Presentation for the live Elluminate session for week one of the BGI (Bainbridge Graduate Institute) course "Using the Social Web for Social Change". Topics included Shared Language, Social Web Definitions, Social Bookmarking & Collaborative Discovery.

1. Using the
Social Web
for Social Change
Week 1 – Elluminate Session A
September 21, 2009: 7pm PT

2. Week 1: Introduction to the Social Web:
Creating a Shared Language
Opening Circle
Pre-Elluminate Checklist
Who is Christopher Allen?
Who are we?
Agenda
Some course philosophy
Shared Language & Shared Artifacts
Social Web Definitions & Collaborative
Discovery
Discussion: Course Plan
Discussion: BGI Guides
Discussion: Social Change Projects
Afterwords

3. Pre-Elluminate Readings & Media
TOPIC: Social Web Shared Language
Allen, Christopher. "Creating Shared Language and Share Artifacts" Life With
Alacrity. 2009-09-17
BLOGPOST: http://www.lifewithalacrity.com/2009/09/creating-shared-
language-and-shared-artiifacts.html
TOPIC: New ways of learning
Wesch, Michael + Students "A Vision of Students Today." Digital Ethnography. 12
Oct 2007
BLOGPOST: http://mediatedcultures.net/ksudigg/?p=119
VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGCJ46vyR9o
TOPIC: Social Bookmarking
Welsh, Michael + Students "Information R/evolution." DigitalEthanograpy. 12 Oct
2007
VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4CV05HyAbM
(BLOGPOST: http://mediatedcultures.net/ksudigg/?p=120)
Lamas, Cyprien P. "Seven Things You Should Know About Social Bookmarking."
Educause Learning Initiative. 2005
PDF: http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7001.pdf
(ABSTRACT: http://www.educause.edu/ELI/
7ThingsYouShouldKnowAboutSocia/156804)
Lefever, Lee. "Social Bookmarking in Plain English". CommonCraft. 06 Aug 2007
VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x66lV7GOcNU
(ABSTRACT: http://www.commoncraft.com/bookmarking-plain-english)
Rheingold, Harold. "A (re)Slice of Life Online, Part Three: Social Bookmarking."
23 Jan 2008
VIDEO: http://blip.tv/file/619705/

4. Pre-Elluminate Activities
ACTIVITY: Webmail
If you don't have it already, sign up for:
Either a true gmail account (i.e.
username@gmail.com ) or a Google Apps email
account (i.e. a domain hosted by the Google Apps
and thus has gmail capabilities), or if available by then,
a Google Apps hosted bgi.edu email account.
ACTIVITY: Social Bookmarking
If you don't have it already, sign up for:
A http://delicious.com social bookmarking account.
Install 'Post to Delicious' bookmarklet to your
Bookmarks Bar in your browser, or optionally install
a Delicious plugin for your browser.
ACTIVITY: Social Polling
Please fill out the pre-course online survey at http://
spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?
formkey=dF9FYlViQjFmanRnWU9RYm5lSHUzY0E6

5. Type a few words into
the chat window as a
Opening Circle “tag”:
a word on how you are
feeling tonight
a word about a topic
you are excited to learn
about this quarter
a few words something
you learned this week
a few words about a
concern

6. Privacy
Entrepreneur
Advocate
Christopher Allen
Blogger Speaker

7. Online Game
Angel Investor
Designer
Christopher Allen
Teacher/
iPhone
Advisor /
Developer
Coach

8. Who are we?
There are 20 students:
Who are we? 17 2nd Year MBA
students
2 Auditing students
1 Teaching assistant
9 are men, 11 are
women
All but 1 are Pacific Time
Zone
9 are in Seattle Area, 5
are Portland Area, 7
elsewhere

9. Career Interests
9 are entrepreneurs, 3
Who are we? education, 3 consultant/
corporate, 1 government,
4 undecided
7 listed “Sustainable
Community Economic
Development” as an
industry concentration

10. Email & Blogs
16 had gmail accounts
Who are we? already
8 listed LinkedIn as
preferred professional
profile
12 actively read blogs
5 actively blog
8 actively use Google
Reader

