Monday, August 23, 2010

Are you a Web Whore?

Are you a web whore? Read this interesting blog post and see if you could relate to Leo, http://leoville.com/buzz-kill

Let's see if I qualify as one...

Leo joined twitter in 2006. I think I joined in 2007
Leo "sign up for every site, try every web app, use every service I can find". I don't sign up to every web app I find or learned from my web friends, only those that I fancy.

Leo: "I love trying the myriad new ways people are using it to connect and I believed that social media specifically had some magic new potential to bring us together." Me too and I agree that social media connects people, hence the term 'social'?! Hello?...

Leo: "When Google announced Buzz last year I was one of the first to jump on the bandwagon." I didn't. I guess I didn't hear the buzz...

Leo: "Buzz exclusively, replacing Twitter, Friendfeed, and Facebook"  I didn't use Buzz or Friendfeed. Been using Facebook and twittr, and I have never been unfaithful--well, not yet...

Leo: 17,000 people followers. Wow- impressive. I think I'm more of a 'follower' than the one being followed. Though my tweet numbers may say otherwise, http://twitter.com/motherchina

Leo: use Feeds. I used it and I think I still have my feed site somewhere but I never really get the hang of it.

Leo: "But I ignored my blog and ran off with the sexy, shiny microblogs." I did too, and also ran off with twitter and FB. But now, like Leo, I find myself going back to blogging- tiptoeing my way back.

Leo: "Screw you Google Buzz. You broke my heart" I can't say the same to Google Buzz. Didn't ran off with buzz. So far, I'm enjoying the company my network of social media brings me. In this world of 'change' and social mobility, tech tools come and go, but  what I find interesting and yes motivating and sometimes heartwarming is no matter which web tool I use or web space I land in, a handful of webheads are ALWAYS there to accompany me with my online journey. Joining the bandwagon are a few IATEFL folks that keep me good company too- making the tweets I get even more stweeter :-)

So, am I web whore? Well, are you? If you're interested in technology and its uses in the language classroom, you don't have a choice but to try the tools that are out there. You're gonna be doing a lot of 'sign ups', trying lots of web apps, transferring files from here to there, shifting from one task to another, etc. If you count all these as being 'unfaithful' and 'web promiscuity', well, then I am guilty as charged. Don't be so judgemental, I'm sure you've got your little secret tucked in somewhere. You're digital footprints could lead us to the web paths you've taken, and then we could see and judge...

Aiden

1 comment:

smak said...

Hi Aiden,
This is my first visit to your blog post. Surely that word of "w...." might have been too strong and to me rather judgmental. I am not a language teacher, but I like to learn with the WebHeads. Aren't we all experiencing the use of tools and technology in our connections and communications, though each might have different emotional responses? To me, I found a lot of "aha" moments at the start of this digital journey, like Alice in Wonderland, wandering around and perplexed and awed with the Buzz, Google Wave etc., or the striking feelings of meeting new acquaintances in the real world, when someone visited and commented on my blog. Is it still resonating with us? Would it also be different for people coming from a different culture? Is it true that more language teachers are would use blogging in teaching and learning than other discipline? This seems true in my institution, though I have no connections with any of them so far.
John