G'Day all,
The overwhelming volume of traffic regarding Richard's e-mail posts
has illuminated two truths of this particular place and time.
1. I used to think that of all the software people use on a routine
basis, the one tool individuals were most emotionally attached to was
their word processing software. I no longer believe that is
true. Over the last 24 hours you have convinced me that people are
far more adament about defending their e-mail clients than they ever
were about their word processor.
I suppose I shouldn't be surprised by this as e-mail, twitter,
Facework and the myriad other forms of electronic social networking
we dabble-in to devote-ourselves-to have become, to many, an
essential element of the glue that knits our social fabric together.
2. The present economic troubles; especially uncertainty about
university, college, and unit budgets; whether we as individuals will
still be employed at this institution two months or two years from
now; whether programs we have spent decades building will be
dismantled; have many of us on a razor's edge. We are quick to anger,
and quick to defend.
Good will is essential to our academy. Consider for a moment how
many aspects of this institution are powered by the good will of its
faculty, of its staff, of its students, and of the people outside the
institution that we serve. I see good will evaporating all around
me. Once gone, I know of no force strong enough to rebottle this
genie. So do me a kindness and keep some in reserve because we are
running low and will need all we can muster.
Finally, I see the flood that erupted from Richard's original post as
an emotional outburst of our collective frustration and anxiety about
that over which we do not have control. This morning Thomas Coon
wrote about these emotions in a communication to all MSUE
employees. I found his words calming: "When we reach our highest
levels of anxiety and frustration, sometimes the most reassuring and
self-affirming thing we can do is to simply do our jobs and do them
as well as we can. We still have control over that".
My pasty is done, I'd best get back to the bit mines!
Bob
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