Week 2 Prompt - Looking back . .

How might the concept of produsage be applied in your life (personal and/or professional) as it stands today? Are you already a produser? If yes, what do you do? If no, why not?

The idea of produsage is brand new to me. I can definitely see a use in my personal life to tie my extended family together - photos, activities, sharing files, etc. It would become a one-stop shop for family information and could be controlled by limiting access. Professionally, we already have something in the works with MS SharePoint, which provides a collaborative space for IT managers.

Week 3 Prompt - A Reprise

What uses might a collaborative wiki or blog have in your chosen (current or desired) work environment? How would they support learning and/or performance? What would be the design and implementation challenges if management tried to do this? What would be the design and implementation challenges of a user-initiated effort?

I see a real application of a wiki with an integrated blog for credit union officials. In fact, that's what my produsage project is about. It would support learning for Directors by providing a collaborative workspace where ideas could be shared and vetted, bring synergy to the effort from a broad reach. Challenges would center on having an individual with the experience and background to manage the site. For a user-initiated effort, one would have to ensure they don't violate privileged information being shared on the site. Just a few thoughts . . .

Week 4 Prompt, Part 2

How do you judge the value of expertise on the Web? Does it differ from your notion of expertise in face-to-face settings?

There are several things I look for. FIrst, I look at how well it's presented both visually, where applicable, and written. It's relatively easy to sense amateur production. Then I refer to the context of the expertise - how prominent are they in the blog, wiki, web page e.g. number of posts, references etc. I also, look at the background, experience, and credentials of the individual. Finally, how they're responded to by others weighs in as well. As to F2F, the same things tend to apply. However, body language, personal and chemistry come into play, which obviously aren't in play typically on the web.

Week 5 Prompt

How do issues such as authorship, copyright and open access impact your desire, ability and willingness to engage in produsage, both personally and professionally?

While much of this is new to me, my initial reaction is not to take issue with authorship, copyright and open access as it relates to me personally. However, if related to my profession it would be important for me to have credit for my input. I'd also refrain from produsage when it put my work in jeopardy; more traditional venues would be more appropriate to ensure my intellectual property was protected. This is the challenge of the open environment of Web 2.0.

A weekend of activity . .

We'll week 5 is almost history and we'll be in the home stretch in this six-week odyssey with Web 2.0. It has been quite a wild ride - enjoyable, frustrating at times, and definitely a learning experience. I'm putting the finishing touches on my produsage project and starting the draft of the accompanying paper. Hope to take a break and get some golf in this afternoon in an effort toward balance. Hope the rest of the cohort is moving along well with a minimum of challenges. Cheers everyone!

Ivy Bean, 'world's oldest Twitter user,' dead at 104

Fascinating story of this lady with 57,000 followers! Now that's outreach via Web 2.0. See the story at this link.

Blogs Report Local News . . .

I found this interesting article in Time regarding how what are known as hyperlocal websites are taking over coverage of neighborhood news. This has resulted from newspapers and media outlets cutting the local news due to staff cut backs and printing skimpier editions in this economy. Now you have entrepreneurs and ordinary citizens (Pro Ams???) stepping up to the plate and filling the gap. A prime example is Tracy REcord's West Seattle Blog. Hmmmmm.

Produsage Project

I've pretty much decided on wiki with an embedded blog using Ning (http://www.ning.com/). The focus is a resource depository and collaborative venue for credit union Directors / Officials. Ning provides some powerful features, for a price. The challenge is having sufficient time to complete vet those capabilities and implement. Time will tell . . .

Twitter gets things done . . .

Read an interesting article regarding an instance of poor customer service with a company e.g. letters, emails, and phone calls gone unanswered. However, within 45 minutes of complaining on Twitter, the company called and resolved the problem, replete with apologies a many. Obviously, companies are sensitive to the world-wide reach of Twitter and Web 2.0 technologies. This is a good thing . . .

Das Paper is done!!!

Was finished with the paper regarding Web 2.0 Community Observations around 7:00 this evening. Reviewed it after dinner with some minor edits and it's submitted! Booya!

Week 4 Prompt . . .

In the interest of supporting a Web 2.0-based learning experience, this class has a lot of open edges for all of you to fill it. Tolerance for creativity and differences in assignments. Freedom to blog about the topics that interest you. Freedom to explore tools and activities that will be meaningful to you. And so on. Do you feel differently about who's in charge (or should be in charge) on the discussion board versus the blogs or other technologies we might use? If so, why? And what does that mean for integrating Web 2.0 (the tools AND the philosophy) into formal learning settings?

