A nagging concern about the new web continues to haunt me. It’s one of the points that EPIC 2014 makes so well. It is our tendency to attract only those sources of information that agree with our world view, causing us to echo-chamber ourselves into information environments that may further polarize society.
During a conversation at NECC with Technology & Learning Magazine’s Editor & Chief, Susan McLester, she told me about a practice in the San Francisco Bay Area (and probably other areas) called Casual Carpooling. You park at the local BART station, but rather than getting on the train, you wait in a line for a car. The cars are driven by commuters who want to take the fast track (commuter lanes) into the city, but need two more riders to qualify. So when the next car comes up, you and the next person in line get in and you find yourself commuting into town and casually conversing with two complete strangers. What an amazing opportunity to be exposed to new perspectives, and to have your perspective stretched.
I think it would be interesting to have a web app, that allows you to click a button, and have the latest blog entries of two other bloggers randomly selected for you. You read them and then must comment by agreeing with some aspect of what they are saying. No disagreements, just finding common ground to think about and describe.
2¢ Worth
Hjem, “Doughnuts and Red Bull.” Hjem. 15 Nov 2004. 11 Jul 2006 <http://flickr.com/photos/hjem/1506809/>.
Technorati Tags: education, necc, necc06, necc2006, technology, warlick
Just a thought…is this sort of like what Digg.com is like in that Digg has a button that bloggers can click on (Digg users have to be signed in to access this feature) and post a blog post to their blog? For example, while reading my RSS feeds in my Bloglines account, and skim across an article about an earthquake or interesting technology use in the news, I click on the “blog this” feature of Digg.com. The action opens a text window to my blog and allows me to add a comment. Is this a digital “Casual Carpooling” activity. Basically, all “social software” is “carpooling”. Still trying to get my head around this idea…Thanks for the brain food!
Actually, what I was thinking about is somewhat opposite from DIGG. DIGG asks you to click up articles you agree with or find value in. What I’m suggesting is a way to be randomly exposed to bloggers who may have nothing in common with you, except that they are sharing their world experience and world views. You read them, and find something valuable, commenting on the blog what what you found to agree with. It may be about nitting, beanie babies, or Alpha Centuri.
I see the similarity you are referencing, and you are right. But my aim is tossing the salad a bit.
Perhaps something along the lines of http://www.stumbleupon.com/
where users could ‘stumble upon’ blog posts.
Just to continue the discussion, which I think is very important.
http://malahinitx.blogspot.com/2006/08/reading-blogs-you-agree-with.html#links
Janice