"Yes" to Flickr, "Maybe" to MySpace, "Boo" to Second Life

Well, I've read over our readings for week 4 and taken some time to explore MySpace, Flickr and Second Life. 

Flickr: I really like Flickr, though I wouldn't rely on it too heavily for personal photos. In my mind, nothing quite beats sitting down with a photo album with someone and reminiscing. I do however, see some applications for our organization as a whole...not yet for our library. We are engaged in a capital campaign for a new green building and the photos that we have are clogging up our website. It would be great to move them to Flickr, and I plan to do that shortly. My final thought on Flickr - check it out.

MySpace: Well, when I read that on average youth are spending 2 hours/day with this tool, and some up to six hours, I was shocked and amazed. Though I recognise that social networking goes on here and you can maybe end up with a "friend" or two (or too many), MySpace seems a bit superficial to me. This could definitely be my limitation, but virtual connections just don't have the weight, and I would question whether they have the longevity, of in-person contact, which cannot be acquired through MySpace. In the context of libraries, and for those who have a presence on MySpace, I wonder whether this presence has actually resulted in more use of their library. Would they have had greater reach and impact had they allocated more staff time and funding dollars toward local outreach programs? I don't know, but I tend to lean strongly toward local impact, influence and more than anything else, personal connection.

The other thing that troubled me about MySpace is the corporate sponsorship. When I think about Super Size Me and Fast Food Nation, that McDonald's and Coke have such a strong presence in MySpace (according to the article at least) is disheartening. It read to me as though a lot of MySpace is about trying to sell something, pitch another unnecessary product or unhealthy food and capture the youth consumer market. 

Finally, is MySpace sustainable? Will the youth using it now be using it in their adulthood? Just a question. My final thought on MySpace - maybe.

Second Life: Well, I'm going to be a downer here. When I look at the world we live in, with climate change a reality, wars going on, etc., etc., I wonder what the world could look like if all of the individuals active in Second Life (and other online forums of this sort) invested the same amount of time toward addressing an environmental issue or getting involved in peace efforts. The "escapism" of it (or for some people it might just be highly entertaining) scares me. If individuals want another "face" and "identity", why not explore their other sides through a drama, painting, cooking class or other creative avenue? If they want to create a new and better world, why not do that outside of a virtual space that will in all likelihood have little positive impact to the world at large in the short- and long-term? My final thought on Second Life - not interested.

I will end this off with a funny note  - a Jack Handy Deep Thoughts quote:

"Maybe in order to understand mankind, we have to look at the word itself: "Mankind". Basically, it's made up of two separate words - "mank" and "ind". What do these words mean? It's a mystery, and that's why so is mankind."

Of course, if I had an opportunity to converse with Jack Handy, I'd say that women live here too! :-)