blogcard
In that strange world of academia the exchange of ‘business cards’ – particularly at conferences, is quite a thing. I don’t think you can ever ‘catch ‘em all’ like Pokemon cards, but it’s an interesting enough ritual. So naturally, I thought it would be good to get my blog address on mine this time and I’ve described how I went about it at length here.
Now, after a long delay, a bureaucrat in my institution has emailed me the following:
“You have asked to have the web address below printed onto your business card.
I'm sorry but I don't believe it is appropriate for this to go onto a University business card. We normally just have the University website, and whilst this may be connected to your work, I think it may be easier if you wrote this on the back for those that you wished to send your personal details onto.
Hope this isn't too disappointing but we are trying to maintain a standardised approach to business cards and other items of stationery.”
Well frankly I’m not disappointed…or surprised. I expected this to happen. But I do like the kindly advice to scribble my blog address on the back! It’s a bit like the street cards by gapingvoid…or the concept of blog cards (on gapingvoid’s own blog). Mildly amusing.
Well, blending’s OK on the night shift, working from home, but any suggestion that one might use the University’s good name for nefarious purposes, like publicizing your blog, meets with resistance.
Ouch. I can imagine myself making the same kinds of house style comments! But hope I would have sen that in this case there was a good case to answer. Maybe you should get some of those labels done with the blog URL and stick them on the back of all the cards? Haven't yet added my blog to my work email signature but that is partly about trying to keep my research soul separate from my bureaucratic daily existence.
ReplyDeleteThe sticker idea is excellent I think MaryPlain, and one that fits well with certain kinds of streetart. Should appeal to Guy ...
ReplyDeleteI now want to see if I can get my blog on mine .. it might make me remember to use them. I was thinking of getting Flickr cards done anyway so maybe I could have them all on one.
Amazing story Guy! It's pretty interesting because most like-minded colleagues from afar who have networked with me over the past year have been because of my blog. I've had several official websites for 10 years now and have experienced nothing like the number of emails and contact from them as I've experienced from my blog. Pffffttt to the Institution is what I say!!!
ReplyDeleteYAY Pffffttt!!!
ReplyDeletemary plain, I love the sticker idea and have been thinking about this one...maybe better would be a graffiti stencil, if it could be easily done (and look good). Need to consult with others and have a try-out. Thinks: this would really be playing at the borders of academia!
ReplyDelete