It’s taken me a little time, but I believe I am coming around to seeing the value of podcasting and blogs on both an individual and organizational level. For me, the podcasting the turning point was a podcast by Adrian Sannier, the Chief Technology Officer at Arizona State University. His podcast address to ASU’s webdevelopers

http://blogs.dmit.asu.edu/podcasts/

articulates concisely his plan for developing the IT Strategic plan at ASU and in doing so he concisely articulated many of the challenges higher education institutions are facing as they seek to adopt and integrate new technologies within their environments. I wish him well and thank him for an inside view of another institution’s processes.
Now with the assistance of my iPod and the growing number of podcasts of similar ilk, my productivity has increased dramatically. As I mow the lawn, wash the cars, vacuum the house, chop wood or engage in other such activities and responsibilities of an adult suburban warrior, I can learn and grow as I listen to insightful discussions on topics of my choosing. I am at liberty to engage or not; fastfoward, rewind, or stop. I have gained back control over a hugh portion of time. Mind you, I fully appreciate the need to unplug and let the mind idle for a while and there is a lot to be said about the value of letting the mind drift as one engages in a physically demanding and productive activity such as chopping wood. But now, I have control.

As for blogging, while I am not posting regularly, which some of my colleagues lament for some reason, I now appreciaite the impact blogging can have on an organization’s overall digital footprint. Therefore, I now intend to spend some effort evangalizing the potential of blogging on our campus. Thanks to those who pushed me in this direction.