This is a blog of Lessig's response to Keen. Interesting.
http://www.lessig.org/blog/2007/05/keens_the_cult_of_the_amateur.html
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Truth?
Andrew Keen's Cult of the Amateur is going to be a difficult read for me. Not so much in the words but in the thoughts themselves. Even reading the cover and overview the DUH sensation takes over. Of course the Internet is going to change our way of life. Just like printing changed the Scribes, so will the internet change our way of communication. But wait... maybe I should not read Keen's book till some scribe gets around to writing it for me?
I'm really just getting started reading in depth and to page 17 before I felt the need to start typing on the blog as a response. "In the era of exploding media technologies there is no truth except the truth you create for yourself." I dont think the first part of that sentence is needed. I do think it is very true that "There is no truth except the truth you create for yourself." The difference is NOW with the media we no longer have that "truth" dictated to us by the media. Now we have broad platforms of information to gather and to make our own informed decisions. If we do not use the technology to our advantage to learn and to grow, well then we sell ourself short.
So now, back to my reading until something else makes me want to type on this blog.
..... Time passes and I'm now on page 31 of the book. I'm back to feeling insulted again by Keen. Does he think that I am not capable of reading things and not believing everything I read? Teaching one to read critically and not to believe everything is one of the basic principles I learned in school longer ago than I can remember. Maybe Keen will propose this later in the book instead of just whining about change, but maybe, just maybe, we should start teaching children to read critically and to check sources more carefully now that we do have the internet to use. Teach them to use the internet as a tool to research and question, not just believe.
Ok.. back to the book.
Page 48 and I've finally found something to agree with Keen on. That when it comes to facts, that there will be both blogs of junk and then more accurate posts by trained profressionals (in this case the media reporting on Katrina). I do believe that more and more we will find sites, news media, etc that we can rely on for objective facts (I wont speculate which or who here) and we will tend to gravitate to them when we see something that is sensationalized. Therefore, I dont think trained professionals will be out of a job, but I do think their role and how things are submitted on the web/marketed will change .. just dont ask me how yet.
More discussion about YouTube and can we tell the difference between entertainment and commercial. The answer to that is ... there may be cases where the ad is subtle. I have no doubt that is the case. So far I've read the changes he doesn't like. I'm still waiting for him to offer a solution.
After YouTube, now is the closing of a music store, change in movies, and newspapers and blaming it on the web... so...... ?
So after reading.. I'm now starting in on solutions - chapter 8. I read the introductory paragraphs and had to stop to type here again. I'm back to major frustration with him.. Can anyone say, "I want my cake and eat it too?"
One minute he is point out how the music industry adapts by selling ringtones etc.. the next he is saying we dont want to allow the "public" to destroy the industry as we know it. From what I know, it has NEVER been the consumer's responsibility to keep a merchant in business, rather it is the merchants responsibility to meet customer's needs and provide a service the customer is willing to pay for. How is the web different? Doesnt it behoove a merchant to find ways to embrace the internet and use it for their advantage ? What is wrong with YouTube ads?
"Parents too can play a key role..." where he is talking about protecting children from internet predators. The primary role of the parent is to protect their children. Or at least that was/is my role as a parent/grandparent. Why is it any different on the web than other life activities? While I am sure there are some parents who dont protect their children (there are some parents who allow 4 year olds to play in the street with cars coming to..) I dont rely on anyone else to protect my family and that includes MySpace, Facebook, NetNanny, etc, etc.
Hmmmmm. So we need to keep our entertainment industry that has shaped our culture and values? Personally, my values are NOT those of the entertainment industry. Shall we not simply go back to the Puritan age and enforce those values ?
So now that I've finished the book, I'm not sure where web 2.0 is headed but I am sure that stopping it in the interest of culture is not the right thing to do... anymore than using scribes instead of type setting is the right thing to do.
I'm really just getting started reading in depth and to page 17 before I felt the need to start typing on the blog as a response. "In the era of exploding media technologies there is no truth except the truth you create for yourself." I dont think the first part of that sentence is needed. I do think it is very true that "There is no truth except the truth you create for yourself." The difference is NOW with the media we no longer have that "truth" dictated to us by the media. Now we have broad platforms of information to gather and to make our own informed decisions. If we do not use the technology to our advantage to learn and to grow, well then we sell ourself short.
So now, back to my reading until something else makes me want to type on this blog.
..... Time passes and I'm now on page 31 of the book. I'm back to feeling insulted again by Keen. Does he think that I am not capable of reading things and not believing everything I read? Teaching one to read critically and not to believe everything is one of the basic principles I learned in school longer ago than I can remember. Maybe Keen will propose this later in the book instead of just whining about change, but maybe, just maybe, we should start teaching children to read critically and to check sources more carefully now that we do have the internet to use. Teach them to use the internet as a tool to research and question, not just believe.
