Quality > Popularity in Social Media: "Medium"

Social media usually means jokes about funny cat pictures (click here if you dare) or posting to Twitter about what you ate for lunch. This isn't really fair. Like any tool, social media can be used for worthwhile as well as inane things. However, there are some aspects of social media that makes inane things simply easier, like a concentration on volume of interaction and popularity as an indicator of success. It's why George Takei is so popular on Facebook, for example. (Heck, even I follow him.)

Now, some of the very people who helped create the social media platforms that built the popularity dynamic are trying to change this. Ev Williams and Biz Stone founded Blogger (the platform this blog is on, now part of Google) and later Twitter. Last year, the duo teamed up with other developers to help launch Branch, a social media site built around discussion, and their most recent collaboration is Medium. As Ev describes it:

Lots of services have successfully lowered the bar for sharing information, but there’s been less progress toward raising the quality of what’s produced. It’s great that you can be a one-person media outlet, but it’d be even better if there were more ways you could work with others. And in a world of overwhelming quantities of content, how do we direct our attention to what’s most valuable, not just what’s interesting and of-the-moment?

This is what Medium is intended to do. The point of Medium is to put content forward -- the "what" that we talk about -- and create "[a] world where thought and craftsmanship is rewarded more than knee-jerk reactions." Right now, Medium is invite only and in development. Ev talks about it more in his own Medium post, read the whole thing, it's good stuff.

Thought leaders like Chris Brogan are using Medium to test ideas, while engadget describes it as a sort of "Pintrest for text" that allows people to collect and collaborate with meaningful information.

But I want to offer a word of caution:

When we approach social media, it's important to understand how specific platforms affect the quality of interaction, but it is also important not to cede control of our behavior to platform constraints. While Branch, Medium, and other emerging platforms are attempting to change the nature of social media interactions to one of greater depth and meaning, that doesn't mean that you, the user, have to wait for those inventions to experience those qualities. Thoughtful approaches on existing platforms can be just as powerful.

I like to talk in analogies, so let me offer one here. Think of this like driving a car. You can be a good, safe, efficient driver in a 1970s Detroit-built tank just as much as in a 2007 Volvo. How the driver -- you -- drives the car is still a matter that is mostly in the hands of the driver, not the car maker.

This is one of the reasons Joanne and I offer CCM 376E Communication in the Digital Age: Integrating Social Media Effectively. Every time we teach this class, we try and empower our students to see social media in new ways that empower them to be thoughtful and effective. It's one of the reasons we are both excited to teach it again in Spring 2013. So consider coming along with us next term!

The world is social: are you ready?

It is 2013. The Internet is a global force, and an information pool that is turned to by nearly every demographic for nearly every initial piece of research.

This means that if you are going to do anything that involves interacting with the public -- start a business, lead a non-profit, represent your community -- you'd better have a presence on the Internet. The same is true if you want to change the path of your career:  Forbes Magazine last year recommended that companies search for job applicants on Facebook in order to determine if they are a good fit for the job. Some career thinkers even suggest that you must have a LinkedIn profile.

The reality is that social media -- or digitally mediated communication, or electronic communication, or whatever you would like to call it -- is optional only to the degree that having a mailing address or a telephone is optional. Yes, you can get along without it, but it's a lot harder to get what you want done.

This is why Joanne McCall and I teach our social media class each year. Our goal isn't to get our students to be social media addicts. Instead, we offer a practical, guided exploration of social media and the web, so that students can figure out how to make use of it in positive, meaningful ways. It's a hands-on class with a safe environment where experimentation is encouraged.

If you would like to learn along with us, this Spring we will again be offering our class CCM376E, now retitled as "Communication in the Digital Age: Integrating Social Media Effectively."

Because, as we put on one of our class fliers, "fear and loathing in social media is not a requirement."

Week 10

Wow. Is it really possible we have reached the final week of our class, Intermediate Social Media? It has been such a privilege to work with each and everyone of you, but before I get too emotional here, we still have another week to go. 

So this week it is all about your projects. You may be happy to know that there are no readings to engage in, no videos to watch, only your projects to work on. Plus, of course, a few discussion questions to answer, and for those of you who have contracted for an A, you have a reflection paper to work on. That paper is due on June 12th and you'll need to put it in the Moodle drop box for week 10.

I can't tell you what a pleasure it has been for both of us to work with you. One of the enriching things about social media is its ability to create community online. We both feel we have all created a community together and we hope you do as well. 

