I’m building up a backlog of things to read in my browser so here’s a dump of them. Some I’ve read and merely want to point you towards, others I need to spend more time with but all have piqued my interest.
LEGO’s Social Media Strategy – the way LEGO has used the Internet to engage with their customers in ways that were impossible before is a case study anyone who wants to learn how online social stuff is a game-changer. There’s more to it than this but this looks like a nice introductory video.
Cultivated Play: Farmville. Farmville is an interesting phenomena in that none of the big internet guru types seem to have anything to say about it other than bemusement yet it’s one of the biggest online games going. This article is fascinating, explaining that Farmville is not a fun game and the motivation for playing comes down to social pressure. “People are playing Farmville because people are playing Farmville.” You want dark side of social media? Here it is.
Two from my learned friend Mr Jon Bounds: Skip-Tech looks at QR codes and compares them to DVD recorders and other technology that the majority will skip over. Jon Bounds is not impressed by Nick Clegg’s Your Freedom is just that – his 2p on the Your Freedom site. “Crowdsourcing, like any form of community, isn’t just about setting up the space — it’s about thinking about how people interact, making sure that constructive behaviour prospers.”
Time Magazine’s Best Blogs of 2010 looks like an thoughtful snapshot that covers more bases than usual journalism-centric attempts.
Art and Digital Space: Fab Labs and Media Cities. No idea what this is about, where it came from or why I should read it but I’m reluctant to close it. Looks like it could be interesting.
Clay Shirky has a new book out. Mine’s on the Two Read pile but you can probably get most of what he’s talking about from the promotional talks he’s giving. This one is from the Watershed in Bristol. Of course people with vested interests are confused but that’s par for the course. He’s not saying TV=bad. He’s saying shifting from consumption as the dominant creative activity is having interesting results.
Everything you ever wanted to know about mobile, but were afraid to ask. This is very long. I’m not sure what I’m afraid to ask about mobile but I’m sure it’ll be worth a skim.
A history of media technology scares, from the printing press to Facebook. This is great stuff. “Socrates famously warned against writing because it would “create forgetfulness in the learners’ souls, because they will not use their memories.” He also advised that children can’t distinguish fantasy from reality, so parents should only allow them to hear wholesome allegories and not “improper” tales, lest their development go astray. The Socratic warning has been repeated many times since: The older generation warns against a new technology and bemoans that society is abandoning the “wholesome” media it grew up with, seemingly unaware that this same technology was considered to be harmful when first introduced.”
Social Media Reversals in which Dubber tells people who want to use The Internet for selling their stuff to listen as much as talk. Which seems pretty obvious dull advice but occasionally it needs repeating.