Ok.. back to the book.
Page 48 and I've finally found something to agree with Keen on. That when it comes to facts, that there will be both blogs of junk and then more accurate posts by trained profressionals (in this case the media reporting on Katrina). I do believe that more and more we will find sites, news media, etc that we can rely on for objective facts (I wont speculate which or who here) and we will tend to gravitate to them when we see something that is sensationalized. Therefore, I dont think trained professionals will be out of a job, but I do think their role and how things are submitted on the web/marketed will change .. just dont ask me how yet.
More discussion about YouTube and can we tell the difference between entertainment and commercial. The answer to that is ... there may be cases where the ad is subtle. I have no doubt that is the case. So far I've read the changes he doesn't like. I'm still waiting for him to offer a solution.
After YouTube, now is the closing of a music store, change in movies, and newspapers and blaming it on the web... so...... ?
So after reading.. I'm now starting in on solutions - chapter 8. I read the introductory paragraphs and had to stop to type here again. I'm back to major frustration with him.. Can anyone say, "I want my cake and eat it too?"
One minute he is point out how the music industry adapts by selling ringtones etc.. the next he is saying we dont want to allow the "public" to destroy the industry as we know it. From what I know, it has NEVER been the consumer's responsibility to keep a merchant in business, rather it is the merchants responsibility to meet customer's needs and provide a service the customer is willing to pay for. How is the web different? Doesnt it behoove a merchant to find ways to embrace the internet and use it for their advantage ? What is wrong with YouTube ads?
"Parents too can play a key role..." where he is talking about protecting children from internet predators. The primary role of the parent is to protect their children. Or at least that was/is my role as a parent/grandparent. Why is it any different on the web than other life activities? While I am sure there are some parents who dont protect their children (there are some parents who allow 4 year olds to play in the street with cars coming to..) I dont rely on anyone else to protect my family and that includes MySpace, Facebook, NetNanny, etc, etc.
Hmmmmm. So we need to keep our entertainment industry that has shaped our culture and values? Personally, my values are NOT those of the entertainment industry. Shall we not simply go back to the Puritan age and enforce those values ?
So now that I've finished the book, I'm not sure where web 2.0 is headed but I am sure that stopping it in the interest of culture is not the right thing to do... anymore than using scribes instead of type setting is the right thing to do.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Thoughts on the other blogs
I've created a strategy for reading everyone's blogs. I'm planning on reading John's and Jeff's blog each week and in addition pick one other blog to read in its entirety from the last time I read it. This week I chose Olivia's. Her perception of perception, perfectability and learning was a topic that I am extremely interested in. I really appreciated her post on John Seely Brown -- I've spent over a half an hour browsing that site and have marked it to come back to for possible thoughts on my dissertation! Thanks Olivia!!
Group Action Just Got Easier
According to Shirkey that is the thesis for his book Here Comes Everybody. The ways that people come together in ways they couldnt before. I posted one other talk by Shirkey below so I wont integrate the video, but this is where he states his thesis for the book. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J80PE1h9OuA
While Shirkey's book gives a lot of great examples I went searching on the web for specific workplace applications. With the Net-Gen workers coming up one might expect them to use the same tools they have grown up using for work purposes.
For example: http://www.brandon-hall.com/workplacelearningtoday/?p=45 . In that site, the McDonald franchises use social networking to solve the "case of the buns that wont rise." In this case, one franchise has buns that wont rise and post it in a social net work and others then chime in they have the same problem. They finially figure out the why. Before social networking this would be much more difficult.
Another example using social tools for workplace is linkedln. I've resisted joining for a while but finally started my network today as an experiment to see how it works this semester. Anyone want to network with me there?
Still another example of social networking affecting or maybe more importantly being integrated with business is ebay. Without the seller/buyer rating (nothing more than social feed back) it might have affected the success of the business itself. While I cant speak for everyone, I know I look at the seller's rating before I buy from them. If they have poor ratings I dont buy. In this way it helps keep the quality and expectation of the products sold on ebay.
Ok, this is a start of examples of using the internet for social learning. Anyone want to add other examples? I'm open to any experiments on internet learning on here as well. Ideas?
While Shirkey's book gives a lot of great examples I went searching on the web for specific workplace applications. With the Net-Gen workers coming up one might expect them to use the same tools they have grown up using for work purposes.