We will see you on the discussion boards and in the Facebook group. If you have questions, both Alex and I are available to help. 

Warmly,

Alex & Joanne

Welcome to Week Nine!

Creative deadline management from Calvin & Hobbes, courtesy Go! Comics

Wow! It's Week Nine!
That's right, it's week nine, and our class is now drawing to a close. We've had some real great discussions over the term, and though we are almost out of time, we still have a few more in the pipeline. This week, we will be talking about the wider implications of Social Media in society. Political power, media, and quality of life are at the forefront. 
First though, an announcement. Earlier in the term, we asked you about interest in a meet-up, an in-person, face-to-face meeting of the class. We've set a date and time for that:

CCM 376E Intermediate Social Media Meet-Up

Friday, June 1, 2012, 5:00 pm

Manzana Grill in Lake Oswego, OR

View Larger Map

Just to restate, this is totally optional, but it is an opportunity for you to meet your instructors (Joanne and I) as well as your classmates. There's no grades, it's not required, nor are purchases required, and for those unable to make it due to time and distance, we will miss you!
However, optional though it is, we also thought we would do this meet-up for an extra-curricular learning opportunity. For the last eight weeks, we have been communicating constantly via electronic means, much as people who you interact with on social media. For those of you meeting each other for the first time this way, it may be interesting to see if your level of comfort or connection is different than with people you have no electronic relationship with whom you are meeting for the first time. Consider it a social experiment!
Now a little reminder. For those contracting for an A, we will soon be asking for your final reflection papers. It may be worthwhile to begin making notes about your projects and possibly starting on your papers. Also, keep plugging away at the projects themselves. 
Now, onto our browsings for the week:

• Net Neutrality: Why it may be a hot topic is 2012: http://bit.ly/zLgZ30
• ...and peoples reactions to it on Social Media shook Congress: http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/sopa_awareness_goes_mainstream.php
• Meanwhile, even larger issues are at stake in other countries, such as Egypt: http://www.fastcompany.com/1809458/wael-ghonim-egypt-revolution-20
• Breaking down old paradigms: Twitter makes us all journalists, says Harvard's Nieman Journalism Lab: http://www.niemanlab.org/2012/05/you-might-not-be-a-journalist-but-you-play-one-on-twitter/
• And the revolution continues in media: http://www.niemanlab.org/2012/05/rory-oconnor-traditional-media-companies-cling-to-their-brands-at-their-peril/
• Social Media changing how we relate to each other in time and space: http://www.ted.com/talks/amber_case_we_are_all_cyborgs_now.html
• ...and Social Media changing how we understand the places we live: http://livehoods.org/

As always, there are discussion questions in Moodle related to our browsings for the week. We'll see you online!

Week Eight Assignments

Hi everyone,

Can you believe we are now beginning week #8 of Intermediate Social Media?

The topic this week has been one that several of you have brought up in past weeks. Now we're devoting a lot of time to the very important issue of privacy.We know you'll have a lot to say about it.

Here are your assignments for this week:

1) Keep working on those projects. We are looking forward to seeing your progress and the results you are able to create.

2) Read this: Who Owns Your Personal History?

Read this: Burglars picked homes based on FB postings

Watch this: Seeing burglars in action

Read this: Mark Zuckerberg losing war on privacy

Watch this: Zuckerberg sweats

Read this: The Age of Privacy is over

Read this: Using FB to spy on people

Read this: Not fired after FB posting

Watch this: Facebook privacy

3) Remember to answer the discussion questions posted on Moodle and respond to at least two of your classmates comments. Make it more than just, "I agree with you," or "Good point." Add why you agree with him or her. (You've all been really good about this. Just wanted to add a little reminder to keep it up.)

We look forward to seeing your comments and questions this week.

Alex & Joanne

Your Assignment for Class Final

Earlier in the term, you identified a social media project that you would engage in during the course of this class/. For those students contracting for an A grade, a paper reflecting on this project and its relationship to course learning must be written and submitted.

PROJECT REVIEW

The description of the project assignment as shown in the course syllabus:

Students will also engage in a social media research project. This project will require them to choose from one of the following two options:

Project Track A: Choose a pre-existing social media community to join and engage in. This should be a community you are not already involved in. This may include one of the following: 

• Follow and engage with a blog that has a robust comments section 

• Join and engage a Facebook page or group

• Join and engage a LinkedIn group 

• Join and engage others on Twitter 

• Propose to the instructors another social media site that you think is worth exploring.

