Mobile social networking
Posted on July 16th, 2008
Spending an interesting day in Milan in conversation about whether Web-based social networking sites/services are going to continue to shape our expections about SNSes (and sociality), or whether the ubiquity of mobiles will wag this dog. The social roles of SNS on the two platforms are so different. One creates my presence, the other announces my temporality.
(Hint: Don’t try blogging on ytour blackberry on a bus.)
Categories: uncat
For the benefit of the half-dozen of us who don’t understand the shorthand, please explain. Are we talking about laptops vs. cellphones? Could you (or someone) provide an example that illustrates the difference?
jetlag + bus ride + blackberry = bad blogging. Sorry.
Unfortunately, even the expanded version (typed in a hotel lobby where I get 15 mins of free Net time … where’s the free wifi cloud when you need it?) isn’t very clear or substantial. But, the question I meant is this: We have a generation and entire cultures growing up with the Net and connectivity via cell phones. The social networking tools on those devices are and will be different. For example Web-based social networking sites such as Facebook are places that are stand-ins for your self. They are you on the Web. (Many of us have multiple you’s on the Web.) Cell phone SNs’s are less likely to create a place for us. They instead will be tools designed around the fact that the cell phones are _always_ (hence the temporality) with us.
But, yes, that was one obscure post, which, unfortunately, doesn’t do much better when explained. Sorry!
And my time is just about up… :(
Hi David,
I was there yesterday. it’s always inspiring listening to you. Would have loved to have a chat, but you were surrounded by so many people that I didn’t want to bother. I think people would appreciate to share your presentation. Is it anywhere online? In case if you mail it to me I’d b glad to subtitle it when needed and share it on slideshare for italian bloggers as I did for the IAB 2007 one that got very appreciated.
http://www.slideshare.net/marcomassarotto/davidweinbergeriab2007milansubtitled
Marco, thanks! Sorry I missed you. Let me work on the notes for the slides so they’re intelligible, and I’ll send them to you. That’s a very kind offer.
No prob, David. It’s very interesting content and it’s good to spread it for the sake of developing knowledge and better understanding of the web. So it’s almost a duty :-)
Thanks for the explanation — though the original had an intriguing, Zen quality that left me, at least, pondering for the rest of the day.
[...] la (come sempre) geniale, istintiva, precisa e divertente sintesi di David Weinberger (leggete qui chi รจ) sulla differenza [...]
johne, I’m sorry I explained it! Your Zen meaning was undoubtedly better than my prosaic one.
Anyway, I’ve committed to writing more about this, in a less Zen-like fashion, for a column.