My Networks

This micro-assignment should be the last of the seven that you do for this class. Most, if not all, members of the class have already constructed social networks on one on the popular sites (Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, etc.). Thus, I would like you to address your experience making such a network On your blog, please answer the following questions:

1. Which of the various tools for communication/collaboration do you find the most useful? Why?

I think for me Facebook is the most useful. It is the network I use most often and it is the network in my opinion that is most easy to interact with. Also, I think Facebook is the network that is most easily recognized by my generation and when I think of how my generation will be describe in the future I think Facebook and its social interactions will be one thing that helps define us.

It is also the most useful become it is the most inclusive. All of my friends are on Facebook whereas with a network like Myspace only some of my friends belong to.

2. Which of the various tools for communication/collaboration do you find the least useful? Why?

I think twitter is the least useful. It doesn't really make sense for someone like me, because Facebook already has a status function...also it seems very narcissistic to me. Does anyone really care about my day, thoughts, whereabouts, etc.? Do people really care to be informed about my actions? I know I don't care about most people's status updates.

I think Twitter is more of a marketing tool...I could see it being useful for businesses and image making, but I really don't need to create an image which I'm selling.

3. Have your electronic interactions with your classmates enhanced your learning in this class? Why or why not?

Yes. I think just reading other people's blogs and learning more about the way different people in the class interact with social networks has allowed me to think more critically of the role technology plays in my life.

4. Have your social networks been useful? Are they just one distraction in the constant barrage of modern life?

Both. For a long time, I didn't have Facebook and not having it gave me a sense of individualism, and freed me from the constant voyeuristic need to check other peoples' live and monitor my own. Sometimes I would sit on Facebook and look through peoples' pictures for hours...then I would stop and think, "What am I doing? This is so pointless." It totally distracted me from more interesting and fulfilling endeavours.

However, I started to feel out of the loop, like people were in a special club I didn't belong to. In an attempt to feel like I was more fulfilled not having Facebook made me feel like I was missing out on and no longer connected to my generation. So, in that aspect Facebook is useful.