Travis Knabe's Blog <img src=http://www.wou.edu/~knabet/images/knabet.jpg">

I think that the longterm solution will be consistency. We technophiles thrive on change. For most folks this is ananthema. This seems to be more true the more technically adept any given staff member is. If we _keep_ using blogs as our primary non-emergency communication, keep using FAQ's for regular FYI's, and finally keep using allfacstaff's for last minute notifications, the campus will become used to these methods.

The problems stem from new and/or sporadic use of these methods. I can certainly understand that Ron cannot do an FAQ each week. We should keep some FAQ's (written by different staff) in reserve so that one can be sent out each week. Since they may not truly be Frequently Asked Questions, maybe it should be renamed to UCS weekly bulletin etc.

I think that UCS staff at all levels (not just poor Bill) need to be on Campus Committees to act as a liaison. Meetings etc have largely been seen as a waste of our time (by me no less than any other). However the goodwill and understanding to be gained may be worth the cost.

I have a few observations:

0. Assume for a moment that blogs aren't working. By asking this question on a blog, it's like a tree falling in the forest with no one there to hear. (I only "heard about" this from looking at Joe's blog for something totally different.)

1. From what I hear from others (not necessarily my opinion), blogs are not appreciated. It's too informal and/or disorganized, especially for reference type information.

2. The blogs work for me, but I'm special (see below). I think a series of web pages organized like a "manual" with an index and table of contents would work better, if for no other reason that people are used to that model. Personally, I think the Wiki could be a vehicle for that manual, in part because it would allow multiple authors to cooperate, but I'm a Wiki-phile.

3. Emails are good, especially for new developments, so long as they're backed up with a "permanent" storage - e.g., the email is cut and pasted from the FAQ web page.

4. Regardless of how the information is stored on the web (blog, wiki, a manual of more traditional web pages), there needs to be an effective search mechanism. Yes, I'm a broken record on this topic, so you can tune-out now. The existing iPlanet search engine is pathetic (and I'm tired of putting it any nicer than that). Just try searching for "freshman academy", "minahan", or "migration" - not only does it not deliver usable results, it returns downright useless results (e.g., when Minahan was the dean of LAS). As it pertains to your question about UCS communication, the existing search engine does NOT index the blogs, so how is anyone to find any information in the blogs???

There is a free option: the Google University service. We have been registered for this for OVER TWO YEARS now, but it has not been officially deployed. I have a Google box on my home page that I use multiple times per week. Google indexes the blogs, so I have no trouble finding information about IMAP servers, PHP accounts, etc. Not only is Google free, but it doesn't serve up any ads either. In other words, there's no downside to it.

In conclusion, the status quo works for me, but that's only because I have "my" Google box. I suspect that for the majority of users, the existing situation is insufficient due in large part to the inability to find the information that's out there.

Charles.

Travis is exactly right that customers' communication preferences vary widely. It is, therefore, very important to use various channels of communication simultaneously, especially when we need to get important information out to our customers. Of course, it takes more time and energy to communicate information via multiple channels, and since UCS has limited time and staff, it is important to make communication as efficient as possible.

IMHO, actively partnering with other units on campus (such as the library) that come into frequent contact with computer users is one option that UCS could take better advantage of, especially in communicating critical information. In reality, we are often providing this service already, when students and faculty ask us for assistance with computer/network-related questions. One challenge we often face is that with no advance notice or "official" information from UCS, it is difficult for us to provide accurate information to the public. With active collaboration, we could do a better job in using our resources (staff, web site, etc.) to help UCS communicate with our mutual customers.