Thanks to Mark Albert of Modern Machine Shop - Very Nice Review of MTConnect: To Measure Is To Know

I would like to offer my since thanks to Mark Albert, Editor-in-Chief of Modern Machine Shop, for his very nice review of my book - MTConnect: To Measure Is To Know.

Mark states, "The first part of the book is mostly Dave’s personal account of how (and why) MTConnect was first proposed and then aggressively developed under the main sponsorship of AMT—The Association for Manufacturing Technology."  

Mark later states, "The second part of the book builds on that background to explain the inner workings of the standard and the open system principles underlying them. This part is more technical, but is written for readers who are not Information Technology specialists (although they will benefit from Dave’s clarity)."

I am really glad that Mark points out, "Dave’s message about machine monitoring is especially timely and urgent."  This was the theme of [MC]2 2013 as well and is critically important for the success of manufacturing.
 
I greatly appreciate Mark's honest and well written review of my book as well as the pointer to Amazon.  We have no better friend of MTConnect than Mark Albert.

Hillsborough Vineyards - Suprise Visit

A week ago, Julie and I had dinner in Harper's Ferry and then, with no planning beforehand, make a last second stop in one of Loudoun County's many Wineries.  We stopped at Hillsborough Vineyards for a few glasses of wine. John was in town for a funeral and he and Michael were visiting their grandparents in Burke.  John and Michael made a decision coming home from Burke to stop by Hillsborough Vineyards.  We were there for 20 minutes when both Julie and feel these hands on our shoulders, we look up and it is John and Michael. 

NAMII Visit - National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute

We had an MTConnect Institute Board Meeting last week at NAMII - National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute and we were very fortunate to get a tour from Ralph Resnick!  Everyone in manufacturing knows Ralph as being a true industry icon and thought leader.  Ralph is President & Executive Director for the National Center for Defense Manufacturing & Machining (NCDMM) as well as the Founding Director National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute (NAMII).  I am sure there are many more hats he wears, but I believe those are the two primary hats he wears today.  Ralph's a great guy.  Ralph is on the MTConnect Board of Directors is why we were there in Youngstown, Ohio at NAMII.

When President Obama talks about the cool stuff going on in manufacturing, he will directly reference NAMII.

Below is from NAMII's homepage discussing NAMII's Vision:

"NAMII’s singular focus is to accelerate additive manufacturing technologies to the U.S. manufacturing sector and increase domestic manufacturing competitiveness by:

• Fostering a highly collaborative infrastructure for the open exchange of additive manufacturing information and research.
• Facilitating the development, evaluation, and deployment of efficient and flexible additive manufacturing technologies.
• Educating students and training workers in additive manufacturing technologies to create an adaptive, leading workforce."

 I love the sign NAMII has (photo below):



Checkout the cool photos below at NAMII of Ralph showing us the cool additive technology!

 

MTConnect: To Measure Is To Know Book Announced!

I wrote a book, MTConnect: To Measure Is To Know, that answers the question, "how and why a royalty-free and open source standard is revolutionizing the business and technology of manufacturing." 

 

This is the world's first book on MTConnect and open systems.  This book is not just about MTConnect, because I first discuss the many lessons learned in the world of open systems where I spent 35 years in the computer industry at such companies as Sun Microsystems (for over 23 years).  MTConnect is a revolutionary game changer that has forever changed manufacturing.  The book shows why and how MTConnect is not an evolution in manufacturing, but it is a revolution. MTConnect is making possible the dreams and desires of generations of manufacturers, machine tool builders and manufacturing equipment providers who all want to see the same goal of different devices having a common connection on the plant floor.  

Learn how and why the lessons of open systems are being applied to manufacturing and changing the business and technology of manufacturing with MTConnect.   It is available at Amazon in paperback and in Kindle format.

IF you would like a color cover and color inside, that is not available at Amazon (price would be prohibitive) you can reach me at my ToMeasureIsToKnow site to find out how.

[MC]2 2013 HUGE Success!

 

Last week we had the second [MC]2 conference, called [MC]2 2013 MTConnect: Connecting Manufacturing Conference and it was a HUGE SUCCESS!

There were many, many highlights and here is the press release from the MTConnect Institute:
Different Devices, Common Connection - [MC]2 MTConnect: Connecting Manufacturing Conference Draws Manufacturers, Developers, Technology Builders and More
 Draws Manufacturers, Developers, Technology Builders and More  $250,000 MTConnect Challenge announced on event's first day

Cincinnati, Ohio – The second edition of [MC]2 MTConnect: Connecting Manufacturing Conference concluded on April 11, 2013, after bringing together an energetic and inspired group of manufacturers, developers, technology builders, and technology distributors in Cincinnati, Ohio.

MTConnect is a set of open-source communications standards that utilize XML and HTTP to foster greater communication and interconnectivity between manufacturing equipment and devices. Together with the applications utilizing the standard, implementation of MTConnect allows for greater shop floor monitoring capabilities and a better understanding of what's happening within a user's manufacturing facility.

