Chaotic Fiction, Alternate Reality Games, and the World’s Cheapest MMOG: Web 2.0 Storytelling in Education

What is Web 2.0 storytelling? An emergent set of storytelling practices, growing out of Web 2.0 technologies and cultural forms.

An emergent set of storytelling practices, growing out of Web 2.0 technologies and cultural forms.

What's web 2.0 about? Quick recap Microcontent Social software Multiply authored content within content located externally Perpetual beta Boundaries can be hard to find

Quick recap

Microcontent

Social software

Multiply authored content

within content

located externally

Perpetual beta

Boundaries can be hard to find

But wait, what's storytelling? “The last man on Earth sat alone in a room.”

“The last man on Earth sat alone in a room.”

But wait, what's storytelling? “The last man on Earth sat alone in a room. There was a knock on the door.” (Fredric Brown, “Knock”, 1948)

“The last man on Earth sat alone in a room.

There was a knock on the door.”

(Fredric Brown, “Knock”, 1948)

But wait, what's storytelling? It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. Last night, I dreamt I went to Manderley again. The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel. As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect.

It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.

Last night, I dreamt I went to Manderley again.

The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel.

As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect.

But wait, what's storytelling? Delight and instruct About someone important About an important event About what one does CDS Cookbook. http:// www.storycenter.org/cookbook.html

Delight and instruct

About someone important

About an important event

About what one does

CDS Cookbook.

http:// www.storycenter.org/cookbook.html

But wait, what's storytelling? Exercise one: what isn’t storytelling? You may edit your wikis now.

What came before Web 2.0 storytelling? Web 1.0 storytelling, of course Hypertext Multimedia Browser-focused Connected with offline, analog content (textbooks) Evanescent

Web 1.0 storytelling, of course

Hypertext

Multimedia

Browser-focused

Connected with offline, analog content (textbooks)

Evanescent

Web 1.0 storytelling Example: Dreaming Methods (2000ff) http:// www.dreamingmethods.com /

Example: Dreaming Methods (2000ff)

http:// www.dreamingmethods.com /

Example: “Ted’s Caving Journal” (circa 2001) (one copy, from http://www.angelfire.com/trek/caver/page1.html )

Example: “Ted’s Caving Journal” (circa 2001)

Features: Multilinear Multimedia Browserish Serial structure

Features:

Multilinear

Multimedia

Browserish

Serial structure

Web 1.0 era storytelling Email chain letters, jokes Social Boundaries fuzzy Microcontent Virtual community facilitation (1980s on) (Snopes.com)

Email chain letters, jokes

Social

Boundaries fuzzy

Microcontent

Virtual community facilitation (1980s on)

( http://www.thenation.com/blogs/jstreet/363133/bailout_satire ) Dear American: I need to ask you to support an urgent secret business relationship with a transfer of funds of great magnitude. I am Ministry of the Treasury of the Republic of America. My country has had crisis that has caused the need for large transfer of funds of 800 billion dollars US. If you would assist me in this transfer, it would be most profitable to you. I am working with Mr. Phil Gram, lobbyist for UBS, who will be my replacement as Ministry of the Treasury in January. As a Senator, you may know him as the leader of the American banking deregulation movement in the 1990s. This transactin is 100% safe. This is a matter of great urgency…

Digital storytelling roots Digital Storytelling movement Digital Storytelling at Ukaiah, 2006

Digital Storytelling movement

Digital storytelling roots Educational projects growing Community Curricula Support ( http://connect.educause.edu/Library/Abstract/StorytellingintheAgeofthe/42327 )

Educational projects growing

Community

Curricula

Support

So why Web 2.0 storytelling? It’s already being done. http://delicious.com/tag/web2storytelling

It’s already being done.