I believe the instructor has a definitive role, albeit one that is morphing over time to a facilitator of knowledge. For me it's a pedagogical dance in which an appropriate balance is struck between the instructor and the students who follow that lead and provide input to improve the dance. It's obviously important to have someone who sets the agenda, develops the prompts, and guides the discussion. Integrating Web 2.0 shouldn't present a problem to this structure. IMO it's a tool and a philosophy of collaboration and discovery that will help shape the educational landscape.

Week Four - Two to go . . . .!

The following highlights this week's activities in EME6635:




- Posted 13 comments to the prompts . . . .
- Read week 4 articles . . .
- Continued assessment of possible technologies to use for the produsage project . . . Door number 1, 2, or 3 . . ?
- Decided the the subject of my produsage project and have a beta site started in one medium . .
- Started the draft of the community observation paper and will submit same by midnight on the 25th if not sooner . . .
- Visited and commented on several blogs within the cohort . . .
- Posted some nine times on this blog, but who's counting . . .

Web 2.0 - a "different" definition .. .

In Bruns' 2008 book, he quotes Tim O'Reilly with this definition of Web 2.0 (see below). Curious as to reactions from the cohort.




Web 2.0 is the business revolution in the computer industry caused by the move to the internet as platform, and an attempt to understand the rules for success on that new platform.

Among these rules are the following:

1. Don’t treat software as an artifact, but as a process of engagement with your users. (“The perpetual beta”).
2. Open your data and services for re-use by others, and re-use the data and services of others whenever possible. (“Small pieces loosely joined”)
3. Don’t think of applications that reside on either client or server, but build applications that reside in the space between devices. (“Software above the level of a single device”)

** The aircraft in the photo is the now Lockheed S-3B Viking, the aircraft I flew in the fleet.

A car that Tweets??!!

I found this link after hearing a story this morning on CNN about a Ford Fiesta that has been modified with Wifi and an onboard computer to Tweet the status of the car e.g. location, speed, number of brake applications, windshield wipers engaged, etc. as a thought toward being able to gauge traffic patterns, weather along a route etc. Makes me think that our vehicles will be the next wired "place". There's even talk about an in dash iPad! Go figure . . . .

Bruns on produsage . . .

I found this 15-20 minute presentation by Bruns on produsage that I thought the class might enjoy. It dovetails the article we read of the same name a couple of weeks ago. Enjoy.

Produsage: Towards a Broader Framework for User-Led Content Creation

View more webinars from Axel Bruns.

Ah, the Community paper saga . . .

While I feel well positioned at my progress on the subject paper, I'm definitely wrestling on putting in the correct context and bringing something fresh to the table . . . . Definitely don't want this to be a last minute thing . . . Curious how others in the class are feeling.

Online communities in finance . . .

When visiting the eLearning Tech blog I discovered this link that discusses successful online communities (read blogs) in the financial industry. I was impressed with the samples provided. One bank promoted competition for innovation through their blog, replete with cash prizes - 1st place $20K! Another generated a Twitter account entitled 100Thoughts where one Tweets their piece of business wisdom. These are some great uses of Web 2.0 in finance, personal and professional, yet only scratches the surface I'm sure.

Troubadours and Social Networking

Entertainers have discovered the wonder and merit of social networking. It's shown in James Taylor's and Carol King's recent conclusion to their Troubadour tour and their reaching out via YouTube to thank all 700,000 fans that came to see them. Their video says it all . . .

Wiki what?!!

I stumbled across and article regarding Wikileaks. This site an amorphous, international organization, originally based in Sweden that publishes anonymous submissions and leaks of sensitive documents from governments and other organizations, while preserving the anonymity of their sources. I'm struggling with trying to answer the question is this a good thing or not??? Does it violate the idea of social networking and Web 2.0? Thoughts anyone?

Twitter for Hugo Chavez . . . .

This was an article on cnn.com today the use of Twitter by Venezuela's Hugo Chavez. Having only gone social in April, he's established quite a following from the citizenry asking for a multitude of things from a job, to a home, to legal aid. Take a look . . .

Kind of a downer . . .

Last Friday late in the day and today, two of my co-workers lost their jobs as a result of budget woes. Another resigned, having seen the writing on the wall and proactively found another position. As can be expected, it's quite a solemn scene around work these days . . .

Considering the options . . .

I've started to frame the community paper as well as what technology to use for the produsage project. I've done a quick beta using Google Sites, Ning, and Wikispaces. I find Google Sites more conducive to editing for content while Ning is more slanted to the social networking side for collaboration as is Wikispaces. Need to zero in on one and getting moving . . .

