This isn’t a rant, it’s a pity party - so skip over if you wish, it’s personal venting and sorting.
Journalling 101.:^)

A few months ago after about a year long discussion we decided it was time to help someone with another blog. It was time for the topic and the people involved, (timely is a good word) and I believed it was something I could do.

It is completely unrelated to the pleasure of this blog, and it’s turned out to be quite the challenge. It’s a good thing it isn’t my money involved, I’d have cashed in months ago.
I don’t like Word Press. Considering I only have MT to compare it to, that’s a bit churlish of me. The Word Press platform has been customized by a gifted technican to help posters that aren’t familar with working online. (They are so unfamilar that coaxing, pleading, teaching has thus far failed to get them to log in and try)
I realize that in too many ways I’m just as inept. I’m double posting, and formatting wrong and running into every problem the people I hope will post someday will probably run in to. And I’m fed up with myself and blaming the platform. (opps)

I’m not at all happy with the fact the blog wound up on a different server than initially planned. There is nothing wrong with the hosting company it is with, apparently they are one of the better ones. It’s a personal quirk, I’d have preferred to be with the host I chose. What a zoo that was. Again, there were committed technicans. They did all they could, bent over backwards. But if I ever decide to involve myself in an online project again, I think I’ll have to say no to the mundane of tracing, pinging, phoning ISP’s and the wee bit of help they ask for. I don’t like the fact I can’t back up the blog. I don’t like owning my own frustration and incompetence.

The blog seeks to connect academics in a narrow field of research with grass roots advocates, the media and government. It is there to help people see they are working for the same kind of change.
I really don’t want to ever look at another .pdf again, let alone try to figure out how to change them to html and get them up online. I strongly dislike .pdfs. Yep. Strongly.
I’ve noticed that researchers by nature aren’t net saavy, but their work is valuable.
It isn’t if it collects dust somewhere and doesn’t get to where it can be used.
And part of my skill is taking overblown language and translating it into english so that citizens can begin to understand how serious the problem being addressed is becoming. I haven’t been doing that. Just getting and keeping this blog running has taken up ‘my’ time. I have great respect for the academics in this field.
But lord love a duck, they are clueless when it comes to the net.

And my heart reaches out to the grass roots advocates struggling to get their voice heard in the places where change will take place - government, media, academia.
For too many of them their lives have been decimated and devestated, the losses in their familes and communites staggering. In so many ways they are indeed the true experts, and I consider it an honour to help them; to give them the research and the tools and communication skills and the links they need to make a difference. This blog looks good, works well, and is a place they are learning to access. They need a kind facilitator, not a crank with a tech headache.

I’m an idea and word person. And I’ve been feeling really caught between these two groups and technical problems. I’ve been spending way too much time hunched over the computer as I try to sort out WP, emails, spam filters, hosting, logs and many of the things I’ve faced here at BDBO. I’ve hunched and huddled. Literally. And because I get so focused on trying to figure out how to problem solve double posting, or spam, or whatever, I’ve developed almost a permanent headache. I forget to move as the frustration builds up, and I pop Advil and use hot packs. (the science of good work posture is valid, fool)
Stupid. I’m in this for the long haul and I need to focus on the good stuff, and let the technical crap go or speak to the technican more clearly. They are getting paid, and they can fix something in a minute or two. I’ve sometimes spend hours. And I need to say thank you more.

I’m going to keep going because I believe in what we are attempting to do.
I believe that even more now that it has been up and running awhile.
The hits are building steadily, and once I sort through the spam I find questions from people all over the world. Gems in the spam dust. And I find emails from grass roots web sites thanking us for what we are doing, asking for a link or specific research. I get to pass them on to people that can answer. Those are wonderful moments.

Now. If I could figure out how to help some of these amazing researchers and advocates learn how to log in and put things up online, I’d be achieving a worthwhile goal. If I could just help them learn the value of commenting, talking and explaining their data and experience to the rest of us.
Chatting, exchanging, doing what blogs are set up for. (I’m not holding my breath at this stage)
I’m unfamilar with the field, I do know the cost in lives and families is way too high to sit back. I’m not the expert and that gets frustrating. I haven’t been sorting words and ideas. I need to get there soon and enjoy ‘my’ comfort zone and use my skills effectively.

I’m really hoping most of the technical problems are over. I’m going to gag if I have to go into a WP forum again. I’ve never found a piece of useful info because I can’t figure out what the problem is in the first place.

The value of information online is in the ease of accessability and plain speaking. Learning curves, unknowns, and frustration aside, I remain committed to connecting the dots, and connecting the people that need each other to help make changes.
The pity party is over, whine off, blog on.