Micro-blogging services like Twitter allow users to create personal networks by following others and sharing short updates. These networks can be visualized to understand connections and how information spreads. Issues with digital identities and separating professional from personal networks arise. Social bookmarking on sites like Delicious allows sharing and discovering information through tagging bookmarks, with networks influencing finding and sharing behaviors. Personal learning networks integrate micro-blogging, social bookmarking, and other tools to stay informed and connected.

1. Micro-blogging, Social Bookmarking and Personal (Learning) Networks Frances Bell, f.bell@salford.ac.uk

2. Creating a network

3. Microblogging Twitter, Jaiku, Facebook updates http://twitter.com , search for Salford 140 character limit Web links Many clients for PCs and mobile devices – Tweetdeck, Tweeties, etc. Upload pictures and link e.g.Twitpic Link to audio e.g. via Audioboo

4. http://www.neuroproductions.be/twitter_friends_network_browser/

5. Twitter networks Build a trusted network Give and take Link posted by trusted node ‘better than search’ Amongst social noise, questions asked and answered Stream flows by – can’t see it all Assume all is public

6. Visualising networks Understand 1 st and 2 nd order connections Can utilise 1 st order connections to get in touch with 2 nd order connections Can use as aid to trimming and growing network

7. Frances Bell Facebook Friend Wheel Sep 2007, see http://francesbell.com/2007/09/07/18 / Slide

8. Frances Bell Facebook Friend Wheel October 2009

9. Issues Digital identity / profile Symmetry of connection Compare Facebook and Twitter Public / private Social/ business/ professional I explored this here http://francesbell.com/2009/07/23/moving-between-categories-in-online-identity/#more-262 Slide

10. My bookmarks online

11. Getting started in Delicious Explore, join, bookmark and tag http://delicious.com/francesbell

12. Networking in Social Bookmarking Asymmetry, eavesdropping/overlooking, group work, shared vocabulary http://delicious.com/network/francesbell

13. How does your personal network influence finding and sharing behaviours? Finding links Saving/ sharing links Network influences volume Network influences impact 2 virtuous circles if finding/sharing Strength is in overlap Delicious Twitter

14. Putting it all together Understand RSS Set up iGoogle page (Demo) http://www.google.co.uk/ig

15. Now go off and try it out