When I wrote Four Barriers? Really?, Connie Weber invited me to take the same post over to Fireside Learning.
As we consider technology and culture, how do you think the conversation stream is different between the original post and the Fireside one? Is this because of the technology — Ning vs Blog? Or the audience — Social network vs RSS link? IS there a different “culture” between the two worlds? Subcultural niches?
February 8th, 2008 at 10:57 AM
When it comes to social networks and RSS Feeds, I feel as though there is a more personal element to social networks. In both mediums, the user feels connected, but the network is different. In the Ning, you can start your very own social network, empowering you as a creator instead of a follower.
Two, the network size of tools like Ning are much smaller in comparison to the much larger blogosphere. To help explain what I mean I’ll use a geography example. If you come from a small town, you know that pretty much everybody knows who you are and what you do as appose to a bigger city where you get lost in the huge population that embodies the metropolitan setting. This adds a personal element because you know your audience and their background instead of someone who catches your blog and comments on it. Not to say that it is a bad thing for a random user to comment on your blog, but it helps to know where they are coming from to interpret some of the text.
February 10th, 2008 at 2:26 AM
The one thing that is different about the two conversation is that the Fireside one is actually a discussion online. We just give comments to your blog while the fireside comments took on a life of their own. The comments were very helpful and informative and they didn’t always agree with each other. I feel that disagreements is the best way to learn as long as both sides agree their cases and allow you to form your own opinion. Usually, my opinion is a mixture of both arguments. Kind of like you do with your spouse. You should listen to both sides and compromise and discuss what is best for your situation. Just wondering, but is that what you are wanting us to do?
February 10th, 2008 at 1:35 PM
The biggest difference between the two sites is the depth of conversation that took place. In the Fireside site, I felt like I was reading opinions from experts in the field, and there was an obvious respect between the parties who posted. There is definitely a difference of culture between the two blogs because the audience is different. The members of our class are K-12 and our perspective is much different than those who are part of the university culture. We have a lot to learn from viewing their perspective; and I feel that they would be interested in hearing our perspective as well.
February 10th, 2008 at 2:22 PM
Perhaps it’s not clear, but the Ning community is largely K-12.
They’re just not in our class.
February 10th, 2008 at 5:53 PM
It appears to me that the Fireside discussion is more open both in comments and to more people. I have to agree with Lee’s (dancingnancy)comments above. In just the few short weeks that I have been introduced to blogs, they do seem to be more personal than the social networks of Facebook or MySpace. There are two families in my town that their sons are battling different cancers. Each family has set up a blog to keep everyone up-to-date on the boys’ condition. They are very personal in the writings and comments can be added. That being said, this post will only be seen by a select few, whereas the Fireside will seen seen by a community of online people.
February 11th, 2008 at 8:13 PM
Actually, the Fireside conversation is much more closed than this one. The *perception* of it’s being more open than it is, notwithstanding.
I’d actually toyed with the idea of forming a Ning community for the class but ultimately decided to limit the technology requirements to the simplest possible.