Web2.0 overload
July 22, 2008
As an online learner who is trying to come to terms with Web2.0, it has become extremely obvious why it is called the ‘read write web’. I started very gently, following those who I had already met online. Oh I thought to myself, this is cool, I can handle this.
However, by following person(a) I then found several other writers / teachers whose work was of interest. The same happened with persons(b), (c) and more. Each person led me to new sites, new people, new ideas, new writings.
Even trying to be very selective, I have pages of links, more RSS feeds and more memberships than I can handle. So I have moved into aggregating tools such as Diigo and del.icio.us, and hope that this will give me back some control over the information and sites that interest me.
Now I am asking myself:
“Do I have a defective filter?”
“Am I looking at too wide a slice of the ‘net?”
“How do others handle following hundreds of people?”
Does anyone have any strategies that help them keep on top of their Web2.0 selections?
Entry Filed under: Uncategorized. Posted in Uncategorized Tags: Web2.0 aggregation.
6 Comments Add your own
I am very much in the same situation as you. There seems to be way too many tools to keep track of and learn about. I think sometimes I feel like I am going to miss out on something if I don’t fully look into some new idea or link as soon as I see it. I think Diigo and Delicious are both good ways to deal with the large amount of information. I heard a speaker compare it to trying to drink out of a firehouse. I think it is wise to leave it once in a while and realize there is no way to keep up with everything. Al told me that. He seems to really have a good handle on things…and he is funny. Keeping a sense of humor probably helps…that is probably what helps him…
and if all else fails…skyping with a Montanan is always helpful:)
I agree that skyping with a Montanan is a lovely way of restoring sanity, and I think a sense of humour (or even a sense of the ridiculous) helps too. Pandora, another online friend, also suggested forgetting about learning all the technology except for the things which really pushed my buttons or which were directly applicable to what I was doing. That is a strategy that sounded sensible. I wonder though if it is a teacher thing to want to know how to do everything?
Aaaah Angela – welcome to the wicked seduction of Web 2.0!!! You can’t keep up with all the new tools – there’s a new one every minute I think. If you want to use them in the classroom, hang around (virtually) with teachers who are using Web 2.0 tools & see what is most discussed & used & go with those. Keep a watching brief on the others – but don’t try to master them all.
As for organising your life, I can’t live without Netvibes – everything in the one place. There are similar eg iGoogle, Pageflakes.
Nice to have you following me on Twitter – I tweet a lot of Web 2.0 tools so you might just go crazy following me!!!!
Hi Carol, we met many moons ago at a Learning Technologies conference in Noosa.
Yes – there are so many new tools, or new iterations of tools that insanity must surely be the result for anyone who tries to conquer them all!
A favourite question I pose regularly is what is the purpose of the activity – and the answer should provide some guidance in relation to choice.
I feel sorry for anyone taking their first steps into web2.0 though – it must feel like stepping under Niagara Falls!!
Aaah – that was many moons ago. We’ve been holding the Learning Technologies conference at Mooloolaba for a number of years now. Hope to see you there again soon: http://www.learningtechnologies.com.au
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