social networks

social networks

Another social network

July 1, 2011 by 0 Comments

Lately, I’ve been a little enthralled with the way information and social networks explode and expand. I was lucky enough to get an early invite to Google+ and I found it particularly interesting to see how quickly my circles grew and how connected my particular social circles are. Watching this grow, I thought back to the last time I watched a wave spread throughout my social network – I watched as twitter talked about the possible death of Osama Bin Laden  and the official announcement that was given. Social networks have truly changed the way I get information.

There are already lots of blogs and news pieces about Google+, so I’m not going to weigh in too much on the topic – it’s far to early to tell. So far, I like the clean look and I love being able to control circles and who sees my information. I’ve taken much of my information out of facebook because I don’t feel like I’m in control of it. I’m not sure Google+ will take over my use of twitter and friendfeed, but so far, I like it. If it starts getting too game-y, too much like facebook, I’ll be gone.

odd stuff - social networks - social software

Old Spice on libraries

July 14, 2010 by 0 Comments

Well, I have lots to catch up on (Digital Odyssey, the Great Debate) but they will have to wait a little longer before getting blogged. This, however, could not wait. Andy Woodworth noted that the Old Spice Man was replying to tweets via video. He decided to ask him to promote libraries. Mad re-tweeting ensued and the final product turned out to be this. Kudos to Andy for taking the initiative and thinking outside the box. And yay to the power of social networking to help bring attention to it.

Update: Here’s an awesome parody of the Old Spice commercials. They really nail it on the head. Well done!

library 2.0 - social networks

Facebook and Library Catalogues

July 7, 2007 by 2 Comments

Well, it seems Ryerson University Library has added a Facebook application that allows you to search their catalogue. Kudos to them! I’m going to have to give it a full test run, but my brief search seemed to bring back good results. I thought I had read earlier that some libraries were having difficulty getting library catalogue applications added to Facebook, so hopefully this one will remain. If you have a Facebook account, check it out!

social networks - social software - web 2.0

The Meaning of a Friend

June 15, 2007 by 0 Comments

Thanks to the plethora of social networks out there (MySpace, Facebook, Ning and countless others), the meaning of a ‘friend’ is changing. Just because you are on someone’s friend list does not mean that you are a friend in the traditional sense (hang out, talk on the phone, gossip, etc). In fact, many people try to amass great lists of friends, many they have never met and some have resorted to purchasing friends (yes, you read that right).

LibrarianInBlack posts on her friending predicament and I’ve had similar feelings. This is particularly true when it comes to more professional networks, like Ning. I often don’t know the people who friend me and I may only know others I friend because I read their blog or have chatted once in Second Life. I’ve often wondered if I should accept a friend I don’t know or reach out to someone I barely know. I’ve decided that when it comes to more professional networks (if they can be called such), I will friend them. You never know when an opportunity will arise because of this loose connection. I’ve had it happen and hopefully any future such interactions will be positive.

The definition of friend is morphing into something larger than it ever was – it could be aquaintance or colleague- but I think most people realize this change is happening. Real friends still exist and just because you’re on a friend list does not mean you’re a true friend. Most people are not offended by this thought. So let the friending continue!