News for November 2009

Hitting my web 2.0 ‘on switch’!

I recently stumbled across an article in THE reporting on the lack of use of Web 2.0 tools amongst ‘Generation Y’ PhD students . The study, conducted by the British Library, shows that the students considered technological tools valuable to their research, but showed little use of them in reality.

As a mid 80’s spawn I fall around the centre age range of ‘generation Y’. I’ve had access to computers since the age of 3, the internet since 11, a mobile phone since 13 and I made my first website at 16. With this, communication tools such as MSNmessenger, Myspace and facebook have all been heavily used for keeping in touch with friends and colleagues. Had I taken part in the British Library study I too would have rated technological tools of high importance to my work. I would have also considered myself highly technologically fluent. However, when I sat down to think about it I realized that, much like the students in the study, I didn’t use many web 2.0 tools at all.

Up until recently Tweeting, blogging and RSS feeds were all alien to me. I was dragged kicking and screaming to the world of Twitter by my PI, who was and still is a massive fan: I now use it to keep up to date with the latest news in science, and across the world. I’m currently making my first blog after being inspired by my blogging work buddies, Steve, Neil and Duncan: maybe one day I’ll be able to post just as well as them. And RSS feeds: well, I’m trying.

It is interesting to note that all the people that have pulled me into the web 2.0 world would not be considered ‘generation Y’. If I’ve been surrounded by this technology all my life why have I failed to use it as effectively as those who have not? I think the answer is all to do with context. For the majority of my web using life these technologies were used for personal interaction, not work. I’d read blogs, but these were mostly about people’s private lives. I’d seen RSS feeds, but they were for blogs and websites, again, about people’s private lives. I’d seen Twitter, but to be frank was not interested in hearing in 140 characters whether someone was drinking tea or not (see ‘Understanding the value of life streaming – you’re doing it wrong’). These had never been introduced to me in a work context, therefore it had never occurred to me to use them as such.

Now I have been exposed to how useful these technologies are for communicating with other scientists all across the world it is hard not to want to get involved. So here is to web 2.0 and (hopefully) useful life/work/science-streaming for many years to come.

Edited: November 13th, 2009