And I think that is what keeps us away at times. My involvement with a variety of sites like this goes up and down over time depending on how busy I am offline. I try to check in occasionally, but I don't always have anything to share myself.

I love the email notices because they let me know of new posts and bring me back to the site, but they are a double-edged sword... when I am NOT seeing emails, I know there is little activity and so I don't bother checking in.

It's all I can do really to keep up with this site and Facebook and SportsShooter and whatever else... sometimes I just get burned out with being on the computer all the time!

-Erin

I, like Erin (and Colby) have been quite busy myself and don't always contribute as much as I could or probably should. I have been good about checking in occasionally (and love the newsletter updates as a reminder to do that) to see what great shots others have been getting.

I will try to be better about actually doing the assignments and posting what I've been doing at least monthly. I suppose if just a few of us make that happen, it will go a long way to providing regular material for the site and it will be well worth the effort. And thanks, Colby for all that you've done to keep so many of us connected for these SIX years since graduating. It has been a great source of inspiration and encouragement to me.

Yes, well I expect burn out is fairly common with all the sites to keep up with. I hope the new tech will be less intrusive and overall easier to use. I think the draw of micro blogging and stuff like twitter is it's done in small, more continuous chunks so it's closer to texting with more meat than spending time to worry about telling an entire story in one sitting. The end goal here is to integrate the tools you are using so there is no/little action required to keep the content coming in.

I would be interested in hearing what social networking tools are being used by our members. I do not really use Facebook or Myspace as I am more inclined to the light weight solutions like Twitter. I also prefer more of a niche site like this as I have no time for the extra fluff content that comes with the bigger sites. Thoughts?

Okay, I haven't really given Twitter a shot, but I just don't get the attraction. I have too much coming at me all the time with the day job and freelance work and volunteer work and family stuff that the last thing I care to receive or share is the non-substantive drivel that seems to come through sites like that. Maybe it is the ever so slight generation gap between myself at the tail end of Gen X and the "youngsters" of the Y Generation. My younger brother and cousins all seem keen to share with the world what they are doing every minute of the day... their away messages on IM say everything from in class/at work to walking the dog to eating to showering! For crying out loud... I don't need that much minute detail. The simple sign that you are "Away" is enough for me.

I don't know if I am just more guarded or if it comes from being a "working professional" for going on 7 years now, but I am amazed out the amount of personal information that people put out on the internet for all the world to see. Even in the more closed world of Facebook where only those you count as your friends can see your information... there is still stuff that is shared there between people and their closest friends that others who are little more than passing acquaintances also see.

But anyway... I think I have rambled off topic here. I use Facebook on occasion and I have dabbled with Flickr. I have a MySpace account, but haven't done anything with it. That's about it.

-E.

I have to say I am with Erin again.

By the end of the day it is hard enough for me to sit down and answer email let alone things like laundry....

Then I will be away on a gig for 4 months or more. I use facebook but only to catch up with people and let them know I am alive. I think we do have a very real need for this site because it is for the want of a better term a safe forum. We know what people went through and we trust the judments of those making them because of association. Did we get many new members when the last SI let out? I would certainly not be using ANY other forum like I do this one looking for answers.

I will definately try to spend more time here and working on the assignments.

Chippy