She's a Flight Risk http://esquire.com/features/articles/2003/030922_mfe_isabella_1.html Blog as story diary

She's a Flight Risk http://esquire.com/features/articles/2003/030922_mfe_isabella_1.html

Bookblogging http://www.pulsethebook.com/ - “networked book” (Institute for the Future of the Book) And others http:// simonofspace.blogspot.com /

http://www.pulsethebook.com/ - “networked book” (Institute for the Future of the Book)

Republish content via blog Pedagogy Social feedback Publicity Pepys Diary Dracula Blogged Ulysses and da Vinci per day ( http://hdt.typepad.com/henrys_blog/ )

Republish content via blog

Pedagogy

Social feedback

Publicity

Pepys Diary

Dracula Blogged

Ulysses and da Vinci per day

( http://spoonriver.metblogs.com/ ) Creative writing in response to document: Spoon River Metblog

Creative writing in response to document:

Spoon River Metblog

Second-person narrative ( http://redcanary.ca/about/about-you/ )

Second-person narrative

Platforms Blogosphere and nonfiction character “ As one day’s posts build on points raised or refuted in a previous day’s, readers must actively engage the process of “discovering” the author, and of parsing from fragment after fragment who is speaking to them, and why, and from where whether geographically, mentally, politically, or otherwise.” -Steve Himmer, “The Labyrinth Unbound” (2003)

Blogosphere and nonfiction character

“ As one day’s posts build on points raised or refuted in a previous day’s, readers must actively engage the process of “discovering” the author, and of parsing from fragment after fragment who is speaking to them, and why, and from where whether geographically, mentally, politically, or otherwise.”

-Steve Himmer, “The Labyrinth Unbound” (2003)

Platforms Blogosphere and nonfiction character “ As one day’s posts build on points raised or refuted in a previous day’s, readers must actively engage the process of “discovering” the author, and of parsing from fragment after fragment who is speaking to them, and why, and from where whether geographically, mentally, politically, or otherwise.” -Steve Himmer, “The Labyrinth Unbound” (2003)

Blogosphere and nonfiction character

“ As one day’s posts build on points raised or refuted in a previous day’s, readers must actively engage the process of “discovering” the author, and of parsing from fragment after fragment who is speaking to them, and why, and from where whether geographically, mentally, politically, or otherwise.”

-Steve Himmer, “The Labyrinth Unbound” (2003)

Microbloglosphere Twitter: a single narrative Good Captain http://twitter.com/goodcaptain http://loose-fish.com/

Twitter: a single narrative

Good Captain

http://twitter.com/goodcaptain

http://loose-fish.com/

Microbloglosphere Twitter: a sin gle author’s aphorisms Jenny Holzer http://twitter.com/jennyholzer

Twitter: a sin gle author’s aphorisms

Jenny Holzer

http://twitter.com/jennyholzer

Microbloglosphere Twitter: class en masse http://twitter.com/manyvoices

Twitter: class en masse

http://twitter.com/manyvoices

Twitter: republishing content http://twitter.com/novelsin3lines

Twitter: republishing content

http://twitter.com/oscarwilde

Wikistorytelling The Penguin novel ( http://www.amillionpenguins.com/wiki/index.php/Main_Page )

The Penguin novel

Wikistorytelling Can a collective create a believable fictional voice? How does a plot find any sort of coherent trajectory when different people have a different idea about how a story should end – or even begin? And, perhaps most importantly, can writers really leave their egos at the door? “ About”, http://www.amillionpenguins.com/wiki/index.php/About

Flickr and storytelling Tell a story in 5 frames group “ The Chase” ( Benjamin! , 2009) http://flickr.com/groups/visualstory/discuss/72157611666013264/

Flickr and storytelling

Tell a story in 5 frames group

Flickr and storytelling In the Tell a story in 5 frames group, 'Alone With The Sand' (moliere1331, 2005)

Flickr and storytelling

In the Tell a story in 5 frames group, 'Alone With The Sand'

Social photo stories Example: « Farm to Food », Eli the Bearded (2008)

Social photo stories

Social photo stories

Social photo stories Flickr, Tell A Story in Five Frames group ( http://www.flickr.com/groups/visualstory/ ) Example: "Food to Farm", Eli the Bearded (2008)

Flickr, Tell A Story in Five Frames group ( http://www.flickr.com/groups/visualstory/ )

Social photo stories Example: "Food to Farm", Eli the Bearded (2008)

