Week 4 - Social Computing

To successfully complete No. 4 - Social Computing you must...

READ this blog post.
DO and THINK about the information in the "Learn More About" activities.
LEARN by completing the Hands On Activities, including reading the Important Tips.

Your total time commitment is about 45 minutes.


Introduction to Social Computing

Humans are funamentally social. From birth, we interact with each other. In the process, we gain an understanding and deveop a proficieny in spoken and written expression and social interactions. In other words, we gain a social context that we apply to living.

We all know that using the web can be a solitary experience. When others are present, we can transform our experience online into something more. It's natural that we want to translate our social contexts into the digital world. But, how is it possible?

Social software and social technology are the answer. They allow people, regardless of location, to interact online. Social computing is the concept of creating or reusing social conventions and social contexts online through the use of computer software and technology. Or in other words, social computing is the use of technology to bring people together online to connect, work and play.


"Learn More about Social Computing"

1. Watch this video on YouTube, What is Social Computing? (Time commitment 51 seconds)
2. Read this Wikipedia article, Social Computing. (Time commitment 5 - 10 minutes)
3. Listen to this podcast the first five minutes of this 17 minute podcast, Social Computing a Boon for Business. (Time commitment 5 minutes)


"Hands On Activity"
1. Read a recent blog post from either Inside VBPL or VBPL Talks.
2. Comment on what you read.
Congrats! You just engaged in social computing.