A History of the Social Web – Trebor Scholz

http://community.brighton.ac.uk/jd29/weblog/22806.html

Full story at: http://jondron.net/cofind/frshowresource.php?tid=5325&resid=1362

A good history that aims to capture most things of importance in the evolution of the Internet towards a social medium.I particularly like the fact that a good deal of attention is paid to what happened in the last century: refreshing after so much collective forgetfulness.

As seems increasingly to be the case with web publications, it is a work in progress, a scholarly version of perpetual beta. This open-endedness that invites sociability and dialogue is far more interesting than the closed peer reviews of the past, making readers into real contributors and allowing us all to explore multiple conceptions that we might otherwise miss (and to allow a little condescending smile now and then when someone posts something stupid, reassuring us a little of our own progress along this learning path). Whether we do so or not, the simple fact that we can engage makes for a richer construction of knowledge. It's like Holmberg's internal didactic conversation, except that this can be real if we wish. That potential transforms how we read: not only is this an attitudinal issue, but it gives a whole new level of control over the learning process. Not sure what the author means? Ask. Want to explore an issue in more detail? Do it.
Created:Thu, 03 Apr 2008 17:19:53 GMT

I am a professional learner, employed as a Full Professor and Associate Dean, Learning & Assessment, at Athabasca University, where I research lots of things broadly in the area of learning and technology, and I teach mainly in the School of Computing & Information Systems. I am a proud Canadian, though I was born in the UK. I am married, with two grown-up children, and three growing-up grandchildren. We all live in beautiful Vancouver.

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