Friday Five: Random-access edition

A longtime blogging buddy in the UK recently posted what he called a blogpost of no consequence. It was, of course, nothing of the sort, as it was filled with all sorts of interesting links and even a fun YouTube video. It was a post of random observations, and randomness is not without consequence.

Today’s post is random. The only thing not random about it is that it follows the order of five things, as is my custom for Friday blog posts. So let’s get to it:

  1. Dave Olsen, well-known in the higher ed marketing community for his activity on Twitter and elsewhere, has launched a blog called Mobile in Higher Ed. It’s a great niche and I can’t think of anyone better than Dave to address what’s happening in mobile right now.
  2. Meet Leroy Stick, the man behind @BPglobalPR. I started @BPGlobalPR, because the oil spill had been going on for almost a month and all BP had to offer were bullshit PR statements. No solutions, no urgency, no sincerity, no nothing. That’s why I decided to relate to the public for them.
  3. Embracing Web Analytics is Karine Joly’s latest University Business column. It’s also the latest salvo in Karine’s call for an analytics revolution.
  4. The rise of page-view journalism means companies (and higher ed) must generate their own media.
  5. For all the needless drama of life (and really, is there any other kind?), try the Drama Button. (Warning: You may need to turn down your speakers.) Here’s hoping you won’t need this button till Monday.

Happy Weekend, everyone.

P.S. – Celtics in six.

Higher ed, social media and the law

Interested in the legal ramifications of your school’s social media policy, or lack thereof? Join Mark Greenfield next Tuesday, June 8, as he facilitates an online session on Higher Ed, Social Media and the Law. The two-hour session begins at 1:15 p.m. EDT. It is part of a web conference hosted by Penn State and is free of charge to online participants.

True to form for a virtual session, Mark plans to make the most of social media to generate discussion. There will be a Twitter stream (hashtag: #hesmlaw), a video feed via UstreamTV, and an opportunity for online participants to submit questions using Harvard’s Live Question Tool.

“The format will be much different than a typical workshop,” Mark writes on his blog. “Following the principles of an unconference, we will leverage the wisdom of the crowd in an open environment where everyone’s participation is encouraged.”

Why the focus on legal aspects? Mark explains:

It is important for social media practitioners to fully understand the legal ramifications for both themselves and their institutions. Social media is a whole new paradigm and current federal law, state law and university policy is painfully outdated. This workshop will explore these issues and help participants develop social media policies that protect both employees and the institution without undue restrictions.

I’ll be there. Will you?

P.S. – On the same subject, here’s a worthwhile read about the need for PR and legal to collaborate when it comes to social media.