getting real about social media

Getting real about social media

Dr Hazel HallDirector – Centre for Social Informatics

Institute of Informatics & Digital InnovationEdinburgh Napier University

Keynote, Friday 15th October 2010

@hazelh@hazelh

1. Context of “realities”

Recognise that “What aren’t we going to do?” is as important as “What we are going to do?”


http://www.bite.ca/bitedaily/2010/07/social-media-monopoly-board-game/http://www.bite.ca/bitedaily/2010/07/social-media-monopoly-board-game/

Social media tools are not an alternative to real life, they are part of it. (Shirky, Cognitive surplus, 2010, p. 37)

Social media tools are not an alternative to real life, they are part of it. (Shirky, Cognitive surplus, 2010, p. 37)

Social media tells me that my sister caught this salmon last Friday when fishing on the River Tyne with my father…

Social media tells me that my sister caught this salmon last Friday when fishing on the River Tyne with my father…

… and the important dates for EBLIP6, what’s happening at SLA, who is in charge at the BL, how much it costs to join the LIS Research Coalition, the name of the new professionals’ network, where to find someone on the train that I would like to meet, when a friend’s baby is born, and when a colleague has died.

… and the important dates for EBLIP6, what’s happening at SLA, who is in charge at the BL, how much it costs to join the LIS Research Coalition, the name of the new professionals’ network, where to find someone on the train that I would like to meet, when a friend’s baby is born, and when a colleague has died.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30875751&id=1450467959

Social media are aggregators of people (not data alone, not information alone): their lives, their experiences…


… and this includes librarians, working (generally) within institutions, with their users.

… and this includes librarians, working (generally) within institutions, with their users.



Good at this!Good at this!


and this!and this!


and this!and this!

i.e. extensions to existing practice facilitated by social media: we are information professionals

i.e. extensions to existing practice facilitated by social media: we are information professionals

But what about this?But what about this?


To what extent are we genuinely engaging with library stakeholder communities in a participatory, collaborative fashion?





How can we fully exploit the potential of social media by involving users in services delivery?

How can we fully exploit the potential of social media by involving users in services delivery?

(a) Social media currently provide additional platforms for “traditional” information delivery

Keynote key points


(b) Examples of sophisticated personal professional applications of social media demonstrate potential for further innovation in services

Keynote key points



(c) How we conceive relationships – between tools, information professionals, end users - will determine the boundaries of service innovation

Keynote key points

2. Basis of line of argument: formal research and informal

conversation

TwitterTwitter

BloggingBlogging

Blogs, wikis, social networking, IM, microblogging

Blogs, wikis, social networking, IM, microblogging

ConversationConversation

#EdCM discusses implementation of social media. Members from various backgrounds: new knowledge is created at boundaries.

Long-term impacts difficult to predict.

#EdCM discusses implementation of social media. Members from various backgrounds: new knowledge is created at boundaries.

Long-term impacts difficult to predict.

3. Recognition of social media as (just another) technology

implementation

Unintended uses: telephones, photocopiers…Unintended uses: telephones, photocopiers…

Consequences of 500 years of printing in the West still not fully understood, e.g. recent discussion of “Gutenberg parenthesis”: codification is accidental blip (so that’s why those KM projects were sub-optimal...)

Consequences of 500 years of printing in the West still not fully understood, e.g. recent discussion of “Gutenberg parenthesis”: codification is accidental blip (so that’s why those KM projects were sub-optimal...)

Wikipedia as site of breaking newsWikipedia as site of breaking news

Microblogging = blogging small (trivial) messages?Microblogging = blogging small (trivial) messages?

Microblogging = blogging small (trivial) messages?Microblogging = blogging small (trivial) messages?X

Hall, H. (2009). When social means business: the potential of social computing tools to support collaborative work as part of the organisational information infrastructure. Invited keynote paper presented at Innovation in e-information, Manchester 16-17 June 2009.

http://www.ukeig.org.uk/conf2009/index.html

MICROBLOGGINGI’m using Twitter to publish useful information that people read, and to converse 1x1 authentically.

MICROBLOGGINGI’m using Twitter to publish useful information that people read, and to converse 1x1 authentically.

Hall, H. (2009). When social means business: the potential of social computing tools to support collaborative work as part of the organisational information infrastructure. Invited keynote paper presented at Innovation in e-information, Manchester 16-17 June 2009.

http://www.ukeig.org.uk/conf2009/index.html

Detailed sociotechnical studies of technology implementations demonstrate multiple, unexpected, roles that are context-dependent and subject to user “bricolage”

Detailed sociotechnical studies of technology implementations demonstrate multiple, unexpected, roles that are context-dependent and subject to user “bricolage”

For example, initial implementation as “pet project”

For example, initial implementation as “pet project”

… as status symbol… as status symbol

… as 2-directional career ladder… as 2-directional career ladder… as measurement tool… as measurement tool

… as corporate focus… as corporate focus

.. or in this case, a tool for knowledge sharing (or not).. or in this case, a tool for knowledge sharing (or not)

Also seen in context of individual Twitter profilesAlso seen in context of individual Twitter profiles

@JISC 348@CILIPInfo 151@LISResearch 111

@JISC 348@CILIPInfo 151@LISResearch 111

Misnomers: if Twitter is a media that is social, why do all these people come to #EdCM Friday mornings at 08:00am?

