Thanks to our new sponsor Inteleca for helping bring back Q's Take my weekly look at things around GT and college sports from my vantage.
It's funny sitting in the urgent care with my 14-year-old son who was born almost exactly a year after I took over this site I reflected on how much things have changed. That reflective mood was already stirring after seeing the mess that is going on with Twitter and the love/hate relationship I've had with something that has been at times a boon for my business and also the source of ripoff artists, aggregators and fake recruiting and team experts that clog media well beyond the borders of my sites.
Twitter has probably been my strongest advertising tool other than the fine people who already pay for this site sharing it with friends, but it also has led to a lot of nonsense and unnecessary grinding that is burning out half or more of my industry.
Having a 365/24/7 news cycle isn't healthy for anyone to constantly consume. I am not saying I want to see a return to the dark ages when I would break a commit and another site of the AJC might take 6-10 hours to run their own thing or even post it. Those days are over, I get it.
It was just nice to unplug this weekend under the idea that I was saving my Twitter views in case something important happened.
Now to pivot it to GT, you are wondering that is a great story Kelly, but why are you writing about this?
Twitter, social media and the 365/24/7 lifestyle invaded recruiting for coaches who already struggled with time management and life balance and it is making everyone miserable. The portal has made things even worse for coaches.
Someone asked me what do coaches do in this downtime after the dead period starts and before it ends. They go to the doctor, dentist, DMV, and maybe take a week or two with the family, but it is almost impossible for anyone to truly unplug anymore whether you are the head coach at Georgia Tech or an assistant coach at an FCS school or the writers on a Georgia Tech site.
Having Twitter go sideways gave most people I know including coaches an excuse to exhale for half a minute and maybe reflect on all of this as I have.
I know it is not working in a coal mine or in a factory or a sweatshop, but everyone in this business grinds almost all the time without a break for years on end.
A tip of the cap to those of us in that world on this July 4th extended weekend is in order in my mind. Along with the true tradition of the holiday and I hope people think about the ways the world tries to put us at odds with each other and instead try to be kinder and more tolerant of our neighbors even if they are obnoxious fans of a team you hate. Take a deep breath and try to enjoy the little things, seeing my son get hurt today is a good reminder that things can change in a snap, and don't get too caught up in your own nonsense.
Happy July 4th JOLers and hopefully we will have a fun season to watch unfold in the fall.
It's funny sitting in the urgent care with my 14-year-old son who was born almost exactly a year after I took over this site I reflected on how much things have changed. That reflective mood was already stirring after seeing the mess that is going on with Twitter and the love/hate relationship I've had with something that has been at times a boon for my business and also the source of ripoff artists, aggregators and fake recruiting and team experts that clog media well beyond the borders of my sites.
Twitter has probably been my strongest advertising tool other than the fine people who already pay for this site sharing it with friends, but it also has led to a lot of nonsense and unnecessary grinding that is burning out half or more of my industry.
Having a 365/24/7 news cycle isn't healthy for anyone to constantly consume. I am not saying I want to see a return to the dark ages when I would break a commit and another site of the AJC might take 6-10 hours to run their own thing or even post it. Those days are over, I get it.
It was just nice to unplug this weekend under the idea that I was saving my Twitter views in case something important happened.
Now to pivot it to GT, you are wondering that is a great story Kelly, but why are you writing about this?
Twitter, social media and the 365/24/7 lifestyle invaded recruiting for coaches who already struggled with time management and life balance and it is making everyone miserable. The portal has made things even worse for coaches.
Someone asked me what do coaches do in this downtime after the dead period starts and before it ends. They go to the doctor, dentist, DMV, and maybe take a week or two with the family, but it is almost impossible for anyone to truly unplug anymore whether you are the head coach at Georgia Tech or an assistant coach at an FCS school or the writers on a Georgia Tech site.
Having Twitter go sideways gave most people I know including coaches an excuse to exhale for half a minute and maybe reflect on all of this as I have.
I know it is not working in a coal mine or in a factory or a sweatshop, but everyone in this business grinds almost all the time without a break for years on end.
A tip of the cap to those of us in that world on this July 4th extended weekend is in order in my mind. Along with the true tradition of the holiday and I hope people think about the ways the world tries to put us at odds with each other and instead try to be kinder and more tolerant of our neighbors even if they are obnoxious fans of a team you hate. Take a deep breath and try to enjoy the little things, seeing my son get hurt today is a good reminder that things can change in a snap, and don't get too caught up in your own nonsense.
Happy July 4th JOLers and hopefully we will have a fun season to watch unfold in the fall.