Social photo stories Pedagogies: Remix Archive work Social presentation Visual literacy ( http://www.flickr.com/groups/visualstory/discuss/72157603786255599/ ; http://www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/ )

Pedagogies:

Remix

Archive work

Social presentation

Visual literacy

Social slides Barbara Ganley, “Into the Storm” (2007) ( http://www.slideshare.net/bgblogging/intothestorm http://bgexperiments.wordpress.com/2007/07/13/into-the-storm/ )

Barbara Ganley, “Into the Storm” (2007)

Embedded within Slideshare Web platform apparatus

Embedded within Slideshare Web platform apparatus

Embedded within blog

Embedded within blog

Easy to start Web 2.0 is a brainstorming tool, a starting story service, a platform for quickly getting into the thing. Exercise two: back to your wiki, and start writing in response to the prompt.

Web 2.0 is a brainstorming tool, a starting story service, a platform for quickly getting into the thing.

Storytelling by p odcast The Yellow Sheet , by Librivox team (2007) Text then podcast http://librivox.org/the-yellow-sheet-by-librivox-volunteers/ More: Podiobooks, http://www.podiobooks.com/

The Yellow Sheet , by Librivox team (2007)

Text then podcast

http://librivox.org/the-yellow-sheet-by-librivox-volunteers/

More: Podiobooks, http://www.podiobooks.com/

Web video storytelling Connect with I ( http://www.connectwithi.com/ ) Serial video Fan content Physical content

Connect with I ( http://www.connectwithi.com/ )

Serial video

Fan content

Physical content

Web video storytelling lonelygirl15 ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lonelygirl15 ) YouTube serial video content Local fan content Distributed response Hoax plot

lonelygirl15 ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lonelygirl15 )

YouTube serial video content

Local fan content

Distributed response

Hoax plot

Storytellerster MySpace, Facebook as platform Example: Silver Ladder (Two of Clubs character on Myspace)

MySpace, Facebook as platform

Example: Silver Ladder

Already used for humor http://www.much-ado.net/austenbook/

Already used for humor

Multiplicity of platforms New forms combining categories into one?

Multiplicity of platforms New forms combining categories into one? Voicethread Storybox ( http://www.story-box.co.uk/index.php )

New forms combining categories into one?

Multiplicity of platforms New forms combining categories into one? Jaycut, web-based video editing

New forms combining categories into one?

Multiplicity of platforms New forms combining categories into one? http://wetellstories.co.uk/stories/week2/ Twitter feeds, blogs (different platforms), MySpace “ Slice”, from We Tell Stories anthology, Penguin (2008)

New forms combining categories into one?

So why Web 2.0 storytelling? It’s a light but functional form of social gaming. Eve Online, from site Persistent world Distributed players Distributed knowledge Very low cost Some portability

It’s a light but functional form of social gaming.

Persistent world

Distributed players

Distributed knowledge

Very low cost

Some portability

Example: social Twitter storytelling: retelling The War of the Worlds Described http://infocult.typepad.com/infocult/2008/08/alien-invasion-via-twitter.html

Example: social Twitter storytelling: retelling The War of the Worlds

A certain loss of control Social storytelling is user-generated content… which means some other user’s content next to yours. Which, like too much of a good thing, can be wonderful. Exercise three: edit someone else’s wiki page. Pick the group after you in the alphabet.

Social storytelling is user-generated content… which means some other user’s content next to yours. Which, like too much of a good thing, can be wonderful.

Alternate reality games Permeability of game boundary (space and time) Focus on distributed, collaborative cognition Increased ephemerality So why Web 2.0 storytelling, again? (Perplex City, 2003-2006)

Alternate reality games

Permeability of game boundary (space and time)

Focus on distributed, collaborative cognition

Increased ephemerality

Political ARG (World Without Oil, May 2007)

Political ARG

ARG pedagogy Creation for constructivism Information literacy Object of study (Nine Inch Nails game, 2007)

ARG pedagogy

Creation for constructivism

Information literacy

Object of study

Practices and principles Time Wilkie Collins: "Make 'em cry, make 'em laugh, make 'em wait" keep it coming (cf ask a Ninja) Big time: serial Little time: accretive

