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pfdemp.bsky.social

@pfdemp.bsky.social
144 followers 91 following 166 posts

I'm an internet/web old-timer, going back to the days of Gopher and Mosaic. Veteran of the first browser war of the late 1990s. Currently digital manager at Immaculata University.

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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Having a couch isn't enough for this dog. She also needs a pillow.
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
I've come to believe that college or university logo redesigns are almost always doomed to fail. No matter how justified the need for a brand refresh from a marketing perspective, the college community won't like it. sanantonioreport.org/trinity-univ...
sanantonioreport.org
Trinity University halts launch of a new logo citing alumni response
Last week, Trinity University launched a rebrand that included a new logo, website redesign and new messaging. Response was mixed.
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
Reminds me of the adage "a camel is a horse designed by a committee." This also applies to my field (web design) when too many people have to weigh in on what should appear on the home page. marketoonist.com/2026/08/prod...
marketoonist.com
Product Design and Conway’s Law cartoon - Marketoonist | Tom Fishburne
I heard somewhere years ago that the reason the classic TV remote control is so ridiculously complicated is that each button has its own product manager, lobbying hard for the features of that button....
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Proud to report that two of mine made the list as well. “No good deed goes unpunished.” “If something is not worth doing, it’s not worth doing well.”
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
Some interesting observations by @robzinkan.bsky.social about career paths for CMOs in higher education. I think one challenge is confusion and conflicts about the nature of college/university presidents. www.insidehighered.com/opinion/colu...
insidehighered.com
What Comes After the CMO? The Leadership Pathway Question
The senior marketing and communications role has evolved considerably. The leadership pathway beyond it has not.
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
The first clue in yesterday's @inquirer.com crossword puzzle was very timely.
Portion of newspaper crossword puzzle showing clue 1 across: "Green growth in a pond"
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
Another great column by @deandad.bsky.social captures the empty feeling on college campuses when so many courses are offered online. Of course there are benefits, particularly for adult learners, but we lose a livelier campus. www.insidehighered.com/opinion/colu...
insidehighered.com
Online Classes and Conflicting Desires
Whether students vote with a ballot or with their feet, the outcome of the vote sometimes has unintended consequences.
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
Happy birthday, Will! A quote for our current dark times: Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, And then is heard no more. It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing.
An engraving of WIlliam Shakespeare
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
Aside from the Epstein ties, it's just not healthy that Botstein has been president of Bard College for over 50 years. It creates a feeling of infallibility in the president, which hurts the institution. From @insidehighered.com : www.insidehighered.com/news/student...
insidehighered.com
Students Want to “Take Back Bard” From President Botstein
As its president is investigated for his ties to Jeffrey Epstein, Bard College students are drawing attention to what they call a culture of sexual harassment on campus.
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
Very enjoyable article by @biblioracle.bsky.social shows how great it is to engage a college class in a fun discussion that might not be exactly on point. Faculty in states like Texas now have to be afraid to teach like this. www.insidehighered.com/opinion/colu...
insidehighered.com
UT System Gives Itself a Catchall Threat to Faculty
What the heck does this even mean?
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 12/01/2026
Another thoughtful column by @deandad.bsky.social . When he observes "...that many policymakers see community colleges as workforce training centers and nothing else," we should note that many officials see all of higher ed this way. www.insidehighered.com/opinion/colu...
insidehighered.com
Apparently, Civil Discourse Requires a Bachelor’s Degree
Community colleges deserve to be at the table. When we aren’t, the entire conversation is distorted.
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 05/01/2026
Great reflections on Cory Doctorow's book Enshittification by @deandad.bsky.social. "Lower the barriers to entry and make platforms vulnerable to real competition. That would force platforms to compete on value and usefulness rather than inertia." www.insidehighered.com/opinion/colu...
insidehighered.com
In Which Cory Doctorow Channels James Madison
Ignore the poop emoji on the cover. This one’s a winner.
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 18/11/2025
@stevebenen.com What's going on with MaddowBlog on the new MS NOW website? I used to enjoy scrolling through the posts, but now the next and previous links at the end take me to different opinion authors. Nothing against them, but I want my MaddowBlog!
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 28/08/2025
@farfarraway.bsky.social I think the Delco Pooper has got nothing on the Schuykill sh**ter up there in Fecal Frackville. coalregioncanary.com/2025/08/27/s...
coalregioncanary.com
Police: Schuylkill County Woman Pooped Inside and Outside of District Court Building - Coal Region Canary
A Schuylkill County woman has been charged with defecating all over a District Court building in Frackville, including outside the entrance.
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 19/08/2025
I can always count on the Google News feed to show weird random stories. And isn't "Possibly Radioactive Shrimp" a great band name?
Screen clip of Google News feed with headline "FDA warns public not to eat possibly radioactive shrimp sold at Walmart"
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 12/08/2025
In an inevitable but sad sign of the times, @dickinsonmedia.bsky.social rebrands its college bookstore because, you know, they don't actually sell books. www.dickinson.edu/news/article...
dickinson.edu
Dickinson Outfitters: A New Name and Vision for the Campus Store  | Dickinson College
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 05/08/2025
It's pretty clear who the decent human being is in this ridiculous dispute. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/03/n...
nytimes.com
Cruz Criticizes Hochul for Wearing Head Scarf at Slain Officer’s Funeral
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 04/08/2025
Happy to see that @deandad.bsky.social is returning to his column in @insidehighered.com. When I could start my day with one of his columns, it always seemed to clear my head for the work ahead. www.insidehighered.com/opinion/colu...
insidehighered.com
So, Did I Miss Anything?