The event kicked off on April 10 with a keynote from Steve Fritzinger, Virtualization Alliance Manager for NetApp and economics contributor for BBC, titled “Manufacturing with Darwin, Moore and Metcalfe,” which stressed a company's need for adaptation and continual change in order to remain competitive. He also stressed that MTConnect implementers need to use dedication and focus to see results. “Initially, going to an automated shop floor is like going to the gym on January 1,” Fritzinger said. “If you stick with that resolution and see it through, you'll see results. But if you don't, you'll just end up back where you started.”

As the day's sessions continued, an exciting announcement was made regarding the kickoff of the MTConnect Challenge, a DoD-sponsored competition that seeks ideas and applications for MTConnect, with a total of $250,000 in cash prizes for finalists and winners. Those seeking more details about this competition can learn more at MTConnect.challenge.gov.

Day two opened with a keynote from John Meyer, Senior Technical Competitive Analys with IBM, titled “Processing Zetabytes: The Technologies Enabling Big Data and Analytics,” which focused on the evolution of computing, the rise of big data and the opportunities this data creates. Meyer showed that the exponential growth in big data will be led by sensor data, and MTConnect will be critical in the world of massive analytics in years to come. There were additional panels, business sessions and technical workshops, hands-on labs to show how to write MTConnect adapters, and a concluding keynote from Douglas Woods, President of AMT, discussing the technological future of manufacturing and the need to ensure the industry's strength in the United States.

“I think what is so cool about the [MC]2 is that it shows the ever increasing importance of MTConnect and open interoperability standards to propel manufacturing technology to new heights,” Woods said. “I can remember people questioning whether anyone would come to the first MC2 event a year or so ago, let alone attend a second event a year later. But the large number of attendees at both events makes obvious the criticality of this standard and the interest from users, developers, builders, media, etc. to accelerate manufacturing into the world of big data, analytics and productivity enhancement applications.”

One of the event sponsors was manufacturing technology builder Mazak Corporation, a strong proponent for MTConnect. “As customers strive to be competitive in a tough global marketplace, they need all the tools they can get to be the most productive they can be. MTConnect allows them to interface software programs with a standard protocol for different types of devices that allows them the information to clearly see what is happening on the factory floor,” said Brian Papke, President of Mazak Corporation. “With this information, they can improve the overall utilization of their equipment.”

Also sponsoring [MC]2 was CNC machine tool builder Okuma USA. You can have the best equipment, but if you can't monitor, measure and analyze critical data, you have no way of assessing your opportunities for improvement and full utilization of the equipment, said Julie Murphy, Marketing Manager for Okuma USA. “MTConnect provides the communication standard that simplifies the connection to your manufacturing equipment to collect that critical data and quickly convert it to actionable knowledge. Okuma has fully supported MTConnect from the beginning and we support its ongoing development.”

"Almost as soon as MTConnect was proposed, Modern Machine Shop recognized that it would have a significant impact on the technology and business of manufacturing. It would be a game-changer,” said Travis Egan, Publisher of Modern Machine Shop. “At the 2013 [MC]2 Conference, the extent of that impact is becoming clear - MTConnect has reached a tipping point in vendor acceptance and user demand.”

"This is not an evolution, this is a revolution in manufacturing. MTConnect is making possible the dreams and desires of generations of manufacturers, machine tool builders and manufacturing equipment providers who all want to see the same goal of different devices having a common connection on the plant floor,” said Dave Edstrom, President and Chairman of the Board of the MTConnect Institute. “[MC]2 2013 was a true inflection point for manufacturing with an extremely strong lineup of fantastic speakers, moderators, panelists and instructors.”

Plans will soon be announced for [MC]2 2014, which will discuss and demonstrate the many types of end-user applications that are using MTConnect as the open interoperability standard to improve manufacturing productivity around the globe.
                                                                                     #   #   #

MTConnect Institute

The MTConnect Institute is a not-for-profit 501(c)(6) organization established to further the development of the MTConnect standard and publish related materials. The organization includes a Board of Directors, a Technical Advisory Group that's also called MTCTAG, a Technical Steering Committee, as well as various working groups to further the standard in specific technology areas. 

How can I become a member?

Any company or organization can be a member and aid in furthering the development of the MTConnect standard by becoming a member of the MTCTAG. Membership is free, and it requires agreement to the MTConnect Intellectual Property Policy, which can be found on the MTConnect website's “Institute” section.

Contact:

David A. Edstrom
President, Chairman of the Board
MTConnect Institute

Below is a capture of the [MC]2 2013 Conference Home Page:

MC² 2013 Conference

The second [MC]2 MTConnect: Connecting Manufacturing Conference will feature numerous industry thought leaders, hands-on training sessions as well as exhibitors showcasing commercially available products utilizing the MTConnect standard. The conference sessions will feature BOTH the business and technical benefits as well as implementation of MTConnect® – an open-sourced communication standard for manufacturing equipment and devices.

