Communication – Page 3 – Silence and Voice

Silence and Voice Blocked by Websense

Not sure if this means my blog is getting tracked (more readers or value?) or there is another reason why it is now blocked in my office, but I will take this as a good (though annoying) sign of reach and networking value!

Of course, it also means I need to move my links and other resources someplace else so I can access them FOR WORK NEEDS!

reTweet of Twitter as Public Narrative for Research

You never know who may read your (or my!) Tweets. Just when I think nobody reads my writing . . .

New York Post Cartoon — Discussion in Whose Best Taste?

Thought-provoking?

Humorous?

Timely?

Racist?

Incendiary?

Freedom of Speech?

Free Marketing?

All Attention Is Good?

Seel Newspapers?

15 Minutes of Fame?

Animal Abuse?

Out of Context?

Situational?

Tragic?

Political?

Whatever the case, this image in the New York Post yesterday has caused a controversy, especially after such a tragic story. These things do raise attention and issues, especially those that for many may be unpleasant to air in public. Perhaps this may begin a dialogue that is valuable and has been under the radar for quite some time?

Facebook Owns You, Round 222

The New York Times picked up the Consumerist story about Facebook’s content ownership that they spell out in their terms of service.

Something does not feel right about this; Facebook owns it all if it is on their site?

Read their terms yourself, and make up your own mind. How much content do you want to give to Facebook in the name of collaborating with friends?

Perhaps on the flip side, in a connected world, ownership is always transferred to those who own the networks (think about how the NSA spies on US citizens or how emails we write at work are owned by the employer). Is Facebook really doing anything different?

Focusing on Friends (vs. unfriending)

The New York Times (yes, I enjoy reading a paper newspaper in the morning over coffee) has an interesting article today, Friends, Until I Delete You. It was about protocols, or the lack thereof, regarding dropping / unfriending / blocking / unfollowing / defriending people on Facebook (and by default even on Twitter, my primary networking hub, as well as rss feeds and blogrolls). Getting a free Whopper from Burger King aside, this issue will only grow in discussion as the general trend toward Managing Multimembership increases.

I used to accept all invitations, though find it increasingly difficult to keep up and communicate with the people who I am really interested in following and engaging in ongoing discussions. Currently, I do not accept all invitations in Facebook or even return following in Twitter. Let’s face it, if I have not spoken to somebody since high school or college or for ten years, is there much evidence I really want to suddenly start now? There are often reasons why we lose touch (as well as some good reasons for begining again, I suppose).

I often do accept if the person appears interesting, but tastes and needs and wants do change and develop over time.

Don’t get me wrong, this issue is not necessarily a personal one; it is more a recognition that I have limited time and resources. I am simply not able or interested in following or reading people who, ultimately, do not meet the WIIFM? (What’s In It For Me?) factor. Very subjective, but then again what isn’t? (Ahh, I love qualitative research!)

I wish I have more time and energy, but there is a limit. Thus, instead of my own focusing on particulars about unfriending, I prefer to focus on following those who really make a difference in my life, work, and research.