NING vs. TLC

[naomibates]

So, I'm just curious... what do ya'll who have joined this forum think of it? This isn't to say TLC isn't wonderful (it's how I cut my teeth) but I LOVE to see who everyone is! I'm enjoying the heck out of this and being able to see who, where, and the info is neato bandito. My favorite pic has got to be Amanda's : )

[Barbara Jansen]

I think this can really go somewhere. It is a great place to archive our ideas and conversations, as well as share what we are doing. Thanks for creating the ning for us, Shonda. I just hope I don't spend too much time here and not get my mounds of work done!

[Teresa Price]

I feel more comfortable to comment here. I have always read TLC, but felt too intimidated to post more than a question once or twice because of the number of members. This is the first forum I have really participated in. It is less formal and the photos definitely make it friendlier!

[naomibates]

I feel the same way! Not only can you check out the blogs in other members pages, but you get to see the human side of people you know only by name. It's a good way to know who people are when you see them at conferences, workshops, etc... I like that personal touch.

[Shonda Brisco]

Sorry for being "in the back office" so much....I can't seem to find the time to write my articles, blog the blogs that I'm supposed to blog, and take care of the Ning and the Wiki(s)...and isn't this summer? Actually, I wanted to step back and watch to see what is happening before jumping in and talking here, but after being "snapped at" on the TLC list recently, I decided that sometimes the "list" isn't very friendly, so maybe I should just go back "home."

I love seeing the photos and making an "ah-ha!" connection with the faces and the names. Maybe we can post more ideas and suggestions both here and on the Wiki for the upcoming year. I'm posting links and things when I have the time, but this is certainly a full-time job. (Who said technology made things easier?)
~Shonda

[Sue Mueller]

This is really cool. I've been reading TLC for the last 5 years and I really get a kick out of it a lot of the time. Don't get me wrong, I have also gotten some awesome ideas, but I never really felt I had much to contribute...FEAR...I finally got brave and answered a question about flex scheduling once. It was both great and scary! I met a librarian from Amarillo that came up and spent a day with me to see how my library ran. That was a wonderful connection. (Maybe she'll join this) Then several questions came back which sounded more like an attack than an, "I really want to know", so I chickened out an answered them off line. This has so much more personality. I sure feel more comfortable. Thanks.

[Shonda Brisco]

I know what you mean....it seems that sometimes (depending upon who's online) TLC is vicious toward its members. I've met a lot of librarians at TLA who tell me that they "lurk" TLC because of the attacks. I think some of it comes from the frustration level that some feel about the topics or the questions being asked (example: "we've answered that question before!" or "Where did you get your degree?"). However, I think it's important to remember that we've all been through this level of discovering and learning. If we continue to bite our young (and inexperienced), we're going to lose them to another profession (or listserv). One of my professors in my graduate courses told the class, "If you are NOT giving back, if you are NOT mentoring new librarians, if you are NOT seeking advancement and contributing to the profession....choose another profession." It always struck me as one of the most important parts of the profession---giving back, sharing, and being patient with others as they move "up-to-speed" with the rest of the profession.

[Carol Simpson]

OK, I'm here, but I don't know that I will stay. This becomes just another place I must remember to check. The good thing about email lists (don't say "listserv" as that is a trademark for a specific type of software) is that they come into your mailbox all of their own. You are already using email, but you don't automatically go to another website.

That's not to say that the discussions here won't be informative, or valuable. But at some point you have to do your REAL work (the stuff you get paid to do). When you have LM_NET, TLC, this, Joyce Valenza's Ning, professional magazines, conferences, etc. etc. and you spend all that time on all of them, someone or something is going to get shortchanged. You have to make sure that you select the most efficient news channel for you (the most bang for the buck, if you will) and shed the rest.

[Kelly M. Hoppe]

I'm enjoying this also. I've been a member of the TLC listserv for quite some time and I think it still has it's purpose. There is no better place to go for a quick Q & A. However, I enjoy this venue too. I do not have a MySpace page and don't know much about it so this is my first experience with something like that. I can see why kids enjoy MySpace so much.

I too enjoy seeing what everyone looks like. It's kind of funny.......reading TLC comments you sort of get an image in your mind of what someone looks like (sort of like you do with book characters) so it's fun to see if your image matches reality.