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Ed-Tech Vendors: The Unintentional Enemy Outside?

The session title was outrageous to bring Christian Long back from his hiatus - a conference seminar by Chris Ridgway, Sophos, titled The Enemy Within: Stop Students from Bypassing Your Web Filters. It sparked a wave of reaction, including a two-part post (part one, part two) from Sylvia Martinez asserting bluntly that studetns are not the enemy. And as Bud Hunt wrote to Ridgway, "I find this session title and the frame that you're using to sell your services to be offensive and beyond the pale. Our students are not our enemies and their behaviors are not rooted in violence." And Long concludes, "At worst, your language strips the very industry you are paid to serve of its mission and heart, not to mention the fairly painful irony that it attacks the very group that schools exist to advocate for...and to empower..." Christian Long, Think:Lab, November 9, 2009. [Link] [Tags: Schools, Twitter] [Previous][Next]

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Re: Ed-Tech Vendors: The Unintentional Enemy Outside?

Anymouse, November 9, 2009

For thought for you all:
"You see, this conversation -- this very real, 24/7 global conversation is being held not just here on your (open, editable) wiki page, but is gaining momentum on countless educator/ed-tech blogs (and RSS feeds/subscriptions), via Facebook, via Twitter (with constant "retweets" of other bloggers who are speaking about your session/company), etc, and growing by the day. Do the math. How many hours, days have passed since your talk? Now, how many folks who were *not* even in your session, in those 4-walls, are now talking about your session, your company, your marketing language."

and

"I have been following this conversation all morning, and as you can see the comments are multiplying not only here but throughout various social networks."

You all have been played. Classic Tom Sawyer-ish "get someone else to do the heavy lifting."

To Chris:
Well done, you have managed to create a lot of awareness about you and your company. And they all played right into your hands, nice marketing move (and I mean that sincerely, not facetiously or sarcastically), somebody should sign you up for social networking marketing consulting ( I don't have the budget, :( .... )
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