I considered several themes but am pretty much decided on a collaborative resource for Credit Union Directors . . .

Web 2.0 in Learning: A White Paper

I found this interesting white paper entitled, Blending Web 2.0 Technologies with Traditional Formal Learning: A Guide for CLOs and Training Managers at this link.

The Hat Trick . . . aka Week Three . . .

The following highlights this week's activities in EME6635:




- Posted 26 comments to the prompts . . . .
- Swam through a sea of reading articles and the text . . .
- Reviewed possible technologies to use for the produsage project . . .
- Determining the subject of my produsage project . . .
- "Lurked" in one blog and was active in the other, part of the electronic community observation paper . . .
- Visited and commented on several blogs within the cohort . . .
- Posted several times on this blog . . .

And the beat goes on . . .

*The posted pic is my salute to today's British Open at St. Andrews, Scotland and today's winner Louis Oosthuizen from South Africa. Here I played "The Glen" outside of Edinburgh, Scotland . . .

Wiki Resources . . .

The blog I'm lurking about in has an interesting post regarding wiki resources for learning solutions. Check it out here. It's quite extensive and provides ample reading to get a sense of the direction of wiki usage in educational settings.

Tweet Mashup . . .

Found this interesting Twitter account for Web2.0 in education. It's quite involved graphically with it's presentation - a sort of mashup similar to our class wiki. Take a gander. This looks like a promising quick reference source using Twitter . . .

To Tweet or Not to Tweet . . .

So, last week it was recommended that you try Twitter if you're not already a user. And from the bits and pieces I've seen mentioned on blogs, it doesn't seem to be all that popular among you. Why is that?

For what purposes and contexts (and people?) do you think it is most useful?

I would agree that the majority of the cohort's posts were not supportive of Twitter. I suspect it has a lot to do with their generation generally and their stage in life, being quite busy. Many simply don't see the utility to a 140 character burst of information. Statistics show Twitter use is concentrated in the those born after 1980 - the so-called technology generation. They've grown up with technology - that contrasts with what I had at their age - an IBM PC that cost $3500 in 1980, had no internal hard drive, and had limited applications - a rudiment word processor and spreadsheet. We've come a long way and they live and breath it; it's a part of their fabric. It comes naturally.

One of the uses I see is for reporting of news / significant events in real-time, including pictures. In the classroom, it could be adapted as quick methodology to discuss issues within the cohort on the go. More extensive dialogue would have to reserved more robust technology such as a blog or wiki. One successful experience at the University of Dallas shown below:

Banks Embrace Web 2.0 . . .

As a director for a local credit union, I receive various solicitations for conferences and webinars. Here's one regarding use of social media in the banking industry . . . and the beat goes on.


10 Things to Include in Every Bank's Social Media Policy

Social media isn't just for teenagers anymore. More and more businesses and professionals are using social media as a way to generate revenue and interact with customers. For banking professionals, this is an opportunity to develop and implement a policy that will support their business. This session will offer 10 tips to consider that will help you steer clear of the pitfalls and allow you to focus on what's really important: engaging your customers.

After attending this webinar, participants will learn:

* Understand the growing trend of social media in the workplace
* Learn the key elements to developing a social media policy
* Share examples from the banking and financial services industry using social media to drive business results

By attending this webinar, you will leave knowing:

* Why social media isn't going away
* The importance of developing a social media policy
* 10 policy considerations for banks and financial services industries
* Social media lessons learned and best practices

Do you doubt the power of Web 2.0?

I came across the following tag line for an article from the UK that demonstrates the emerging, if not already present, power of Web 2.0:

Domino's Pizza has attributed strong growth in online sales to its use of promotions on location-based mobile application Foursquare and social media after revealing a 29% surge in pre-tax profits to £17.5m.

Foursquare is the location-based social media site.

Was there ever a doubt?? You can access the full article at this link.

The "Final" Project . . .

I've been contemplating our final Produsage project quite a bit today as I don't want to be rushed at the last minute. As a result of some of that cerebral exercise I came across this site, which I believe is a good example of utilizing W2.0. It integrates YouTube and a blog to address issues facing our country. It helps with suggestions about topics and includes an Open Mic for new discussions. I like this set-up and how it ties things together nicely. Now, I need to define a subject / purpose, audience, and what technologies I want to employ . . .

A bit off the subject . . .

I'm putting Web 2.0 aside for a brief moment to congratulate my daughter, Kelby, on her recent graduation with honors from Northwestern!! Vanessa, deja vu wouldn't you say? Suffice it to say we're very proud of her! CHEERS!!

Blog Option . . .

