know this greatly simplifies the situation). Adjuncts used to send stuff to the mod to post on RYS. Now, they organize a walkout to raise awareness of adjunctification (see, it even has a word now). Women and minority faculty don't just complain pseudonymously on this page about how they are treated, they complain to HR or interest groups and get the problem fixed.
Finally, I'd say that some of us here, or maybe just me, have been contributing for a long effing time. How many more times can I bitch about students with the same creativity and passion that I had seven years ago? That begs the question of where my replacement is. Probably on Twitter or creating the most bad ass academic ennui Pinerest site you've ever seen.
The loss of vigor that RYS and CM once had sure as hell isn't due to things getting better in academia. It's just that this page has more competition.
That's right on the money, I think.
Delete