Pay for Ning?

Darn. The other day I read that Ning networks will have to be paid for - you can read it for yourself here. Now I always wonder just how all these wonderfully useful sites actually make any money for their creators - how they even pay their way at all - though I know that advertising comes into it. But I'm sad about the Ning story simply because I've just created a new network for a small group doing distance learning for a module on reading the Bible. It's a closed network, so that I have to invite people to join it, and as such provides a safe space for homework, work in progress and discussion about difficulties and enthusiasms.

It is particularly important because the members of this group are scattered over such a wide area, with only two of them even in the same part of Argyll. It would be prohibitively expensive, not to say draining, to meet face-to-face as frequently as the course requires, and it is actually quite difficult to share relatively complex ideas over a telephone conference. The Ning network gives members a chance to experiment with, among other things, writing styles in preparation for the formal assignments which will have to be assessed, and it gave me as facilitator the opportunity to offer a bit of practical help on essay-writing. I have yet to try out the chat facility - haven't managed to coincide online with anyone yet - and would be interested to know if anyone out there has used it. Ideally, it'd be great to be able to be reading someone's stuff and commenting on it live.

I know there are other options for this kind of thing, but I plumped for a Ning because it is relatively unthreatening for people who tend not to use any kind of social networking sites. It doesn't really work for the one person on the course who doesn't yet have broadband, and there are still hiccups with people learning where to put comments, but I was optimistic - until now. The participants on the course have already paid to be on it, and the budget is small. Is it only a matter of time before we have to pay for all our social networking?

The Devil's web?

Caught a news item on Radio Scotland this morning, discussing the GTC's newly-launched Code of Professionalism and Conduct. The discussion on the radio gave the distinct impression that the entire document was devoted to the perils of social networking and online contact, and it was only the comment by the last speaker - a teacher - which would lead you to think otherwise.

In fact, the guidelines are what anyone would expect; the three bullet-points devoted to new technologies merely reinforce accepted practice within a new medium. For example, when talking about being alone with a pupil the guidelines now add

using common sense and professional judgement to avoid circumstances which are, or could be, perceived to be of an inappropriate nature. This is also the case in
connection with social networking websites ...

So no change there. But coming on the back of last night's Panorama programme, of which I caught only the last five minutes, I have a horrid feeling that a number of people both in and outside the profession will be reinforced in their perception that Web 2.0 is of the devil.

And meanwhile the young will be getting on with it, as usual, with or without the guidance that informed teaching can give.

Virtually everything?

Now here's interesting! I just found this courtesy of Mark who leads the Anglican Community on Second Life, and have this sudden vision of all my online networking taking place in a virtual reality setting.

This is fascinating, if a tad mindbending; as it's late and my mind is feeling quite bent enough already I shall merely note the idea and leave it for now. But it has interesting implications for my mission in the church in Argyll ....