11. Social Networking
19 actively visit social
Who are we? network sites
13 prefer Facebook
3 prefer twitter
However, only 11 of you
consider your profile up-
to-date
16 actively update social
network status
6 at least daily or most
days, 4 at least weekly, 6
irregularly

12. Social Media
19 actively watch Social
Who are we? Media
8 have uploaded Social
Media
4 have uploaded public
videos
13 actively use Hulu for
TV
7 actively use Netflix
streaming for movies

13. Other Social Web Tools
11 use wiki (in particular
Who are we? Wikipedia), but 0 actively
contribute to wikis
only 3 are active in an
online community forum
13 use user-review sites, 5
write reviews
2 use social bookmarking
8 use online photo sites
4 have uploaded music, 4
have uploaded a story or
poem, 4 have published an
article online

14. Type of Social Web
Use
Who are we? Outside of BGI work,
average is ~>1.5 hours a
Creator Critic Collector
Joiner Spectator Inactive day online
During BGI year,
1 ~>3 hours a day online
4 2
13 or 54% consider
3 themselves currently
spectators or inactive on
the social web
9
6

15. You wish to learn more about:
“tools, how they are used, who uses them, why the are used”
“guidelines, best practices”
“blogs, blog branding, and web presence”
“utilizing various online presences to utilize change”
“how to utilize social networking to connect with people
interested in sustainable business”
“learn ways to organize my presence online”
“social media strategy for BGI”
“leverage social networking to creating large change and impact
for the future”
“how to keep everything straight!”
“recruit effectively on the web”
“use my time online efficiently”
“how an online community can translate to social change”
“how to customize a social networking site”

16. You wish to:
“become a creator”
“raise awareness and the critical mass needed to make enduring
social change”
“launch a website”
“be more effective in my professional career”
“create social media strategy for BGI”
“be more comfortable with social networking and the social
web”
“be more professionally effective and creative”
“directly raise awareness and critical mass for social change”
“get feedback on my ideas”
“launch a social change campaign”

17. Some interesting quotes:
“(My online involvement) has waxed and waned over the years. I
am ready to take this to the next level.”
“I am a social person and knew that the two other metrics heavy
DLM courses would not as greatly assist me in the future”
“I have been reluctant/reserved about jumping into the social
networking world.”
“I am an artist and a recovering technophobe”
“I have the idea, and maybe it's a false one, that doing all of this
would drastically increase the amount of time that I spend
online.”
“I also know how to create great content but never developed
the discipline”
“I believe that if I can hook up with the right people we can
create something that will truly make a difference in this world”

18. Assumptions
Assumptions
Slightly less then half the group have
much more social web experience
In first weeks they can help
mentor those with less
experience
Everyone does seem to have a
strong interest in a deeper
understanding of personal brand,
social networking & blogging
One of the key issues is managing
online time and priorities

19. Questions
Questions
Not much interest in online
community management and
moderation?
Not much interest in wiki,
wikipedia, wiki gardening?
Not much interest in mobile?
Not much interest in virtual reality
& online games?
Who are available for telephone
mentoring in first two weeks?
Are 7pm Elluminate sessions OK?

20. Course Philosophy
This is a survey course – there is no
way in 80 hours to teach it all
You choose where to go deep, but you
may exceed your 80 hours if you do
We will teach some online time
management techniques, but it is still
up to you to manage your time
“Perfection is the enemy of the
good”
“Ship early and often”

21. Scan
In this phase we gather information in a broad way and begin
to build a conceptual models of knowledge. Scan
Focus
Based on our scan, we choose what topics to concentrate on
and set aside those that are not relevant. We refine our Focus
conceptual models into those that can be potential practical.
Act
We take our conceptual models and apply them. We evaluate
the act process and test the results of the action. If the
conceptual models work we add them to our toolbox. If they Act
don’t, we start again.