It is the best conference to get ideas and find answers to your manufacturing communication problems. See new solution demonstrations utilizing MTConnect and choose the best for your needs. Attend hands on technical workshops or business application sessions. There is something for everyone, from end users, to software developers, to C-level executives, to students, to manufacturing technology builders, to anyone who just wants to really understand MTConnect!

This year we will discuss, demonstrate and train attendees on all the new and exciting changes to the MTConnect standard. In addition, speakers and exhibitors will demonstrate and discuss the many game changing ways that companies are using MTConnect to dramatically save time and become more productive.

• [MC]2 will provide an opportunity to learn from the experts to really understand how this game- changing technology is making tremendous productivity gains in manufacturing.
• The conference will bring in like-minded individuals together, allowing attendees the opportunity to meet people who are trying to do the same things they are.
• The conference provides a highly interactive and thought-provoking experience guaranteed to leave you inspired!

Schedule

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

1:00 pm - 7:00 pm	[MC]2 Conference Registration (Bronze Foyer A)
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm	Opening Reception (Crossroads)

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

7:00 am – 5:30 pm	[MC]2 Conference Registration (Bronze Foyer A)
7:00 am – 8:00 am	Continental Breakfast
8:00 am	[MC]2 Welcome How to Get the Most Out of [MC]2 2013 Dave Edstrom, President & Chairman of the Board, MTConnect Institute
8:15 am – 9:00 am	Keynote: Manufacturing with Darwin, Moore and Metcalfe Steve Fritzinger, Network Appliances, BBC - Technologist, Java Author & Economics Writer
9:00 am – 12:30 pm	GENERAL SESSIONS (Bronze Ballroom)
9:00 am – 9:30 am	Driving Change with MTConnect John Turner, Director of Technology, FA Consulting & Technology
9:30 am – 10:00 am	MTConnect: A Pragmatic Approach to Manufacturing Dave Edstrom, President & Chairman of the Board, MTConnect Institute
10:00 am – 10:20 am	Morning Break
10:20 am – 11:40 am	The Myths and Realities of What's Happening on Your Shop Floor Customer Panelists: Mark Albert, Editor-in-Chief, Modern Machine Shop Magazine Joel Neidig, Systems Engineer, ITAMCO Nate Price, Production Manufacturing Engineer, Task Force Tips, Inc. Roy Sweatman, President, Southern Manufacturing Technologies, Inc. Pat Walsh, Vice President, Ehrhardt Tool and Machine Co., Inc. Shop Floor Monitoring Software Panelists: Josh Davids, President, Scytec Consulting Inc. Rick Caldwell, President & CEO, SCADAware Will Sobel, President & CEO, System Insights Ken Tock, President, MacKintok Information Architects & Designers Moderators: David McPhail, President & CEO, Memex Automation Inc. Dave Edstrom, President & Chairman of the Board, MTConnect Institute
11:40 am – 12:05 pm	General Session: The Need for the Next Killer Manufacturing Technology/ Application John Wilczynski, Program Manager, NCDMM
12:05 pm – 12:30 pm	General Session: MTConnect Challenge - Creating Manufacturing Intelligence Dr. John D. Russell, D.Sc., Program Manager, AFRL/RXMS
12:30 pm – 2:30 pm	Lunch & Exhibits (Grand Ballroom)
2:45 pm – 5:40 pm	Technical Workshop (Colonade AB) and Sessions (Bronze Ballroom)
2:45 pm – 3:30 pm	Business Session: Exploring the Power of Linking [MTConnect + OEE = Profits] Robert C. Hansen, R.C. Hansen Consulting, LLC	Technical Workshop: MTConnect Architecture Overview as PREPARATION for Hands-On Labs (Item Code: HANDSONLAB1) Joel Neidig, Systems Engineer, ITAMCO Dave Edstrom, President & Chairman of the Board MTConnect Institute
3:30 pm – 4:30 pm		Technical Workshop: Adapters, Adapters, Adapters(Item Code: HANDSONLAB2) Will Sobel, President & CEO, System Insights, Inc.
3:30 pm – 4:00 pm	Business Session: MTConnect Sensors: Anywhere and Everywhere Panelists: Neil Desrosiers, Application Engineer/Developer, Mazak Corporation Jim Hoffman, Principal Engineer, GE Aviation Kang Lee, Intelligent Systems Division, NIST Brian Sides, Director, Technology, Okuma America Corporation Moderator: John Turner, Director of Technology, FA Consulting & Technology
4:00 pm – 4:30 pm	Business Session: How the Aerospace Industry Uses MTConnect Panelists: Bill Blomquist, Manufacturing Engineer, Remmele Engineering Inc. John L. Michaloski, NIST Sid Venkatesh, Associate Technical Fellow, Boeing Company Moderator: Paul Warndorf, V.P. Manufacturing Technology, AMT
4:30 pm – 4:50 pm	Afternoon Break
4:50 pm – 5:25 pm	General Session: Predicting the Future of Manufacturing by Inventing It Courtney J. Hill, Consultant, CJ Hill Consulting Services
5:25 pm – 5:40 pm	MTConnect Leadership Award Presentation
5:45 pm – 7:30 pm	[MC]2 Reception and Exhibits (Grand Ballroom)
8:00 pm	Birds of a Feather (BOF1), Topic TBD, (Pavilion B)
9:00 pm	Birds of a Feather (BOF2), Topic TBD, (Pavilion B)

