Last December Read Write Web wrote a response to Yahoo!'s decision to close the bookmarking tool Del.icio.us. Before reading the article I was not familiar with Del.icious at all. Their obvious opposition to the demise of this website made me wonder how I hadn't been utilizing this program before.
When learning more about the features of Del.icio.us I realized that my favorite time-killing website, StumbleUpon operated a lot like Del.icio.us, I just wasn't utilizing it properly. I actively browsed through the millions of websites tagged in Stumble without contributing my own. I didn't realize that StumbleUpon operates from user recommendations. Having realized this now I fully intend to become a more active stumbler.
Now that I realize the potential usefulness of StumbleUpon, I think of the dozens of times I could have utilized it more, especially academically. When I read RWW's description of Del.icio.us it reminded me of a more organized version of StumbleUpon, and again I was reminded of the countless number of academic sources lost because of unorganized bookmarks. I was also reminded of the hours spent finding said sources, when I could have had sources find me via Del.icio.us. So much wasted time.
I was relieved when I noticed the RWW article had an update saying that Yahoo! would not be shutting down Del.icio.us., simply selling it. It would have really been a shame if I hadn't gotten to utilize this tool.
This blog aims to explore the effects of trending social media news. It will investigate new facets of social media and determine how they will or can effect current societal norms. Some of the main components making up this blog include, social media marketing/advertising, social media in popular culture, popular social networking sites (Twitter, Facebook), emerging social media sites (Quora, Tunerfish, Hunch), as well as reactions to social media literature.
Showing posts with label week2r. Show all posts
Showing posts with label week2r. Show all posts
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Social Media: The New Driving Force Behind a Revolution
In the last couple days we have watched as a modern day revolution in Egypt unfolds. Hundreds of thousands of protesters have rallied together to express discontent with current Egyptian government policies. Yet more so then the political issues at hand, social media has been at the forefront of conversations pertaining to this revolution.
On January 28th, the Egyptian government, in attempt to prevent a massive number of protesters from gathering, shut off the country's internet and cellular networks.
It is monumental events like this that truly highlight the engulfing presence social media has on our modern day society. We are no longer participating in our father's revolution.
In his article featured in The New Yorker, Malcolm Galdwell compared civil rights protests to more recent protests such as the 2009 protest in Moldova, sometimes referred to as a the "Twitter Revolution". He provides an opinion that discredits social media's role in any revolution. He claims that word of mouth generated by the necessity of change has in the past and will remain in the future as the only necessary driving force behind a revolution.
This idea may exemplify the more genuine way to spark a revolution, but with tools, such as Twitter, we are now able to cause a global stir almost instantly. You are able to rally millions of people within hours, as oppose to months. It's truly phenomenal how fast social media works.
On January 28th, the Egyptian government, in attempt to prevent a massive number of protesters from gathering, shut off the country's internet and cellular networks.
It is monumental events like this that truly highlight the engulfing presence social media has on our modern day society. We are no longer participating in our father's revolution.
In his article featured in The New Yorker, Malcolm Galdwell compared civil rights protests to more recent protests such as the 2009 protest in Moldova, sometimes referred to as a the "Twitter Revolution". He provides an opinion that discredits social media's role in any revolution. He claims that word of mouth generated by the necessity of change has in the past and will remain in the future as the only necessary driving force behind a revolution.
This idea may exemplify the more genuine way to spark a revolution, but with tools, such as Twitter, we are now able to cause a global stir almost instantly. You are able to rally millions of people within hours, as oppose to months. It's truly phenomenal how fast social media works.
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