SAO Launches Social Networking Site

By Harvey Mathews, SAO president

The concepts of “community,” “networking” and “services” are changing rapidly. It's about time the SAO embraced those concepts not just in our article and program topics, but in our own internal practices.

To support that, we’ve created a new website that redistributes the power of SAO membership to you: www.saosocialnetwork.com. Log in and take it for a spin. Tell us what you think and make it your own. The SAO is composed of dedicated volunteers, industry members and staff who can provide the high-tech community with rich content and networking opportunities through this site.

To be honest with you, developing this new site is a little bit scary. On one level, the SAO is a unified group of technology-oriented companies that want Oregon to succeed in the global marketplace. On the other hand, we have many disparate and sometimes competing entities. Currently, when I put my foot in my mouth in a conversation about the relative values of Microsoft and Google, Intel and AMD, or HP and Dell, I hear the criticism directly. This new social networking site is going to allow anyone to take me to task in a public manner – a likely outcome that I don't look forward to. But, that’s the price to pay for being a part of an organization that strives to be relevant.

Thanks for being a part of that change. This is your association, your site and your community.