From the Editor, December 2013

It’s already December 16th!

OK, the first thing I did was to put a reminder on my calendar to post a new article on the first of each month. Sorry for the delay this month.

We are continuing to add new members and WSJSociety.com registrants, but at a slower rate that before. That’s not unexpected.

However, our biggest challenge seems to be getting engaged with each other. Communicating via social media, even in this restricted environment, is not entirely standard practice for many of us. That’s understandable, it may take time to get comfortable with WSJSociety.com. We will take whatever time you need.

There may be some concern how information you post is used. On reviewing a page submitted to the Newsletter, at the board meeting last week, one member asked if I had permission to print those photos. The photos in question where those taken at the Fall Luncheon with the expressed intent of including them in the Newsletter. So, there was no problem; that’s been the standard practice for years.

I did submit an article to the Newsletter that mentions the names of members who have posted a picture. And, I would like to start a practice of publishing the names of members who have logged into WSJSociety.com. That information is available to all online. The intent of both of those actions is to urge others to login to re-connect with the 150 members who have already done so. The Newsletter goes out to all 540 members. It remains our best way to communicate to the entire membership.

I would like to hear about your concerns for maintaining control of the information you share on WSJSociety.com. WSJSociety.com features allow you to manage the display of your Profile information, and my policy is to follow that strictly, including pictures that you post there. You can manage notifications you receive in the Your Profile/Settings and my policy is to follow that strictly. There may be a reason for the Society to communicate with you via email, but those are expected to be used sparingly.

There are several Public Groups, e.g. “People We Know”, “Stories Worth Repeating”, and “JCI in the News” that are designed to capture your stories for sharing with everyone. It’s my expectation that you agree to have these submitted to the Newsletter. They are a new way to submit an article or personal update. The previous method was restricted to mailing hardcopy. That method is still available. But now you can post your stories directly. They are shared immediately with those who use WSJSociety.com, and, if selected for publication, shared with all members in the quarterly Newsletters.

Please let me know your concerns. You have access to Help and Suggestion Box to let me know what you think. These generate an email to Help@WSJSociety.com. I check that box on a regular basis. You can send me an email there directly if you would like. Or, the Public Group, “Open Forum” is available for discussions on topics just like this. Let’s talk about it!

Please let me know your thoughts.
And, everyone, enjoy your holidays with family and friends.

Jude Anders, Editor