"The rise to prominence of any new web communication platform is manna to writers of newspaper and magazine think pieces."
That's a great line. I think of this as the "Hi Bart, I am using a loom!" phenomenon.
"It’s not the content of the social interchange so much as the fact of it that renews our feelings of affection for our relatives, friends and colleagues." James Carey called this the "ritual" model of communication (as opposed to a "transmission" model. I try and remember this when I get irritated at the low signal-to-noise ratio of office chit chat: http://www.colorado.edu/communication/meta-discourses/Theory/models.html
As a newish dad who doesn't get out much these days, I've really come to rely on Facebook for socializing with friends and family. I agree with the efficiency thing. It's interesting running into people I know and since I'm already up to speed on very recent minor events, we get past the "what are you up to?" thing and can talk about other stuff.
The interesting thing that I've noticed about FB is that, when I run into a friend that I haven't seen in awhile, we're instantly related from following what we each have been posting.
I find the replacement office chatter especially important. I often riff off ideas unrealted to what i am doing but in the same speculative fiction/gaming mindspace. I can't get that from anywhere else except game/comic stores (where I can't get any work done) or hanging out with friends (when I can't get any work done).
But pocket-sized digests of geekthought is perfect to keep me going through the day.
3rd category: Expertsgene_haAugust 6 2009, 16:37:35 UTC
I'd add another category. Experts.
I don't necessarily mean recognized experts, just people who know more than me.
I tweeted recently that there are Outback Steakhouses in Australia. An Ozzie themed restaurant that doesn't serve Australian dishes, but the .au site brags about "authenticity". I got a response from an Australian woman and we had a nice chat about the subject. For me, she's an expert about Australian food and culture. Now I like following her tweets because she's a friend, but she's only a friend because she's my expert.
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That's a great line. I think of this as the "Hi Bart, I am using a loom!" phenomenon.
"It’s not the content of the social interchange so much as the fact of it that renews our feelings of affection for our relatives, friends and colleagues."
James Carey called this the "ritual" model of communication (as opposed to a "transmission" model. I try and remember this when I get irritated at the low signal-to-noise ratio of office chit chat: http://www.colorado.edu/communication/meta-discourses/Theory/models.html
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But pocket-sized digests of geekthought is perfect to keep me going through the day.
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I don't necessarily mean recognized experts, just people who know more than me.
I tweeted recently that there are Outback Steakhouses in Australia. An Ozzie themed restaurant that doesn't serve Australian dishes, but the .au site brags about "authenticity". I got a response from an Australian woman and we had a nice chat about the subject. For me, she's an expert about Australian food and culture. Now I like following her tweets because she's a friend, but she's only a friend because she's my expert.
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