Thursday, April 11, 2013

7:00 am – 12:30 pm

[MC]2 Conference Registration (Bronze Foyer A)

7:00 am – 8:00 am

Continental Breakfast

8:00 am

[MC]2 Welcome Dave Edstrom, President & Chairman of the Board, MTConnect Institute

8:15 am – 9:00 am

Keynote: Processing Zetabytes: The Technologies Enabling Big Data and Analytics John Meyer, Senior Technical Competitive Analyst, IBM Systems and Technology Group

9:10 am – 10:10 am

Technical Workshop: Building Adapters Hands-On Lab (Item Code: HANDSONLAB3) Will Sobel, President & CEO, System Insights

9:10 am – 9:40 am

Business Session: Empowering Power Savings with MTConnect Amit Deshpande, Machining Systems Engineer, TechSolve, Inc. Joel Neidig, Systems Engineer, ITAMCO

9:40 am – 10:10 am

Business Session: The Profits and Prophets of Interoperability Panelist: Paul Hunkar, Consultant, DS Interoperability ISO-13399 Panelist: Tom Muller, Manager-Innovation Ventures Group, Kennametal Inc. DMSC Panelist: Fred Proctor, Controls Lead, NIST Moderator: Paul Warndorf, V.P. Manufacturing Technology

10:10 am – 10:25 am

Morning Break

10:25 am – 11:00 am

Business Session: Virtual Poka Yoke Solution Eraldo Jannone da Silva, University of Sao Paulo

Technical Session: How to Use the MTConnect-OPC UA Companion Specification John L. Michaloski, Computer Scientist, NIST Paul Hunkar, Consultant, DS Interoperability

11:00 am – 11:45 am

Business Session: Connecting the Future of Manufacturing Douglas K. Woods, President, AMT - The Association For Manufacturing Technology

11:45 am – Noon

Wrap-up: The Future of MTConnect Is Our Future Dave Edstrom, President & Chairman of the Board, MTConnect Institute

 

Why Attend?

Due to the HUGE success of the first [MC]2 and the request of attendees, the Institute has made the decision to have [MC]2 2013 on April 10 -11 in Cincinnati, Ohio at The Millennium Hotel Cincinnati.

Add to Calendar 

Why do you want to attend  [MC]2 2013?

• For 2013 we are going to be talking about, demonstrating and training attendees on all the new and exciting changes to the MTConnect standard.  In addition, speakers and exhibitors will be demonstrating and discussing the many game changing ways that companies are using MTConnect to dramatically save time and become more productive.
• In 2013 we are going to build on the tremendous success of the first ever [MC]2 2011.  [MC]2 2011 was HUGE SUCCESS with numerous industry thought leaders, hands-on training sessions as well exhibitors showcasing commercially available products utilizing the MTConnect standard.
• [MC]2 2011 featured 175 attendees and 24 exhibitors.  This tremendous attendance and participation is a sign of just how much MTConnect is changing manufacturing!

What is MTConnect®?
MTConnect is a set of open, royalty-free standards intended to foster greater interoperability between controls, devices and software applications by publishing data over networks using the Internet Protocol.

What is the MTConnect Institute?

The MTConnect Institute is a not-for-profit 501(c)(6) independent organization established to further the development of MTConnect standards and materials. The organization includes a Technical Advisory Group (MTCTAG) and a Technical Steering Committee, as well as working groups to further the standards in specific technology areas.

 FEATURED SPONSORS:
Day One Evening Reception Sponsorship: $20,000 (Modern Machine Shop/Gardner Business Media, Inc.)

• Includes four (4) free registrations
• Recognition (name and logo) in Exhibit area (reception is held in the exhibit area)
• Recognition of sponsorship in Final Program
• Full page color advertisement (5″ w x 7- 7/8″ h) in Final Program
• One (1) complimentary Exhibitor Booth
• Sponsor will be allowed to include a promotional piece in conference bag
• Recognition (your company logo) on home page of the [MC]² web site

 Opening Night Reception Sponsorship: $12,500 (Mazak Corporation)

• Includes three (3) free registrations
• Recognition (name and logo) on two poster signs at reception
• Recognition of sponsorship in Final Program
• Full page color advertisement (5″ w x 7- 7/8″ h) in Final Program
• One (1) complimentary Exhibitor Booth
• Sponsor will be allowed to include a promotional piece in conference bag
• Recognition (your company logo) on home page of the [MC]² web site

[MC]² Polo Shirt Sponsorship: $12,500 (Okuma America Corporation) 

• Includes three (3) free registrations
• Provides 250 polo shirts with-
  • Logo on sleeve of shirt
  • Conference logo in shirt pocket area
• Recognition of sponsorship in Final Program
• Full page color advertisement (5″ w x 7- 7/8″ h) in Final Program
• One (1) complimentary Exhibitor Booth
• Sponsor will be allowed to include a promotional piece in conference bag
• Recognition (your company logo) on home page of the [MC]² web site

