Session 2--Social aspects of social computing

Very good start with session 1--it's difficult to draw a conceptual line around social computing, but many of your blogs and discussions extended my thumbnail definition in interesting and productive ways, and you raised questions that we'll be discussing throughout the course. Since we have so many students, and we're using blog comments as our primary form of interaction, I think it will be easier if you make one blog post each session instead of several, to keep thoughts and conversations together. If you have any other suggestions for conventions you think we should follow as a class, please post them here.

When you push normal human longing for interaction and self-expression through the wild infrastructure of social computing, what you get is...this session's readings. I think you'll enjoy them. The Galston piece will give you a very brief historical overview, and the others will raise social, personal and methodological issues, many of which are unique to the social computing environment. Ideally, this session will be where you begin to ask and investigate questions that are of interest to you, and when you start thinking about the direction you'd like to take for a final project.

Because this session's readings are so critical, I'd like you to read them all, preferably in the order listed, before you post. You may find it helps to take notes on each as you go.

By Sunday Feb 1, 11:59pm, post on your blog:

1) A free-response section with your overall reactions to the readings. Not just "I thought this or that was interesting" (which I of course hope you do), but point out specific connections or mismatches between concepts in the readings, examples and/or counterexamples from your research or experience, and a question raised by the readings that for you remains unanswered.
Example: Albrechtslund mentions "empowering exhibitionism" as one rationale for online information sharing. What are some specific examples of empowerment, and is there a corresponding (or overriding) loss of power when putting personal information online?

2) Join an online community (loosely defined) under a pseudonym, and attempt to investigate your unanswered question. Choose a topic and community that is of genuine interest to you, not something made up. Discuss your experience, and specifically address how the nature of the social computing environment you chose shaped your interaction. Make your comments as data-driven as possible (linked to specific actions and interactions), and relate your experience back to the readings.
Example: You join livestrong.com, post a profile and take the "dare to get more sleep." When (if ever) did you feel empowered? What interactions did you initiate or participate in, and what kinds of feedback did you get? What did this experience allow you to do that you couldn't have done offline?

3) Screenshot or link to your interaction (or relevant portions), and post it on your blog along with your discussion.

By Sunday Feb 8, 11:59pm:

Comment substantively on at least five other students' Session 2 posts. Choose students you didn't engage with during Session 1, and enjoy the discussion.