Group items tagged

Here's a link to the article that JSB referred regarding blogging as a means to create context rather than just content. Sullivan is a terrific writer; I think what he outlines here is blogging at its best. I'm not sure it universally applies because so many blogs I encounter just take up words in space.

You should! :) She's a librarian and advocate who's been writing and blogging about the social effects of technology for years. I've been reading her blog librarian.net since 1998. This link is to one her recent talks about the digital divide...its history and what it means now.

And she's got a new book out - http://www.amazon.com/Without-Net-Librarians-Bridging-Digital/dp/1598844539/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1307356401&sr=8-3

Does "social media" need rebranding, and if so, should it be split from "web 2.0" in general?

The term "modern communications infrastructure" is GREAT, especially when thinking about how to get people who are less likely to be using the stuff on their own to adopt new media techniques.

The Time Magazine Techland blog reports on theories behind why France banned mentions of Facebook and Twitter on French TV (unless the companies are being reported on specifically). Following French blogger Benoit Raphael (whose French-language blog is linked to in the article), they argue that "both social networks are so ubiquitious as to essentially count as public space."

This seems to parallel (perhaps even extend?) Sarkozy's recent support for building up intellectual property rights and digital rights management on the Internet. Interesting to see what sort of opposition might grow from your example (if any) in light of petitions and other fallout from many civic organizations in his calls for action at the e-G8 summit a couple weeks back: http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/defending_innovation_and_net_neutrality_at_eg8_video.php?sms_ss=facebook&at_xt=4ddffe33e2a44342%2C0

I like this whole (relatively new) blog, written by a graduate student whose academic focus is on social media and traditional news media, and how the this sharing of information affects the media channels and the audience. He's got another post about the digital divide, but I couldn't pass up Mr. Splashy Pants.

I love that example. This is a worry/conversation we have all the time with your clients about loss of control with social media but what a great outcome in this instance.

I like that we pick up a lot of good terms and concepts from such blogs. One of his posts using the term "media convergence." That's a good one to add to the list.

I am a big pop music/culture nut. Always have been...probably always will be. So, when I really started thinking about social media and all its uses, I began to wonder...who out there uses social media to it's fullest potential. The answer was obvious. Lady Gaga! When I did a quick search on Lady Gaga and social media, I got a lot of hits. But I wasn't surprised. She is the master when it comes to sites like Facebook and Twitter. Yes, she is out there wearing meat dresses and making fun songs, but it's her presence on social networking sites that I feel has really catapulted her to super stardom. What do you all think?

hmm. is it gaga or her p/r team creating the image? Is her voice really hers? How do we know?

I am sure it is more her "team" then her herself. But, still...it's rather impressive.

I thought this blog was very interesting because of the ideas for teacher guidelines it presents. These guidelines seem to be straightforward, but as you can see, not all people who commented agreed with them, arguing freedom of speech and people's ability to exercise their own common sense.

Good advice! I recently had a teacher post on facebook about one of her students. She didn't mention a name, but I had a few complaints about it. (She unfortunately friends some of her parents)

My favorite cranky librarian casts a skeptical eye towards a social media survey, and (as always) Library 2.0 - worth reading the blog and the survey it talks about/links to.

LJ blog about social & digital media

Another article found in my search for information about the "global digital divide." According to the article, last week, the United Nations released a report that "argued that disconnecting individuals from the Internet is a violation of human rights and goes against international law" and that all States should seek to ensure there is "as little restriction to online content as possible." The Atlantic points out, following Wired's Threat Level blog, that the UN report came "the same day that a monitoring firm found two-thirds of Syria's Internet access has been shut down without notice." While access isn't the only factor in the digital divide on a global or a national scale (disparities in information or new media literacy is also a huge factor, for example), I agree that the availability of unfettered access as a matter of government policy is the bare minimum.

It confuses me that it can be considered a basic human right if, for a portion of the population, it's hard to access and at times, can be unreachable. Even though I know it's more what Tom said about it being a negative right, the phrasing just doesn't sit right. Either way, this is a great thing and I'm surprised it didn;t happen sooner.

I had come across this article as well in our group project research, Maggie, and I think that the UN is taking steps to bring the conversation on the right to freedom of opinion and expression into the digital age, as Tom mentions. Article 19 of the UN Declaration of Human Rights, in place since 1948, states: "Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers." So in the context of the recent shutdown of ISPs by Syria, more generally the use of the Internet as a means of civic and political dissidence, and even the debate around net neutrality in this country, I agree with Maggie that the UN's approach seems to clarify and reiterate unfettered access to information.

I've been researching the "global digital divide" for my group project and one of the things that factors into a global digital divide is governments that control the flow of information and prevent access and use of technology. This is article provides a quick summary of government censorship tactics regarding social media and blogging under repressive regimes.

Last summer, a news report appeared on local tv in Huntsville Alabama that was so over the top, someone thought to put it up on YouTube.  Someone thought they could autotune it and turn it into a song.  a few weeks later, Antoine Dodson had the #3 song on the iTunes R&B chart.  There are dozens of covers of the song, which the Gregory Brothers (the autotuners) encourage at the end of the video.  How has social media changed what we think about fame? Antoine, like Rebecca Black, ended up doing national TV appearances, and eventually made enough money from selling his song to buy his family a house.  

I always liked this article when I was linked to it some time ago. The author succinctly describes why so many people get very excited about social media but end up doing some very not smart things with that technology. This particular author is a little snarky but I think he gets to the point about how we need to present ourselves on the Internet, rather than just putting ourselves out there "as is."

I make it my personal obsession to erase as much of my online presence as possible.

@Daniel, for any reason in particular?

I'm super interested in how technology and the digital divide impacts education. This article provides very interesting perspectives- particular that mentioned about the racial constructs that technology can reinforce.

Thanks Rebecca! I'll definitely check this out!

Rebecca - that pbs.org teachers database looks really useful.

The Berkman Center often conducts great, free webcasts on its many different research focuses and produces an incredible number of research reports. Lots to digest on the site, but I wanted to share for everyone's perusal. I'd really recommend subscribing to its blog as well.

This site is chock-full a great information!

"A Netflix law just hit the books. As of July 1 in Tennessee, Netflix password sharing can net you a misdemeanor conviction punishable by a $2,500 fine and/or a year behind bars." Do we just LOL at this? One end of an interesting spectrum of DRM approaches...

I'm starting to think that 21st century literacy- as it pertains to technology and social media- and the pending growth of the digital divide could be an interesting topic to focus on for the project.

Hmmm...Interesting thought. With the popularity of twitter and facebook, perhaps this is a reality.

I studied mass communication in college and several of my classmates are now "Community Managers" at nonprofits, consulting firms and corporations alike. Essentially they are the social media marketers, but have roles that also include public relations and community building. I think considering our own MLIS program's recent (last year?) addition of a social media concentration, KeithK's comment on the blog entry comes to life: "There are several important concepts to consider in the participatory culture of social media that extend far beyond marketing. The potential for community engagement, for developing an active learning community through the use of social media is one good reason. Understanding the dynamics of social capital with respect to creating community is another. These are things that need to be analyzed through research and reflection, not just use." Social media as a source to recontextualize our information resources through collaboration, folksonomies and other community-building and -based activities is pretty exciting. I don't know that a social media librarian is specifically needed, but it is something that could be incorporated into an instructional or educational technology librarian's role in academia.

You know, our library has a Facebook account, but I don't think we ever really do anything with it. There's a lot of potential there, as this article points out.

An article on books in the iCloud - some interesting information on the information being fed back to publishers and Amazon.