Blogs. Wikis. Podcasts. Social Networks. Social bookmarking. Photo sharing. Video sharing. Presentation sharing. Collaborative creation. RSS aggregation. Photo editing. Video editing. Word Processors. Spreadsheets. Mind mapping. You might feel overwhelmed by the glut of online applications, services and technologies that are available. This sensation is not diminished when colleagues come in and tell you “Oh – you need to try this new thing on the web called …”. A frequent reaction is for the eyes to glaze over and stare silently into the distance like a deer stuck in headlights. Perhaps that deer feels like you do – an uneasy feeling that you are about to be hit by something moving with enough velocity to do you grievous harm. I’m occasionally prone to a similar feeling. As I write this, I realize that I am severely behind reading the items … Continue reading »

I was touched and moved by the heartfelt words of two people today, both connected to me by my online network. I’ve been thinking about them the past few hours (I have been accused of being overly introspective and analytical at times), and how they exemplify what I’ve come to understand as being the foundation of community. The first was a photograph by Alan Levine entitled David’s Chair. He also shares with us the reason why the chair is meaningful in his life. I was deeply moved by his explanation. If you haven’t read it, you should. It wasn’t just his story that I felt – it was his willingness to share a very personal part of his life. The second moving set of words came indirectly from Dean Shareski who shared, hopefully with her blessing, the beautiful song called … Continue reading »

In my previous post, I gave the TV show Cheers as a metaphor for Twitter. Like any analogy, it has some utility in describing something but also limitations. By comparing an thing, phenomenon or process to something it is not, I’m limiting how you might experience it. Libel by label, as McLuhan said. My analogy was a bar, someplace to relax with friends outside of the context of our “real” lives. I received – and truly appreciated – some responses to the post, but Jen‘s comment prompted some reflection on the limits of my analogy: Would your RL friends stop what they’re doing at the drop of a hat just to say hi to your students? Would your RL friends give you full access to their work projects? Do you real friends tell you how smart you are every day? … Continue reading »