For my last blog entry, I feel it would just be best to sum up my thoughts on the work I've done over the semester.
First, I think it's clear that the online communities I worked with for this practicum project really do shape the way that I, as well as millions of others, gain their information. We are able to not only consume, but to give our own knowledge out to people who may find it useful in their lives. I learned about news stories before bigger news outlets were reporting them on a wide scale as well as additional information about those stories (and a slew of other, less-reported stories.) Real impacts can be made with the help of sites like Digg and Reddit. Not only in a virtual sense, but a real world sense as well.
And while I do praise these sites for getting information out there in an alternative way, there are still pitfalls which should be avoided. Only consuming news stories from these websites can be tricky when you read comment sections. Often, these websites cater to specific demographics which can skew your views. But, if you have a strong sense of what you believe in, it helps to avoid the hive mind.
Finally, the idea of "participatory culture" is very important in understanding how these sites work. The fact that "everyone knows something , but not everything" allows for these sites to function in a positive manner. We are able to gain knowledge about things we wish to know more about by getting help from those who know great deals about those particular topics. And just maybe, you know more about something than them and you can reciprocate that gesture.
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