Exploiting The Potential of Blogs and Social Networks
Discussion group 1: The Needs of the User

Discussion Group 1: The Needs of the User

This page provides access to the information for the discussion groups at the UKOLN workshop on Exploiting The Potential Of Blogs And Social Networks held at Austin Court, Birmingham on Monday 26^th November 2007.

About The Discussion Groups

Following the plenary talks, workshop delegates will attend discussion groups which will provide an opportunity for group discussions. Since a WiFi network is available at the venue we will encourage the discussion groups to make use of a Wiki to keep a record of the group discussions and any recommendations which may be made.

Discussion Group 1: Notes

The following wiki was used to keep a record of the discussions:

• Wetpaint Wiki for Discussion group 1: Who Are The Users And What Are Their Requirements?

A copy of the notes is included below.

Discussion Group Title: Who Are The Users And What Are Their Requirements?

Reporter: Matt Machell, Birmingham City University

1 Who Are The User Communities?

Who are the main potential users of blogs and social networking services? Who are the minority user communities?

2 What Are Their Needs And Requirements?

What are the main needs and requirements of the various user communities?

3 Finding Out Their Actual Needs

How should an institution go about establishing what the actual needs and requirements of the various user communities are? How might such findings differ from what you might expect?

Summary of the Discussion

Who are we to dictate the user communities?

Modify the question, how to determine who we can manage?

What is mean't by a minorities. Groups and social divisions.

Accessibility.

Press media.

Scope.

Writers vs readers, who is who? Coming together of groups. Tumblr. Contribution becoming the norm.

Internal vs External. Researchers, do you welcome collaboration. Provide facility. Safe ground and out in the world.

Service provider questions. People will go externally. Finding needs, internal market testing. People are unsure of purposes. What do people use a tool for? People will use it, what for, where are our needs as institutions?

Students rating since they pay. Expectations. If they want to communicate, we should facilitate.

Layers. Twitter in the bath! (how much detail do we need?)

Safe. Safe for who? Connections to lecturers are valuable.

Learning takes place elsewhere too.

Who are the users we should be adopting?

How can tools be provided in a way to provide value?

Collaboration across schools on homework instant messaging, Expectation of continuing social support. Research tool.

Value in learning through doing.

Person using tool or person facilitating finding of knowledge.

How to verify veracity. Trust

.

Users are everybody. Vetted to have basic knowledge? Look at vulnerable users, make sure they are not vulnerable.

Prospective students > Accepted Students > Current Students > Alumni

Teaching , Admin , Technical, External Official bodies, collaborators

Teaching vs Research

Imposing our learning values, control, rules. Not the users' values.

Law or emergent behaviors. People have electronic life already. Know tools to use.

Students use things their way. 90% computer literate. They will use best tools they can get. They're out there.

Personal mashups.

University should support, people will go and build it.

Generational technology gap.

Norm to share and collaborate.

Provide services, but not used.

There are the 10%.

Make it available.

Tendancy for technology usage. User breakdown by tech-literacy, rather than instituitional role?

Context of usage. Blurring of boundaries between blog and social network.

Blogs : localised information, topic based. Use the tool for job (music on myspace).

Academic or research outcome : put it up and see if fit for purpose?

Provide a tool for a purpose.

Engage. Buy in.

Tools often ignored. Relevancy.

Measure success. How do people use it? Why? Everybody is an exception.

Organisations adding value. by getting more relevant stuff to the people who need it.

Established communities before arriving.

Can't force people to use.

Student expectations. Students set points of value.

Needs of users.

Customisation informs needs.

Give tools they can customise and use. Monitor usage to inform development.

Nobody uses email (again).

Alumni. Webmail for life. Contact after leaving. Maintain relationship. Loyalties.

Costs. Marketing. Feeding back into instituition.

Sensitivity to needs.

Staff needs. Training staff. Revelance. Adopters, main user, laggards.

Recommendations

Facilitate the users to decide for themselves!

Users vary greatly.

Provide where appropriate, but don't assume that's all that's going on.

Monitor usage. Adapt.