My History with PASS

Over the last two years I have become more involved in the SQL Server community through attending local user groups (OPASS), forum participation, blogging, SQLSaturday attendance, and attending my first PASS Summit last fall.  As part of my blogging I've been fairly outspoken about what I think PASS should do and how it should operate.  Here are my editorial blog posts to date:

1. What Should PASS Strive to Be?
2. SQLSaturday Acquired by PASS - Reactions
3. A Swing and a Miss by PASS (this one probably created the most reaction)
4. PASS Releases Survey Results & Summit Location- Reactions
5. PASS, Microsoft, and Certification

I had a teacher that used to say, "If you aren't part of the solution, then you are part of the problem."  This post is part of my attempt to be part of the solution.

How Does PASS Communicate?

I know of seven methods PASS uses for communication:

1. PASS Web Site.  They do a pretty good job at keeping this up to date, but, to be honest, it's not a web site I check regularly (trying to do it more), so I'm not sure a web site is the best means of communication in this day and age.  If an engaged member of the community like myself is not checking it regularly, who is?
2. PASS Connector Email.  This is a good method of communication, if people read it.  One issue I have with it, is that every article requires a click-through to the web site.  At the very least the Main article should be included in full.
3. PASS Blog.  I have to be honest, I didn't even know this existed until about a month ago.  This is basically the place where the lead article in the Connector is posted.  The problem with this is that the RSS feed does not work currently.  As I mentioned about the web site, I don't go there every day, but I have my feed reader open every day, so I'd get everything if that feed worked.  This should be a priority. Note: I received an email from PASS while writing this post that a new RSS feed was published, so I’m monitoring it.
4. Twitter.  Blythe Morrow (@BlytheMorrow) is on twitter and there is a PASS account, @SQLPASS.
5. PASS LinkedIn Group.  This is fairly active, but it looks like less than half the posts are by PASS HQ staff or Board.  I also don’t see announcements about the availability of board meeting minutes or blog posts.
6. PASS Facebook Group (or is it a Fan Page?).  I know I joined this, but I don’t recall seeing much happening with it.
7. PASS monthly Chapter PowerPoint deck.  This is a slide deck sent to chapter leaders monthly that contains A LOT of information, in fact, probably too much, but it is PASS trying to keep us up to date.

So it’s not as though PASS is not trying to communicate, but are they giving us the information we want?  PASS is doing a good job of promoting and producing learning events like the Summit, 24 Hours of PASS, Virtual Chapters, and Articles.  Perhaps this is what most of the membership is looking for, and in that case this is fine, but here are a few things I’m looking for:

1. What are the goals of PASS for this year? Douglas McDowell has actually done this for the Chapter Portfolio for 2010.
2. What is being done to accomplish those goals?
3. What are PASS’s five year goals?  Are there any?

Perhaps this information is out there and I just haven’t found it.  This is what I want to hear about, events, and articles are great, but tell me where you want to take me and then show me the progress we are making.  This is what is going to draw me in and keep me engaged, I have to think I’m not the only one.