Exploiting The Potential Of Blogs and Social Networks Introduction

A centre of expertise in digital information management

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Exploiting The Potential Of Blogs and Social Networks: Introduction

Brian KellyUKOLNUniversity of BathBath, [email protected]

UKOLN is supported by:

http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/web-focus/events/workshops/blogs-social-networks-2007/talks/introduction/http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/web-focus/events/workshops/blogs-social-networks-2007/talks/introduction/

Acceptable Use PolicyRecording/broadcasting of this talk, taking photographs, discussing the content using email, instant messaging, blogs, social networks, etc. is permitted providing distractions to others is minimised.

Acceptable Use PolicyRecording/broadcasting of this talk, taking photographs, discussing the content using email, instant messaging, blogs, social networks, etc. is permitted providing distractions to others is minimised.

This work is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 licence (but note caveat)

Resources bookmarked using 'blogs-social-networks-workshop-2007' tag


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About This Workshop

About The WorkshopThe workshop will provide an opportunity to:

• Hear about approaches institutions are taking in the provision of or use of blogs & social networks.

• Discuss appropriate deployment strategies The workshop aims to help you to:

• Gain an understanding of blogs & social networks • Learn how they can support your institution’s

aims • Discuss the challenges in providing such services• Develop strategies for addressing these

challenges across a diversity of institutional requirements


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About The Workshop Organiser

Workshop Chair: Brian Kelly• UK Web Focus: JISC and MLA

funded Web adviser to UK HE/FE & cultural heritage sectors

• Discovered the Web in Dec 1992 and promoted its use afterwards (to an initially sceptical community)

• Currently developing best practices for Web 2.0• Writes on the UK Web Focus Wordpress blog:

see <http://ukwebfocus.wordpress.com/>

UKOLN:• National centre of expertise in digital

information management• Located at the University of Bath


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About The Format

Plenary Talks:• Six plenary talks which set the context

(institutional case studies in morning; broader context in afternoon)

Discussion Groups:• Discussion groups in afternoon• Feedback from discussion groups (in Wiki)

Technologies:• WiFi network provided to support event• Please use responsibly (see AUP)


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Workshop Wiki A Wiki is provided for reporting on discussion groups:

• Keeps a digital record (better than flip charts; more open than PowerPoint)

• Allows you to look at others notes

Note have one Wiki reporter per group. A reporter should have been selected in advance of the workshop.

Note have one Wiki reporter per group. A reporter should have been selected in advance of the workshop.

WetPaint Wiki provided:• For note-keeping in discussion groups • As a record for use after the event


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Streaming Of TalksBeing Brave!

We intend to provide a live video stream of the plenary talks (using Web-based Veodia service).Being Foolhardy?!We intend to stream the live video into second Life.Second Life users will see (a) the speaker and (b) the slides

AcknowledgementsThanks to Andy Powell, Eduserv Foundations and Veodia for providing the streaming service

And to the remote users for their tolerance if it goes wrong


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About You

Which sector are you from:• IT Services • Library• E-Learning • Research• National role • Other public sector /

otherWhat technologies do you use on:

• Blogs (as author) • Read blogs• Facebook• Other social networks e.g. MySpace, Bebo, ...

Does your institution have a formal policy on:• Blogs • Social networks


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TimetableTime Session Speaker

10.15 Introduction Brian Kelly, UKOLN

10.30 Blogging In A Managed Environment Stephen Clarke, Birmingham

11.00 Leedsfeeds: a Blogging Service based on the Open Source Elgg Application

Melissa Highton, Leeds

11.30 Put Yourself Out There Alison Wildish, Edge Hill

12.00 The Student Perspective Tom Milburn, Bath

12.20 Lunch

13.20 Disruptive Technology and its Implications for University Information Services

David Harrison, Cardiff

13.50 The Hidden Dangers of Social Networks: You can log-on but you cannot hide

Stuart Lee, Oxford

14.20 Discussion Groups

15.15 Coffee

15.40 Report Back Chris Sexton & Paul Hollins

16.15 Finish


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What as a Blog / Social Network?

