Forecasting the FutureForecasting the Futureof Social Computingof Social Computing

Elizabeth Lane LawleyElizabeth Lane Lawley

Director, RIT Lab for Social ComputingDirector, RIT Lab for Social Computing

5 May 20085 May 2008

1717thth Annual Minitex ILL Conference Annual Minitex ILL Conference

Gopher, ca. 1992Gopher, ca. 1992

The Web, 1993The Web, 1993

ICQ, 1997ICQ, 1997

Blogs, 2002Blogs, 2002

Social Networking Sites, 2002Social Networking Sites, 2002

Social Bookmarks, 2003Social Bookmarks, 2003

Social Photos, 2003Social Photos, 2003

Continuous Partial Attention, Continuous Partial Attention, 20042004

IRC and “Backchannels” 2004IRC and “Backchannels” 2004

World of Warcraft, 2005World of Warcraft, 2005

Gaming in Libraries, 2006Gaming in Libraries, 2006

Hyper-Personal ‘News Feeds’Hyper-Personal ‘News Feeds’

What’s coming?What’s coming?

they.misled.us/dark-room

hogbaysoftware.com/product/writeroom

Continuous Complete Continuous Complete Attention Attention

Ambient DisplaysAmbient Displays

Ambient PresenceAmbient Presence

Mobile Phone Magic: Mobile Phone Magic: Grand CentralGrand Central

Mobile Phone Magic: GOOG-Mobile Phone Magic: GOOG-411411

Mobile Phone Magic: JottMobile Phone Magic: Jott

Mobile Phone Magic: BarcodesMobile Phone Magic: Barcodes

Backlash to the TangibleBacklash to the Tangible

RIT’s LibraryRIT’s Library

Tech KnittersTech Knitters

Reclaiming Public SpacesReclaiming Public Spaces

Pervasive Games/ARGsPervasive Games/ARGs

Passively MultiplayerPassively MultiplayerOnline GamingOnline Gaming

http://www.42entertainment.com/see.html

context is king, not content

it’s about unfettered experience

what’s the immersive experience we’re creating in public libraries?

- Stephen Abram

(via Jenny Levine)

(photo by Michael Sauers)

(from Andrew Hinton’s wonderful presentation on information architecture)

What Makes Us Happy?What Makes Us Happy?

• satisfying work to dosatisfying work to do

• the experience of being good at the experience of being good at somethingsomething

• time spent with people we liketime spent with people we like

• the chance to be a part of the chance to be a part of something bigger than something bigger than ourselvesourselves

Yes, you can have my slides!Yes, you can have my slides!

mamamusings.net