Ning Facebook face-off?

Posted on November 4, 2007 by Judy O'Connell

You’ve got to love the pace of change…now it’s OpenSocial!

For those of you who don’t eat, breathe, and sleep web standards, OpenSocial is a new open web API being spearheaded by Google. OpenSocial applications will be able to run easily and reliably inside social networks, and be able to be tailored by the user to create personalisation of their social space.

Ning already has one-click integration with Facebook automatically on your social network using the Facebook proprietary platform approach.

Now Ning has released OpenSocial across their now 115,000 social networks. This means that you can enable OpenSocial “Apps” or “Gadgets” on your social network on Ning today!

So if you are a Network creator, you have the choice to add OpenSocial Gadgets to your network- it is entirely optional. If you don’t choose the OpenSocial Gadget option from the Features page, then your members will not have the option to add OpenSocialOpenSocial Gadgets to their profile page. It’s up to you. If you do decide to enable Gadgets on your network, your members can add any OpenSocial Gadget of their choice to their member profile page.

Keep up to date with ongoing Ning changes and developments at the Ning Blog.

I think there is a rumbling in the firmament again! Facebook – hang on!

Here’s a quick screencast which describes how to get started with OpenSocial Gadgets on your social network right now.

From Ning Blog. Photo: FaceOff

Participatory networking – an eye on Twitter and Jottit!

Posted on October 6, 2007 by Judy O'Connell

I’ve enjoyed my week at the NavCon2K7 conference, where I am pleased to see that we some workshops showing people how to engage in participatory networking – cool tools for cool news and professional interactions.

It was a real buzz to find that Heyjude was being used as part of a demonstration workshop about setting up iGoogle. So nice to meet people who read and enjoy this blog, or share in the Heyjude del.icio.us network. It was great that Leigh showed folks how to get into Facebook – because it has already expanded the conversation spaces amongst my colleagues.

But it’s what I learned from Lenva that excited me – a new strategy for ‘working’ a conference to share and collaborate! Here’s the story……

Amongst other things, I used Twitter to tell my professional network a bit about what was going on at the conference. Because I mentioned Twitter in question time (posing a question to Leigh from the twitterati, as well as from myself) Lenva discovered me and we became ‘friends’.

Lenva and I both posted links and comments to Twitter while Adam Lefstein was presenting his Keynote address. Lenva Shearing is a Principal who passionate about learning. Some of Lenva’s school team were attending the Ulearn conference in NewZealand at the same time – so the twitter conversation between them was showing up in my Twitter feed. She was actually participating in what was happening in NZ, while they were participating in what was happening in Sydney…….and I was becoming a bit of an observer. 🙂

But here’s the best tip of all. Lenva and other colleagues were taking notes (as lots of us were). The difference? Forget scribbling with a pen, writing a word document, or composing a blog post. Their notes were immediately shareable with each other via twitter or their blogs using Jottit.

Check out Lenva Shearing and her notes from Adam Lefstein and others (which she posted up on Twitter almost as soon as sessions were over) and Allanah’s Note page which she was using to share her Ulearn conference experiences. Ewan McIntosh and Leigh Blackhall would be proud of them all! Right? Now if only I had been at the Ulearn conference amongst such a buzz.

As for Lenva? – what a fantastic Principal – leading, doing, and engaging everyone – participatory networking bringing life to 21st century rhetoric.

Image: Mon Oeil

E-Learning 2.0 …that’s immersive and personal learning

Posted on September 26, 2007 by Judy O'Connell

Can’t say it better than Stephen Downes.

I want and visualize and aspire toward a system of society and learning where each person is able to rise to his or her fullest potential without social or financial encumberance, where they may express themselves fully and without reservation through art, writing, athletics, invention, or even through their avocations or lifestyle.

Where they are able to form networks of meaningful and rewarding relationships with their peers, with people who share the same interests or hobbies, the same political or religious affiliations – or different interests or affiliations, as the case may be.

From Brandon Hall Research Innovations in Learning Conference, San Jose, September 25, 2007

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Sydney twitter meetup – be there!

Posted on July 17, 2007 by Judy O'Connell

For all you twitter fans or “would-be” twitterati! based in Sydney – you need to know that we have a
Sydney Twitter Meetup on Wednesday 25 July at 6.00 pm.
Pier 26 Bar
Pier 26, Aquarium Wharf, Wheat Rd, Darling Harbour
Sydney, New South Wales

More details at Upcoming.

Twitter has created quite a buzz for itself in the first quarter of this year- managing to combine the ease of Instant Messaging and SMS with the reach and scope of social networking services. So what’s all the buzz about?

Twitter: A beginners guide will give you all the information you need, and fill you in on this social networking phenomenon. I don’t think everyone is ready for Twitter – but I have found it a real boon for keeping in touch.

I don’t have a public profile – as I only really want to twitter with people involved with education. All up I have 65 friends – leading educators from around the world as well as in Australia – more than I could hope to keep in touch with using ‘traditional’ methods of communication like email!

“heyjudeonline” (me) is not online all the time – but when I link in I can quickly catch up. I also have the option of sending messages directly to my ‘friends’. I like the zany personal touch that twittering allows. It might be a passing fad – but twittering is part of the evolving shape of online communication – so for now I tweet! I do this online at twitter, or within FaceBook. There is a Sydney Twitter Meetup in Facebook! I’ll have to get myself invited 🙂

I don’t use my mobile to tweet – but I will certainly turn it on for the Sydney twitter meetup!

Why don’t you come and join me?