Harnessing the power of connectedness

GLOBAL NETWORKS | LOCAL IMPACTS

We Live NY Summit March 25,2011Paul Treadwell

In the U.S. 79% of adults use the internet (as of May, 2010)

Worldwide mobile phones = 5 billion + Facebook has over 500 million active usersMore access, more information, more…

LIVING IN A CONNECTED WORLD.

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have opened access to new content and audiences across the globe. Geographic boundaries have become porous on the internet Research, collaboration and cooperation are facilitated

across boundaries. Your networks can be embodied, local, virtual and global

GLOBAL CONNECTIONS

Regardless of the virtual/embodied distinction, your social identity is built on the 3R’s:

LIVING IN MULTIPLE WORLDS

Seeding and cultivating your social identity helps establish: Trust

Boundaries Authority

ReciprocityWith the goal of:

Using our reputation To build relationships To access resources

MANAGING THE ECOSYSTEM

A small circle of friends is always good, but Expanding vision Building new relationships and Discovering innovation

Push at the comfortable edges of relationship.

Asymmetries in your network represent learning nodes You should know people you don’t know

SEEKING ASYMMETRY

Social content opens the cycle of production and consumption Youtube, Wikipedia, etc have altered traditional patterns

In social networks, contribution is the coin of the realm

There is a, potentially, democratizing of production and consumption

Is this a façade?

PRODUCERS AND CONSUMERS

Change and innovation rise from learning. Social networks can provide:

Access and connections for informal learning Testing grounds for new ideas Peer learning and informal mentoring

SOCIAL NETWORKS AS LEARNING NETWORKS

Vital communities, whether online or off , evolveNot every relationship is active, all the timeAs you interact you change

This is a Good Thing.

EVERYTHING CHANGES

Beyond the personal, the technologies of social networking can be used to reconnect with the world. (the real world)

The power of connectedness is realized in our lives, where we live, work and play.

This should not lead to schizophrenia (an online vs offl ine identity)

Tourism or …..? (It makes sense, really…)

SOCIAL MEDIA – TANGIBLE ACTION

The tools, and processes, of social networking online can be brought to play in physical communities. Participatory budgeting is one example Community networks, community telecenters – precursors

to the current web2.0 technologies

HARNESSING SOCIAL TECHNOLOGIES FOR LOCAL IMPACT

Can we envision (do they already exist) face to face communities that embrace the best of web 2.0? Peer production Rapid innovation Entrepreneurial

How do we maintain the character of local communities while engaging the global marketplace of ideas and innovation?

WEB 2.0 COMMUNITIES?

From the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation Provides templates, scorecards and instruction on assessing

an creating a plan of action to facilitate the development of “stronger communities through information exchange.”

COMMUNITY INFORMATION TOOLKIT

“LEARNING REGIONS”

From “The role of ITCs in Facilitating Regional Development: Some preliminary findings.” Toland and Yoong, 2007

Pew Internet and American Life: http://www.pewinternet.org/

Community Information Toolkit http://www.knightcomm.org/the-community-information-toolkit-v

ersion-1-0/

Toland, J. & Yoong,P. The Role of ICTs in facilitating Regional Development:

http://www.ccnr.net/prato2007/archive/TolandYoongPratoRevised%20142%20.pdf

REFERENCES AND LINKS

Paul Treadwell pt36@cornell.edu @ptreadwell http://www.facebook.com/ptreadwell http://www.linkedin.com/in/paultreadwell http://pt36.posterous.com/ http://pt36.tumblr.com/

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