Stick#12-Social Media Sites

I visited the four suggested media sites suggested in this section. It was interesting to compare them and realize how different they are. A question that came to my mind was about the characteristics of the users of each site, but I was unable to locate any information about this. I can see various possibilities for how these sites can be used. First, to observe public opinion and be aware of people's interests. Second, if I were interested in a particular topic and how people responded to it, I could look for that information or even include an RSS feed to keep up with information posted. Third, I could put information on one of these sites and see what response occurs from other users of the site. It might give me feedback of the level of interest in the topic. I think one of the greatest draws of these sites is that they do not have editors deciding what news/information is important. Readers have the "power" to influence what is read through their posting, participation and voting.

Is participating in social media sites productivity enhancing or productivity detracting? To me, the answer is, it depends on how you use them. I can see where they could take up a lot of time; however, I think if you have a particular goal or interest, they could enhance productivity and provide input to you that you would not otherwise have. I like the ability to read an article and share it. An article you read in a hardcopy newspaper that you want to share takes more copying and sending time than emailing or posting.