Blog purpose

This BLOG is for LLNL present and past employees, friends of LLNL and anyone impacted by the privatization of the Lab to express their opinions and expose the waste, wrongdoing and any kind of injustice against employees and taxpayers by LLNS/DOE/NNSA. The opinions stated are personal opinions. Therefore, The BLOG author may or may not agree with them before making the decision to post them. Comments not conforming to BLOG rules are deleted. Blog author serves as a moderator. For new topics or suggestions, email jlscoob5@gmail.com

Blog rules

  • Stay on topic.
  • No profanity, threatening language, pornography.
  • NO NAME CALLING.
  • No political debate.
  • Posts and comments are posted several times a day.

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

How to breath life into this BLOG

New Topic: How to breath some life into this Blog:
Anonymous said:

I've been following this Blog now since its creation and occasional post to it. It is dull, lifeless and almost useless.

With all that's gone on at LLNL in the last several months, one would think it would be a place where all would go the first chance they had. This is not the case.

A couple of suggestions:
- Take off monitoring to get faster turn-around.

- Allow critical posts which should get people thinking and commenting. I tried to do this several weeks ago, but people just passed over it.

- I suspect it may be a lot of work to run a Blog, but you might do some research to see what the secrets of successful ones are.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

what do you suggest?

Anonymous said...

Turning off moderation would be a huge mistake. All that does is dilute the good posts with hate messages, spam, and trolling for fights.

Anonymous said...

I've had several posts that were blocked because the criteria for what is "on topic" is too strict. Yet, a few messages later, there were other "off-topic" messages that were not blocked.

scooby said...

hello June 10 9PM:
1) you are off topic here.
2) we try our best. we are not infallible.
3) thank you for visiting

scooby said...

I will not turn off screening on this BLOG; the previous commenter is right. The BLOG will turn into a chaotic place. Turning off screening results in faster turnaround, this is correct, but is turnaround a problem?
Since when, comments on a BLOG are time-sensitive?

Anonymous said...

What the blog really needs is more information - even rumor - the problem is that so few people really know what's going on. We're also in a bit if dead period until the next round of firings in 2 weeks time.

I think some of the posts related to job outside the lab have been useful.

Obi-Wan said...

Scooby, tx for putting this out as a new post. I respect you wanting to screen posts and can live with it.

As a first step in breathing life into Blog, I've chosen an identity other than anonymous: 47. This will help others to address me as 47 vs. 'post 6/10 8:04 PM'. I wish the environment was open enough to use real names, but I have too much to risk, as I'm sure others do, to disclose.

The title of the Blog is: LLNL The True Story. I'm not sure what that means anymore as we are almost a year into LLNS. Posts seem to deal mainly with digs at LLNS/NNSA/ULM. Is that really what we want theme to be?

I think the Blog would be greatly enhanced if we could get a more diverse group of posters but I don't know how to do that. If we had everyones email address, then we could advertise! Maybe current readers can spread by word-of-mouth?

One topic that would be of great interest, as well as therapeutic, would be for all people who have left LLNL voluntarily and involuntarily since LLNS, to tell their story (in a 100-200 words)and leaving out info that could identify who they are.

I'll volunteer mine as a starter:

A 200 series employee
Over 50 years old
Over 20 years service
LLNL only employer
Held many different positions including supervision and management
Managed multi-million $ projects
Always had above average reviews
Gave my all to LLNL as a dedicated employee. Loyalty used to be a value
Reason left: ISP
Why involuntary separated: My speculation, as no one has told me that my SKA's weren't adequate for the future LLNS, is wrong place at wrong time in wrong 'work unit'
Feeling about it all: I've grieved it and am now looking for a company that has hired the best and brightest into management!

47

scooby said...

hello 47!
I do not control the mood, contents of the BLOG or how interesting or dull it is.
It reflects what commenters think.
Right now, may people are angry and leaving, some looking and on the fence. Consider that BLOG visits are only 20 unique visitors per day!
Out of a population of 6000-7000 people!
I will post your comments under 'tell us your story"

Anonymous said...

Scooby,

This blog's narrow interpretation of what is "on topic" has killed any chance for interesting digressions which could lead to new discussion topics. Look at the LANL blog and see how the "topic" changes are tolerated.

Anonymous said...

The real problem is that what has happened at the Lab is not much of a big deal unless you happened to be one of the individuals laid off. Layoffs are occurring all over this country all the time. Unfortunately, because the Lab had been so stable for 25 years, becoming a career indefinite employee was considered a guaranteed job for life.

Many people joined LLNS in TCP-1 after deciding that TCP-1 would be around when they retired. What they should have considered is whether they will be around to retire.

scooby said...

6/12 2:16PM
My interpretation of what is on topic is not narrow. If it was, fewer comments will make it.
If a comment is blantatly off topic (has nothing to do with the topic), I will drop it or put it in the appropriate post.
However, if a comment starts on topic and digresses somewhere, I am not going to be picky!
If I allow off topic comments, then why have posts with titles, why not just have a big bucket full of miscellaneous comments.
Lastly, the LANL blog is not a model BLOG.
Thank you for visiting!

Frank Young said...

Scooby,
I assure you, the LANL blog is perfect in every way.

Just kidding!
Pinky

Neko said...

This blog is better managed than at least two multi-billion dollar national laboratories. What's your problem?

Anonymous said...

The most frustrating thing about this blog now is that it is so hard to see what is new. Responses are scattered all over, many are duplicated. One bucket might be better.


After looking at a couple, frequently it is easier to just forget it, much less participate.


OR, COULD THE TOPIC LIST PLEASE BE SORTED BY NEWEST POST DATE?


ALSO Links to internal sites are useless to those now outside. Even other links seem to evaporate. If not too long, please post the info. itself!

If long, cut to the chase and post only the GOOD stuff! You could add the link for those who want more, or to see where it came from.


Thanks!
I'm HELPFUL1 today.

scooby said...

hello helpful1!
Thank you for visiting.
1) The posts (topics as you refer to them) are already ordered with the most recent first. Some of them have a a date in the future so that they remain on top for a while.

2) The comments under the posts are ordered with oldest first. I tried to find a way to reverse that but could not.
3) I made a change that will allow
you to see comments in a pop up window so that you can maintain the
BLOG window in the background.

That is all I could do. Please keep in mind that the BLOGSPOT.com provides very little in the way of artistic, commercial-stype website customization.

Anonymous said...

"This blog is better managed than at least two multi-billion dollar national laboratories."

In their current state, that's not saying much.

Anonymous said...

helpful1 said "The most frustrating thing about this blog now is that it is so hard to see what is new."

You might check out RSS feeds in your browser. Makes it much easier to follow blog topics you find interesting.

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