For example: http://www.brandon-hall.com/workplacelearningtoday/?p=45 . In that site, the McDonald franchises use social networking to solve the "case of the buns that wont rise." In this case, one franchise has buns that wont rise and post it in a social net work and others then chime in they have the same problem. They finially figure out the why. Before social networking this would be much more difficult.
Another example using social tools for workplace is linkedln. I've resisted joining for a while but finally started my network today as an experiment to see how it works this semester. Anyone want to network with me there?
Still another example of social networking affecting or maybe more importantly being integrated with business is ebay. Without the seller/buyer rating (nothing more than social feed back) it might have affected the success of the business itself. While I cant speak for everyone, I know I look at the seller's rating before I buy from them. If they have poor ratings I dont buy. In this way it helps keep the quality and expectation of the products sold on ebay.
Ok, this is a start of examples of using the internet for social learning. Anyone want to add other examples? I'm open to any experiments on internet learning on here as well. Ideas?
Here Comes Everybody
This weeks reading was Here Comes Everybody by Shirkey. I thought I'd start my blog by looking up the book title on YouTube and guess what! I found a talk by the author about the book. See what you think.
I think my comments on this week's reading are going to pertain to wiki's. I like the comment's in HCE where he talks about his motivation for posting to Wikipedia. Exercising the mind, vanity and a desire to do a good thing all rolled into one. I think any volunteer work might be a combination of these things.
However, I think the use of wiki's can be used in the workplace as a valuable tool for collaboration -- even more so than email. Since I do consulting I have mentioned this to a few companies and have met with much of the same resistence.. they dont know what it is, how it works and are resistent to what they see as MORE work that is difficult. I truly believe that if companies would use wiki's as opposed to so much email that it would create a more efficient method of collaboration along with creating a natural documentation and organizational learning. The easily searchable content by everyone (or it can even be restricted as necessary) could possibly revolutionize a company. At this point, I have no data to back this up -- so my next step is to see what I can find.
I think my comments on this week's reading are going to pertain to wiki's. I like the comment's in HCE where he talks about his motivation for posting to Wikipedia. Exercising the mind, vanity and a desire to do a good thing all rolled into one. I think any volunteer work might be a combination of these things.
However, I think the use of wiki's can be used in the workplace as a valuable tool for collaboration -- even more so than email. Since I do consulting I have mentioned this to a few companies and have met with much of the same resistence.. they dont know what it is, how it works and are resistent to what they see as MORE work that is difficult. I truly believe that if companies would use wiki's as opposed to so much email that it would create a more efficient method of collaboration along with creating a natural documentation and organizational learning. The easily searchable content by everyone (or it can even be restricted as necessary) could possibly revolutionize a company. At this point, I have no data to back this up -- so my next step is to see what I can find.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Reading Reflection - Week 1
As We May Think
Amazing! I went looking for the Life Magazine article to see what they depicted the Memex to look like. You can follow this link to the concept published in 1945. Memex
While maybe some of the implementation details are off, the end result of the knowledge at the fingertips has become the norm of today's society.
The Culture Logic of Media Convergence
This article is about 5 years old and I'm going to start by looking at the comments by the author about the 2004 presidential election and the statement that blogging affected it. Likewise the New York Times printed figures from the election of how Obama use YouTube for for 14.5 million hours at what would been a cost of $47 million if purchased on TV. (NYTimes Article). As pointed out, the way the internet was used during the campaign appears to have played an outcome in the election much in the way televisison was used with Kennedy. Also, now days if a TV show is missed its quite possible you might be able to watch it online.
As this article points out media is converging and nine points of what are called negotiations are pointed out. Among which is regulating media content. In some ways this has become easier on an individual level with the new converging of technologies. It is possible to easily record desired shows and to only watch those.
The article also discusses redesigning the digital economy and comments the free web will be only amateur and academics. To date, I'm not sure I agree with that has happened. What about the sites that give away information in the hopes that it will attract consumers which would then see a product about that information which might prove useful (i.e. computer virus information on sites selling anti-virus software, health information on sites selling vitamins and many others)
I do agree however with the basic premise that the convergence of the media will continue to change even as it has since this article was written.
Toward a Connective Ethnography of Online/Offline Literacy Networks
Where to begin with this article. While I know it is important to look at the methods used by these researchers, I think I'll start with one of the findings that surprised me.
I was surprised by the findings of the culture in Trinidad in 2000 and the fact their culture was shaping how they used the web and the finding the practiced their national identities online. I can't help but wonder if that trend is still in existence today and if so, to the same extent.
For me, this article is valuable in seeing the different types of ethnographic studies that have been done and this is especially true as I'm just beginning the required qualitative statistics courses for the PhD. In that the reading was timely for me.