______________________________________________
CONFERENCE SPONSORS:
 Day One Breakfast and Morning Break Sponsorship: $7,500

• Includes two (2) free registrations
• Recognition (name and logo) on two poster signs in breakfast and break area
• Recognition of sponsorship in Final Program
• 1/2 page color advertisement (5″ w x 3- 7/8″ h) in Final Program
• Sponsor will be allowed to include a promotional piece to be distributed inside conference bag
• Logo Recognition on web site as “Conference Sponsor”

 Day One Lunch Sponsorship: $10,000

• Includes three (3) free registrations
• Recognition (name and logo) on Exhibit area (lunch is held in the exhibit area)
• Recognition of sponsorship in Final Program
• Full page color advertisement (5″ w x 7- 7/8″ h) in Final Program
• Sponsor will be allowed to include a promotional piece in conference bag
• Logo Recognition on web site as “Conference Sponsor”

Day One Afternoon Break Sponsorship: $5,000 (YCM Americas, Inc.)

• Includes one (1) free registration
• Recognition (name and logo) on two poster signs in break area
• Recognition of sponsorship in Final Program
• 1/2 page color advertisement (5″ w x 3- 7/8″ h) in Final Program
• Sponsor will be allowed to include a promotional piece in conference bag
• Logo Recognition on web site as “Conference Sponsor”

 Day Two Breakfast and Morning Break Sponsorship: $7,500

• Includes two (2) free registrations
• Recognition (name and logo) on two poster signs in breakfast and break area
• Recognition of sponsorship in Final Program
• 1/2 page color advertisement (5″ w x 3- 7/8″ h) in Final Program
• Sponsor will be allowed to include a promotional piece in conference bag
• Logo Recognition on web site as “Conference Sponsor”

 Conference Bag Sponsor: $5,000  (Modern Machine Shop/Gardner Businesss Media, Inc.)

• Includes one (1) free registration
• 250 bags with co-branding on bags ([MC]² and your company logo)
• Sponsor will be allowed to include a promotional piece in conference bag
• Recognition of sponsorship in Final Program
• 1/2 page color advertisement (5″ w x 3- 7/8″ h) in Final Program
• Logo Recognition on web site ad “Conference Sponsor”

_________________________________________________
 MTConnect^® SUPPORTING SPONSORS:
 Platinum Sponsors $3,000 (Parlec, Inc.)

• Includes one (1) free registration
• Recognition of sponsorship in Final Program
• 1/2 page color advertisement (5″ w x 3-7/8″ h) in Final Program
• Listing on Signage (shared) displayed in Exhibit area

 Gold Sponsors $2,000 (Doosan Infracore America), (Kepware Technologies)

• Recognition of sponsorship in Final Program
• 1/2 page color advertisement (5″ w x 3-7/8″ h ) in Final Program
• Listing on Signage (shared) displayed in Exhibit area

 Silver Sponsors $1,000 (National Center For Defense Manufacturing And Machining)
                                                 (OMAC)
                                                (Precision Machinery Research Development Center)

• Recognition of sponsorship in Final Program
• ¼ page color advertisement (5.5” w x 2.15” h) in Final Program
• Listing on Signage (shared) displayed in Exhibit area

 Bronze Sponsors $500 (ITAMCO), (Kennametal Inc.)

• Recognition of sponsorship in Final Program
• Listing on Signage (shared) displayed in Exhibit area

EXHIBITORS:

• BIG Kaiser Precision Tooling Inc.
• dataZen Engineering 
• DMG/Mori Seiki 
• ITAMCO – Booth #2
• Kepware Technologies, Inc.
• Lemoine Technologies
• LNS America Inc. 
• MAG-IAS, LLC 
• Mazak Corporation 
• Memex Automation Inc. 
• Modern Machine Shop/Gardner Business Media
• National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM) 
• Okuma America Corporation 
• Parlec, Inc. 
• Precision Machinery Research Development Center 
• Sandvik Coromant Company 
• SCADAware 
• Syscon International, Inc. 
• System Insights, Inc. 
• TechSolve, Inc.
• Makino, Inc.

The sixth year anniversary of the tragedy at Virginia Tech.

Today is the sixth year anniversary of the tragedy at Virginia Tech.

My thoughts and prayers go out to all the families, relatives and friends of those who lost their lives on April 16th, 2007 in this senseless tragedy.....

The picture below was on the Collegiate Times in 2007 at VT:

 

There is a permanent memorial at VT. The Collegiate Times has a nice article describing the memorial.

My memories of last April 16th started with a phone call from my wife. Julie called and said, "just wanted to let you know that John is fine." At the time I was on my SunRay reading email while on a con call when she called my cellphone. She never calls me during theday since she is a school teacher. "Why would John not be be fine?" I asked. She asked me if I was watching TV or listening to the news. Of course I was not watching TV or listening to the news. She explained what was going on. I immediately interrupted the Sun folks on the con call and quickly said, "I had to get off the call, there was a shooting at my son's school."

