Web 2.0 Storytelling: Introduction ELI Annual Conference January 28, 2008 Bryan Alexander, NITLE

What is it? 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.

Caveats This framework is probably not your project Whole project versus piece versus principle

This framework is probably not your project

Whole project versus piece versus principle

Who are people in this? Roles Producer Consumer Scholar Teacher Consultant Supporter Questions Why these platforms? How to discover and participate? How to support?

Roles

Producer

Consumer

Scholar

Teacher

Consultant

Supporter

Questions

Why these platforms?

How to discover and participate?

How to support?

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? Beginning, middle, end The Freytag triangle Delight and instruct

Beginning, middle, end

The Freytag triangle

Delight and instruct

Put another way What are stories about? What is content? About someone important About an important event About what one does Center for Digital Storytelling, Digital Storytelling Cookbook. http:// www.storycenter.org/cookbook.html

What are stories about? What is content?

About someone important

About an important event

About what one does

Put another way What are stories about? What is content? Personal versus impersonal Creative fiction vs nonfiction composition Curricular vs campus vs personal vs etc. (storyteller, Ripton Vermont, 2008)

What are stories about? What is content?

Personal versus impersonal

Creative fiction vs nonfiction composition

Curricular vs campus vs personal vs etc.

Web 1.0 storytelling What can we learn from it? Hypertext Multimedia Browser-focused Offline, analog content (textbooks) Evanescent

What can we learn from it?

Hypertext

Multimedia

Browser-focused

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 Very Web Serial structure

Features:

Multilinear

Multimedia

Very Web

Serial structure

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

Digital storytelling Transmedia storytelling (Henry Jenkins) Multiple platforms Commercial Fan base…

Transmedia storytelling (Henry Jenkins)

Multiple platforms

Commercial

Fan base…

Digital storytelling Franchise or brand Control across sites Diffuse boundaries

Franchise or brand

Control across sites

Diffuse boundaries

Digital storytelling roots Email chain letters, jokes Social Boundaries fuzzy Microcontent (Snopes.com)

Email chain letters, jokes

Social

Boundaries fuzzy

Microcontent

Digital storytelling roots Virtual community facilitation (1980s on) http://www.unfiction.com/compendium/2006/11/10/undefining-arg/2/ Chaotic fiction, including ARGs

Virtual community facilitation (1980s on)

Chaotic fiction, including ARGs

Next: Web 2.0 Storytelling: Platforms