Project Track B: Plan, create, and implement your own social media community, which may include one of the following: 

• Plan and create a blog for a specific purpose 

• Plan and create a Facebook page or group for a specific purpose

• Plan and create a LinkedIn page or group for a specific purpose 

• Plan and create a YouTube channel for a specific purpose 

• Plan and create a Twitter account for a specific purpose

• Combination of some or all of the above 

• Propose something else to the instructors that will best meet your needs for learning and using social media.

Please note: regardless of which track is chosen, students will be graded by their observations and learning from these experiences, as demonstrated in the discussion areas of the course’s Moodle site and/or in the final reflection paper, not on the content the student has created outside of Moodle. Further, we understand that some students will have privacy concerns regarding participation in social media; we encourage but do not require students to utilize their real names in their social media projects. If you have specific privacy concerns, please contact the course instructors and accommodations will be made.

The social media community chosen may be for personal, professional, and/or educational purposes. Students should expect to choose and begin to engage in their social media community in week two, and be prepared to discuss initial observations during week six. Interaction will continue throughout the class. 

PAPER ASSIGNMENT

Deadline. Those contracting for an A grade also need to submit a 5-6 page reflection paper on their learning and observations from this project by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on Tuesday, 6/12/12. 

Graded Content. Students will not be graded on the content or extent of their engagement in their chosen social media communities, but rather by demonstration in their reflection papers of their observations and learning during the engagement process.

Style & Etc. In addition, this paper is expected to meet or exceed Marylhurst writing standards, as described in full in the syllabus. Please use whatever academic writing style is used in your major, e.g. MLA, APA, Chicago, etcetera. We are more concerned with the content than with what specific style you write in. Please do cite outside sources if you include any, for example, any specific course browsings you want to mention.

REQUIRED ELEMENTS OF YOUR PAPER

At a minimum, please answer the following questions in your paper:

• What was the project you took on, and why?

• What if any things that you learned during this course directly affected your project?

• If you are going to carry your project forward after the class ends, how do you see it changing over time?

SUGGESTIONS FOR YOUR PAPER

To make this paper easier for you to start, here are some things to keep in mind as you write:

• Consider comparing and contrasting how you felt about Social Media versus how you feel now. Have your feelings changed? Your confidence level? How about your skill level?
• What surprised you about your project? Did anything disappointed you? What were unique challenges that you experienced?
• Were there any course browsings or readings that might relate to what you did? If so, tell us how.

SUBMISSION 

Submit the paper using the Drop Box on Moodle in the Week Ten section. 

If you have problems submitting the paper, please contact one/both of us using the course mail function on Moodle. 

Enjoy!

~Joanne & Alex

Social Proof: A Powerful Concept

Hi everyone,

You may recall last week in the discussion questions, Alex and I asked you the following: 

We're almost halfway through our class term. Before we move on, we're very interested in your feedback. Do you have any suggestions for how we can make this course even better for you? 

There is a reason we asked this of you publicly. In social media, we find ourselves in very public spaces with others in our networks who can see everything we're saying. Not only that, but friends of friends in other networks can often see what we're saying. So, the question becomes, does your feedback change when you know other people are watching? And, whether it changes or not, do you feel differently while writing your comments when you know they are not anonymous? Are others impacted by what you are saying?

 

Before social media, feedback was mostly given in a private way, whether it was over the phone, a letter, or email. The exceptions to this are when people are physically gathered together or if you cc or bcc others in an email. However, with social media, what you say is seen by many others--many of whom you don't specifically choose. Does this impact what you say or how you say it? How does it impact them?

In the case of your responses to our question, it was just our class who saw the comments. But imagine if we were asking you via the social media platforms and all of our friends and associates saw your comments? What if all the students at Marylhurst University saw your positive comments. Do you think that would help enrollment in future classes? 


Social proof is a very powerful concept. When you are looking to make an online purchase, how often has another person's comments persuaded you to buy or not to buy? Companies such as Yelp understand this very well. What if you have a bad customer service experience with a particular company or brand. Would you post about it? And how do you think others would react to that? How would the company react?

I know that for me, I like to know what my friends think. For example, when I was selecting a smart phone, I simply tweeted: iphone or blackberry? I got a lot of feedback, and I was much more inclined to listen to what my friends had to say than some glossy brochure put together by a company's marketing department. 

Social proof. Powerful. Can you think of a situation in which you were influenced via social proof? Tell us about it in the comments section below.

Joanne