Do you have an avatar? I am not sure I quite understand the virtual social web! Apparently folks are creating the people they really want to be in virtual reality environments. I suppose it is simply an extension of the pop culture media reality, why are so many people interested in Angelina and Brad? I suppose because they don’t wnat to be like Angie and Brad, they want to BE Angie and Brad. Well in virtual world you can do just that.
This is a link to a special that Business Week did on the social web. I pointed out a few posts back that Playboy was getting into the Facebook business but restricting entry to college students with an .edu in their mail address. Well it seems everyone is getting in on the act now.
Do any of you use such sites to keep up with or inform your friends on the other side of the world? HOw will social webs and virtual worlds change the way we communicate and view others in the future? One of the criticisms of our efforts in the Middle East is that we are losing the media war. Perhaps the US should put more money into a SpaceBook page.
It is surprising that more universities have not grasped this concept to advertise themselves. Most websites of universities are not interactive. They are more like a newspaper or really more like a yellow pages in that they are rarely updated. That is the excitement of a social web, it is updated all the time. At least the blog allows me to easily update information and for you to respond quickly.
The article states that a site is just not hip unless it allows for two way sharing of ideas and information.
Well that’s one of the things the blog allows all of you to do, I see Lhamu was posting at 1:08 AM, truly tis is a 24/7 experience!
Professor Elam 
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