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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 · 30/09/2026
With all the uproar about Schmitt's screw-up, we're missing a larger point. What if Jack Smith did go to an NBA game in Atlanta? What would that prove? Classic conspiracy theory thinking. a) Smith went to Atlanta b) Fani Willis works in Atlanta c) thus, Smith conspired with Willis
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
It's always been clear that means testing and work requirements are just ways to discourage people from applying for benefits. And that's what makes efforts to stop non-existent voter fraud so pernicious. It will make it harder to vote.
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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 · 31/08/2026
The Hammett was the complete novels. I read "Red Harvest," "The Maltese Falcon" and "The Thin Man." All terrific, and with the last two I could visual the great movie versions with Humphrey Bogart and William Powell as I read them. A great experience.
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Meek little wives feel the edge of the carving knife and study their husbands' necks. Anything can happen. You can even get a full glass of beer at a cocktail lounge.”
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
“There was a desert wind blowing that night. It was one of those hot dry Santa Anas that come down through the mountain passes and curl your hair and make your nerves jump and your skin itch. On nights like that every booze party ends in a fight.
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
I recently borrowed two Library of America collections from our library to reread Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler. What a joy! The Chandler included short stories and early novels. I could read "Red Wind" over and over, just for the opening lines.
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Even if true (probably not), that's less than 0.02%--not enough to change results.
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
The point though, as our design consultant pointed out at the time, is that meaning accrues to a logo by its constant use. Changing it is a dangerous undertaking.
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
It was meant to evoke our focus on global education. From a design perspective it was tricky to work with, but it eventually came to be appreciated and widely used (I still have some coffee mugs with the logo).
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
In another case at a selective liberal arts college (around 25 years ago) the logo replaced a simple wordmark and there was a fair amount of disdain that we would need to do anything to market ourselves. The design was a bit edgy--a circle with a compass rose looking like a visa stamp.
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
I've been involved in a few of these. In one case it went pretty well because the existing logo was universally loathed and the new visual identity system was well-designed and robust.
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
There have been plenty of examples of these failures, including the U Cal system in 2012, the University of South Florida's "Merrill Lynch bull" redesign in 2018, and Washington College's use of George Washington's actual 18th-century signature.
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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 · 13/08/2026
It may seem trivial, but I believe that the tragedy of the commons is a good perspective to view the enshittification of email. The cost for a company to use it is low, so they flood our inboxes with ads and newsletters, ruining the resource for everyone.
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
Also reminds me of the famous XKCD cartoon. xkcd.com/773/
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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 · 06/08/2026
Me too. Along with: Web Style Guide (1999) by Patrick Lynch Designing Web Usability (1999) by Jakob Nielsen Don't Make Me Think (2000) by Steve Krug I learned HTML 30 years ago with Hagan Heller's online guide from Netscape.
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
It's exhausting to receive these emails as well. I realize I enjoy male privilege, but there's no reason to hope I'm doing well or to thank me profusely for doing my job.
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
The days of the ivory tower are over. We should look more broadly at various higher-education professionals who can lead our colleges and universities.
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
Of course they need to respect the primacy of academics, and ideally they will have a strong and capable provost that they will defer to on these issues.
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
When you think about the many challenges presidents face, professionals in student life, business and finance, advancement or marketing/communications may be best-qualified to lead these institutions.
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
Faculty often seem to have strong feelings that a president needs to come up through the faculty ranks. While many excellent presidents have been scholars and educators, it is hardly the only (or even best) path to success in this demanding role.
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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 · 09/07/2026
Also The Agnew Clinic. Painted 14 years later, it shows great improvement in surgical hygiene.
Painting by Thomas Eakins showing surgeons doing an operation in front of medical students
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
My HS art teacher took us and gave a detailed description of the work. I noticed a man off to the side listening. He had a mop of silver hair and nodded during the presentation, then said "Very good" and walked away. It was Andy Warhol.
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
The Gross Clinic, Thomas Eakins
Painting by Thomas Eakins showing a 19th century surgeon and medical students conducting an operation
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Saw it at MOMA in the 1970s. Very large and impressive in person.
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
That's a clever name at least.
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
If I recall correctly, when I started at SU there was an organization called "faculty wives." Don't know if they ever modernized or just disbanded.
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Similar shift in higher education as more women become college presidents and men become the "spouse of."
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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 · 22/06/2026
There is a problem if older voices dominate our politics. But isn't the answer to encourage more younger people to participate? Easier registration, early voting and mail-in voting might help, but it seems like there is one party determined to make it harder to vote rather than easier.
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
We hog all the jobs, we keep all the housing, we don't care about the future, we have the audacity to vote consistently.
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
I read his NYT op-ed back in April and honestly, I did take offense at it. Apparently we as a group are destroying the future for young people. He pays lip service to the problem of ageism but goes on to place a host of society's ills at the feet of older people.
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
Mott the Hoople Allman Brothers Band Alice Cooper Rick Wakeman Bruce Springsteen Muddy Waters Dizzy Gillespie Doctor John Mary Chapin Carpenter Robert Randolph and the Family Band
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
I'm wondering who at UCF thought the "vice president of strategic alliances at the Orlando-based Tavistock Development Company" was a good choice for speaker for the College of Arts and Humanities and the Nicholson School of Communication and Media.
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
Don't tell the White House.
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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 · 29/04/2026
"Lawmakers initially defended the map, arguing that the odd shape was the result of politics, not race." Pretty awful when you can argue that it's okay because it's a partisan gerrymander, not a racial one.
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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 · 18/04/2026
It's the tragedy of the commons. For a person, using a car is a logical choice. When everyone uses a car, you get congestion, pollution, traffic deaths, etc.
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
Seems like we've been setting a lot of records for "longest line at airports" in recent days.
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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 · 13/03/2026
I read a few of his recent conversations with Frank Bruni and thought maybe he wasn't as bad as my impression of him. I guess it's reassuring to see him revert to form.
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
The indoor staircase too.
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
It particularly hurts casual fans who just want to watch all or part of a game on a weekend. Very few games are shown on local broadcast television.
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pfdemp.bsky.social @pfdemp.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
I always liked the staircase in the Main Building at Drexel.
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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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