22. Scan Focus Act

23. Scan – Monday
Pre-Elluminate Readings & Media
Scan Pre-Elluminate Activities
Elluminate
Focus – During Week
Required Readings & Media
Focus Suggested Readings & Media
Optional Supplemental Readings & Media
Act – Weekend
Require Activities
Act Suggested Activities

24. Scan » October Intensive
Weeks 1-3: Essential tools & skills for the social web
Scan
Focus » November Intensive
Weeks 4-7: Digging deeper into topics, begin to apply
Focus lessons in personal blogs
Act » December Intensive
Weeks 8-12: Action learning through social change
Act projects, integrating topic knowledge with experience

25. Shared Language
We have already started to create a
Shared Language
Opening Circle
Tagging
Scan, Focus, Act
Meaning is in the mind, not in the
words
It isn’t really a Shared Language until
you build on it
Shared Language is essential for team
formation

26. Shared Artifacts
We can facilitate the creation of
Shared Language through Shared
Artifacts
Initially, by using delicious.com and
tagging
By blogging and commenting on
blogs
Later, by using a variety of social
web tools
The Shared Language we create
together is yours to use and share

27. There is only one way to
Joining the manage the future
Conversation Find others to help you!
Join the
Conversation!

28. The Social Web
So where is this place that we are going
to converse? It’s called the Social Web
So what is the Social Web?
It is Social Networks of people having
conversations
Who are sharing Social Media
It functions using Social Software
applications
And takes advantage of the toolchest of
technologies called Web 2.0

29. Social Networks
So what are Social Networks?

30. Social Networks
So what are Social Networks?
Tier one are those that influence
ten’s of thousands
Tier two are those that influence
thousands
Tier three are those that influence
hundreds

31. Social Networks
However, the hierarchy above doesn’t
accurately describe what really
happens
Every tier one influencer is
surrounded by other bloggers
Even a small tier three blogger can
have strong influence on Tier ones
It is a fractal

32. Social Networks
Also, the interactions between
different social networks may not be
intuitively obvious

33. Social Networks
There are people that are between
the networks
Connectors — connect people to
each other
Mavens — connect people through
sharing knowledge
Salesman — Use knowledge to
engage and persuade

34. An social network example

35. Social Media
So what is Social Media?
The online technologies and
practices that people use to share
opinions, insights, experiences, and
perspectives with each other
News & Stories
Places & Events
Speech & Audio
Photos & Videos

36. Parking Lot Indicator

37. Social Media
Above all, Social Media is about
conversations
They are personal and authentic
They are vibrant and emergent
They are two-way — you must listen
then respond
They can’t be controlled or
organized without losing their value

38. Social Software
So what is Social Software?
Software that supports group
interaction.
— clay shirky
Software that supports, extends, or
derives value from human social
behavior
— tom coates
So what are some kinds of social
software?

39. Social Software
Dark Side of Social
Software

40. Social Software
Dark Side of Social
Software
Software that gets
spammed
-- clay shirky

41. Social Software
Dark Side of Social
Software
Software that gets
spammed
-- clay shirky
Software that gets trolls
-- sunir shah

42. Social Software
Dark Side of Social
Software
Software that gets
spammed
-- clay shirky
Software that gets trolls
-- sunir shah
Software that gets you laid
-- jamie zawinski

43. Social Software
So what are some kinds of social
software?

44. Forums &
Blogs Online
Communities
Social
Media Sharing
Networks
Podcasts Life Streaming

45. Blogs
What is a “Blog”?
“A frequent and chronological
publication of personal thoughts,
pictures and weblinks”

46. Blogs
As a collective, the blogosphere rivals
any mass media in terms of reach,
time spent, and their wider cultural,
social and political impact.
Blogging today must be embraced
whether you are a technologist, a
marketer, advertising professional,
content producer, or a teacher.

