So…a mea culpa. I know it’s been about a billion years — or at least a few months — since I’ve last posted. And I know because one of my colleagues and friends tells me at least once a week that I need to post again. (Thanks, David, for being such a faithful reader!) I haven’t posted because I don’t have anything to say, but more because I don’t have enough time to think through what I *do* want to say, and post it.
It seems I haven’t had enough time for a lot of things, lately. Being here at the EDUCAUSE national conference has reminded me of that. I’ve run into colleagues who have asked if I’m tweeting at this conference as voraciously as I have at others. I’m not, and haven’t tweeted at all in months (sigh). Others have noted my relative lack of silence on one listserv or another. I’ve had discussions about the speaking proposals I’ve submitted to conferences lately. Um, none? And learned what others are reading to develop their leadership skills and stay on top of the latest in technology and professional trends. Do I get any credit for the year’s worth of unread magazines on my desk and stack of leadership books on my nightstand that I’ve been meaning to get to? Probably not.
I come to EDUCAUSE because it’s the most relevant conference in my profession and an enjoyable part of my job. It’s fun to be here to talk to vendors, listen to presenters, and learn from colleagues at institutions across the country — and around the world– in ad-hoc conversations that crop up in the hallways, over drinks or dinner, and at conference events. But making time for these activities a couple of times per year at a conference is simply not enough. Being here has helped me remember that this is not a *part* of my job that I need to make more time for — it *is* my job.
Reading…tweeting…working on speaking proposals…attending conferences…talking to and collaborating with colleagues…looking at and thinking about future IT trends. Not just allocating *more* time to these activities but actually *focusing* on them…is…my…job. And yet doing this sometimes makes me feel more than a little bit guilty. But that’s a topic for another post.
Some guy named Rae... 
I don’t agree. I think blogging and tweeting, etc. are fun, but they’re not really as important as the stuff that I know you’re filling your days up with. Let other folks have a virtual life. You have a real life.
I agree with Rae on this one, and I’m not the greatest of the twitterati. Tweeting and blogging keep the conversations flowing, and that’s part of all our jobs, but we do it differently for different purposes – sometimes in person, some face to face, some online but interactive and other online and simply a post. Others write for journals or present to professional communities, but they all share info, just in different ways. That’s my 2-cents of asynchronous conversation.