cartoon - ReadWriteWeb

Cartoon: Head Count

Rob Cottingham — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:30:40 -0800

A few weeks ago, I spoke to someone who had finally reached the end of her rope with an obdurate boss. Having suggested a series of social media initiatives, only to see them wither on the vine as he refused to either push them forward or cancel them, she was ready to move on - not just to another job, but a whole different organization. (Possibly the mob. She has recently dreamed up some innovations on the homicide front that she's eager to try.)

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]]> One of the reasons social media can be so challenging is that it often challenges hierarchies... and people at the top of those hierarchies have grown comfortable there. Some see the potential advantages of an engaging, open online presence, but others feel threatened and vulnerable. They have a wide range of hostile responses at their disposal: from the passive-aggressive (my friend's boss) to the outright belligerent (see below).

What's your experience? Have you found yourself inadvertently threatening the powers that be?

More Noise to Signal.

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Cartoon: Flag for Moderation

Rob Cottingham — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 11:40:35 -0800

Those of us who manage online communities have learned to crowdsource a big chunk of our work: identifying user contributions that deserve a higher profile - and those that deserve to be dropped in a deep, dark hole.

But there has to be something more nuanced than just thumbs-up and thumbs-down buttons. And so...

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More Noise to Signal.

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Cartoon: It's a Big Ol' Blogosphere

Rob Cottingham — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 14:28:58 -0800

Ever have that moment when you wonder if what you're about to post will alienate you from the rest of the online world forever?

I get that sometimes, which says a lot more about my own insecurities and the extent to which the social Web replicates the social dynamics of high school than it does about any real risk. My social network includes some very forgiving, open-minded people... and the online world is much, much bigger than anything I've tapped into so far.

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]]> When I think of, say, the Vancouver social media scene, I think of people I know: family, friends, colleagues, clients, dev partners and the like. And yet that's a tiny percentage of my neighbors who are engaged in social media.

Just an example: when I look through the list of the top 100 Vancouver Twitterers by number of followers, I don't recognize the vast majority of names. That tells me that a big conversation is going on (or a lot of small conversations) that I'm not a part of.

Which is cool. It's a big ol' blogosphere, and I can't possibly hope to keep tabs on any more than my small corner of it.

It's also a handy reminder to avoid the temptation of generalizing about the social Web from our own experience if it. For any of us who wants to understand how the Web and the way we use it are evolving and make some intelligent guesses about the future of social media, breaking out of our comfortable little circles and exploring a little is critical.

More Noise to Signal.

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Cartoon: Everyone Has an Opinion

Rob Cottingham — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 20:30:32 -0800