Most of the people I know in the real world offline don’t read blogs; even fewer write them. We bloggers tend to forget that we’re in the minority, because our virtual blogging environment seems ubiquitous and natural, as if everyone in the world is here with us and because bloggers have increased in number exponentially in the past several years.
We become entrenched and focused and comfortable online - but the truth is, whatever audience of readers I have exists only in the surreal microcosm of cyberspace, still largely unpopulated in relation to the “real world.” I’ve had my personal “Aha!” Web 2.0 moment, and although I’d love to have my family and friends here with me, the learning curve for Web 2.0 interactive web sites hasn’t yet tailspun around to smack my offline friends in the side of the head like the V8 commercial (Doh! I coulda had a Web 2.0!). Many don’t know what Web 2.0 means, and many couldn’t care any less about it!
So imagine their perplexed and worried reactions when I ask them, “Do you Plurk? Do you Twitter?”
They think I’m suggesting obscene acts.
Plurk is my informal, online PLN (professional learning network), a social website similar to Twitter online. Think of Facebook in fast motion. Plurk’s rapid-fire forum allows swift and wide-reaching responses to various questions and topics, providing me with a frontline pulse of current issues and trends.
I don’t mean to glorify Plurk as a totally professional network or relegate it purely to academia, because it is, after all, a “social network.” It can become quite chatty. At times, it provides mundane and trivial information, such as unsolicited peeks into users’ kitchens when they announce what’s cooking for dinner.
On Plurk, each member’s post or response is limited to 140 words (longer paragraphs can be continued in another response), and the beauty of these one-liner conversations is that they provide a sweeping glimpse into topics from a variety of viewpoints - admittedly without much depth, but with surprisingly enough breadth and reach to become a provocative and informative resource when the topics probe into meaningful professional issues.
Discussions on Plurk are a bit like mingling in the hallways between sessions at a conference, where you might overhear snippets of discussions and catch the electric buzz of current cutting-edge issues and innovations. And because of its abbreviated nature, Plurk is a repository of headlines and flashes - a frenzy of previews and teasers that spike my curiosity and sometimes inspire further investigation.
Interestingly, Plurk can also become a portal into more in-depth exploration. I’ve been able to “attend” actual conference sessions online via Plurk, when members backchannel and provide links to web2.0 sites such as CoverItLive or when they take instantaneous notes onto Plurk during events such as the July 2008 NECC. Summaries and reviews of workshops and training sessions are frequently linked in Plurk, which allows vicarious visits to information that otherwise would be inaccessible.
The people I’ve “friended” on Plurk are mostly educators with a focus on technology; some are media specialists, some are classroom teachers. I also have befriended marketers, webdesigners, and other professionals who deal with communications. Through them, I’ve been introduced to countless websites, ideas for lessons, and professional resources.
So, if you’re one of my baffled real-world friends who wonders what in the heck is the big deal about Web 2.0 and SN (social networking), check out Plurk and look for me with the username sharon_elin. You might find new friends and new ideas there!
And for you adventurous friends and colleagues from the real world who are new to the concept of Web 2.0, here are two videos that offer abbreviated snapshots of the benefits of Web 2.0 websites. Simply put, Web 2.0 is the interactive version of the World Wide Web, where we, as users, contribute and upload rather than merely view the websites.
The first video, by Carla Arena, exemplifies both brevity and style. It takes only 64 seconds to get its message across. The second video is by Michael Wesch, Professor of Cultural Archaeology at Kansas State University, who studies the phenomenon of Web 2.0 with his students in his “Digital Ethnography” course.
If you’re curious and want to explore some of the hundreds of interactive tools available in the Web 2.0 sphere - most of which are free to users - check out the wonderful site, GoToWeb2.0, which provides a categorized list of links to various applications. Roll your mouse over any of the logos on the site’s homepage for a brief explanation of the application or click to visit the site.
Another site, AppAppeal, with its “Map of the World 2.0″ homepage shown at the top of this post, also provides clickable links to the hundreds of available web 2.0 applications online.
This blog expresses the personal opinions of the author and is not affiliated
with nor representative of any company, employer, or other entity.
Posted on August 6th, 2008 by Sharon Elin
Filed under: Uncategorized
Indeed a wonderful world is opening to us, one that we want to share with our loved ones. It took about a decade for the masses te realise what a wonderful tool email is - yet now it is a medium of communication of preference for millions around the globe - even for some people who may not use a computer for any other means. I suspect the same would happen with blogs; at present it may be a medium for expression for an elite few (geeky and special-interest type people), but the number of people seeing its value is increasing. Maybe in a decade from now …
I am looking forward to the day when every classroom teacher in Africa would use blogging as a tool of communication, teaching, and developing the world view of learners.
And thanks to you, I have now been introduced to Plurk. It is clear that you are doing your bit by spreading the news! Well done.