It was then that I turned on the TV and was shocked to see the peaceful and beautiful VT campus on the news. I started getting emails, phone calls from literally around the world checking on John. You sometimes forget in casual conversation that you mentioned something about your kids that your friends and colleagues remember. Every time a call came, I paused the DVR. I was getting the current updates from friend, colleagues\s and family all around the world via email and non stop phone calls. As the numbers kept rising, it became more and more surreal.

 My son John was working for the Collegiate Times during his freshman year.  He put together a very nice week long history of events starting on April 16th through April 23rd that shows what happened each day.

I can not imagine the horror the students and faculty must have felt. There was an article in the post today by Nick Miroff, titled, "A Year Later, Virginia Tech Is Still Healing" is a well written article worth reading. As Miroff points out:

"Virginia Tech students have learned to talk about it in shorthand, if they talk about it at all. This Story

• A Year Later, Va. Tech Is Still Healing
•  Special Report: Va. Tech Shootings 
•  Essay: In Blacksburg, An ER Physician Still Tries to Heal
•  Blog: Va. Tech Students Remember  
•  VT: One Year Later - Living With Cho

They do not use the words massacre, or

shootings, or rampage. They call it "April

 16th," and sometimes not even that. To
 say "four-sixteen" is enough. Everyone
 knows." 

I have been back to VT many times since April 16th, 2007 both as a parent and working for Sun Microsystems where I have given talks and brought down Sun's thought leaders to speak at VT's ACM where my son John is President.  Each time, the first thing I do is visit the memorial

          Governor Kaine has did a good job demanding there was the VT Task Force.  Governor Kaine stated:

"On April 16, 2007, Virginia Tech University suffered a terrible tragedy. Today, my thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families and the entire Virginia Tech community.

"In the year that has passed since that horrible day, we have grieved for those we lost and prayed for the comfort of their loved ones. We have rejoiced in the recovery of those who were injured. We have been inspired by the unfaltering hope and Hokie spirit of Virginia Tech. And we have renewed our commitment to do even more to learn lessons from that day and to make our campuses and communities safer.

"As I think about the victims' families, I am at a loss for words to express what is in my heart. The courage and strength they have shown in the face of such tremendous, tragic loss is awe-inspiring. We have been inspired by the resilient Hokie spirit of Virginia Tech, both in Blacksburg and around the world. Since that tragic day last April, the unshakeable sense of unity and hope demonstrated by the Hokies has touched the lives of people around the world. Their focus on pulling together to support their school and each other in the days after the shooting, and their commitment to public service through the VT Engage program in the months that followed has moved us all.

"We still have work to do. A continued commitment to improvement is the best tribute we can pay to those who lost so much. And as we move forward, we will continue to be inspired by those in the Hokie Nation."

VT seems to have made the right changes. The VT Task Force seemed to not pull any punches when it came to how the University should have dealt with the events on the morning of April 16th, 2007. As the AP reported and I FULLY AGREE with Governor Kaine about purchasing firearms at gun shows. Virginia needs to get its act together.  This loophole is INSANE!

"Gov. Timothy M. Kaine proposed mandated background checks yesterday for everyone who attempts to purchase firearms at gun shows - legislation that he called critical to helping prevent future tragedies like the shootings at Virginia Tech. Many families of those killed or injured in the April shootings have called on legislators to close Virginia’s so-called gun show loophole, which allows people to purchase firearms from unlicensed sellers at gun shows without having to submit to background checks. Under current Virginia law, only licensed dealers are required to run background checks on customers.
“If by doing this, we can keep one family from having to go through what these families have suffered, it will be the best thing that the legislature will do this year,” Kaine said at Virginia State Police headquarters, surrounded by several of the victims’ families."

VA continues to be a backward state and allows the gun show loophole.   I also called into the Kojo Nnamdi Show when he had an anniversary show on the VT shooting.   If you go to the 11:52 mark, you can hear my statements and question that goes until the 13:14 mark.

 

"Courage is the first of human qualities because it
is the quality which guarantees all others."

Winston Churchill

The tragedy at Virginia Tech is still heart wrenching. As a parent of a VT freshman, it is still hard to comprehend the magnitude of this tragedy. There
were many heroes on VT's Campus on April 16th, 2007. Many
are well documented in the press.

There are five individuals who were behind the scenes
that are absolute heroes in my mind. Those five heroes are
the individuals who run online Collegiate Times which is
VT's main online paper and kept the world informed on the
latest breaking news coming out of VT on this senseless
tragedy. These five individuals were literally working
around the clock, giving up sleep to keep their fellow
students, parents, family, friends, faculty and the rest of
the world informed.

