You have raised genuine concerns about social networking - from legal to misapplication, acceptability, potential use in educational setting, etc. - as with any "new" tech. Social networking is organic and self-organizing, supported by the dynamics that parallel natural processes. It has tremendous use and impact on education and learning. It is not only about MySpace and Facebook; though Facebook is a potential open source for learning and course management system. Just focus a bit on the potentials, because you will agree with me that there are negative and positive sides to every technology - social networking inclusive.
There is documented evidence of significant application of social networking technologies in e-commerce/business, education, and as forum for consumers. Again, it is not only about "kids"; it is about using new technology to reach out to people on the global market. Think about it, are scientific breakthroughs the preserve of journals and conferences currently? What about social journals such as PLoS One and JIME? Do they have a place in this process. What of Digg? Breaking news is no longer the preserve of the established press. Digg is counted as one of the relevant and responsive news media today. What are the first point of call for those seeking understanding of specific and unfamiliar topics? Google? Wikipedia?
This topic is "huge", but I do not want to be carried away. Please find below what the American Library Association, the University of Brighton, UK, and many others are using social networking for. You may copy the links to your browser, or right click, and open the hyperlinks.
Good job, Maia and Janice for opening the dialogue.
jal
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