#c3t an agreeable swarm: twitter, the democratization of media & non-localized proximity

#c3t An Agreeable Swarm: Twitter, the Democratization of

Media & Non-localized Proximity

By Kate Carruthers & Brian Ballsun-Stanton#ICCIT_10 - #c3t

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Before we start …

Discuss this talk right now on twitter!

Use #c3t as the hashtag.

Dec 2010 B. Ballsun-Stanton & K. Carruthers 2Source: Marcus Angerhier @ aperto.de

Source: Wiki Commons

Twitter: the modern Left Bank?

“It is agreeable, because you can hear all the people swarming beneath you, yet you are totally peaceful…” Simone de Beauvoir

• The modern Left Bank is not a physical place• We find similar feelings of connectedness with

Twitter

Dec 2010 B. Ballsun-Stanton & K. Carruthers 3

Source: genevalunch.com

Democratization of Media• Twitter has become the medium of discourse

– The place where breaking news occurs– The place for immediate reflection on media

• Transformations of use mean media is being democratized

• Twitter’s power lies in the power of network amplification

Dec 2010 B. Ballsun-Stanton & K. Carruthers 4

Disintermediation of Media

• Tweeting the Shanghai earthquake 2008– Twitter reports the news in minutes– Mainstream media catches up hours later

• Media following tweets to see “what’s happening”

• Listening to the latest from your neighbours– Proximity without geography

Dec 2010 B. Ballsun-Stanton & K. Carruthers 5Source: Wiki Commons

Source: JJ Halans

The Village

• Importance of physical proximity reduced• Enables users to build networks of affiliation

wider than a closed network• Reduces power distance between individuals• Creates a platform for open social discourse

that bridges physical and power distance

6Dec 2010 B. Ballsun-Stanton & K. Carruthers

Conclusion

Dec 2010 B. Ballsun-Stanton & K. Carruthers 7

• Twitter and the non-localized proximity it offers is a good exemplar of potential future directions for the web.

• Twitter will be eclipsed by the ‘next big thing’• But as a means for democratized

communication, publication and distribution it offers an excellent case study.

Source: Riku @ f.ollow.me

Contact the authors

Brian Ballsun-StantonTwitter: @DenubisXbrian@ballsun.com

Kate CarruthersTwitter: @kcarrutherskate@katecarruthers.com

Dec 2010 8B. Ballsun-Stanton & K. Carruthers