TUMBLR: Social Microblogging

Tumblr is a micro-blogging platform that enables easy combining of text, images and video; it also makes it easy for multiple users to contribute content to a topic or thread, where the content 'tumbles'...

One of many Ryan Gosling 'Hey Girl' TUMBLR threads, this one for runners:
http://heyrunnergirl.tumblr.com/



Another example of a TUMBLR blog: Awesome people hanging out together




And one more, I Love Charts, a TUMBLR blog devoted to all kinds of charts:



And here's an example of how a storyteller can combine content types (text, images, video) in a TUMBLR blog. This is my TUMBL blog of the KGW -TV Hood to Coast Relay team, posted in real time as we ran from Mt. Hood to the Oregon Coast:

If Social Platforms were High Schoolers

One theme we will explore in Social Technology is the textuality of the different social media platforms: What is the nature of each social platform? What is each best for? Who uses each and why?

Here is a video from DTC student Lizette Santiago, posing the question: What if each social media platform were a kid in high school?!

Why Social Media Matters

Why is Social Technology worth studying? Does it really matter what somebody Tweets they had for breakfast, or "liked" on Facebook?

Here's DTC student Morgan Hutchinson's take on Why Social Matters:

Required Reading, Course Syllabus - DTC 338

The required reading for DTC 338: Social Media is

Li, C. and Bernoff, J. (2011). Groundswell: Winning in a world transformed by social technology.
Harvard Business Review Press. Boston, MA.

Shirky, C. (2011). Cognitive Surplus: How technology makes consumers into collaborators. Penguin.
New York, NY.

Both books should be available through the campus bookstore, and they are also available to be ordered online via Amazon.com.

Additional reading will be assigned in class and will be available online.

The Class Syllabus is online and can be viewed here.

Welcome to DTC 338 - Special Topics: Social Media

Welcome to DTC 338 - Social Media. We'll meet Tuesday's from 6-8:30 in VMMC 115.

During the course of this class, we will explore the many emerging social tools - how they are shaping us, and how we are shaping them through our uses. We'll explore the ways in which social tools are shifting power between individuals and large organizations, the ways in which social tech connects - and disconnects - us, and even how it changes our identity in a digital world. We'll also explore ethics and privacy issues.

There will be two main projects during our class, a group project in teams of about 5, where you will design and execute a Social Media Strategy for a local nonprofit organization.

There will also be an individual Brand of You project where you will develop, refine and execute a Brand of You social strategy.

I'm looking forward to exploring these topics together with you.

Frank Mungeam
Adjunct Professor
Creative Media and Digital Culture Program

WSU - Vancouver