“Confessions of a Community College Dean” author Matt Reed returns to his column at Inside Higher Ed.
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 16/05/2025
We are living in profoundly unserious times when Republicans think 8647 is a call for assassination of the president.
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 15/05/2025
It's been almost two years, but I really miss the 2-3 times a week when I could start my day reading @deandad.bsky.social in @insidehighered.com. I appreciated his take on a range of issues impacting higher education and I enjoyed his personal stories about being a husband and father in New Jersey.
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 05/05/2025
This is a fascinating look at how schools use financial aid leveraging to influence applicants. The high-tuition/high-discount model relies on this strategy to maintain the appearance of quality while offering "scholarships" to yield enough students. www.nytimes.com/2025/05/01/b...
nytimes.com
Colleges Know How Much You’re Willing to Pay. Here’s How.
Schools turn to little-known consultants, owned by private equity firms, to find applicants and calculate scholarships. Here’s how that affects the price you pay.
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 01/05/2025
When I saw this headline in the Inquirer, I didn't even have to look to know it was by @farfarraway.bsky.social www.inquirer.com/columnists/r...
inquirer.com
Driver allegedly rage poops on car, putting a stain on Delco
The incident, which went viral on social media, is being investigated by Prospect Park police.
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 23/04/2025
Happy birthday, Will! A quote for our current dark times: Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, And then is heard no more. It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing.
An engraving of William Shakespeare
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 14/03/2025
Five years ago this week the normally packed parking lot at our SEPTA regional rail station was half-empty. People began staying home as COVID spread, and within days Drexel, like many other schools, moved to remote learning and work. It would be a year and a half before I returned to the office.
Cars in a half-empty parking lot
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 04/03/2025
I enjoyed this piece by @biblioracle.bsky.social about solutions in search of problems. And when it comes to bookmarks, my favorites are the giveaways that I picked up at small bookstores in years past. I've held on to them and enjoy being reminded of the stores. open.substack.com/pub/bibliora...
open.substack.com
Introducing the Juicero, Only for Reading
Who remembers the dumbest product ever? Someone has topped it.
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 31/01/2025
And it's always a guy, isn't it @amydiehl.bsky.social ?
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 21/01/2025
But sure, the real problem with unfairness in elite college admissions is DEI. www.insidehighered.com/news/student...
insidehighered.com
How wealthy universities prioritized rich applicants
Documents released in an antitrust lawsuit show how some elite colleges gave well-connected applicants a leg up in admissions. Are these practices ongoing?
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Reposted by @pfdemp.bsky.social
Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 17/01/2025
It’s not just Philadelphia’s Market Street that needs help, it’s the whole east side of Center City. Here are some ideas to get it going: www.inquirer.com/columnists/m...
inquirer.com
Market East doesn’t need the Sixers arena to make a comeback
With the right kind of planning, the east side of Center City could turn itself into a modern, mixed-use neighborhood.
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 10/01/2025
I'm sure this is not unique to Slippery Rock, but half the undergraduates made the dean's list last semester. #HigherEd
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 10/01/2025
Does @upenn.edu really need to sell naming rights for a fellowship to a fast food restaurant chain?
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 16/12/2024
What is it about men who are successful at tech that turns them into assholes? techarseholeoftheyear.com
techarseholeoftheyear.com
Tech Arsehole of the Year: Matt Mullenweg
Presenting Tech Arsehole of the Year award to Mr. Matt Mullenweg
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 05/12/2024
For those sharing the "Trump's IQ is 73" meme, please note that it was thoroughly debunked five years ago. www.snopes.com/fact-check/d...
snopes.com
Was Donald Trump's IQ Measured at 73?
Trump's IQ test results were supposedly discovered in a former New York Military Academy employee's closet.
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 03/12/2024
Is this the definition of chutzpah? Not only does this elected official tout a doctorate that she bought from a diploma mill, but she offers her services as a medical expert in court cases. broadandliberty.com/2024/12/02/c...
broadandliberty.com
Courts reject Chesco treasurer as expert medical witness, but don’t catch that her degrees are from diploma mill
The Chester County treasurer’s side gig of working as an expert witness in civil trials has been dealt substantial blows in the last three years, as her testimony has been excluded from two trials in ...
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 25/11/2024
This mess has been going on for over 25 years. Dickinson Law was struggling when PSU took over, with assurances it would remain in Carlisle. Then Spanier tried to move it to State College. www.insidehighered.com/news/busines...
insidehighered.com
Penn State built a second law school. Now, it’s going back to one
The university built a $60 million law building on its flagship campus. Now it’ll serve as a branch of a law school 80 miles away.
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 19/11/2024
As the anti-immigrant party prepares to take power, it's a good time to revisit this great Woody Guthrie song, performed by his son Arlo. youtu.be/Xfi0IUh4y8A?...
youtu.be
Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos)
YouTube video by Arlo Guthrie - Topic
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 19/11/2024
I first learned BASIC in high school in the early 1970s, on an HP computer the size of a refrigerator. That foundation led me to new languages during the PC era (GW-BASIC, Turbo Pascal, xBASE) and internet age (Perl, CFML, PHP). www.nytimes.com/2024/11/16/t...
nytimes.com
Thomas E. Kurtz, a Creator of BASIC Computer Language, Dies at 96
At Dartmouth, long before the days of laptops and smartphones, he worked to give more students access to computers. That work helped propel generations into a new world.
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 18/11/2024
Very strong and valid criticism of @thefireorg.bsky.social . I feel like they have strayed from their original mission and gotten more political in order to raise more money. www.insidehighered.com/opinion/view...
insidehighered.com
What is behind FIRE’s attacks on AAUP? (opinion)
FIRE is no defender of academic freedom, Joan W. Scott writes.
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