Knowledge Leadership Associates » social network

Facebook, Linkedin . . . I haven’t got time!

Peter G. Underwood — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 08:17:15 +0000

You know the feeling: everyone is talking about the use of social media, even in our information services domain. Many librarians and information services managers are making use of it to promote the use of information resources, launch discussions about searching techniques and search engine features — but how do they manage the time? Lisa Buyer is coming to your rescue: her article, “18 minutes a day to social media time management” (Search Engine Watch, 12 October 2011), provides some simple and effective guidelines. In summary she suggests a three-step process:

Plan your use of social media a first activity of the day: make this a regular entry in your work diary and do not let this activity be displaced.
Commit a certain amount of time to using the social media and set an alarm to monitor its use.
Review what has been done at the end of the working day: do not take this aspect of work home with you!

She also suggests that one should be rigorous in deciding in what to get engaged and what to ignore. So, if you cannot see the value of responding to invitations from colleagues or friends to join them on some social networking site, then don’t — and don’t feel guilty about it.

Facebook, Linkedin . . . I haven’t got time! is a post from: Knowledge Leadership Associates

Facebook versus Google+: is it really a competition?

Peter G. Underwood — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 12:57:49 +0000

Google launched its social media experiment, Google+ Project, a few weeks ago for testing by a limited number of users. In going into this market, it is in danger of launching a “me too” product unless the company can add some distinguishing elements that will make Google+ be perceived as different from Facebook and similar sites. In his Search engine watch blog of 15 July 2011, 5 Reasons Google+ is not a Facebook killer, Dave Davies has concluded that this is going to be a very uphill task for Google: “It’s an interesting social media experiment by Google, but it is likely to remain that. Another ‘almost ran’ in the social media game; another Google property that just won’t quite make it”. The blog entry has created a very lively conversation, which can be followed at the same site.

The competition has not been long in responding. Facebook. The 6th of July saw the announcement of Skypebook — a partnership with Skype to allow face-to-face chat from a Facebook account. It is likely that companies offering similar services will enter the field or that existing services, such as LinkedIn, will also seek to expand their profile with adjunct functions. There is a “social networking” war about to begin!

In another posting on Search engine watch, Garry Przyklenky recounts an address “by Michael Eisner of Disney fame at the Omniture Summit in Salt Lake City. In his address, he eloquently explained how technology enables a never-ending and consistently innovative evolution of content delivery mechanisms: from Gutenberg’s printing press back in 1440 all the way to present day with Mark Zuckerberg at Facebook”. In this respect, Google+ probably won’t supplant any other technology!

Facebook versus Google+: is it really a competition? is a post from: Knowledge Leadership Associates

You’ve heard of YouTube — are there any similar sites?

Peter G. Underwood — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 12:33:38 +0000

The Next Web (TNW) for 10 January 2010 has a social media section containing an article by Paul Sawers (6 awesome alternatives to YouTube) that outlines the feature of some alternative video-sharing websites. One, in particular, might be useful for libraries and information services: “Videojug” is a video-sharing website with a difference. It’s essentially a repository for how-to videos for life-hackers, with thousands of physical demonstrations on just about everything, from changing a light-bulb to dismantling your pop-up tent. Many of the videos begin with an advert though.”

You’ve heard of YouTube — are there any similar sites? is a post from: Knowledge Leadership Associates

New mapping resource

Peter G. Underwood — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 04:28:12 +0000

A new project – Open MapQuest <open.mapquest.co.uk> – has been launched using data provided by the OpenStreetMap community. The main difference between this new site and other mapping sites, such as Google Maps, is that the mapping and routing data was created, edited and enhanced by the community. OpenStreetMap was designed to give the local community the ability to update areas (roads, parks, hiking trails, bike paths, points of interest, etc) with which they are familiar in their own neighborhood and around the world, thus enabling rapid correction as features change and the creation of maps based upon specific interests, such as orienteering. In this way, mapping and cartography enters the “social networking” space.There is little more than standard maps presently available for South Africa — our communities of practice could enrich these basic maps by adding in significant details and local features and by considering how the community might want to use mapping information. The OpenStreetMap wiki <http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Getting_Involved>provides a starting-point, and the MapQuest Dev Blog <http://devblog.mapquest.com/2010/07/09/mapquest-opens-up-uk/>, written by Antony Pegg, provides another source of technical information.

New mapping resource is a post from: Knowledge Leadership Associates