Time

Wilkie Collins: "Make 'em cry, make 'em laugh, make 'em wait"

keep it coming (cf ask a Ninja)

Big time: serial

Little time: accretive

Practices and principles Character You: persona Creative or historical character Blog as character (Kathleen Fitzpatrick) Twitter as character (Eric Rice)

Character

You: persona

Creative or historical character

Blog as character (Kathleen Fitzpatrick)

Twitter as character (Eric Rice)

Practices and principles Setting Sometimes ambient Or use linked services (maps)

Setting

Sometimes ambient

Or use linked services (maps)

But wait, what's storytelling? Exercise four: write about the feet. You will be assigned fiction or nonfiction. Use the Web.

Practices and principles Fab your lexia chunks Recap/summary of story Cliffhanger Internal organizing statement Discrete argument point Shift in Lego pieces POV Timeline Embedded story Meta, help, disclaimer (And they move without you.)

Fab your lexia chunks

Recap/summary of story

Cliffhanger

Internal organizing statement

Discrete argument point

Shift in Lego pieces

POV

Timeline

Embedded story

Meta, help, disclaimer

(And they move without you.)

Futures Stories about Web 2.0 storytelling Ken Macleod, The Execution Channel (2008) ( http://www.wired.com/techbiz/it/magazine/15-07/local ) -Bruce Sterling, Wired , 2007

Stories about Web 2.0 storytelling

Ken Macleod, The Execution Channel (2008)

Futures Copyright Web 2.0 accelerates opportunities for copyright practices, from fair use (quotes, snippets) to infringement (copying whole texts) Emerging practices: snippet+link, Wikipedia notice Other practices: using TEACH, Creative Commons

Copyright

Web 2.0 accelerates opportunities for copyright practices, from fair use (quotes, snippets) to infringement (copying whole texts)

Emerging practices: snippet+link, Wikipedia notice

Other practices: using TEACH, Creative Commons

Futures Mobile devices -> "interstitial fiction”? it can be fiction or nonfiction, but it is unlikely to be a single isolated five-minute item, as it would be hard to market or to find such an item. More likely short items will be strung together in an anthology; the thesis of the anthology ("brief bursts about the new administration"; "101 short poems about transistors and current") will suffuse each item with a sense of being part of a whole. Joseph Esposito, http://toc.oreilly.com/2008/12/interstitial-publishing.html

Mobile devices -> "interstitial fiction”?

it can be fiction or nonfiction, but it is unlikely to be a single isolated five-minute item, as it would be hard to market or to find such an item. More likely short items will be strung together in an anthology; the thesis of the anthology ("brief bursts about the new administration"; "101 short poems about transistors and current") will suffuse each item with a sense of being part of a whole.

Digital storytelling roots One theory http://www.unfiction.com/compendium/2006/11/10/undefining-arg/2/ Chaotic fiction , including ARGs

One theory

Chaotic fiction , including ARGs

Digital storytelling roots One model Embedded in media history, old, current, and emergent

One model

Embedded in media history, old, current, and emergent

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS -blog commentators Andy Havens, Steve Kaye, H Pierce, D'Arcy Norman -Alan Levine! -all Web 2.0 storytellers and participants -all NITLE 2008-2009 workshop participants -Teddy Diggs, Educause Review -ELI 2008 conference workshop participants (Photos uncredited are mine)

-blog commentators Andy Havens, Steve Kaye, H Pierce, D'Arcy Norman

-Alan Levine!

-all Web 2.0 storytellers and participants

-all NITLE 2008-2009 workshop participants

-Teddy Diggs, Educause Review

-ELI 2008 conference workshop participants

(Photos uncredited are mine)

National Institute for Technology and Liberal Education (NITLE): http://nitle.org Liberal Education Today blog: http://b2e.nitle.org And: http://web2storytelling.wikispaces.com/ And http://delicious.com/tag/web2storytelling

National Institute for Technology and Liberal Education (NITLE):

http://nitle.org

Liberal Education Today blog:

http://b2e.nitle.org

And:

http://web2storytelling.wikispaces.com/

And

http://delicious.com/tag/web2storytelling