“A blog (a portmanteau of web log) is a Web site where entries are written in chronological order and commonly displayed in reverse chronological order. ”

“A social network service focuses on the building and verifying of online social networks for communities of people who share interests and activities, or who are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others, and which necessitates the use of software.”

Wikipedia

Wikipedia


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Blog Example

Blogs aren’t just for student e-portfolios! Chris Sexton (IT Services, Sheffield U.) set up a blog recentlyBlogs aren’t just for student e-portfolios! Chris Sexton (IT Services, Sheffield U.) set up a blog recently


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Facebook Example

Chris is also one of my Facebook friends

Notice what she is revealing about herself to her other Facebook friends

Image used with permission of Chris Sexton


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Facebook Example

Chris is also one of my Facebook friends

Notice what she is revealing about herself to her other Facebook friends

What are the long term implications of such sharing

Image used with permission of Chris Sexton


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Challenging The Consensus

But:• We don’t take the photos; others do and add notes• We might say things about non-Facebook users• Isn’t there an argument for a non-intervention policy: “I don’t think

I’ve ever heard of a policy for what to do when you pass a peer / colleague / superior / lecturer / student in the street - why do we need one for online social behaviour?”

We’ve Turned Into Parents• “Don’t take photos of

yourself which may be embarrassing”

• “Don’t say anything that might embarrass you or might cause problems to future employers”


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Not Just Individuals

Warwick University’s MySpace pageWarwick University’s MySpace page

Aberdeen University’s Bebo pageAberdeen University’s Bebo page

Facebook recently announced that organisations (not just individuals) can have Facebook pages.Flurry of interest (and concerns) from UK HE:

• Must have one• One already exists

(squatters)• Successful student sites

exists (is this OK?)• Why are we doing this?

Who is the target audience? What are the resource implications, copyright implications, …?

UCLan had one of the first UK HE pages on Facebook


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What If They Won’t Come?But what if:

• Users don’t trust our organisations? • Staff & students feel freer to criticise

on commercial services• They prefer the disinterested

approaches of commercial providers

An OCLC report on “Sharing, Privacy and Trust In Our Networked World” argues along these lines:

• The social Web is not being build by augmenting traditional Web sites with new tools

• We should “open the library doors, invite mass participation and relax the rules”

• It will be messy, but “mass participation and a little chaos often create exciting venues for collaboration, creativity, community building and transformation ”


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What’s Our Interests?

Why should institutions have an interest in blogs and social networks?

Enhance learning• They can enrich learning: e-learning portfolios,

collaborative learning, informal learning, …

Enhance research• They can enrich research: engagement with peers,

feedback, social support, …

Community benefits• Engagement & dissemination e.g. by support

departments (IT services, library, …)• Role of institutions in developing digital citizens


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What Are The Challenges?

Many challenges (real and imaginary):• The purpose(s) of the service• The resource implications• The deployment strategies (in-house vs external) • The evaluation and selection • The training and support• The legal issues: privacy, copyright, accessibility, …• The institutional concerns: reputation management,

sustainability, preservation, …• …

“I don't see the point in ISS running blogging servers unless we want to automatically create and populate groups based on modules. Why not just encourage people to sign up for an account with Wordpress? It's better than anything we could offer.” Nigel Bruce, ISS, Leeds Uni.

“I don't see the point in ISS running blogging servers unless we want to automatically create and populate groups based on modules. Why not just encourage people to sign up for an account with Wordpress? It's better than anything we could offer.” Nigel Bruce, ISS, Leeds Uni.


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Developing Best PracticesUK Web Focus blog has regular posts related to these issues

UKOLN publishes briefing documents on Web 2.0 areas

These:• Have CC licence• Aimed at policy makers & support services

• Feedback welcome


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Community Development

The workshop provides a forum:• To be informed by case studies illustrated

diversity of approaches being taken• To hear about the broader challenges to be

addressed which aims to lead to

• Agreement on the key issues which need to be addressed

• Identification of the key players who can support a community-wide approach to resolution of the issues (JISC, UCISA, UKOLN, JISC CETIS, JISC infoNet…?)

As well as providing an informative and enjoyable event for the participants


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Questions?

Any questions

Exploiting The Potential Of Blogs and Social Networks Introduction

Technology

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