After I jumped to the end of the lecture on Thursday to hear this week's homework, I logged onto the Wiki. I was floored. I believe that Wikis are one step ahead of YouTube, Facebook, or even Blogs. I know that it is of a different artery all together, but the inherent principle is amazing.
I honestly believed that I was "connected," but I didn't know what a Wiki or an RSS feed was. And now, admitting that they are truly revolutionary, I see it being something that I don't immediately embrace. Why? I see its value. I see its enjoyment. I would even like to understand how they work more. But a part of me has no desire to set up an account. Hmmm. Have I missed the boat? Perhaps I am too busy. The videos dictate that if I search for my news and entertainment the old way, I am the equivalent of a dinosaur renting from a physical Blockbuster rather than renting over the Internet via Netflix. If I am too busy, then why do I prefer a slower method?
Time to broaden this past me. During great discovery, as much as type setters hated the linotype machine, there will always be resistance or tension between what's practiced and what's promised. The video suggested that a great way to store photos is through flickr. Seriously? And then for "fun," make them public. I get that. But that's a lot of work. Uploading my photos. And are they really there with all of the quality that exists when stored on my hard drive? It seems that there is so much push to make everything public. What is there that's left as private? Why live in a home when we can live in a commune?
I can see the tension that exists among instructors who dislike Wikipedia. After all, wouldn't the educational establishment of academia quake if everyone is a contributor and expert on a topic? Teaching is definitely one-sided. Yes, students can teach and the classroom can be a dialogic; however, a teacher is still in charge of the classroom. They go to school to be able to teach. They must be labeled as professional, but indeed it seems that with the advent of sites such as blogs, wikis, etc., everyone can teach. Students and parents already find reason to dislike and complain about the educational system without recognizing its successes. What will they say now?
Also, are these 2.0? To me, they merely seem like applications that users can use that maximize current tech. There are many more yet undiscovered I'm sure. Someone had a good idea and technology was able to meet him/her there, and it was created. To say that THIS is the face of Social Media is an overstatement. There will be so much more.
All of these questions are sponsored by Thomas Davis.
3 comments:
Thomas,
You make some very good points. I agree that it seems that we as a society are losing our privacy through the web, and many other outlets. I shuttered when the video suggested we "back up" our photographs on the internet. I can't imagine doing that. For one thing, the original file that my camera makes is a pretty big file and it would take forever to upload, but that's not even the point. I am a very private person and all this social networking stuff is not really my thing. I found a niche at Devianart where I felt like I did have something in common with the people I was communicating with. Myspace, although I must admit that I do have a page that I check every few months, seems like a world that I really don't understand. Never even been to a Facebook account.
My point is that I guess I'm just not that interested in putting that much of myself out there, and I'm really not that curious to see what others have put out there. Now I do look up things about people I'm interested in, but whatever...I'm rambling.
I think the point you make about all this just being the beginning was very accurate, but where I think I differ from you is that this is what makes me want to get involved even more. I'm excited about what may come next with this technology, and I'd like to be a part of it. Just an opinion though, everybody's got one :).
Thanks for the interesting post here. It made me think.
-Zack
Woooow,
Well, we don't differ too much. This definitely makes me want to be a part of it. If I didn't, I wouldn't have quit my safe job of teaching to go into this area; I especially love the web. It's just currently, with all that's being discovered, it's hard to find time for it or rather the transition into it seems difficult. I could use wiki's and follow blogs, but I just don't. Why? My lifestyle can't support it right now. As stated, wiki's and blogs must only be the surface.
OK, I gotcha. I'm with you on the finding time to do it. Between full time work, part time school and everything else, I find myself more and more not having the time to do a lot of things that I really enjoy (hiking, photography), or think I would enjoy (blogs, wikis).
-Zack
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