Perspectance

I began to get hooked on social networking technologies with my memberships to dial-up bulletin boards in Pine and newsgroups in Prodigy, before the graphical web. The technologies allowed me to access the wisdom of experts who knew how do stuff as cool and weird as ammonia-fuming a piece of oak furniture. (I used to be a cabinetmaker.) This learning by joining, following and participating in online social networks has mushroomed for me into something of a comfortable career in educational technologies. I help people learn with these tools, but almost unanimously, people express feeling terribly overwhelmed by the increasing numbers of so many group memberships.

I don’t feel overwhelmed, I just go with my own flow - even when this means I will lose track of some group or conversation I have joined. The pyramid shaped diagram I’ve drawn illustrates my priorities for social network involvement. The base represents more quantity or incidents of contact, but less time and attention needed. Involvement higher up on the diagram reflects fewer personal contacts, but more intense time commitment. I think it’s just a natural prioritization behavior that has evolved. Does the image resonate with you?

I know that my comfortable experience is unusual, but I wonder if talking about how other people manage might help build knowledge around this contemporary problem. This is why I jumped at the chance to collaborate with my colleagues Sylvia Currie, Jeffrey Keefer, and Bronwyn Stuckey to facilitate a free seminar called Managing Multimembership that started today in the SCoPE community. It’s easy to join in, and you do not have to feel guilty about not keeping up. In fact, you can participate right here by commenting on the Voice Thread or taking our 6 question survey. After that, if you get a chance, drop in on the seminar and throw in your two cents.