Hi: Well I'll put something together and see if it works. You can post articles, videos, and audio on the site. You can also create groups.
I think there is tremendous opportunity in these social networks, but we will have to see how this plays out. There is a push to move unified communication opportunities through these networks for the telco people in the room. That also needs to play out. Mike -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Glen E. P. Ropella Sent: Monday, August 20, 2007 2:17 PM To: The Friday Morning Applied Complexity Coffee Group Subject: Re: [FRIAM] Facebook? iPhone? -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 First, if you created a FRIAM-style group using some (other -- e.g. not e-mail) subset of social networking technology, I'd participate. But, I'd participate not because I already buy in to the idea that "social networks are the future". I'd participate for precisely the opposite reason: I criticize the hyperbolic assessments of new social networking technology (or any technology to be honest) because through criticism comes truth. In other words, we don't establish the truth through positive statements of belief like "social networks are clearly the future". [grin] Second, the more subtle point is that all the talk about social networking technology seems (to me) like snake oil. The reason it seems like snake oil is because I don't think anything seriously novel is showing up because of these tools. Humans are (and always have been as far as I can tell) fundamentally social animals. Our entire identity is defined from without via social imprinting that happens and is reinforced throughout our lives. Hence, it's not the case that social networks are the future _except_ in so far as _all_ technology has always been and always will be social because we (the ones who created the technology) are social. That renders the phrase "social networking technology" moot. Further hence, facebook, myspace, Reed's Law, small worlds, etc. are all just different fossils left behind by our inherently social behavior. If this skeptical interpretation is true, the question becomes: What do these (new) techniques provide us that is any different from other (older) techniques? I.e. what does LinkedIn allow an individual to do that, say, persistent participation in conferences and public events fails to do? My answer to the question is: LinkedIn allows an individual to _believe_ they're part of a professional network when in reality they are NOT part of such a network. Or a softer version of that would be that tools like this _distort_ one's concept of the professional (or any type of) network in which they sit. So, going all the way to the end, devices like MySpace are analogous to religion. They allow us to bootstrap beyond the potentially debilitating initial skepticism and just jump straight to the delusional behavior. For example, a 16 year old girl arranging to meet what she thinks is a 16 year old boy. And carrying it just a bit further, these tools are most useful to people who are comfortable (and probably familiar) with using and abusing _other_ people's tendencies toward delusion. Politicians come to mind as exemplar professional delusion-manipulators. Michael Orshan wrote: > I'm using Facebook and Linkedin for many purposes. Cleary, social networks > are the future for many reasons. Trade, relationships, causes, etc. > Facebook is currently the fastest growing public social network, and Myspace > is the largest by far. Linkedin is mostly for business and is trying to > compete with the others. Social networking is becoming the key for Internet > traffic growth in advertising, your causes or to create your social site. > > They all allow 3rd party widgets, but you need to stay on the site. This > creates a specialized third party application. Maybe with a little > database. > > They are wonderful because they bring people with "like" minds together. If > you think of eBay, people trade without knowing each other and their biz > model is beginning to show rust. It is slowing down. Social network trade > will probably take over. In fact, this FRIAM group should be operating in > a social network and these threads would be preserved for future readers. > If this is interest in this, I'll build one. - -- glen e. p. ropella, 971-219-3846, http://tempusdictum.com The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule. -- H. L. Mencken -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.6 (GNU/Linux) Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla - http://enigmail.mozdev.org iD8DBQFGyfbEZeB+vOTnLkoRAoufAJ9eE6cO36XxNu1zcF4ZaAMDaK6UsQCfSi5O gqQuppdVz6Ph4MGsLquoEWo= =k5J1 -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- ============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org ============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