These five unsung heroes all have the "first of human
qualities" - courage. It would have been perfectly
understandable if these five individuals would have given
up when their servers went down. But they did not. They
had the courage to literally work around the clock to get
the server back up *and* keep the rest of the world
informed of the latest updates to one of the most of
horrific days in the history of our country. The five
individuals are:


Chris Ritter, Online Director
Tim Tutt, Web Developer
John Edstrom, Associate Web Developer
Gabriel Martinez, Associate Web Designer
Collin Smith, Multimedia Editor

One of the many amazing statistics is that the
Collegiate Times received up to 53 million hits by
early afternoon on Monday April 16th.

Wikipedia has a nice history of the Collegiate Times with the
picture that appeared on the Collegiate Times April 17th, 2007,
edition titled "Heartache."




Below are just some of quotes on the fantastic work that
these five unsung heroes did under
tremendous pressure.

The OnLine Newshour on PBS

"The Internet became a prime place for people to
get the news out of Blacksburg. The college
newspaper, the Collegiate Times, scooped the major
media, getting the story online, right after the
first shot rang out, and staying on it non-stop
ever since.

The 104-year-old paper received up to 53 million
hits by early Monday afternoon, forcing the site
down for a time. It also listed some of the dead
early Tuesday morning, prompting the New York Times
Web site and other news outlets to link to the
Collegiate Times."
The Shield - University of Southern Indiana Student Newspaper
"The information on the Web site is remarkable.
Besides the list of confirmed deceased, the site
provides a graphic map of the shootings, a photo
gallery, personal accounts and interviews and
related stories ranging from emerging donation
details to the impact on the nearest hospital. The
staff has handled the facts correctly, but not
without compassion, which is a difficult task.

The Collegiate Times editorial says, "When
considering the number of deceased victims, 32 is
devastating, but those lives are not just a number,
each one is a member of our community." Journalism
cannot be disregarded due to a personal tragedy,
since citizens rely on journalists for information.
Such journalists must remember, however, that
although horrific tragedies stir media attention as
sensational, there is nothing sensational about
human suffering and coverage must be conducted
tastefully.

Well done Collegiate Times staff.

To those that believe campus newspapers are a waste
of time and funding, let this tragedy serve the
purpose of proving the necessity of campus
newspapers nationwide."Chronicle of Higher Education

"National Public Radio is among news organizations
that have profiled and praised Virginia Tech
student newspaper, The Collegiate Times, which has
become a crucial source of information for other
reporters covering Monday's events.

The papers online edition, said NPR's Larry
Abramson, has grabbed international attention
indeed, on Tuesday The New York Timess home page
linked to the student publications list of
confirmed victims of the shooter. Mr. Abramson
also pointed out that Collegiate Times staff
members know how to mine Facebook for information
inaccessible to many older reporters who are
unfamiliar with the social-networking site." -WGHP Fox TV VIDEO:


"The team at The Collegiate Times, the campus
newspaper, will remain. So far, they have been
setting the pace for all journalists"Middlebury Campus


"The face of a crisis, the writers, photographers
and editors of Virginia Tech's student daily, The
Collegiate Times, transcended their roles as
college journalists to not only inform their
community, but to inform the world. With many local
news sources shut out, only limited comments coming
from Virginia Tech officials and an entire campus
on lock-down, the importance of these students'
work was heightened to an extreme. The written,
photographic and video posts to The Times website
throughout the day were among the most vivid and
honest portraits of the campus available. Working
from computers outside of their offices, the
students held nothing back, and produced a raw,
emotional narrative of the tragedy. Their reporting
was effective, critical and in every sense, brave."

Editor and Publisher


"While the editors of the student newspaper went
about their work with inspiring leadership,
internal communications by Virginia Tech
administrators showed the University was less than
fully prepared. As more and more details about the
sequence of events have been released, it has
become clear that administrators did not notify the
entire campus or order a full lockdown until more
than two hours after the first round of shooting
began. Whether or not any of the deaths in the
second round of shooting could have been avoided,
we should realize the need for all institutions to
prepare for the unimaginable. And in the face of
this shooting, college administrators everywhere
should recognize the need to share information with
their communities quickly and clearly, even as the
full extent of a crisis may remain unknown."


"The college paper at Virginia Polytechnical
Institute kept a running account of the tragedy
that struck the campus today, with more than 30
students gunned down in at least two areas of the
campus, a dorm and a classroom. The shooter is
allegedly dead as well, but not identified. It is
not known if he was a student ...

Here is how the student-run Collegiate Times
reported it, blog-style, with the most recent
posting first. A full article is now posted there,
which includes the note that police "are also
investigating if it has any relation to the recent
bomb threats on Tech's campus."


Seattle Post Intelligencer


"For unique reporting on the massacre read the
Collegiate Times, Virginia Tech's student-run
newspaper."University Daily Kansan

"While news organizations like CNN have done a
thorough job in covering Monday's events, I'd like
to point the readers of kansan.com to Virginia
Tech's student newspaper, the Collegiate Times.
After overcoming early technical difficulty when
the news initially broke, they've done what I feel
is an admirable job as the student voice of the
Virginia Tech community.