Misnomers: if Twitter is a media that is social, why do all these people come to #EdCM Friday mornings at 08:00am?

For the same reasons that we still carve messages on stones, craft letters in ink etc: because basic human needs and behaviours are more constant than distracting “movement” generated by new technology

For the same reasons that we still carve messages on stones, craft letters in ink etc: because basic human needs and behaviours are more constant than distracting “movement” generated by new technology

(a) Functions will extend beyond initial conception

(b) Function is in the eye of the beholder

(c) “Social” as misnomer, social element of tools varies

(d) Need to consider potential against context of enduring human behaviours

Characteristics of social media

4. Social media for personal professional purposes: examples

and value of sophisticated deployment

Use social media for collaborative project work and learning: wikis, blogs, instant messaging, online tweet-ups


Use social media for staff development: participation in amplified events


Use social media for efficiency at work: unshackling from e-mail lists in favour of Twitter feeds

Use social media for efficiency at work: unshackling from e-mail lists in favour of Twitter feeds

Use social media for profile raising: tweeting, blogging


Experiment beyond the “brand name” toolsExperiment beyond the “brand name” tools

Use social media to peer review work (amongst other things)

Use social media to peer review work (amongst other things)

Snap shot of 2010 research project on Twitter revealed pockets of sophisticated deployment of social media for personal professional use, e.g. use of lists, third party applications, strategic following etc. value

Snap shot of 2010 research project on Twitter revealed pockets of sophisticated deployment of social media for personal professional use, e.g. use of lists, third party applications, strategic following etc. value

5. Social media for library services delivery: examples

Lots of examples availableLots of examples available

Use social media for marketing/PR: Facebook, Twitter, blogs


Use social media for information discovery and access, subject guides: social book marking, blogs


Use social media for training/teaching: YouTube videos, podcasts


Use social media for virtual reference: instant messaging, chat


Use social media for news and current awareness: Twitter and blogs – events, new resources, opening hours, popular titles (“twinforming”)


Snap shots here reveal social media used largely to deliver same services in a different way (sometimes at level of whole institution) but where is user participation, as opposed to consumption?

Snap shots here reveal social media used largely to deliver same services in a different way (sometimes at level of whole institution) but where is user participation, as opposed to consumption?

Use social media to build upon “traditional” services deliveryUse social media to build upon “traditional” services delivery

Use social media for new forms of interaction for broad purposes


7. We are all part of the reality: develop our users, develop

ourselves

Users consume connect canvas communicate comment commentate contribute collaborate

(See Umar Ruhi, PhD 2010: http://www.umar.biz)

We steward we accept flux & beta we collaborate

Tactics vary: coordinated, “conventional” action amongst large groups versus irregular practice in small, networked cells

Tactics vary: coordinated, “conventional” action amongst large groups versus irregular practice in small, networked cells

Develop stakeholder participation: lead communities & user-generated services, client self-support


They are here!They are here! and here – with mobiles and wirelessand here – with mobiles and wireless

Student support example in Yammer: they did it because it was useful, because humans like making and sharing things

Student support example in Yammer: they did it because it was useful, because humans like making and sharing things

New links to user-generated services planned

New links to user-generated services planned

@LISResearch might be advised to follow its follower community: increase peripheral vision, understanding of context

@LISResearch might be advised to follow its follower community: increase peripheral vision, understanding of context

@LISResearch at least follows “core” followers through #LISRC10 list

@LISResearch at least follows “core” followers through #LISRC10 list

4,861 is over double the follow figure on Twitter

4,861 is over double the follow figure on Twitter

Interact with users in their “home” social media space


The identity fix

Distinguish between corporate identity (often the royal “we”), individual professional work identity, and personal identity in social media applications


… at least to avoid sounding daft, but also to protect from reputational risk

… at least to avoid sounding daft, but also to protect from reputational risk

Develop through harnessing the network: crowd-sourced queries


Follow the examples of othersFollow the examples of others

Engage in new forms of professional organisation


Consider how tools deployed for one purpose may have value in another context


Induction games?Hints and tips for users?Prizes for the library mayors?

Induction games?Hints and tips for users?Prizes for the library mayors?

Biggest risk?Biggest risk?

8. Getting real



Use social media to peer review of work (amongst other things)








































Deploy social media tools as additional platforms for “traditional” information services delivery, and beyond

Deploy social media tools as additional platforms for “traditional” information services delivery, and beyond


Interact with users in their “home” social media spaceDevelop through

harnessing the network: crowd-sourced queries















Interact with users in their “home” social media spaceDevelop through

harnessing the network: crowd-sourced queries














(Practitioners + tools) + (users + tools) = reality(Practitioners + tools) + (users + tools) = reality



(c) How we conceive relationships – between tools, information professionals, end users - will determine the boundaries of service innovation

Keynote key points

Getting real about social media

Dr Hazel Hall

@hazelh, [email protected],

Keynote, Friday 15th October 2010

mailto:[email protected]

getting real about social media

Education