*
Hi all,
**some of you might be interested in a new MA/MSc in “Creating Social
Media”, run by Goldsmiths’ Computing and Centre for Cultural Studies?*
* *
*The MA is designed as a collaborative crash-course in hacktivism, and has a
strong focus on building stuff and interventions. The computing part leans
heavily towards hacking and social media software, and the Cultural Studies
part focuses on theory and practice that enables new forms of social media.
*
*The course will draw together people from a wide spectrum, some with a
technical background, and others, who's main focus has been communications,
culture, art, society or politics (computing/hacking background is great,
but not required – people without such background will be offered an
additional one-month boot camp for the necessary basics). There will be
internships. *
*
*
*There is an eclectic group of people teaching on the programme: Dan
McQuillan, Matt Fuller and Bernard Stiegler, for example.
*
*It would be great if you could comment your ideas and thoughts (url of
developers blog below), and spread the word to any potential people
interested! The MA will start in 11/12. Below you find the blurb and some
more infos.*
*MA/MSc IN CREATING SOCIAL MEDIA
*
What does social media look like after recent events in North Africa and the
UK? What will you create? This unique theory/practice programme combines
computing and cultural studies to provide people with the practical and
critical skills to shape the future of social media. The MA/MSc is a
collaborative theory/practice programme across the Department of Computing
and the Centre for Cultural Studies, and is part of the newly launched
Centre for Creative and Social Technologies.
Based on global examples, we will explore the technological and intellectual
questions that have risen to prominence with the social web. We'll critique
existing approaches and tools, and plan, develop, hack and implement
ground-breaking applications and campaigns. We will not only analyse: we
will create.
New social media platforms, at their best, develop new online forms of
connecting, relating, sharing and competing. Effective and innovative social
media creation, therefore, involves deep theoretical and practical knowledge
of both software development and social processes. The MA/MSc will teach
people how to develop and hack social media software, how social worlds
operate, how software tools enable different forms of social practice, and
how new social media projects can be launched successfully. Graduates will
accelerate the impact of social media in their chosen field.
Participants will become proficient in
- Computing skills in software development for new social media
platforms, mashups, apps, and tools. This includes both coding and data
skills, and a hacker approach
- Theories of social processes and in methods to research them.
- Adapting social media to a variety of technological contexts and to the
needs of specific communities
- Surfacing the assumptions and limitations embedded in software
- Critically assessing contemporary discourses about social media and
social change
- Project managing social media ventures, and keeping users included at
all stages
- Creating social media interventions that address social processes in
new ways.
*Official web page: http://www.gold.ac.uk/pg/ma-creating-social-media/ -
here you can also read about the modules (Digital Sandbox, Mediating the
Social, Software Studies, Digital Research Methods, Internships, and so
on).
*
*Developer’s blog: http://macreatingsocialmedia.wordpress.com/ - comments
and ideas WELCOME!*
*
*
*My colleague (d.mcquillan [AT] gold.ac.uk) and I (g.bachmann [AT]
gold.ac.uk) are also happy to get in contact.*
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