Is social media at a crossroads? This is what was discussed during the latest Awareness, Inc. Webinar where David Weinberger presentated his thought-provoking keynote “Social Media at the Crossroads” where he discussed some key points around popular social media topics including: •The Web has always been social. What's the difference now? •Why we as a society are OK with fallibility and how this should change the way in which organizations operate. •The good and the bad associated with the Media increasingly acting as an echo chamber. •The four types of transparency critical to Social Media. •Why diversity may be important and why it sure can be uncomfortable. •The social media generation now expects important information to find them. Why this can be a dangerous attitude.

1. Social Media
at the Crossroads
David Weinberger Ph.D.
self@evident.com
Harvard Berkman Center
for Internet & Society
Senior Researcher
US State Department
Franklin Fellow
This talk does not represent the views of the State Dept.
July 14, 2010

2. Why social media matter

3. The Web was always social
Web 2.0
Web 1.0

4. The Web was always social
Web 2.0
Web 1.0

7. Software
Hardware Social
Protocols

8. Scale
Art ???
Gift

9. Who owns my content?
Who decides who can see it?
Will Mark let me post this?
When is Mark going to change the rules
again?

10. Are social media media?

11. Media stand between

13. If the Web were a medium…
(3 points)

14. 1
Information
Communication
Sociality

15. 2 We are the medium
Transmit
Generate
Recommend Transform
Authenticate
Assimilate
Give value to

16. 3 We are the medium
We take on the properties of
our medium

18. Parents with sick kids

19. Parents with sick kids
Next day

20. Advanced Droid Updaters

21. People angry at SNL

23. Always changing
Transient to Lifelong
Crazy-easy group formation
With social networks:
Non-interruptive, Constant
presence

25. Two Consequences of a linked
social world
1.
4 Types of Transparency

26. 1. Transparent Sources

28. 2. Transparent self

29. 3. Transparent humanity

31. 4. Transparent interests
$

32. Two Consequences of a linked
social world
2.
Echo Chambers

33. Cass Sunstein
Echo Chambers further
convince us we’re right
…and move us to extremes

34. Are social networks
echo chambers?

35. Tough data
Look at links or behavior?
Does it vary by socio-
economics? Politics? etc.
Mythologized past?
Over-estimation of role of
diversity
Social role of echo chambers

36. It doesn’t matter
Festival
Echo
of
Chamber
Diversity

37. What this means for
marketers
Marketers have liked echo
chambers
Echo chambers are bad for
democracy & culture

38. What this means for
marketers
Resist Opportunities

39. Thank you.
David Weinberger
Blog: www . JohoTheBlog . Com
Email: self@evident . com
Twitter: dweinberger