While interacting within the Rapid E-Learning Blog I discovered an application entitled Hear a Blog (see link below). It allows one to have the text of a blog "audioized" so you can listen to them rather than reading them - a preference for some. It strikes me that there's always a new twist to a given technology. It reminds of the myriad iPhone apps out there, like the one that will start your car remotely, activate your home security system remotely, etc.

http://hearablog.com/sites/the-rapid-e-learning-blog

Week 2 doings . . . .

It's been a busy week to say the least . . . . the following highlights the week:





- Trying to catch up on the extensive reading . . .
- Posted 23 times to this week's queries from Vanessa . . .
- Lurked in Tony Karrer's e-Learning Tech blog; and was active in Tom Khulman's Rapid eLearning Blog
- Contemplating my final project and what tools to utilize
- Trying some new tools discovered during my blog appearances such as Screenr and Hear a Blog

The deluge continues . . .

Well the reading and blogging deluge continues . . . an 80-page article about The Wealth of Networks by Benkler as well as a plethora (my $60 word) of posts by the cohort. The fire hose has been turned up a bit. Admittedly, though, there's a lot of good stuff being proffered and read. I'm seeing a different take on the democratization of our world via the Internet. While the jury is still out with me in regards to education, in a broader general sense I see how the general populace has a greater voice and the ability to impact things they couldn't previously.

Take the Sinclair case in which a conservative media outlet was going to air a documentary damning to John Kerry's presidential bid and how the internet spurned an outcry, which eventually led to the airing to be cancelled. And then the story of Diebold Election Systems where an activist found specifications for, and the actual code of, Diebold's machines and vote-tallying system on the internet and posted them online. What followed was a classic Web 2.0 collaboration with scientists and other interested parties that exposed the weaknesses of Diebold's systems and brought the debate of automated voting to the forefront.

I'd say that's definitely giving a voice to the masses . . .

The silent killers in social media . . .

Read an interesting article in the Jacksonville Business Journal entitled The silent killers in social media never die. That obviously caught my eye.

The essential point is that technology that didn't exist a half dozen years ago will be a big problem for companies like BP. Greenpeace recently had a contest to rebrand the BP logo which shows the company is not beyond petroleum - they're up to their necks in tar sands and deepwater drilling. They used Flickr as their conduit. The end result is that the negative perception of BP will extend throughout the internet and take on a life of it's own, causing PR issues for BP for a loooong time. The final sentence says it all: The is just one example among countless social media pastings of the BP brand, and they all get their impact from an easy-to-use tool, accessible to almost everyone in the developed world and will likely become more pervasive as time marches on.

Bottom line: social media brings things into the sunshine and the sun never sets . . .

Democratic education - an idea whose time as come?!

Both Shirky and Benkler directly touch on this question, and the argument has been made from both sides as to whether or not the Internet can or will ultimately democratize education.

What are the implications of democratizing education via the Internet for our profession? And to what degree do you think it is possible? What are the various forces at play in the ISD/HPT world, and is there similar interest, passion, and whatever else it takes to harness the Internet for changing power and access in the realm of education in the same ways we've read about the Internet's effects on politics and social realms?

This in an interesting yet challenging question. I may be a victim of my generation and experience, but I don't see a full blown democratization of education through Web 2.0. What I do believe is possible for the voices of students, parents, citizens, etc. to have a larger voice than they do today, which IMO is minimal. That can be accomplished through the internet / Web 2.0 quite easily if the power brokers will simply allow it. Our world is centered on having elected decision makers and in the case of education, institutional decision makers as well. I don't envision a radical overhaul; however, like private companies that poll their customers to help improve products and services, the educational establishment can adapt that approach and be better for it. Technology can be the conduit . . .

To Flash or not to Flash . . . that's the question!

While stalking the blog at http://elearningtech.blogspot.com/2010/06/learning-flash.html, I was interested to see the varying opinions on whether Flash is a viable tool for the long-term. The consensus appears to be that HTML5 will replace it and Flash basically has a five-year shelf life before it's passe. Many point out if one isn't planning to work significantly in ISD / e-learning, then don't waste the time with Flash - concentrate on HTML5. If one is working or will be working soon, develop both skills as Flash is still the dominant choice in comparison to the developing HTML5.


* The scene is a sunset over Eggemoggin Reach near Brooklin, Maine

While "lurking" about . . .

