Metcalfe's law - states that the value of a telecommunications network is proportional to the square of the number of users of the system (n²). the value of a network is proportional to the number of friends that have joined that network.

Sarnoff’s Law - The value of a broadcast network is proportionate to the number of viewers.

Reed’s Law- The utility of large networks, particularly social networks, can scale exponentially with the size of the network.

Blogs are social networks.  The Wealth of Networks (2006) Yochai Benkler  Collectively blogs act as huge peer review system of filters and amplifiers of information.

Social software and learning

An Opening Education report from Futurelab

By Martin Owen, Lyndsay Grant, Steve Sayers and Keri Facer

Learning is a social experience.

See yourself as a learner - not a teacher.

When do you learn?

Informal - Where does most learning occur - family, friends, collegues, neighbours ...  We learn through observing, and in discussion with others most of the time. Books that you read for pleasure or a sports tem that you play on.  This type of learning is more personal.

Formal - Like this seesion or workshop or PD events takes place far less.  This type of learning is what you are told to do.

Connnecting people with other people - wether it be family, friends, or total strangers that share common interests/topics.  These networks offer its members to contribute, collaborate and communicate with each other.  They also help to facilate the discovery of new ideas, tools and resources.

Commun-it.org is a social networking site - Offers a place to build and collaborate.  Where you can create a peer knowledgebase. A community of practice.