Category: life

The days of blogging dangerously

Here’s something for my fellow bloggers to think about:

Ahmad Abu Khair, a 33-year-old Syrian who has been blogging about the revolutionary events unfolding in the Middle East, was reportedly arrested on Sunday, according to the Los Angeles Times‘ technology blog.

Although according to the Times “the charges against Khair hadn’t yet been made public,” it’s reasonable to assume that Khair’s arrest was connected to his posts in support of the uprisings in the region.

Reading about Khair’s arrest last night, I thought about the freedom to blog that I take for granted. How easy it is for me to post on so many topics, so many of them trivial when compared to what others are posting in other, less open parts of the world.

I also wondered: If the words I typed on the screen posed a threat to the government and put me in danger of arrest, jail or worse, would I still blog?

Would you?

Thanks to Adam Johnson (@adamjohnsons) for pointing out the story.

A leader prepares to depart

Today, Jack Carney, the chancellor at Missouri University of Science and Technology (where I work), announced that he was retiring from that position on Aug. 31.

I’m thrilled for Jack. He’s worked hard in his six-year tenure at Missouri S&T, leading our campus through a major transformation on many levels. He busted up silos by eliminating the three schools and college, led a university name change and rebranding initiative to bring our mission into sharper focus, and in general put the university on sturdier footing than it was when he arrived in 2005. He’s more than earned retirement and time to play with his four grandchildren.

When a leader of that magnitude departs, the absence will be notable. That void hasn’t been felt yet — we have another seven-plus months before his last day, and most of us on campus are still absorbing the news — but soon we’ll start to see it manifest.

I’ve loved working under the leadership and vision of Jack Carney. I’ve learned a lot from him, and I’m going to miss him. But it’s time for him to spend time with his grandkids. They’ll undoubtedly learn a lot from him, too.