tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21077063.post1494066074727389065..comments2024-02-16T08:32:46.618+00:00Comments on Donald Clark Plan B: Good, bad and ugly: 7 critics of social mediaDonald Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00796341486328270474noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21077063.post-89266261679503054812013-07-16T09:32:43.913+00:002013-07-16T09:32:43.913+00:00Robin - thoughtful comments - thanks.
I'm in y...Robin - thoughtful comments - thanks.<br />I'm in your camp on most of this and have posted plenty against the social idealists. http://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.co.uk/search?q=social+medi<br />As I say, I'm wary of social contructivism and exaggearted claims over social media. Like you I also have a problem with the slapdash use and overuse of the word 'social'.<br />On Wikis, I've written a more substantial piece http://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.co.uk/search?q=wikis<br />and am not at all sure that Teachers are being sophisticated in their use of Wikipedia. I think, like most users, their use is largely one of convenience. In my experience teachers, trainers, even academics have long-lived in a 'cut and paste' culture. Try being adventurous in a school essay and you see it swing into action - the 'theoretical groupthink'. Wikipedia is only a starting point - but a good one and actually quite useful in terms of distinguishing between primary, secondary and tertiary sources. Larry Sanger, in my view, seems like a man scorned - too interested a party for me and, as you say, Wales has long taken a more sophisticated view of knowledge in Wikipedia.<br />I'm not really selling services on the web, and use it as a publishing and dissemination platform. Note that in these comments, an introvert challenged my 'hypothesis'. This made me look at the research in more detail and there's a link to what I think is a relevant academic paper on the topic (social media and personality type). Indeed, my next post will be on this topic. However, I agree that few people put citations into their blog posts. <br />To be honest, I'm not so concerned about the 'wild west' stuff in social media. I just find the academic world so slow, dull, unengaging and sometimes downright arrogant. In my experience academia is just as ready to turn opinion into fact. Take 'social constructivism' the mantra in almost every education department in every University in the UK. Or 'Learning styles' promulgated in teacher training courses in Universities all over the world.It is the web that is challenging these assumptions. In fact, I rather like the rough and tumble of the web!<br />I suppose that the fact we're having this reasonably sophisticated debate, on social media, is proof of is strength. <br />Thanks again for your comments Robin, always insightful. We're roughly on the same page here.Donald Clarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00796341486328270474noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21077063.post-28257930805243589192013-07-16T08:20:51.585+00:002013-07-16T08:20:51.585+00:00What about the social realists?
Donald, I agree w...What about the social realists?<br /><br />Donald, I agree with much of what you say, but you missed out one group who criticise the social media Taliban – the social realists. Chief amongst our criticisms of the hype around user generated content is the appropriation of terms which have a well-established and perfectly good use elsewhere. Recently I have seen social entrepreneur, social business and (of course) social learning misused in this way. We social realists reject this hijacking of terms (see what I did there?)<br /><br />Your argument about hypocrites is also interesting but partial. The Pew research did find teachers using Wikipedia and there is an element of ‘don’t do what I do, do as I say’ about their use of this resource. It stems from an attitude which reflects the “I am sensible enough to use this properly but you are not.” While on the surface this appears hypocritical I also think that the level of media literacy required by students to sort the wheat from the chaff is an important consideration. An outright ban may be over the top, but using Wikipedia as a sole source rather than as an encyclopaedia which opens up the opportunity to read original texts is also inappropriate. In the training business we have suffered too often from the half understood, half-baked and half remembered factoids being presented as the truth the whole truth and nothing but. As far as I’m aware most teachers – certainly in post-16 education – would have no problems with the use of Wikipedia as initial reading but, recognising at least the potential for information to be inaccurate or created by those with a particular axe to grind, would expect citations to be made from elsewhere. Larry Sanger – one of the original founders of Wikipedia – certainly deducts marks from his students if they cite Wikipedia in their work. His long running spat with Jimmy Wales (the other Wikipedia founder) is well known and this may be a significant element of the background here, but Jimmy Wales has acknowledged in interviews that Wikipedia is not the font of all knowledge some of its advocates would claim. <br />http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/jimmy-wales-its-not-about-how-many-pages-its-about-how-good-they-are-2164840.html<br /><br />I am also a 50+ blogger, tweeter and facebook user (I