We are just fresh in 2009 and CS finally launched its new feature: ‘News Channels’, one overview for all organizational communication towards all CS-member. It not only features the latest news from the organization and tech-news, it even hosts the earlier announced member-stories about hospitality experiences and also the news-letters that are supposed to arrive in your inbox soon again.
But what a completely uncoordinated launch this is. We’ve been anticipating this new features since a long while, and now that it is finally ready, you just have the feeling something is still not going right at the CS Basecamp. The only launch-news shown, dates back to news which is 4 months old, August and September 2008, and the thread on the communications channel that catches my eye the most is still the infamous ‘do we have a team?‘.
It could be just a simple lack of coordination but the impression you get from this launch is that volunteers are still not supported in the work they do. Imagine: you work hard on implementing a new system – or enthousiastic about writing news for the CS-members – but somehow you just don’t get the feeling you are receiving support from some key people to get this launched professionally. At the same time, while older volunteers are tired from their effort, there is a lack of empowerment of new volunteers, no news has been written, or the editors didn’t have access to the tools. Really, sometimes you just feel pity for the people that still work for Casey Couchsurfing Inc.
Anyway, let’s see how quickly this new feature will be used and how it will run. I just hope that somehow, the first news item will be a BIG apology from Casey himself about the 14,000 e-mails that got deleted corrupted while upgrading the messaging system last month, and an honest explanation why this took 3 days instead of an hour. Followed the next day by news about the 501c3 status, news about BaseCamp on the third day, new hires on the fourth, expenses and income of the past quarters on the fifth, and support for the OCS-campaigns on the sixth. Now that would be communication.
Wow. Half a year ago – ok, to be fair: from Fri, 25 Jul 2008 is just five and a half month – the cs-blog announces “The CouchSurfing News Channels – Coming Soon!” and now it’s released.
But besides introducing the slowest cs-page so far (heavy, but useless js-script abuse), it’s just: nothing. What’s so awesome about showing the last posts of some random groups and posts from a blog that’s not used anymore? The RSS-feeds / subscriptions? First the “features” are nothing really new as they were available on the group pages already, second who’s interested in “news” from last summer and a meeting announcement for sept 2008?!? Maybe the “new” advertisement for müvmédia from Wed, 10 Sep 2008 is the killer argument?
Only someone who thinks “soon” is “5 month plus” for a simple internet page could sell this as “news channel” … or do I have a language problem with the word “news”?
Midsch, “new communication channels” were actually announced around September 2007, when the management decided to withdraw from group discussions, obviously wanting a one-way communication channel instead of one where questions could be asked back for all to see.
I think this special page was really meant in the blog half a year ago, the “new communication channels” from sept 2007 are part of the returning hot air from CS-core. At least since I started with CS seriously in 2006 “communication” was promised regulary but replaced by marketing bloats, announcements – if anything happens at all … so to be fair we’ve to face the fact: this time “coming soon” was really fast;). But as I’ve written above: without any content it’s just another dead end anyway. (Probably again not the volunteers fault, as some of them really try to change things until they understand: This won’t happen under the rule of the actual LT.)
I hosted a group of CS guests last year who were starting a cool outreach program for alt transportation energy awareness…they now have pending 501c3 status. It isn’t that hard to do…I’ve gotten this US federal tax-exempt status myself for a group; it ain’t difficult….and don’t understand the hold-up for CS. Can any knowledgeable person explain?
oops…i re-read this and boy did I miss the boat…please excuse my non-sequitur response. I feel altzheimers is fast approaching:)
Margaret, sounds to me perfectly on topic, the topic being: uncoordinated. ;-P
well that would indeed apply to me:) thank you for being gracious
hi,
are there chances of re-instation of a deleted profile?
or i ‘m on a wrong track.please co-ordinate.
best regards,
harry