Stay tuned for the next post for more on this article!
Amazing! I went looking for the Life Magazine article to see what they depicted the Memex to look like. You can follow this link to the concept published in 1945. Memex
While maybe some of the implementation details are off, the end result of the knowledge at the fingertips has become the norm of today's society.
The Culture Logic of Media Convergence
This article is about 5 years old and I'm going to start by looking at the comments by the author about the 2004 presidential election and the statement that blogging affected it. Likewise the New York Times printed figures from the election of how Obama use YouTube for for 14.5 million hours at what would been a cost of $47 million if purchased on TV. (NYTimes Article). As pointed out, the way the internet was used during the campaign appears to have played an outcome in the election much in the way televisison was used with Kennedy. Also, now days if a TV show is missed its quite possible you might be able to watch it online.
As this article points out media is converging and nine points of what are called negotiations are pointed out. Among which is regulating media content. In some ways this has become easier on an individual level with the new converging of technologies. It is possible to easily record desired shows and to only watch those.
The article also discusses redesigning the digital economy and comments the free web will be only amateur and academics. To date, I'm not sure I agree with that has happened. What about the sites that give away information in the hopes that it will attract consumers which would then see a product about that information which might prove useful (i.e. computer virus information on sites selling anti-virus software, health information on sites selling vitamins and many others)
I do agree however with the basic premise that the convergence of the media will continue to change even as it has since this article was written.
Toward a Connective Ethnography of Online/Offline Literacy Networks
Where to begin with this article. While I know it is important to look at the methods used by these researchers, I think I'll start with one of the findings that surprised me.
I was surprised by the findings of the culture in Trinidad in 2000 and the fact their culture was shaping how they used the web and the finding the practiced their national identities online. I can't help but wonder if that trend is still in existence today and if so, to the same extent.
For me, this article is valuable in seeing the different types of ethnographic studies that have been done and this is especially true as I'm just beginning the required qualitative statistics courses for the PhD. In that the reading was timely for me.
Stay tuned for the next post for more on this article!
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Thoughts on the Class
Learning and the Internet --
I do think the internet and this Net Generation will revolutionize schools and learning in the workplace. Exactly how? That remains to be seen. Since one area of research I'm extremely interested in is adult learning and learning in the workplace, learning and the internet seems to be an important aspect of those interests. I'm not exactly sure why I did it, but I went to YouTube and found a video that I think sort of says it all... at least for now until things advance further.
I do think the internet and this Net Generation will revolutionize schools and learning in the workplace. Exactly how? That remains to be seen. Since one area of research I'm extremely interested in is adult learning and learning in the workplace, learning and the internet seems to be an important aspect of those interests. I'm not exactly sure why I did it, but I went to YouTube and found a video that I think sort of says it all... at least for now until things advance further.
Introduction - Day 1
This is the first blog of many for the semester on internet learning. I think I'm going to find writing in this blog difficult at first but I'm sure as the semester progresses it will become easier.
When considering Prensky's digital immigrants vs digital natives, by all definition in terms of where I am in life, I should be considered an immigrant. However, I am an extensive internet user and rely heavily on technology for information and communication. I am much more comfortable sending an email as opposed to telephoning and I even started chatting online with instant messaging in the early 1990's as a master's student in computer science. I will admit that then the variety of people with which to chat was very limited. Most were computer science majors like myself, or others in more technical fields.
I can't think of many days I haven't been on the internet since the early 90's although, dialing in to UT's network on a 2400 baud modem is a far cry from where I am today. In spite of being such a "heavy user" I will admit to this being my first blog. It will be interesting to see if this sticks after the class or if it will become a tedious "have to" before the class is over.
So why am I reflecting on this in my first blog? I am curious to see if my background will influence how I see the internet and learning. Only time will tell as we progress through the class.
When considering Prensky's digital immigrants vs digital natives, by all definition in terms of where I am in life, I should be considered an immigrant. However, I am an extensive internet user and rely heavily on technology for information and communication. I am much more comfortable sending an email as opposed to telephoning and I even started chatting online with instant messaging in the early 1990's as a master's student in computer science. I will admit that then the variety of people with which to chat was very limited. Most were computer science majors like myself, or others in more technical fields.
I can't think of many days I haven't been on the internet since the early 90's although, dialing in to UT's network on a 2400 baud modem is a far cry from where I am today. In spite of being such a "heavy user" I will admit to this being my first blog. It will be interesting to see if this sticks after the class or if it will become a tedious "have to" before the class is over.
So why am I reflecting on this in my first blog? I am curious to see if my background will influence how I see the internet and learning. Only time will tell as we progress through the class.
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