even have a Tumblr account though no idea what to do with it). I occasionally lurk, but my lurking is not learning. When I write, I process information and learn, and a lot of what I write appears on the web in one forum or another. Reflection is greatly assisted by social media. <br /> <br />But what I write is partial. I am, after all, selling my services and my publications. I am using social media as one component of my public persona and my shop window. My marketing involves sharing. It is the currency of the age and the entry price for those of us working in the knowledge business. It is also a significant editorial bias. I also have concerns about privacy, but if the NSA want to inspect my tweets I’d be quite content, especially if they then went out and bought my book. My real issue is that those who provide any ‘free’ service have only one product – me and you. We are sold to advertisers. I am uncomfortable about being packaged as a product especially by those whose business ethics and tax status may be questionable. <br /><br />One of the challenges I find with the unquestioning engagement with social media as a learning tool is how quickly opinion is transformed into fact. You write: “Here’s an observation, not based on any research I know of, just a hypothesis”. I actually think you may have a point here but it is, as you clearly say, it is your opinion – with which I happen to agree. <br /><br />Here’s a challenge. I will give £100 to the charity of your choice if it is not cited as fact in an online forum in the next 6 months. If it is, you give £100 to the charity of my choice. I can send you the list of chosen charities now if you’d prefer to skip the waiting. <br /><br />Thanks for the opportunity to reflect and learn through that process.<br />Robin Hoylehttp://www.learnworks.org.uknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21077063.post-60907152558205510622013-07-15T21:29:38.705+00:002013-07-15T21:29:38.705+00:00I've often thought the snobbery towards social...I've often thought the snobbery towards social media resembles that towards TV when I was growing up. I remember being picked up by many middle clas types when hitch hiking who said they refused to have a TV in their house. Many of their criticisms were the same; poor quality content, vulgarity and triviality. I suspect the next technological revolution will receive similar disdain. <br /><br />Personally I don't use it much. An introvert geek, I think it a good idea but lack the commitment to really get involved. I think your idea of extrovert domination of social media makes sense. Wildeyedtrotnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21077063.post-13690979134098069182013-07-15T12:12:16.588+00:002013-07-15T12:12:16.588+00:00Hi Donald,
thanks for this piece. I read your blo...Hi Donald,<br /><br />thanks for this piece. I read your blog often but this is the first time I've dared comment!<br /><br />I'm certainly an introvert, but I've found that social media, twitter in particular, has given me an alternative platform for networking. For a while I felt like I was hiding behind my avatar. But now I find that social media has helped me find my voice.<br /><br />I blogged about some of this last year. See <a href="http://learntechgalway.blogspot.ie/2012/09/hiding-behind-my-avatar.html" rel="nofollow">Hiding Behind my Avatar</a>.<br /><br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09362634953594904626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21077063.post-25896055755887945502013-07-14T12:01:55.436+00:002013-07-14T12:01:55.436+00:00Couldn't agree more. It's called SOCIAL me...Couldn't agree more. It's called SOCIAL media for a reason.Donald Clarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00796341486328270474noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21077063.post-30256834136963240152013-07-14T08:45:01.343+00:002013-07-14T08:45:01.343+00:00Brilliant and thank you for calling this out espec...Brilliant and thank you for calling this out especially the lurkers turned critics. I've been on the receiving end of criticism for sharing my work online, even pulled up on it when others don't agree with what is written. The only way they find out is by reading my blog and tweets but not giving me an opportunity to follow back or they have private tweets. <br /><br />This attitude must change because it goes against the spirit of openness and collaboration.Helenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05437816143947800582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21077063.post-24287584147056916182013-07-13T10:34:21.244+00:002013-07-13T10:34:21.244+00:00Hi Carsten
I'm sure introverts do use social m...Hi Carsten<br />I'm sure introverts do use social media and tried to be careful in my use of langue with the words 'on the whole' and 'tend'. In fact I may be completely wrong on the introvert/extrovert thing. However, the literature suggests that I'm on the right track see http://s3.amazonaws.com/academia.edu.documents/31041110/Correa_et_al.__personality_and_social_media__CHB__10.pdf?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAIR6FSIMDFXPEERSA&Expires=1373714343&Signature=uKEY24v4x%2FGPIEgUoAolpuqIUAU%3D&response-content-disposition=inline<br />Donald Clarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00796341486328270474noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21077063.post-64816428217044852772013-07-13T07:43:45.314+00:002013-07-13T07:43:45.314+00:00Great piece, Donald!
