Comments on: Thinking Outloud About The Echo Chamber

By: Escaping the Echo Chamber – presentation | thewikiman

Escaping the Echo Chamber – presentation | thewikiman — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 21:49:55 +0000

[...] Bobbi Newman [...]

By: Top Ten Links Week 3 | Librarian by Day

Top Ten Links Week 3 | Librarian by Day — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 15:16:24 +0000

[...] Seth Godin Uber Echo Disaster! – I know I blogged about the echo chamber earlier this week, but I hope you’re still thinking about [...]

By: Dismantling the Echo Chamber « Agnostic, Maybe

Dismantling the Echo Chamber « Agnostic, Maybe — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 06:17:38 +0000

[...] had never heard of the term “echo chamber” till I read Ned Potter’s post as part of Bobbi Newman’s thoughts on the phenomena. Well, I had heard such a thing referred to in a more unflattering term, but never [...]

By: thewikiman » Blog Archive » I’m Ned Potter – here’s 3 days in my life

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 20:04:21 +0000

[...] email exchange with Bobbi Newman after she blogged on the subject of the echo-chamber – really glad she’s got involved with this meme. We both noticed with some awe that [...]

By: Day in the Life – Monday 1/25/2010 #libday4 | Librarian by Day

Day in the Life – Monday 1/25/2010 #libday4 | Librarian by Day — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 14:22:53 +0000

[...] proof read my post on the echo chamber, set to publish later in the [...]

By: davidleeking

davidleeking — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 09:35:59 +0000

Yeah, I think so – they are listening and learning from us shouters…

By: davidleeking

davidleeking — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 05:35:59 +0000

Yeah, I think so – they are listening and learning from us shouters…

By: Andy Burkhardt

Andy Burkhardt — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 01:34:47 +0000

I think David is probably right. Just because YOU or I may have heard something before and it sounds like an echo chamber does not mean that a lot of other people have heard the same message. Though something may seem old hat to me does not mean that the vast majority of the library community knows about it. Librarians, I believe, are a fairly tech savvy bunch compared to some other professions, but no one can be up on everything.

Also “unconverted” does sound rather cult-ish. I never feel like I want to convert people to anything. I sometimes want to help others to do their jobs better or more effectively. I get excited about new different tools and all the cool stuff that is going on with web technology, but I don't force it on others. There is no one right way to do things, but by giving our own perspectives we're offering another voice and maybe something that someone else can make use of.

By: Bobbi Newman

Bobbi Newman — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 01:00:23 +0000

Andy – I think your last 2 questions are right on.
“how do we reach the unconverted”
“how can we branch out, and hear some fresh perspectives from both inside and outside the library field?”
Even if, as David suggestions, we are reaching the huddled masses and just don't know it, we can always do more to open up the conversation right?
Although the more I think about the term the unconverted the more I don't like it (I know I started it) it implies that we are right and they are wrong. I'm not sure either is the case, I think meeting in the middle is the most important.

By: joe grobelny

joe grobelny — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 00:58:22 +0000

yes and no?

yes: online social networks reinforce social norms (apophenia)
no: more and more “2.0/emerging tech/etc.” is being written into library job descriptions, so active practitioners are being actively sought by employers, bringing it (slowly) into the workforce. real change moves slowly, because we're still librarians and the nature of our work is to build useful and lasting things, which takes longer than we want it to!