Stephen's Web

OLDaily

by Stephen Downes
February 12, 2010

Shifting Identities - From Consumer to Networked Creator
I agree things are changing but calling someone a 'networked creator' seems to misstate what's happening. When people create their own content, they're not just content creators - they're not amateur versions of the formerly professional content creators. The task is different; the impact is different. A citizen journalist, for example, is much more likely to be a person taking power into his or her own hands. There's no employer to satisfy, no advertiser needs to consider. Market demographics are not a factor, broad appeal is not even considered. So we shouldn't think of them just as 'networked creators'. They are something much more effective. John Hagel, Edge Perspectives, February 12, 2010 [Link] [Tags: Networks, Marketing] [Comment] [Tweet]

A CMO's Guide To The Social Media Landscape
You actually can't find what CMO stands for anywhere on this post, diagram or related Adobe site. My best guess is 'Chief Marketing Officer' though it could be 'Chief Media Officer'. Who knows. Anyhow, the purpose of this diagram is to rate different social media services, such as Digg, Twitter and Flickr, as marketing tools. Properties such as 'Brand Awareness', 'Traffic to Your Site' and 'SEO' are all ranked in red (bad), yellow and green (good)(where 'bad' and 'good' refer to marketing objectives, and not (say) the user's desire to avoid annoying marketing spam). The chart is difficult to read and the 'stamp sheet' design contributes nothing to the message. But, it's from Adobe, so I guess that explains everything. Joachim Niemeier, 7 Days and More, February 12, 2010 [Link] [Tags: Twitter, Marketing, Spam, Flickr] [Comment] [Tweet]

Virtual Tour on the Trans Siberian Railway
Oh, this is fantastic - a video of the entire Trans-Siberian railway trip. I have checked it out and tried a bunch of different spots, and yes, it's every bit of the trip. So of course I'm going to do the entire video, from Moscow to Vladivostok. How? When? Not sure. The scope of it is immense. Byrne, Free Technology for Teachers, February 12, 2010 [Link] [Tags: Video] [Comment] [Tweet]

Influence and Virality: A Primer
Every social media guru thinks they have the secret to influence and virality. Me, I have my doubts. I am more inclined to believe that, in a network, there isn't a core influencer, as Duncan J. Watts argues. So how do these gurus find evidence of influence? They study what amounts to mass media - new York Times cover stories, say - and find in their network effects evidence of influence. But, of course, the influence is a vestige of the mass media being used to launch them in the first place. And as such, it is pernicious and nit helpful, just a way to allow the already-powerful to extend their power. But hey, where there's a guru there's always a secret sauce - can't have one without the other. Ian Delaney, twopointouch, February 12, 2010 [Link] [Tags: Networks] [Comment] [Tweet]

Sketchpad
Fabulous drawing tool - the only thing I couldn't find was a way to draw a straight line. But that may just be me. This thing does a lot else very very well. Via Jane Hart. Variou Authors, Website, February 12, 2010 [Link] [Tags: none] [Comment] [Tweet]

Designing the Future Without Us: A response to an essay by Trent Batson
"This thing that we call a call a college education is about to implode," writes Chris Sessums. "And it will happen in our lifetime. I have heard this over the past decade within the halls of academia, in journal articles, editorials, and blog posts. But now I am hearing it from the students themselves." Sessums is responding to Trent Batson's essay As We May Learn: Revisiting Bush in Campus Technology. Christopher Sessums, Weblog, February 12, 2010 [Link] [Tags: Online Learning, Academia, Web Logs] [Comment] [Tweet]

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