Friendless in Australia —
I've written before about the insidious side of FaceBook. I think Leigh Blackall gets it dead right today when he writes:
Those who have been following the Web2 thing should probably see that the likes of FB have very little in common with web2 ideas (closed, locked in, dodgy). Some may recognise it as that familiar corrupting force that will help to derail the more hopeful aspects of the movement, such as the revived belief in the value of a critical, creative and participatory society that helps to develop a more responsive and responsible economy, and more representational culture and mediascapeI've received several FaceBook friendship invitations recently, primarily from elearning developers who I've known forever and who are just climbing in. Like Leigh and others, I have to say that I continue to treat the service with scepticism. I was on Explode before too, but have unsubscribed. For example, the whole concept of friendship seems be diluted in its virtual form. Yet according to my emerging online identity, I still have no friends in Australia:-)
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Posted by Jeffrey 09 December 2007 02:22 am | link
Ron, I know exactly what you mean about Facebook. I have also written some skeptical pieces about this, but the shiny-object syndrom machine from the college-age users has influenced organizational folks to look into FB for all of the useful social media features it offers. Of course, with them there are a lot of, let's say, cute or useful or silly components of it that I find distracting and overly-nosy. I sense that other efforts are underway to take the best of FB and bring them into more open, less-obtrusive, professionally-useful, and academically rewarding venues.
Posted by Jeffrey Keefer 09 December 2007 02:23 am | link