Hi everyone,

This is a short update on the online course.    I’m sure it’s going to happen, in some form, although I’m finding the thought a bit scary.   My plan:  The next thing that will happen (publicly) will be a “let’s get going” post here, potentially in about a week, giving details and structure, and likely announcing the first lecture.    I have an email list (consisting of those who asked to be on it) which exists for a single use:  to let people know when this “let’s get going” post has gone up.  If you’re already following the blog, you’ll already know, so you needn’t be on the email list.  But feel free to ask to be on it.

I’m basically settled on technology.  (WordPress, discord, dropbox, zoom, youtube, googleforms.)  So right now I’m (in the interstices between other things) setting things up, and sketching out how this can work.

Standing caveats (I’ll be slow or unresponsive on email due to volume, etc.) apply.  (At the moment, I have ten emails on this topic needing a response, for example.)

One thing  on my mind I may as well ask now, as long as I’m here — are there any platforms that people will have trouble using?  (Everything I mentioned is free to use, but there may be countries that are unable to access some sorts of things.)  This is not going to be perfect, but I’d prefer to make things as accessible as possible.

Another thing to ask now:  if 8 am Pacific, once per week (say for 1 hour, but maybe as much as 1.5 hours), what day of the week?  I am wondering if it would be too radical to have it on the weekend — because people might have the most flexibility in their schedule.  I don’t know if this would cause obstructions for religious reasons, for example.     Or if on a weekday, it’s not at all clear to me what my own preference would be.  (One necessity is that the plan be workable for me most weeks.)