This is a question I've been asking myself for the last month or so, especially since I haven't really been blogging much. It's not that there's nothing to blog about - because there's always something blogable. It's because there are so many other things that have kept me busy, and I mean besides researching, teaching or even that daunting pesky task of writing my Thesis. Oh yes that.
Blogging is so Web 2.0, just ask Tom O'Reilly, who talks about social networking via the web with tools such as facebook, friendster and so forth.
Is Web 2.0 dead?
Not entirely, but it certainly wasn't what it was. I went through a phase where all I wanted to do was flickr - but I blogged by Flickr, which in some ways to me was redundant - I should be able to do both in one place. I certainly went throught the Orkut, Friendster etc phase - but it didn't keep me engaged and interested. I wasn't really gaining much from the web application and was tired of the 'will you be my friend?' from people I had never met. In short, the software didn't really allow networks to gain anything from each other online (except a long friend's list) - no virtual reciprocity = loss of interest.
I spent considerable time in the last year on Second Life learning the ways of virtual environments, exploring venues for Higher Education in Virtual Worlds. It was/is a great experience, despite the ridiculous moral panic and hype surrounding virtual communities right now. ugh. I still think SL has much to offer, despite numerous bugs each week and issues of usability and retention for newbies. Virtual environments are the next wave, whether you want to believe it or not - and you can try and police it all you like - it's still hot.
But the point here is that VR/SL is not Web 2.0 - we've clearly moved into a different phase of internet growth - web 3.0 – participatory, interactive, co-creative internet(s), in produced & shared spaces. The way we use the web has changed (and where we use it as well – mobility), and in some ways – we’ve fallen down the rabbit hole – or stepped through the wardrobe to a new way of using and experiencing the internet – thru virtual reality such as second life (and we saw early indicators in Active Worlds, CyberNet Worlds and so forth. This is not a game, it's an experience and for some, as 'real' as first life. So for me, I don't see what we are doing here as 2.0. SL isn't a social networking site like myspace, facebook and so forth, it's something much more than that.
Two things about that comment - I've become addicted to Facebook - and use it frequently, especially with the numerous applications it offers; I can add my flickr, I can update people on what I am doing (like twitter) and where I am doing it, I can share my interest in movies and music and much more. So, Facebook has become much more interactive and participatory. It's fun, and the crazy thing is that so many of my different networks are all together in one hub - some get to see the back stage of me that they haven't before...it's an interesting space.
The next point is something I just stumbled on SLeuth 3D - a social networking site for Second Life:
Looking for more from the Second Life social scene? Then welcome to Sleuth, the next generation of avatar networking! Tap into the digital tomorrow with an intriguing new database designed to help you connect with the virtual crowd.
Ok, so maybe the distinction between 1.0 - 2.0 - 3.0 is not as clear cut as we think. We build on the past, and the internet of past days still has some value....
The point of all this was to determine whether blogging (for me) is dead. Perhaps not, but it is certainly in competition with other web apps that keep me interested and entertained. I have long pondered a hub of all my web apps and networking sites primarily for time saving. In short, I need to think about the place of blogging in my everyday life and whether Blogger can keep up with me.
posted by Netwoman @ 9:37 PM
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