Introverts do use social medi...Great piece, Donald!<br />Introverts do use social media; in fact the various platforms and tools provide us with options to voice our opinions after having had the time to reflect a bit.<br /><br />(not sure if I will post this…am not much for showboating)<br /><br />CAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06789294609391944800noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21077063.post-932497069249466692013-07-12T11:38:21.298+00:002013-07-12T11:38:21.298+00:00Martin - this is a special group led by the hideou...Martin - this is a special group led by the hideous, and largely discredited Susan Greenfield. Outrageous claims are being made on the basis of no evidence whatsoever by academics who should know better. My own view is that this is a direct reaction to their loss of power in the creation, delivery and discussion of knowledge.Donald Clarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00796341486328270474noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21077063.post-87943019370819137602013-07-12T07:41:37.040+00:002013-07-12T07:41:37.040+00:00My G,B or U critics are "Professors of Pharma...My G,B or U critics are "Professors of Pharmacology". People using their scientific positions and knowledge of "some" neuroscience to make unscientific criticisms and wild generalisations about social media and other uses of ICT that has no data to substantiate their opinion.Martin Owennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21077063.post-30853900034110580812013-07-11T23:01:22.581+00:002013-07-11T23:01:22.581+00:00Pedro. Thanks for the suggested eighth category. I...Pedro. Thanks for the suggested eighth category. It's a good point. As a heavy user of social media I'm still glad that people like Jared Lanier and Julian Assange and many others, are around to warn us of the dangers. This is why I identify three of my categories as reasonable and rational. However, for the other four categories, being a critical friend doesn't seem to work, as they are not for turning. Interestingly, those who completely condemn the medium see, eventually to try it, then like it and become users. It's like the five stages of grief: denial (it'll never catch on or is a fad), anger (I hate it, full stop), bargaining (some of it has some use), depression (oh god I'm being sucked in - I need to stop) and acceptance (I'm using it and it's alright really).Donald Clarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00796341486328270474noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21077063.post-3064163453609050202013-07-11T20:19:00.874+00:002013-07-11T20:19:00.874+00:00Thanks for your post. I just wondered if you and s...Thanks for your post. I just wondered if you and some others (including me too, I think) aren't an example of an eight or ninth category, the one of critical friends. Like you described I've also been using different platforms intensively, seeing the benefits, but also being not blind for pitfalls and dangers? For heavy believers sometimes critical friends can look as critics because of the nuance added to the discussion.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21077063.post-63328476459195528662013-07-11T16:24:08.847+00:002013-07-11T16:24:08.847+00:00Thank you Donald Clark for sharing more of your wo...Thank you Donald Clark for sharing more of your wonderful thoughts and ideas. I have found it easy to 1) regulate what I choose to share and 2) what I choose to read. Betty Gurnellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21077063.post-42580334809055736232013-07-11T13:57:45.840+00:002013-07-11T13:57:45.840+00:00The integration of social media with content is in...The integration of social media with content is increasingly happening, so social media will just be part of everything in future. The G+ platform is an example, I think it will grow significantly as it blends content, community and improves search results. It took me a while but I am really liking G+ especially for content curation and community, when you get a chance have a look at some thoughts: http://anderspink.com/6-reasons-to-use-google-as-your-content-curation-platform/Stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03900154001987156559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21077063.post-61690396254107253652013-07-11T12:08:25.589+00:002013-07-11T12:08:25.589+00:00Type 8: The Passive-Aggressive Resistor. This pers...Type 8: The Passive-Aggressive Resistor. This person claims he/she wants to use social tools but hides behind regulations and restrictive policies that do not exist, could be easily overcome or accommodated, or have never been questioned. Claims are made with an impotent, apologetic half-smile-half-sigh rather than a sneer. Jane Bozarthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09179488095482056918noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21077063.post-80553751659770147152013-07-11T11:19:41.024+00:002013-07-11T11:19:41.024+00:00Donald Clark: THANK YOU.
Jane Donald Clark: THANK YOU. <br />Jane Jane Bozarthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09179488095482056918noreply@blogger.com