I'm not sure what I've gotten myself into with these courses - I have a feeling it's going to be all too much.
Never have a taken a course which is entirely online, yet this term I decided to sign up for three?!?!?! Not only am I taking three online courses but they are all entirely focused on social media and creating an all-consuming online presence. Blogs, twitters, discussion boards, endless and endless commenting. Web 2.0 is the brain-child of people who are forever wanting to have their two cents counted without ever really talking to anyone while continually amassing more and more "friends".
I can totally see the benefit of social media for businesses or organizations and through the assigned readings/lessons I'm seeing specifically how it could be of use for the organization I work for. But the course requirement to maintain an online presence via the Algonquin Social Media site is excruciating. I would much rather spend my time, especially my weekends, disconnected from the computer I sit facing Monday through Friday than constantly updating cyberspace on my day-to-day.
I know there is something to be said for the practice of doing but there is also something to be said for living life. To being disconnected from the laptop, blackberry, iphone. To going silent on twitter, facebook, skype, myspace and the blogsphere. More and more society is consumed with the number of cyber "friends" and "followers" rather than actual friends and family. For a time, I was constantly blogging and I had "friends" all over North America whom I'd never actually spoken to but spending all that time on the computer took me away from the people who were actually in my life.
But, for the sake of these courses I'll be part of the social experiment.....uhh experience and write a blog, update my twitter, share videos on youtube, leave my two cents in discussion forums and keep all of cyberspace aware of my daily play by play. Although I am certain I will fall short when it comes to the sheer volume of these updates compared to other classmates.
Onward though I charge.
I totally agree. Like my brother said, there's a reason why he hasn't kept in touch with a lot of people. And yet we find ourselves competing on Facebook and Twitter to get as many followers or "friends" as we can.
ReplyDeleteEven though I have 2 twitter accounts and I'm on Facebook and LinkedIn, I've never fully bought into this "cult" of social media. And yet, like you, I now find myself taking 2 social media courses and visiting Facebook more often and resurrecting a blog that I hadn't posted to in over a year.
Here's hoping I can reconnect with some people I actually want to reconnect with and I can learn how to use social media to benefit my marketing efforts.
Your post has validated my feelings about the constant posts and musings on the discussion board and the Algonquin Social Media site. Comments and posts can be validating and educational, however the sheer volume of communication is overwhelming and mind-numbing. After awhile I stop taking things in and as a result am more than likely missing out on some jewels of information and insight.
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