As social as an encyclopedia

Social media was the buzzword of the two-day conference on Virtual teaching. Examples like blogging, wiki, Facebook were mentioned. Social, it is said, means that content and knowledge is constructed collaboratively. Furthermore, it's interactive in a novel way.

Some of you know I've faded away blogging in blogspot.com. Instead, I've written notes in Facebook, and posted comments on culture in the group Culture Club. That way I've been pushing some content to social media.

I've almost stopped blogging now, and this week I've thought to stop the useless activities in FB as well. For a reason that there's no more sociality than an encyclopedia writer has. No counter indicating someone has visited and enjoyed my yield. No comments left. No sociality, no interactivity. I was truly surprised when I was told yesterday, that there are two people who have dropped in and seen my kitten video and read some of my writings.

It felt good - there's some sharing! Someones to reflect their own thoughts upon my issues! It took a coffee pause in a conference to hear that. In other words, there is some fundamental flaw with the so called social media listed above. Only sociality there seems to be is to send chain-letter-like apps to friends. That's a far cry from personal interaction.

If I knew the solution, I wouldn't write this in frozen Helsinki but in Silicon valley or any place I found comfortable.

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Wait! Actually, ain't I going to visit Jaiku pikkujoulu gathering right after posting this? And aren't the Jaiku founders now well-off, living in California? They apparently have found some genuine answers. They could elaborate a bit further and combine Jaiku, blogs and FB!