[Editors] MIT Editors' Club Minutes, March 2011

[Elizabeth A Thomson]

MIT EDITORS' CLUB

*Meeting Notes from March 9, 2011*


*On Writing*

This meeting began with the question, "Are there really people out there who love writing? I think it's more like having a root canal."

That, of course, generated a lively discussion. Interestingly (to me), not one of the Editors present said that writing was easy for them. "It's always such a mental workout," said Nancye Mims, Stewardship and Donor Relations Officer in Resource Development. I have personally been a science writer for over 20 years now, and still find the process painful. It's SATISFYING when I'm done, but painful at the time. 

*Communications Resources*

>From there, we segued into resources for communicators at MIT to prevent "reinventing the wheel every time." For example, someone wanted to know how much it costs to create a new web site. My colleague Barbara Malec, Associate Director for Web and Design in Resource Development Communications, had some great advice---among other things, she suggested contacting DCAD, the web development programming shop in Information Services and Technology (see http://ist.mit.edu/dcad). Someone else suggested contacting the Publishing Services Bureau (PSB).

Jessica Jones of the Undergraduate Practice Opportunities Program then asked if there were any online resources for questions just like this involving MIT communications. One great place to start, I said, is the Communicators Toolkit developed by the PSB (http://commtoolkit.mit.edu/). In fact, there's a nice story in The Tech about the Toolkit and PSB in general (go to http://tech.mit.edu/V130/N58/toolkit.html).

Several of us have found that PSB workshops involving communications have been very helpful. Note to PSB: We'd love it if you held some of these a few times a year, or more regularly. Said someone, "The annual repetition of useful workshops is important because often people are either busy, or not interested in the subject at the time." (Interests--and jobs--change.) Plus, the Institute is always hiring new communicators who would no doubt appreciate such workshops.

*Next Meetings*

The next meetings of MIT Editors' Club, which are always from 12-1 but in different locations around campus, are as follows:

Tuesday, April 12
NW17-218, 175 Albany St. (Plasma Science and Fusion Center)

Wednesday, May 11
N42-286 (Information Services and Technology)

Wednesday, June 15
E38-254 (Publishing Services Bureau)


Cheers!

Elizabeth
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Elizabeth A. Thomson
Associate Director of Communications
MIT Resource Development
Office of Communications
600 Memorial Dr., W98-300
617-258-5563, 857-756-9457
<thomson at mit.edu>, giving.mit.edu
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