While hanging out in one of my two selected blogs, I found this interesting article regarding what tools as instructional designer needs in their quiver to be current and successful:

http://minutebio.com/blog/2010/06/03/development-tools-i-would-learn-if-i-were-you-junes-big-question/. In a nutshell, the author believes the following skills essential: Social/informal learning, Games, Learning Management System (LMS), SCORM, Graphics editing, e-Learning web-based training (WBT) development tool, Flash, and HTML/HTML5:

I've obviously got some learning to do . . .

BTW, that's our Brittany, Kassie, on the dock in Center Harbor, Maine - she's there as we speak and I'm stuck in the heat of Jacksonville - ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

What's that on your Facebook?

Was getting ready for work this morning and the local news had a story about Facebook and how females appear to dominate that media for the most part. Here's a link to the story:

http://mashable.com/2010/07/07/oxygen-facebook-study/

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Free Rider or Contributor???

For our first assignment I've decided on two educational blogs - one to "lurk" in and one to be an active participant in. They are:

Dr. Tony Karrer's e-Learning Tech blog at http://elearningtech.blogspot.com/; and
Tom Khulman's Rapid eLearning Blog at http://www.articulate.com/rapid-elearning/

Should be an interesting ride . . .

**The nautical scenes depicted in these posts, if you're interested, are where we summer on Eggemoggin Reach in Brooklin, Maine

Ride Free or Die?!

Shirky discusses free riders as one potential constituent of the online world. Free riders are people who take and gain from what is shared online, but who do not themselves contribute. Lurkers frequently are accused of being free riders, although some would argue that they are a necessary part of the online world. What has been your experience with free riders/lurkers? Do you feel they are problematic? Necessary? Nothing to be concerned with? Why? What impact do they have (or not have) on Web 2.0 use?

I personally don't see an issue with lurkers / free riders. I would go so far to say they're part of the Web 2.0 equation, for IMHO, if it were limited solely to contributors, the depth and breath of it's reach would be limited purely by the nature of the phenomena. If one looks at the power curve from our readings, you see that contributors tend to make up a nominal part of the equation. I've never posted a YouTube video, save one for a class project, yet I consume a lot of content e.g. I'm a lurker / free rider by definition. However, if people like me weren't "consuming", would YouTube still exist? I doubt it . . .

What I did in week one . . . .

It was a busy week, with the following highlights:

- Read the required readings in the text and from the library

- Posted 23 responses to prompts from Vanessa and the rest of the cohort for week one

- Set up this blog and posted six times

- Contemplated and analyzed what my possible choices are for lurking and participating in a Web 2.0 community, as well as possible ideas designing an instructional event using Web 2.0

- Tried to digest the huge amount of information and input from the cohort

What?? Produsage?

Hope everyone had a great 4th of July . . .

Had a lot of reading for this course; it's like drinking from the proverbial fire hose. However, the concept of breaking the paradigm of typical production methodology in favor of the evolving use of Web 2.0 technologies and "produsage" was curious. This new term is defined on produsage.com where the following is note: "In collaborative communities the creation of shared content takes place in a networked, participatory environment which breaks down the boundaries between producers and consumers and instead enables all participants to be users as well as producers of information and knowledge - frequently in a hybrid role of produser where usage is necessarily also productive."

This has been adapted well for Wikipedia; the question for me is whether this is the face of things to come, especially for traditional production realms. And what about education?? Can it be adapted? The jury is out for me as I contemplate this further.

This week's discussion on Web 2.0 . . .

There was a lively discussion this week regarding Web 2.0 with several intriguing questions posed:

Is Web 2.0 primarily an information source, a learning environment, or both?

Is Web 2.0 merely a tool or is it enhancing learning in significant ways?

How do we define what constitutes Web 2.0?

My personal view is that Web 2.0 is both a tool (e.g. the technology) that is helping enhance learning in rather significant ways. It appears centered on a philosophy of construction knowledge on the fly via virtual learning environments (VLE). This still necessitates the need for a qualified instructor; however, the emphasis appears to have shifted from one who imparts knowledge, to one who facilitates and guides the cohort through the learning process. Additionally, there's an emergence of a social aspect to this type of learning through Web 2.0 as evidenced by the explosion of such outlets as Facebook, Twitter, etc. Innovative educators are embracing these technologies rather than seeing them simply as a fad. One could argue there's a revolution afoot in education and the use of Web 2.0 and beyond. Interesting stuff to say the least . . . .

Get wrapped around W20

We'll I've set up subscribe to my cohort's blogs - some twenty. It'll be challenging to keep up with all of them, but hey, that's what this virtual world is all about. I'm using Google Reader to aggregate them in one place and will dive in. Hope everyone has a great 4th of July. Just remember where this country came from and what's made it great. Happy Birthday AMERICA! Cheers!