Hello, everyone, Kevin Harvey here. No third person narratives from me here on ye olde website today like I usually do. I want to provide a few updates on important matters for Climax-Scotts Digital Network as well as information on a new Climax-Scotts Community Business I've founded, LocalDork.
State of Climax-Scotts Digital Network
As several followers have likely noticed, things have been significantly quieter on the website and all CSDN social media. Please know that everything is just fine, but it was a necessary break to evaluate what, if any evolutions were needed as CSDN is still in the midst of "our rookie year."
Part of the reason for backing off on content compared to what we were once publishing is there was a halt to publishing content from Ms. Jennifer Wright's Journalism Class Students at Climax-Scotts High School. This is NOT even remotely a negative thing! I have still been working with Journalism Class, helping them learn ins and outs of podcasting while other students are now learning video production. And the students are turning out some fun projects that will eventually be in the public eye, just not via climaxscottsdigitalnetwork.com or csdigitalnetwork.org. New tools are being put into place for sharing of the Students' works and CSDN will certainly share details when the final pieces are put into place.
The sharing of knowledge with Students and the relationship with Climax-Scotts Community Schools is still strong, and my favorite part of what CSDN has been able to accomplish to date.
The next part I'm going to try my best not to ramble, but I feel it's important to share this in the interest of transparency as a registered 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organization.
Climax-Scotts Digital Network is still a Nonprofit Organization and will continue to do business as one. There has been some good already done for the community and more I would like to do in the future that remaining as a Nonprofit simply makes the most sense. There is a board in place, and CSDN will be adding additional board members in the near future. More on that soon, just not in this article.
To that point, I do not draw a penny of salary or in any other way get paid to do the work associated with CSDN.
For most of CSDN's existence, we have offered things like merchandise and services (video conversion, etc.). But these services were never intended to be "money makers." These were offered simply to cover the costs of starting and running the organization.
A crossroads came when services started gaining momentum and some very generous support from members of the public came in to where all expenses have been covered for the first year, so services will no longer be offered via CSDN, but will be through something new. More on that in just a second.
Quite simply, to maintain integrity as a nonprofit, formal lines needed to be drawn in the sand between "what helps CSDN with community projects and expenses" and "things that pay Kevin."
And, well, a fella does need to eat, which brings me to...
LocalDork - A New Tech Support and Consulting Business for the Climax-Scotts Community
Since moving back to the area in August, I have been doing a LOT of work in the realm of what I call "professional nerd services." There are just so many ways so many large companies, in my opinion, rip people off from small town communities. The overall goal is to give area residents a great deal for the money, get quality work AND from a person they can actually talk to and deal with directly who lives locally.
That's where LocalDork comes into play. For now, there is only a Facebook Page located at facebook.com/climaxlocaldork.
While still coming up with a more comprehensive list of services, making a functioning website and more, LocalDork is still taking calls and new business, just operating more on word-of-mouth basis until some of the bigger pieces are in place.
The services still listed here on CSDN's website will be moving entirely to LocalDork's operations. During this transition time, the Services Page on this site will remain unchanged.
In addition to all the multimedia conversion services, several others will be available as well. They include, but are not limited to technology troubleshooting, technology training and education, basic website design, video creation (shooting and editing or creating from your own footage), audio creation, advertising/branding and more.
In other words, I'm taking all those things I've been doing helping people, businesses and organizations and giving them a brand name.
If you need something nerdy done, don't call the Global Geeks because they'll likely charge you "an arm and a leg." Call a LocalDork and we can probably get it done for "just a couple of toes!"
In Conclusion
In short-ish...
If it's on the CSDN website and involves payments or requests for money, that money goes into the CSDN Nonprofit Organization account and helps with associated expenses or good we are trying to do in the community.
If it's something offered or referenced by LocalDork, that absolutely is for profit and pays me.
Maybe that was too much information, but I'd rather share too much than too little when it comes to where the hard-earned money of folks from the community goes after a payment or transaction.
Maybe it's not enough information? If you have any questions, clarifications or concerns, I hide quite poorly. Reach out to me or talk to me in person whenever you see me.
At the end of the day, I work free for CSDN as a board member with the fun title of "Director of Small Town Enthusiasm." I work as LocalDork to keep my lights on and my cats fed.
Thanks for all the support, everyone. Hopefully that ramble wasn't too rambling.
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