Thursday, August 27, 2009

What is an online community-Youtube

About YouTube
YouTube is the world's most popular online video community allowing millions of people to discover, watch and share originally created videos. YouTube provides a forum for people to connect, inform and inspire others across the globe and acts as a distribution platform for original content creators and advertisers large and small.[1]

Watched the video An anthropological introduction to YouTube - Michael Wesch video presented at the Library of Congress, June 23rd 2008, where he talks about the culture of Youtube and how we connect as a community through it.

Its 55 minutes long but definitely worth the watch, as you gain lots of insights on the power of technology, power of YouTube.
It’s a great video about YouTube, which is becoming the biggest public space in the world.

Here Michael Wesch talks about new forms of communities, technology, expression and identities emerging.

Following are the points noted from his video:
o “88% of YouTube is New and Original Content, Professor Michael Wesch Says”
o Medium of community for YouTube is the platform itself that is the webcamera and screens. It’s asynchronous, which means users are not responding straightway.We also won’t know when,where someone’s going to be watching us.
o Participant observation is the core of the methodology, participants are not only observed but they also participate.
o The advantages of recording and uploading are that the events can be recalled. When something is played for the 1st time its cognition and when replayed 2nd time, it becomes re-cognition, which is deeper level of awareness.
o When a video is watched it’s anonymous. I liked his formula:
Anonymity + physical distance + rare dialogue=freedom to experience without fear or anxiety.
o YouTube offers possibility of connection without constraints. We crave connection to humans without constraints (without feeling the responsibility)
o ”Media do not just distance us, they connect us in many way, and sometimes distance allows us to connect more deeply as a community than ever before”
o Thousands of people all over the world collaborate together, connection here is the key “We are all connected”. Strong community is emerging out of it.

This video highlights the fact that technology is still about people.

Many YouTube’s have gone on to create a strong community on YouTube that extend beyond the screen into physical contexts. There are a growing number of YouTube gatherings worldwide in which Tubers meet one another face-to-face.

YouTube is sort of a necessity in my home now, and the person who uses it the most is my 2.5 month old daughter for her rhymes or cartoons. She waits patiently when its buffering and asks us to wait too “it will come,wait" she says not allowing us to touch the mouse.Ummmmm....ok, just need to be more patient.
The factor that would determine an online community in this context would be:
Users are able to connect share, learn in a asynchronous environment(talking about 100% online).
The ability to replay videos, to gain better re-cognition and re-enforcement.
Participant observation, where the user/learner observes and is being observed, thereby giving the power & responsibility to the same individual. (In the end “all”).
Be able to reach communities worldwide through the common platform which is web camera and the monitor .
Sense of community is reflected in the interaction patterns of the users.

Next on blog looking @ link This, That and the Other, by Mark Pesce

References
[1] Retrieved 26th Aug 09 http://www.youtube.com/press_room_entry?entry=obf8VKKHwSk

4 comments:

  1. It will be interesting to see how your daughter grows up in the online world - how do you see yourself facilitating her online learning?

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  2. The thing i like about her as compared to elder adult learners is, she is not scared of trying anything.Even at this age, she is able to move mouse so comfortably.I didnt even teach her,she learned by watching.Guess just encourage her to be independent and give tips(demonstrae).Right now i m the world to her,& trusts me, when i show something :-)Might be a challenge when she grows up..

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  3. sorry she is not 2.5 month old,i m talking about year :-)

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  4. How's things going? How do you feel you're going in this course? Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help you along the way.

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