DISQUS

wfpman · 6 months ago

Honestly I don't think it's that much of a waste. There are directors on boards of banks like Wells Fargo/Wachovia, Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase and &c. who are worthless and get paid more to do nothing! This position though slightly overpaid (maybe) would have helped the county communicate better with its citizens. The position seemed to be more than just being on Twitter and Facebook (which appear to be taking on CRM capabilities for enterprises when you think about it) it would involve video filming and editing. They would also be writing copy for other deadlines too it seems.

Nik · 6 months ago

I feel your final paragraph is a bit hyperbolic, and the concept of blacklisting a newspaper because of the actions of government officials operating in that newspaper's coverage area rather odd. The Portland area, much of which lies in Multnomah county, is home to much innovation in software, some of which I'm sure you've reported on in the past.

I had a feeling this might happen when I this story garnered national media attention. The reactionary forces at work in this area pick on anything silly sounding, even if, in reality, the program or job position would be of value. What use is taking county government to the Ashton Kutcher crowd anyway?

Ted Wheeler is correct that steps should be taken to make government responsive in ways that are useful to its constituents, and one of those ways is to use technology. This particular attempt was a victim of its boldness and the attention it got.

mashable · 6 months ago

Nik,

We're not blacklisting them: I'm simply saying that we've never had cause to mention The Oregonian.

Jan Groh · 6 months ago

Except you said " and last time we’ll quote The Oregonian" sic. Tho I have a feeling this won't be the last time you quote the Oregonian or tweet about the area and its twittizens. Stay tuned, Pete;).

Melanie · 6 months ago

This sounds similar to the kind of social networking site I am trying to build: a place where PR reps, CVBs, travel writers and tourists can connect regarding travel in the US.

Benjamin Wright · 6 months ago

Multnomah’s sister county to the south, Jackson, is a pioneer in the exploitation of technology. Jackson may be the first (sizable) government agency in the county to archive ALL of its employee e-mail (and other e-messages like IM) indefinitely. Although such a policy is highly unusual, it reflects the county’s progressive realization that e-mail records are an asset of both the county’s government and its citizens.

@ModernSingleMom · 6 months ago

That's my home town....
Man, such a bummer! First, pride at their attempt to truly honor their mission to be progressive and forward thinking, then disappointment at their retraction.

Living in Lexington, Kentucky now...and not just to trade in the rain for Bourbon. Perhaps IT has a chance of becoming the next bold and 'social media mindful' city.

NotesFromKris · 6 months ago

Kudos to Williams for his suggestion of social media as a communication avenue. I personally have found in my busy life as mother, wife, pta board mbr, club board mbr, work-a-holic, volunteer, family quality time enthusiast and basic over-achiever that government involvement isn't at the top of my list.

Facebook and RSS feeds have helped me become enlightened on the issues facing our community. I would not have sought out this avenue had it not been for social media and for that certain someone(s) in community government who had the foresight to use technology to inform and educate. We all know that too many decisions and opinions are not based on education or information, rather on emotion. With a more educated base we can help our leaders lead us to successful solutions. This community felt that this was not the time. New ideas need time to soak in for some. TV media (some) has portrayed social media as a way to communicate eating prefs and biological movements when we (you know who you are) know it can be so much more.

Re: the comment on "taking county government to the Ashton Kutcher crowd"; have you seen what he has accomplished? http://www.looktothestars.org/celebrity/15-asht... I hope that his billboard MySpace and Twitter "antics" make "his crowd" more aware of world issues and help others become more aware of their community and how they can become a solution instead of part of the problem. Dang - just plugged a celebrity...but you get the point.

Either lead, follow or get out of the way.

Andrew Plambeck · 6 months ago

It's really too bad. As someone with a background in public policy and a degree in public relations, I applied for this job enthusiastically. I have sound experience implementing communications strategies with the help of social media. Would have taken it at a significant pay cut, too.

Alexis Madrigal · 6 months ago

Wheeler is a good guy just trying to do the right thing. A lot of people — you know, that 90% of them that don't Twitter — don't understand the value of social media. Probably should have floated that trial balloon a little lower.

spryka · 6 months ago

Twitter is like a breath of fresh air on the Social Media scene. I have been on it for just a few weeks now and I have met several interesting people. It is a platform to network with people you would like to meet in real life.

KZ
http://ePostMailer.com

S. Hughes · 6 months ago

Yes, here is the form letter to applicants:

Sent: Wed, 13 May 2009 4:29 pm
Subject: Multnomah County

As Multnomah County Chair Ted Wheeler announced on Twitter yesterday, he has decided to suspend his search for a Chair’s Office Communications Director/Multnomah County Social Media Coordinator at this time.

I want you to know that we appreciate your interest in working for the Multnomah County Chair’s Office. We hope you will watch for future career opportunities with us on our web site: www.multcojobs.org.

Human Resources
Department of County Management

CarriBugbee · 6 months ago

I and several other social media evangelists in Portland weighed in on the news articles and blogs to offer a sensible and informed perspective to all the knee-jerk, hostile posts. Unfortunately, it was so sexy for the press to lead with headlines like "$70k to Tweet?" most people were woefully misinformed about the nature of the job. Obviously, this would have been a senior-level communications position requiring some degree of policy expertise, crisis communications experience, press relations, writing and production in addition to tweeting -- which means $70k a year would be a MODEST salary for a highly qualified individual.

Communications professionals like me continue to support Ted Wheeler's efforts in Multnomah County and are confident the position will be back -- under a different name. Obviously, government needs senior communications pros with social media expertise. They just need to be more careful about the way the job posting is worded to avoid backlash from people who think you can hire a tweeter for $10k a year.

@CarriBugbee

Burdick · 5 months ago

I never heard about www.wachoviabank.com like this before. Thank for this.

burdickrobert · 5 months ago

There is another link under the category of personal finance but it has nothing to do with finance. If you have difficulties in making payment, you can click the link named wachoviabank.com. You will have an expert helping you to fix your problems and you don’t have to go out of your home to get the service. What you need to do is to choose a button between the two “call us today” and “we’ll call you”. Don’t you think this service shows the attentiveness and consideration of the Wachovia? It’s really good in my opinion.