Raccontare storie is the next big thing?
Dal dicembre 2011 sto esplorando Cowbird, un (non più tanto) piccolo socialnetwork di storytelling, ossia… raccontatori di storie. Da qualche tempo sto anche assistendo alla nascita di Medium, i cui early-adopters sono un gruppo chiuso e definito dai fondatori, con l’impegno di aprire tutto molto presto al mondo. Un molto presto che sta durando da diversi mesi, peraltro.
Di primo acchito il taglio si percepisce un po’ diverso. Eppure se Cowbird, senza pubblicità e sostenuto da quegli utenti che lo reputino giusto, con il suo posizionamento come “luogo di raccolta” delle storie del movimento Occupy Wall St. , si propone come uno spazio dove si fa testimonianza dell’umano, con un obiettivo dichiarato che è to build a public library of human experience, so the knowledge and wisdom we accumulate as individuals may live on as part of the commons, available for this and future generations to look to for guidance, Medium esordisce dicendo di essere based on the belief that the sharing of ideas and experiences is what moves humanity forward. The Internet is the greatest idea-sharing tool ever imagined, but we’ve only scratched the surface of what it’s capable of.
Direi che ce n’è abbastanza per dichiararli cugini, e anche che c’è spazio perchè crescano entrambi.
Ma, inutile illudersi: ne resterà soltanto uno. O meglio entrambi (insieme a chissà chi altri ancora…) prospereranno e cresceranno, ma sarà solo uno ad ottenere la corona del “social network dove si raccontano storie” per antonomasia, mentre all’orizzonte lo storytelling sta diventando, da attività antica come l’uomo, nuovo trend (anche un po’ troppo fighetto e maneggiato da fighetti, ahimè). E sul piatto della bilancia di Medium pesa il nome del papà, che è il signor Blogger (la prima piattaforma pubblica e gratuita di blogging, ora di proprietà di Google), nonchè ex-CEO di Twitter, Ev Williams. Vedremo se basterà a vincere la gara dello storytelling al tempo dei social.
In ogni caso Williams nella sua pagina di benvenuto su Medium dice una cosa parecchio interessante:
It’s not too late to rethink how online publishing works and build a system optimized for quality, rather than popularity. Where anyone can have a voice but where one has to earn the right to your attention. A system where people work together to make a difference, rather than merely compete for validation and recognition. A world where thought and craftsmanship is rewarded more than knee-jerk reactions.
Introdurre il merito, il valore nelle relazioni sociali su internet. E aggiungerei, nelle attività di storytelling.
Quindi spettegolate pure tra amici e continuate a passarvi stupidi link e a fare clicktivismo condividendo foto di cause giustissime (ma la mia sempre più della tua, tiè). Però il fatto rendere evidente, nel buzz planetario, dei contenuti di valore e di merito, e renderli fruibili, e permettergli di fare la differenza, è una sfida che mi sento di abbracciare subito.
Come faranno, a Medium? Per ora ci sono un tot di utenti che scrivono brevi testi in categorie predefinite. Si annuncia che sarà possibile per tutti scrivere, e anche definire le categorie. E poi? Io sono parecchio curioso. E non sono il solo, naturalmente, anzi ce n’è di molto molto più illustri di me, se Mantellini oggi ha twittato:
Temo che nelle prossime settimane toccherà dare una occhiata a questo (https://t.co/w2L5YRn3)
— massimo mantellini (@mante) February 10, 2013
Staremo a vedere, ma se guardiamo in tanti magari vediamo meglio.
Dal dicembre 2011 sto esplorando Cowbird, un (non più tanto) piccolo socialnetwork di storytelling, ossia… raccontatori di storie. Da qualche tempo sto anche assistendo alla nascita di Medium, i cui early-adopters sono un gruppo chiuso e definito dai fondatori, con l’impegno di aprire tutto molto presto al mondo. Un molto presto che sta durando da…
Storytelling is the next big thing? new social media coming.
Since December 2011 I’m exploring Cowbird, a (not so) small socialnetwork of storytelling, that is … tellers of stories. Since some time I’m also witnessing the birth of Medium, whose early-adopters are a closed group defined by the founders, with the commitment to open it up soon to the whole world. A soon which is lasting for several months, anyway.
At first glance they are felt a little different. Yet Cowbird, without advertising and supported only by those who consider fair to do it, is positioning itself as a “gathering place” of the stories from the Occupy Wall St. movement, with a stated goal that is to build a public library of human experience, so the knowledge and wisdom we accumulate as individuals may live on as part of the commons, available for this and future generations to look to for guidance; Medium instead started saying it is based on the belief that the sharing of ideas and experiences is what moves humanity forward. The Internet is the greatest idea-sharing tool ever imagined, but we’ve only scratched the surface of what it’s capable of.
I would say its’ enough to state that they are cousins, and there’s enough space for both to grow up.
Bu no illusion: there will be only one. Better, both of them (together with who else knows…) will prosper and grow, but it will be just one to get the crown of ” storytelling social network”, While storytelling itself , from an activity as ancient as man, is becoming a new trend (even a little too posh and handled by jocks, alas). On Medium side we see his father’s name, that’s Mr. Blogger (the first public and free blogging platform, now owned by Google), as well as former CEO of Twitter, Ev Williams. We’ll see if it will be enough to win the race of storytelling in social media.
In any case, Williams in his Welcome page on Medium says something quite interesting:
It’s not too late to rethink how online publishing works and build a system optimized for quality, rather than popularity. Where anyone can have a voice but where one has to earn the right to your attention. A system where people work together to make a difference, rather than merely compete for validation and recognition. A world where thought and craftsmanship is rewarded more than knee-jerk reactions.
Let’s introduce the merit, the value in social relationships on the internet. And I would add, in storytelling.
So you can go on chatting with your friends, spreading around hoaxes and doing clicktivism by sharing photos of valuable causes (but my one is more valuable than yours, aha). However, to make it clear: contribute with some valuable content in the worldwide buzz, make it freely available, and let it make an impact and a difference, it’s a challenge that I would embrace right now.
How will they do it, at Medium? For now there are a bunch of users who write short texts in predefined categories. They announced that soon it will be possible for all to write, and even define categories. And then? I am quite curious. And I am not alone, of course. Indeed there is interest by much much more distinguished commenters than me, if my personal Italian internet guru today tweeted:
I think that in the next few weeks I will need to give a look at this (https://t.co/w2L5YRn3)
— Massimo mantellini (@mante) February 10, 2013
We’ll see,then. But if we look together, maybe we’ll see better.
Since December 2011 I’m exploring Cowbird, a (not so) small socialnetwork of storytelling, that is … tellers of stories. Since some time I’m also witnessing the birth of Medium, whose early-adopters are a closed group defined by the founders, with the commitment to open it up soon to the whole world. A soon which is lasting for several months, anyway. At first glance they are felt a little different. Yet Cowbird, without advertising…