Make sure you're connected

Much of my research, and now my daily life is centred around forms of contact across of social media. Social media, is that Web 2.0? Well, Web 2.0 was a nice generic, commercialised label, but I think that its more appropriate to refer to the action of social software, rather than a ‘version change’ of the web.

So social media, is like web 2.0 and refers to our use of media that means we are always on and always connected. Which brings me to an interesting issue, raised by the popular press this week. What happens when our Profiles remain in place after death?

I’m reminded of the case of Sophie Lancaster, a young woman (just) who was beaten to death for ‘being a goth’, and her boyfriend that was left for dead during the attack. Such was the brutality of the circumstances of Sophie’s death that her MySpace page is now a home for messages of support, condolence and now heads a campaign for, Stamp Out Prejudice, Hatred and Intolerance Everywhere (S.O.P.H.I.E).

For the Profile’s of those who have not died in such dramatic and heartrending circumstances, these stay in place. As David Lee reports in today’s The Guardian newspaper at a family’s request a Profile can be removed. Interesting to note is the language that Lee uses, he queries ‘what will become of our online lives’. One of the main appeals of social media is that these transgress the online and offline. We are not living in a ‘cyberspace’ anymore. The social acts that take place across social media bear as much weight as those that occur in-person.

So what do we make of social acts that occur on a Profile when a user is not there anymore? Culturally, in the United Kingdom we tend to pussy-foot around death. So it is easy to see how such Profiles quickly become shrines and hold a certain revere in the eyes of friends. Perhaps this is a new form of public mourning, and a way to be able to visualise an out-pouring of grief.

At this moment, we all appear confident with our new found penache and love of social networking in daily life. Another SNS, Respectance breaks this mold, and is a 'memorial community for the dead'. The site allows users to create an online tribute for a lost loved one. Included is a written description, and invitation for others to share their memories. You can also submit photos and videos to remember your lost friend or relative by. So it seems social networking will live on. Even the loss of a user will stay alive and can be cultivated by family and friends.

Perhaps in the future there will be a way to prepare a Profile for when your time is up. An automatic update that you can put in place, much like a last will and testament. Or is that too creepy?


In the long-term we may be ‘absent’, or ‘gone’, but we will always be connected. And we will remain connected. Even after the ultimate disconnection, death.

Identity on parade: come ShowYourself!

Its been 24 hours in web 2.0 world and that’s a long time...

And *puff* Oh look another social networking site, another profile to create, another set of passwords, profile tags, user names etc to remember. YUK!

There is on Web 2.0 an ever-increasing array of user platforms, sites, forums etc. that seem to slowly erode away one’s digital identity as profiles attempt to span the social space stratosphere. It is more than easy to get lost, or worse never found ‘out there’. With this in mind creative genius’s have come up with a new piece of techno wizardgery in the guise of a widget called ShowYourself. Basically (after a quick play around) it combines all your profiles that span across the web into one rather fetching widget that you can place on your blog, website, even social network profile to show ‘where’ you may be and in what form. Handy, if a bit fiddly to begin with, suddenly though you can expose yourself on multiple fronts.

Which brings me rather nicely onto my next query, does one want to indicate the multiple possibilities of your identity and where you can be hunted down? One of the reasons that I have numerous accounts in different places is that they are designed for different networks; I would rather my more formal Linkedin contacts did not know, or try to seek out, my more personal Flickr account etc. The complexity here appears to lie with, not only possible identity profiling options, but rather an disquietness about identity management and possible over-disclosure of the self.

In terms of the new widget in its favour it does let one select exactly which profiles to display so you can custom-tailor your possible web exposure.

Straight from the horses mouth

Social networking and social networking sites (SNS) have become hugely popular and I have just recently come across a new one 'horsesmouth'.

Based in the UK unlike other SNSs horsesmouth is about the sharing of information rather than making connection with already 'known' friends.

The premise, built on the adage that knowledge is power, is to share your potential specialist skills with others without 'image' or popularity being at the fore of connections.

Horsesmouth states:

'we don't want people to find each other because of what they look like... on horsesmouth you'll have to let go of your looks and let the real you shine through'

From your profile you let others know your area(s) of 'expertise' and can advise on anything from the mundane - cookery tips, to more intellectual and philosophical ideas and even emotional relations.

This is an interesting take on the sharing of social resources and knowledge. As Web 2.0 is all about peer participation and user-generated content this seems a more natural way to combine social links, create and share with one another.

What we need to be careful about is how we interpret such information (with a large pinch of salt!). Sites such as Wikipedia seem to stand alone as a definitive guide and information resource and have created what Andrew Keen has labelled in his recent book the 'cult of the Amateur'. Perhaps the sharing and discussions created by sites such as horsesmouth can create new forums for debate and pools of knowledge... or are we being led up another information controlled path?..

BUT I think as geeks we are more savvy than to accept without question information uncovered online. Where Keen's concerns of an amateur culture have come to the fore, we should revel in the opportunities that we have to open debate and stimulate discussions!

A toast to the collabatory Web 2.0 and all from the horses mouth!