Strangely, I received another email about the CCC Online and CCCC MemberWeb. Though my sense is I am not the only one who got this not very personal email from Chuck Bazerman. Here it is, in its entirety:
April 8, 2009
Dear Steven Krause,
We need your vision and commitment to lead us into our next stage of networked engagement. We are looking to fill two web editing positions, as listed below.
* The position of CCC Online Editor focuses on publication, and will coordinate closely with Kathi Yancey the CCC print edition editor.
* The MemberWeb Editor is concerned more with creating new ways for CCCC members to collaborate and stay in touch with others with common interests. This position will be parallel to similar positions for the other conferences of NCTE.Both positions will receive technical support from the NCTE office; we are looking more for your vision, communicative skills, and commitment than we are for technical skills. Visit the call for applications for further details.
I hope either or both of these positions will be of interest to you, and we look forward to seeing your application.
Best,
Chuck Bazerman
CCCC Chair
Anyone else out there get this letter? I’m sort of curious what list I am on to be receiving this.
Anyway, here was my response:
Dear Chuck Bazerman, CCCC Chair:
Thanks for your email, but a) I already was invited and declined this invitation, and b) I’ve written about this in some detail on my blog, http://stevendkrause.com/2009/03/01/ncteccc-online-web-editor-positions-or-i-still-dont-think-they-quite-get-the-internets-and-that-worries-me/
Best,–Steve
Somehow, I am not expecting a reply….
Maybe the best thing about that email? They sent me one, too. Heh.
cgb
That’s interesting. Can’t say I blame you though. :-)
I got a prior iteration of it about a month ago. So did several other people. Much backchannel muttering…
I got one today also and was a shockeroo since the position was announced so long ago now. Maybe they aren’t being overrun by applicants?
Yup. Got it. It’s a mass mailing.
What, Collin? You don’t want to apply for this? ;-)
Yeah, me, too. This is the Doomed Position That No One in Their Right Mind Is Going to Touch. HQ should catch a clue. I’ll quote from one backchannel conversation: “They are fail.”
I received an email back from the CCCC folks indicating that this was an email they sent to all CCCC members. I was tempted to respond “well, duh,” but I didn’t do that.
Becky is very right here: given that they have been searching for people to do these jobs for about 9 or 10 months now and they have received plenty of feedback on how problematic these positions are as presented, one would think that a clue would be caught. And really, the fact that the powers that be at NCTE appear to still not have a clue seems evidence to me that these would indeed be pretty much impossible jobs.
Steve, mind saying which folks replied?
Bradley
It was someone named Kristen Suchor, who I believe is described by NCTE as being an “Administrative Liaison Specialist.”