In the process of learning about these tragic
events, be sure to not overlook the students
themselves. http://www.collegiatetimes.com"WRAL

"I found a couple sites with unique angles on this
story. One of the most interesting is The
Collegiate Times, which is VT's student newspaper.
Their staff apparently first reported this shooting
this morning. The server is overwhelmed right now,
but it will be interesting to check their coverage
in the days and weeks ahead."Forbes

"Monday's shooting at Virginia Tech provided a
grim, real-time stress test for the effectiveness
of Web 2.0 technologies. And on Monday, all of them
seemed to work: Information flew through text
messages, blog posts, Web sites, online videos and
social networking sites.

The Internet reacted to the event immediately--and
more quickly than Virginia Tech administrators, who
took two hours to warn students, via e-mail, about
a first shooting. The Web site of VT's student
newspaper, the Collegiate Times, crashed when
students flooded it after the first shooting. As a
replacement, students created a low-tech blog,
CollegeMedia.com.
It posted the first entry about the event at 9:47 a.m.,
minutes before the second shooting began."
Yahoo News

"The student newspaper, the Collegiate Times,
regularly updated its website proving to be a
valuable resource for the campus as well as the
national media."Daily Californian


"And as this happened, students at the Collegiate
Times, the Virginia Tech student newspaper, were
able to live-blog the days events. The Web site
began the day with a post at 9:47 a.m. EST,
reporting Shots were fired on campus and
provided continuing updates throughout the day. The
entries of the papers staff provide an
illuminating window into the fear and questioning
that doubtless gripped the campus in those
uncertain hours."


"The Collegiate Times, Virginia Tech's campus newspaper,
was the first media outlet to break the story Monday with
on-line reports of shots fired on campus."Manhattan Mercury

"No amount of on-the-job experience or education
could have prepared Kelly Furnas for what he's
faced this week in his capacity as an editorial
advisor to the campus newspaper at grief-stricken
Virginia Tech University.

.....

To be honest its been pretty much non-stop working
with the student newspaper I have not had time on a
personal level to sit down and digest everything
yet," Furnas said.

The Collegiate Times, Virginia Tech's campus
newspaper, was the first media outlet to break the
story Monday with on-line reports of shots fired on
campus.

"I can't put into words how proud I am of our
students," Furnas said. "They have provided
desperately needed information to their readers,
and they have done that with gusto. I think the
campus newspaper's reputation with the students
here has helped a lot."

The Age (Australia)

"'The school's student newspaper, The Collegiate
Times, filed up-to-the-minute online dispatches. At
4.44pm: "Police have confirmed that the shooter
took his own life." At 4.54pm: "University
Relations has confirmed 31 deaths at Norris Hall,
in addition to two deaths at West Ambler Johnson."Gulf Times

The Collegiate Times (its server quickly crashed
and a blog written by editors with messages from
students appeared instead on the web site of the
newspapers owning company), as well as to media
outlets around the world, including CNN and the
BBC. Regardless of where the contributions are
aimed, the back and forth on facebook.com and other
social networking sites are equally an instant and
new resource for news producers and reporters


NPR


"As reporters from around the world descend on
Blacksburg, Va., one publication stands out:
Virginia Tech's student newspaper, Collegiate
Times, is doing a truly remarkable job of covering
the story."

About 15 staff members were rushing to update the
site about every 15 minutes with news of the
convocation, shooting investigation and candlelight
vigil plans.

"We're getting like 10 billion phone calls,
everyone from Al Jazeera to tiny radio stations in
Iowa," Kendall said.LA Times


"The paper's scoops included eyewitness accounts of
the shootings, interviews with a classmate of the
shooter and a list of victims' names that was
posted late Tuesday. A reporter was one of the
first to question administrators about why they
didn't warn students during the two hours between
the two shootings Monday morning."
Poyneronline

"The Web staff for Virginia Tech's student
newspaper, The Collegiate Times, was also
scrambling for solutions after its servers crashed
around 10:30 a.m. the day of the shootings.
Online editor Chris Ritter's main goal was to get
the site back to its original state -- a large,
graphical and Flash-intensive homepage. When that
couldn't happen, Ritter and his staff opted for a
simple text page with blue background -- to ensure
they could communicate information quickly to
users. After that page continued to overload its
own server, The Collegiate Times tech adviser,
Scott Chandler, suggested that the staff use the
College Media server, the parent company which
hosts the publication's site.

Once the site stabilized on the additional server,
The Collegiate Times began posting photos and
videos to a third server usually reserved for
design research and development. To prevent
crashing again, a Virginia Tech server is now
hosting videos and photos for the site.

Monday night The Collegiate Times staff redesigned
its homepage from scratch to have a Web site that
was "intuitive and a graphically pleasing display"
of its special content for the shootings. The
Collegiate Times began creating breaking-news
multimedia when escaped convict William Morva shot
two police officers at Virginia Tech on the first
day of school last August.

Since then, Ritter said users are looking at the
Web for information more than ever before, and the
staff has adopted a Web-first attitude change."
Roanoke Times on CT:
Coping Through Journalism Video

 

Hopefully the healing will continue for those directly affected...