Stephen's Web

Are You Disillusioned with Web 2.0?

Larry Sanger is disillusioned with web 2.0. Why? First, facelessness. "Frequently, we find ourselves in conversation with people we don't know.... The stunning diversity of humanity online does not make up for the annoying effects of anonymity and disembodiment." And second, "a variety of mechanisms that allow us to reward people who agree with us and punish those who disagree with us. Those are the tools of conformity and groupthink." It's all, he says, such a waste of time. "Are you seriously telling me that you make or foster meaningful friendships with all the silly tools and communities that exist out there?" It may surprise people, but I agree with him. I think that web 2.0 tools are woefully under-developed, the community and networking mechanisms unsophisticated. We need much better ways of creating rich and sustained interactions with each other online. (p.s. the Easter egg in his post is this link to http://www.watchknow.org/, an as-yet unlaunched video learning site.) Larry Sanger, Citizendium, May 22, 2009. [Link] [Tags: Networks, Web 2.0, Video, Interaction] [Previous][Next]

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Re: Are You Disillusioned with Web 2.0?

Anymouse, May 24, 2009

The issue seems to me to be fundamentally linked to the larger social contexts that inform our behaviours. And I think many of the behaviours we see (conformity and desire for consensus rather than enlightenment) are merely a reflection of the kinds of social behaviours and attitudes of the dominant ideology - much of which is informed by neo liberalism, corporate social darwinism and the interests of current power holders (because that's the ideology that currently dominates the status quo). One need only to watch an afternoon of mainstream corporate television or flip open a commercial magazine to see these sorts of ideas. In my view, it's - once again - not the tools. We call all of this collectively "social" media. Problem is not with the media but with the social. If we're looking to these tools to inspire the kinds of diverse, collective and interesting social relations that are really desperately needed right now then we have to start reinforcing those sorts of ideas as aggressively and explicitly as the corporate powers enforce theirs. [Comment] [Permalink] [Previous][Next]

Re: Are You Disillusioned with Web 2.0?

Anymouse, May 24, 2009

Furthermore - social media is really one of the finest opportunities to do so. Shut off these channels (or deride their possibility as tools for social change) and we'll be far more disconnected from that chance of finding perspectives unlike our own. Though this doesn't, at all, negate the possibility or importance of doing so at the local and grassroots level. Nor does it imply that we shouldn't be doing the same - especially for political purposes - in offline, unmonitored and ephemeral human social contexts (i.e., unmediated spaces). [Comment] [Permalink] [Previous][Next]

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