This week’s reading assignment of “Here Comes Everybody” By Clay Shirky, made it hard to pick what to discuss for this week, Shirky provided many interesting insights to technology in today’s society. It was an interesting first three chapters that allowed me to gain some insight of today’s world, my net generation and how we are using the technology around us whether it be good or bad.
The insightful story of the “Sidekick” definitely captivated me, it was interesting to read, and to read Skirky’s view on it as well. Shirky explained many times throughout the text that Evan, could not have succeeded in his attempt to gain the phone back if it were not for the recourses that were available to him in this day of age. Shirky states, “It’s unlikely that Evan could have achieved what he did even five years ago, and inconceivable that he could have achieved it ten years ago, because neither the tools he used nor the social structures he relied on were in place then years ago”(11). Evan had many resources such as MySpace, Digg, forwarding emails, texting, blogging, and the phone company storing Ivanna’s information on their servers which is where they found out who has the sidekick. Technology is amazing, the phone company information then led them straight to the then current owner of the phone, which led them to her email, and MySpace information. What Evan did by posting the “missing phone” online for people to see, is similar to the many flyers someone would post on poles and phone booths for a missing dog. We have come a long way where if something is missing or need to get news out there, we can get it out to the world, not just our local community.
This story reminded me of the socialite Paris Hilton who lost her dog Tinker Bell, the story was definitely heard around the world and was on major news stations, internet sites, and newspapers. Just like the Sidekick story, the missing dog story would not have become so big if it were not for the recourses available to us. With social networks like facebook, myspace, and email contacts news spreads faster, not just to your friends, but friends of friends and so on. Skirky states, “Despite Evan’s heroic efforts, he could not have gotten the phone returned if he had been working alone”(7). Evan had millions of people behind him, either encouraging, or helping him in his endeavor.
A small story about missing phone or even a missing dog doesn’t mean much to people who it doesn’t concern. Everyone loses things, and often never sees them again. But with the tools we have online, it’s more likely to reach and find people who are concerned, willing to help, and get answers from rather than only getting help from a few people in your local community. What the internet resources and technology has done for us is allowed us to reach people on a whole new level. We are no longer limited to the people in our local RL community, we now are able to have many communities we take part in, in the virtual world. And with reaching these communities, and expanding our social network then begins gaining the attention from others such a news stations, to reach even more people who are not computer oriented. With the sidekick story, gaining the social network Evan did, caught the attention of The New York Times, and CNN, which would otherwise ignored Evans efforts if it had not been for his social network in the virtual world.
No comments:
Post a Comment