Stephen Downes

Knowledge, Learning, Community

This is really important to understand: "The thing that's forgotten is, people don't have huge social networks because they're good at using the Internet. Beyonce got to having millions of Twitter followers before she ever even wrote her first tweet. The fact is, online celebrity is just a simple reflection of the existing networks of privilege that confer benefits on people in every other realm of life. In my particular case, being picked as a suggested user on Twitter changed the trajectory of my online life, but how is having a friend who was an early Twitter employee any different from the Old Boys' Club? It ain't." People who think I should be more (nice|smart|insightful|deep) than I am should understand that I am not, and have never claimed to be, any more (nice|smart|insightful|deep) than any of you. I've just been around longer, and got to know some of the right people at the right time. (p.s. I joined Twitter in 2007 - I waited so long because I thought it was stupid).

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Stephen Downes Stephen Downes, Casselman, Canada
stephen@downes.ca

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Last Updated: Mar 28, 2024 4:09 p.m.

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