47. Blogs
Blogsourcing
Initial Idea is posted to blog

48. Blogs
Blogsourcing
Initial Idea is posted to blog
The idea is discussed, questioned,
debated, and ideated upon by a
networked community through
comments, referrals, and discussions
happening in other areas of the network

49. Blogs
Blogsourcing
Initial Idea is posted to blog
The idea is discussed, questioned,
debated, and ideated upon by a
networked community through
comments, referrals, and discussions
happening in other areas of the network
Initial idea is influenced, evolved and
iterated upon based off surrounding
discussions and extended ideation

50. Blogs
Blogsourcing
Initial Idea is posted to blog
The idea is discussed, questioned,
debated, and ideated upon by a
networked community through
comments, referrals, and discussions
happening in other areas of the network
Initial idea is influenced, evolved and
iterated upon based off surrounding
discussions and extended ideation
This process can be repeated as needed

51. Power Law of Participation

52. The Social Web
So what is Web 2.0?
“The open technologies and web
design to enhance creativity,
information sharing, and
collaboration among users”

53. The Social Web
So what are the technologies of
Web 2.0?
Open Data Formats
RSS, HTML, XML, Atom, ...
Open APIs
REST, Ajax, OpenID, oAuth, ...
Open Approaches
Filtering, Aggregation, Mashups,
Folksonomy Tagging, ...

54. What now?
The Social Web Sign up for Social
Bookmarking
We are using
delicious.com
This enables us to
together do
Collaborative
Discovery

55. Scan
The Social Web Don’t just read —
bookmark and tag the
your favorite web pages
and the most useful posts.
Add bookmarks of use to
you and fellow students

56. Tagging Best Practices
in title: article title « source
in notes: [comment] “quote”
use ‘bgiedu’, ‘bgimgt566sx’
use ‘aboutme’, ‘mywriting’, ‘myprofile’
tag ideas, concepts and events
use nouns if possible
give preference to singular base*
use lowercase and combinewords
limit abbreviations
be consistent
think of what words others may use

57. Focus
Learn to be brutal with
The Social Web your reading.
Don’t read anything that
you don’t think is
interesting.
Scan first, then read.

58. Act
Share your favorite posts
The Social Web with others, and point
them to your social
bookmarks!
Add your fellow students
to your delicious.com
network
Browse their bookmarks
and add them to your
social bookmarks
Join the conversation!

59. Share
Cajole your colleagues
The Social Web into participating.
The more people you
have sharing the
responsibility to read and
engage, the more
effective your network
will be.

60. Share
Get them involved by
The Social Web sharing with them what
you like.

61. Share
... and what you don’t like.
The Social Web

62. Share
Share your experience in
The Social Web learning to use the Social
Web.
Help others over the
hurdles you’ve already
learned how to handle.

63. Share
Share your Passion!
The Social Web

64. Explore
Together you can explore
The Social Web the world better.
You don’t have to read it
all, only your share.
The rest will be read by
others, and the best will
be shared back to you.

65. Course Plan
This week: Introduction to the
Social Web, Creating a Shared September
Language, Social Bookmarking /
Oct Intens
Next week: Blogs, RSS &
Collaborative Filtering
ive
October Intensive:
Saturday: Identity, Reputation &
Personal Brand
Sunday: Kickoff of Online BGI
Guide Blogs

66. Course Plan
October: Focus on blogging,
participatory media, social video October/
Last week of October/Early
Nov Intens
November: Social psychology &
motivations for participation and
ive
change, plus misc. topics
November Intensive:
Saturday: Persuasion and social
change
Kickoff: Social Change Projects

67. Course Plan
November: Misc. topics & light
activity load to allow for Social Change November
Projects /
Dec Intens
Last week of November/Early
December: Finish team projects!
ive
December Intensive:
Saturday: Discussion on social
change, presentation of team
projects,
Sunday: Feedback on projects

68. Course Plan
December: Constructive criticism
of projects, post-mortem of course
Grades: December
10% – personal learning journals
30% – online BGI guide blog
40% – social change project
20% – participation in weekly
activities, group dialogue, mentoring
& post-mortem of course

69. Course Communications
Course plan in Channel will be
updated regularly
Send email to
ChristopherA@LifeWithAlacrity.com
Other services (google docs,
calendar, etc.) use
ChristopherA@gmail.com
Use use tag bgimgt566sx in subject
or message for faster attention
or email course TA Amy Hillman
<amykhillman@gmail.com>

70. Questions?
Feedback?
ChristopherA@LifeWithAlacrity.com
Next: Elluminate Session B
September 27, 2009: 7pm PT