Social Transparency

Recent posts by Luis Suarez on making Enterprise2.0 matter and another by Jeremiah Owyang on Facebook have got me thinking about the new transparency requirement organisations now need to consider. Right now employers have a choice of walling in employees, blocking access to streaming media, blogs, Facebook, virtual worlds(VWs) and even instant messaging.
So what does productivity really mean? Should organisations be thinking more about the need to teach time and technology management to their employees, rather than fencing them in?
I am a big believer in the value of sharing knowledge. Iron sharpens iron, as they say. The value within "social capital" will become enormous and I believe IT departments will soon bow down to pressure from employees and managers alike. It might be a choice now, but will it become a demand - a right - from the next generation?
Collaborative social networks of wikis, blogs, virtual worlds are facilitating real time knowledge sharing. I just look at the small group of VW bloggers I am now following in twitter (and now Facebook) and the type of ambient knowledge collective it offers. What if my friends started to embrace these technologies also? What difference would it make to their relationships, their projects, their customers?
I think one day we will see a far more transparent social dynamic enter the workforce. Less demand on intranets, more focus on social networking using web2.0 groups as the benefits of collaboration are realised.

Visceral Virtuality

Blogging is a funny thing. Like a jumble of thoughts welling up during the week and then...splat. Here you go - into the blogosphere once more...

I was exploring some of my favorite places with a new friend from the UK in SL last night - which began with a twitter from him, some of our antics were tweeted while in world and observed by a twitter-in-law(?). While exploring we were discussing the social sixth sense that twitter creates and I was saying it is like Social Osmosis - and now come to think of it, Visceral Virtuality!

Over the last week or so, I heard about the floods in the UK, the devastating fires in the Canary Islands and a few happenings in the virtual world and private lives of connections in Twitterland. I hardly get to watch the news or even read it these days and it fascinates me that a tool like twitter is keeping me in touch with the news through the eyes of my connections.

What really intrigues me with the visceral (and vicarious) qualities of twittering and exploring with friends in SL is the seemingly natural level of friendship and openness usually experienced only after more lengthy social interactions. I think one cyber month becomes the equivalent of one earth year! Twittering in particular gives me an insight into my colleagues and friends and quite a few laughs along the way. I wonder how many Munchausen Twitterers exist? There are certainly many sociologists sighted in secondlife - the interactions just too interesting not to document!

I like Roo Reynolds post on Social Networking for whales and wonder just how effective my life of Visceral Virtuality will become? It has been great to catch up with old friends on Facebook and glimpse into their lives right now. But is this social networking getting too close to home? How much do I choose to reciprocate? Should some doors remain best closed? Where do the lines blur? And if my twitter goes past the current small crowd to the 150 number mentioned in Roo's post - will my head start to spin? Time will tell, as they say. I just wonder if I should measure it in cyber years or earth years?

virtual charity

Time to start a public blog!

I'm loving emerging technologies right now,virtual worlds and web 2.0(but hey, why version it?)
We are on the verge of something big - "a mixed reality perfect storm" .Although there seems to be a lot of toe-dipping and not so clever attempts to replicate business models into this medium, I think the possibilities are enormous and gaming culture will be a huge influencer on the future of the web & v-business. I am fascinated in the potential social and learning applications. Its great to be a part of it.

I have seen some good examples of philanthropic use of secondlife by the Global Kids Digital Media Initiative in NY, who made a machinama about child soldiers in Africa - incidentally I am raising funds this month along with some friends for rescued child soldiers - email me if you want an angel bookmark for $10 (au)!!


These kids have done some great work. They love feedback on their blog.

And of course there have been many places I have come across in SL raising money for cancer, reforestation and others.
I would love to know about other social applications of secondlife and other virtual worlds - please share your ideas! And thanks for stopping by!