 |
 |
I've been interested in hearing people's thoughts on social networks To say 'I use facebook for this or that, so that is what it is for' is a bit like saying 'I use my stereo to listen to the radio, so it is a radio player' With respect, just because you use a social network in one way does not mean that that's the only way to use it (I personally rarely use the 'applications' games etc on facebook, but many other people do) The point is you have a choice as to how you use these tools which are available with you. I think having a national science week facebook group is a great idea. Facebook works pretty well as an online discussion forum (easy to upload pics etc) plus it is something that people who are already facebook members will undoubtedly check at least five times a day! An additional incredibly positive aspect of having a group on facebook is this: If you make your group public access (which most groups are) this means that anyone can see or join your group. ANYONE IN THE WORLD. Many of you at this stage may be throwing up your hands in horror at the potential for misuse that this might lead to, but think of it this way...you are publicising your event/s on the largest social network site in the world FOR FREE! I have worked in science communication for years and know that one of the hardest things to do with any science-event is to raise awareness, here is a way of doing it; especially targeting young people who are (arguably) one of the most difficult groups to attract to science in a way that they understand and are using everyday! (Can you say the same for a specialist site like Nature) What downside? An NSEW facebook group may never reach the numbers of the If this group Reaches 150,000 members I will name my son Batman group (currently 151,386 members) but it is still a great way of engaging people, if you have fun content in your group people will get on board. Barney Grenfell MediaSnackers education officer www.mediasnackers.com Michael Kenward <[log in to unmask]> wrote: This message sort of conforms what I had thought about Facebook. The comment that "I am and use it to keep in touch with friends across the UK and abroad - not work related at all and I use my home email... It's esp good for sharing and commenting on photos." hints that Facebook is best kept to your nearest and dearest. I reappear here only because the same issue cropped up on the ABSW mailing list. There the idea came up that it would be more sensible to go for a professional social network. Peter Green, of AlphaGalileo fame, pointed us at the Nature network. Whatever you think of Nature as a commercial venture, it sure ain't Microsoft or the Dirty Digger. Start here: http://network.nature.com/ but be warned that several people have found the navigation to be clunky. It also appears to be Firefox hostile, which is dumb. It is, though, firmly scientific and unlikely to suffer from the ad avalanche that Facebook and MySpace seem to be dead set on unleashing. ____________________________ Michael Kenward ABSW e-minder http://www.absw.org.uk http://absw.blogspot.com/ -----Original Message----- From: psci-com: on public engagement with science [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Rebecca Jones Sent: 12 November 2007 14:36 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: [PSCI-COM] Facebook - National Science week Hi Regarding facebook - I suspect plenty of people on this list are members... I am and use it to keep in touch with friends across the UK and abroad - not work related at all and I use my home email... It's esp good for sharing and commenting on photos. I suspect people would be reluctant to mix work and home life though. That said I hope the National science week group goes well.. I don't have anything do with Science week in my current role. Re Facebook generally - If anyone is considering joining facebook and worried about privacy you just change the settings to 'only my friends' see and either have a non-recognisable photo or something representing you (one of my pals has dolphins as her picture)...and don't join a regional network. And if someone wants to be your friend that you don't know - just ignore it... I'm lucky as I have such a common name I am pretty hard to find. I hope this helps. Best wishes, Rebecca Jones Co-ordinator Institute of Health Sciences www.manchester.ac.uk/ihs Tel: 0161 275 7657 ********************************************************************** 1. To suspend yourself from the list, whilst on leave, for example, send an email to mailto:[log in to unmask] with the following message: set psci-com nomail 2. To resume email from the list, send an email to [log in to unmask] with the message: set psci-com mail 3. To leave psci-com, send an email to [log in to unmask] with the message: leave psci-com 4. Further information about the psci-com discussion list, including list archive, can be found at the list web site: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/psci-com.html 5. The psci-com gateway to internet resources on science communication and science and society can be found at http://psci-com.ac.uk 6. To contact the Psci-com list owner, please send an email to mailto:[log in to unmask] ********************************************************************** ********************************************************************** 1. To suspend yourself from the list, whilst on leave, for example, send an email to mailto:[log in to unmask] with the following message: set psci-com nomail 2. To resume email from the list, send an email to [log in to unmask] with the message: set psci-com mail 3. To leave psci-com, send an email to [log in to unmask] with the message: leave psci-com 4. Further information about the psci-com discussion list, including list archive, can be found at the list web site: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/psci-com.html 5. The psci-com gateway to internet resources on science communication and science and society can be found at http://psci-com.ac.uk 6. To contact the Psci-com list owner, please send an email to mailto:[log in to unmask] ********************************************************************** ********************************************************************** 1. To suspend yourself from the list, whilst on leave, for example, send an email to mailto:[log in to unmask] with the following message: set psci-com nomail 2. To resume email from the list, send an email to [log in to unmask] with the message: set psci-com mail 3. To leave psci-com, send an email to [log in to unmask] with the message: leave psci-com 4. Further information about the psci-com discussion list, including list archive, can be found at the list web site: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/psci-com.html 5. The psci-com gateway to internet resources on science communication and science and society can be found at http://psci-com.ac.uk 6. To contact the Psci-com list owner, please send an email to mailto:[log in to unmask] **********************************************************************