In regards to “hits’ and ‘likes’, you might enjoy reading this post from danah boyd (although I assume that you have probably stumbled upon it before). She provides a different perspective on data and numbers:
Stats have this terrible way of turning you — or, at least, me — into a zombie. I know that they don’t say anything. I know that huge chunks of my Twitter followers are bots, that I could’ve bought my way to a higher Amazon ranking, that my Medium stats say nothing about the quality of my work, and that I should not treat any number out there as a mechanism for self-evaluation of my worth as a human being.
The only thing that I am unsure about is that by my nature of ‘responding’ I often have someone in mind associated with my writing and reflection, is this though a different sort of ‘audience’?
Bill Ferriter liked this reply on twitter.com.
Robert Schuetz reposted this reply on twitter.com.
Robert Schuetz liked this reply on twitter.com.
Hey Pal,
I really dig the danah boyd bit. I hadn’t seen it before.
But I think she’s right: Numbers say nothing about the quality of our work, but we often internalize it that way, that’s for sure. Because we expect numbers — and see other people getting numbers — we question ourselves if we don’t get numbers. That’s discouraging and destructive.
Which has me thinking about all of the people who have kids blogging and posting to social spaces. I wonder how they are teaching kids to better balance their self perceptions with “the numbers” they are receiving.
If that’s not a conversation happening in classrooms where posting to online spaces is the norm rather than the exception to the rule, aren’t we harming our students?
Bill
Sorry Bill,
I am not sure what happened, but I forgot to reply.
I could not agree more with your point. What we teach is so important, as much for the adults as it is for the children.
I really like this quote from Tarleton Gillespie:
Reading this @mrkrndvs bit: Reply to Bill Ferriter on Audience – bit.ly/2DFp0WG
Bill Ferriter liked this reply on twitter.com.
Aaron Davis mentioned this reply on collect.readwriterespond.com.
Also on:
Aaron Davis mentioned this reply on collect.readwriterespond.com.
Also on:
Aaron Davis mentioned this reply on collect.readwriterespond.com.
Aaron Davis mentioned this reply on collect.readwriterespond.com.
Also on:
Aaron Davis mentioned this reply on collect.readwriterespond.com.
Also on:
Although I have questions about personal ‘branding’, there were a few useful points. However I also think that questions of message and value can be in the eye of the beholder. In part this returns to some of Bill Ferriter’s concerns associated with audiences.
Aaron Davis mentioned this reply on collect.readwriterespond.com.
Also on:
Aaron Davis mentioned this reply on collect.readwriterespond.com.