Dean’s questions about the role of social media in government intrigued me.  I couldn’t think of any examples, so I took a look around the Internet to see what I could find.  I discovered that the U.S. government at all levels is making a considerable effort to become more engaged in social media.  My city […]

(http://www.trendenterprises.com/ProdOneDetail.cfm?ItemId=TA-63133&Description=How+do+you+live+your+life…+ARGUS%C2%AE+Poster)  “Exhibitionism is liberating, because it represents a refusal to be humble.”  I absolutely loved this sentence.  It’s so good, it should be made into a bumper sticker.  In this article, Albrectslund coins the phrase “participatory surveillence” – the idea that surveillence isn’t always a negative thing, that it can in fact be “social and […]

Reading Pearson made me ponder why I don’t participate much in online social networks.  Maybe I’m uncomfortable with the kind of performance that occurs there, or with the kind of fluid digital identity I would need to assume.  I agree that individuals – whether online or face-to-face – “continually perform their identities.”  I’m certainly no […]

I am decidedly not a “millennial”, and this new participatory culture often mystifies me.  I learn, play, and socialize in traditional, non-digital forums.  And, I’ll admit, I tend to be one of those people who worry about “youth today,” wondering if all those hours kids are spending on Facebook is good for them.  But reading […]