I & K Social Net

We are probably starting a new period in which communication patterns are changing rapidly. As in any such new adventure we cannot even know what the mature phase of the period will look like. We are still concerned in understanding and patronizing the technologies of web 2.0, and the techies are threatening with the appearance of the web 3.0 tools.

Don’t panic because ITC fans have been always like this. We have to admit that we will be forever behind the new appliances that are announced in the shops. But what we realize now is that these technologies become different through usage. We transform them into profit tools, and become free of depending on their rules. We are patronizing these resources and are establishing the rules now.

However, what is becoming a guess to us, is the power that communication will give us as individuals and how this will affect our social position. Are we going to enter in a new social dependence. When many traditional social rules have been erased through modern life in western countries - think on the gap between today and 50 years ago when the church had such a the strong influence on social life - are we constructing new rules that will guide our lives in the next decades? If so, who will dictate these norms?

On the other side, we may ask ourselves also how are we going to transform knowledge and relations in the new networked society? If you belong to a social network like Facebook or Linkedin or Ning, you probably have experienced the pleasure of re encountering old mates and recuperate friendships you had not heard about for long time. With the time, social network users start to get messages. More and more everyday, and they start to overwhelm us with invitations to participate in this or that discussion. And one day, we jump into an e-learning course where wikis and blogs become the new environment, the new classroom. Are we ready for that? Do we want to go on like this?

Since here, I can read the present story. What comes

This blog is dedicated to academics, students and general public interested in Information, Knowledge and Social Networks and who like to share their thoughts and knowledge on the Internet and the Web 2.0. These are offering excellent possibilities to share knowledge and information aswell and are very effective in creating new networks of knowledge and innovation. Prof. Manuel Castells has called our society the network society. Let’s share some thoughts on it.

I hope you’ll enjoy this site and want to share with me your knowledge.

Oriol