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<br><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Geneva" size="4" style="font: 14.0px Geneva">MIT EDITORS' CLUB</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Geneva; min-height: 19px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Geneva" size="4" style="font: 14.0px Geneva">*Meeting Notes from Oct.-Nov., 2007*</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Geneva; min-height: 19px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Geneva" size="4" style="font: 14.0px Geneva">Happy Birthday, Editors' Club! Yep, it's been 30 years since this group was formed with--literally--a handful of communicators from around the Institute. At one of our recent meetings we chatted about how the club has changed and grown (there are currently about 180 members)....One of us was an original member! Everyone agreed that one of the best things about this group is the ability to bring together (electronically and otherwise) such a variety of communicators from around the Institute, especially since so many of us run one-person shops.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">*News Office News*</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">A warm welcome to several new members of the News Office! About a month or so ago, the MIT homepage team joined the office. For more information on the home page or to request a spotlight, contact my NEW colleague Susan Curran at <a href="mailto:scurran@mit.edu">scurran@mit.edu</a> or <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Courier; font-size: 17px; ">3-2548<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Geneva; font-size: 14px; ">. We also have a new science writer, David Chandler. Some of you might recognize David's name; earlier in his career he was a science writer for the Boston Globe.</span></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">*How to Write Quickly*</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Earlier this year Robyn Fizz, editor of the newsletter for information services and technology, called with a great idea for an Editor's Club topic: could members give tips on how to write QUICKLY? Here are some of the replies when I asked this question at our October meeting. I'm beginning with my favorite:</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">"Delegate," said Janet Wasserstein of the Office of Foundation Relations.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Tom Witkowski, a writer for <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; ">Communications and Donor Relations, noted that he learned to write quickly when he was a writer with the Boston Business Journal. The fast-paced newspaper environment forces you to get words down fast. </span>Said someone else: "things take as long to write as the time you have."</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Times"><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Times"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Geneva; ">Another Editor mentioned that "the hardest parts of a story are the beginning and the end," so "just getting stuff down--no matter the order" can be helpful to begin. "Write everything down, then go back for fine-tuning."</span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">My personal tip for writing quickly: don't tape your interviews. Listening to tapes and transcribing them--especially if English is not the interviewee's first language--takes a LONG time. I've also found that even when I have a perfectly good quote in hand, I'm tempted to keep transcribing because I'm sure that the *next* quote will be even better... and the next.....and the next. Finally, taping makes me lazy. Since "everything will be on the tape," I'm not as strict about stopping the researcher when I don't understand something. The result: I spend even more time transcribing, and going back to the researcher with follow-up questions.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">*Webmasters: The Job Description*</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">The MIT Energy Initiative is in the process of hiring a webmaster (at least they were when our October Editors' Club meeting was held. Note to me: study the tips, above, on how to write quickly for more timely minutes). ANYWAY, Nancy Stauffer of the MITEI asked if anyone had suggestions for what should be included in a job description. Here's a great tip: go to MIT's HR database, do a search for "web," and look at the descriptions for similar positions from around the Institute.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">*The <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>MIT Museum*</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Editors' Club member Seth Riskin is responsible for emerging technologies at the MIT Museum. That means he's a bridge between the Museum and the rest of the Institute, especially with respect to real-time, breaking research news and discoveries. How do you give visitors a feel for what it means to be at MIT? Or, put another way, how do you bring the pulse of the Institute into the Museum?</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">At our November meeting, Seth told us a bit about how the Museum aims to do just that. For example, he said, MIT 360 is a dedicated program area capable of expanding the museum's physical space electronically. Since all of this is new, I asked Seth if he could give us a tour of the new Museum space, and perhaps we could all brainstorm about new ways of collaborating with the Museum. He was quite enthusiastic about that idea, and will be sending around a note SOON to Editors' Club to schedule a tour. </div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">*MIT Editors' Club Digest*</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">If you'd prefer to receive Editors' Club notes in a daily digest rather than individually, you can now do so via the instructions below. Many thanks to Robyn Fizz!</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Geneva" size="4" style="font: 14.0px Geneva">Go to</font><font face="Lucida Grande" size="1" style="font: 9.0px Lucida Grande"> <a href="http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/editors">http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/editors</a>. You will then need to enter your password to change your subscription options -- in this case, opting for digest mode.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 9px/normal 'Lucida Grande'; min-height: 11px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Lucida Grande" size="1" style="font: 9.0px Lucida Grande">If you don't remember your password, you can get it from the monthly email with the Subject: "</font><font face="Geneva" size="4" style="font: 14.0px Geneva">mit.edu mailing list memberships reminder.</font><font face="Lucida Grande" size="1" style="font: 9.0px Lucida Grande">"</font><font face="Geneva" size="4" style="font: 14.0px Geneva"> Or click on the password reminder button and it will be mailed to you.</font></div></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">*Next Meeting*</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">The next meeting of MIT Editors' Club is Monday, Dec. 17, from 12-1 in the News Office.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Happy Holidays, Everybody!</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Elizabeth</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Geneva; min-height: 19px; "><br></div><div> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Geneva; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Geneva; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ; font-size: 12px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;">================================</span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ; font-size: 12px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;">Elizabeth A. Thomson</span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ; font-size: 12px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;">Senior Science and Engineering Editor</span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ; font-size: 12px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;">Massachusetts Institute of Technology</span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ; font-size: 12px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;">News Office, Room 11-400</span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ; font-size: 12px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;">77 Massachusetts Ave.</span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ; font-size: 12px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;">Cambridge, MA 02139-4307</span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ; font-size: 12px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;">617-258-5402 (ph); 617-258-8762 (fax)</span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ; font-size: 12px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;"><<a href="mailto:thomson@mit.edu">thomson@mit.edu</a>></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; ; font-size: 12px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;"><br></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ; font-size: 12px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;"><<a href="http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/www">http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/www</a>></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ; font-size: 12px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;">================================</span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ; font-size: 12px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;"><br class="khtml-block-placeholder"></span></font></div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></span></font></span></span> </div><br></body></html>