Monday, September 18, 2006
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Facebook Suggestion
This morning when I awoke and - yup - checked my facebook, the homepage had an interested NEW comment again. Asking for feedback before they make big changes...
This is what I had to say...
When I got on facebook, I liked it because it was UBC-specific! (my university). It served as a mechanism for community building and student networking on our campus.
I very soon went to a student leadership conference on the other side of the continent, and discovered that facebook -- universally popular -- was also a great tool for networking and keeping in touch between schools.
Later however, I was opposed to the idea of high school, work and regional networks at first because it seemed to take away from the exclusively student nature of the site. Admittedly, these changes never affected me or my facebook experience.
However, in opening up facebook to anybody, I feel the concern lies in it becoming far too accessible to just anybody to use, and therefore a) sacrifices the integrity of its design (i.e. Student-focussed); and b) provides a venue for too many of the wrong sort of users to gain access to information (i.e. "creeps").
In the long run, I believe that those of us who were in our undergrad during the populising of facebook may not feel much affect, as we will continue to USE facebook as we always have, and enjoy... BUT! the up-and-coming university students, will have been pre-conditioned and facebook-savvy ahead of time, may not appreciate its value as a university community networking agent when they arrive on campus, and ultimately the sense of belonging -- or to quote Schlossberg’s Student Development Theory, "Mattering" -- in a special and specific collective of similar people (i.e. university students) will be lost. As a result, campus user bases will decrease on account of people like myself not seeing facebook any differently than myspace, etc (which new university students seeking anonymity and autonomy on campus would heed away from) and in fact, as high-schoolers with friends on those networks reach university, this phenomenon has already begun being noticed.
In the end, what we may find are "students for students" types -- perhaps not unlike a younger Mark Zuckerberg -- writing their own software to create a new site which WILL be dedicated to students exclusively. And who knows - they may figure out how to steal all the data they want from their facebook accounts, and get others on board in doing the same.
I sincerely hope none of these concerns come to pass.
In the meantime, please continue to solicit feedback as you have been, and I challenge you to take baby steps in all the changes you make (I think it will go over a lot better).
Cheers and good-luck,
Trevor Barry
Undergraduate in Science,
University of British Columbia | Vancouver.
This is what I had to say...
When I got on facebook, I liked it because it was UBC-specific! (my university). It served as a mechanism for community building and student networking on our campus.
I very soon went to a student leadership conference on the other side of the continent, and discovered that facebook -- universally popular -- was also a great tool for networking and keeping in touch between schools.
Later however, I was opposed to the idea of high school, work and regional networks at first because it seemed to take away from the exclusively student nature of the site. Admittedly, these changes never affected me or my facebook experience.
However, in opening up facebook to anybody, I feel the concern lies in it becoming far too accessible to just anybody to use, and therefore a) sacrifices the integrity of its design (i.e. Student-focussed); and b) provides a venue for too many of the wrong sort of users to gain access to information (i.e. "creeps").
In the long run, I believe that those of us who were in our undergrad during the populising of facebook may not feel much affect, as we will continue to USE facebook as we always have, and enjoy... BUT! the up-and-coming university students, will have been pre-conditioned and facebook-savvy ahead of time, may not appreciate its value as a university community networking agent when they arrive on campus, and ultimately the sense of belonging -- or to quote Schlossberg’s Student Development Theory, "Mattering" -- in a special and specific collective of similar people (i.e. university students) will be lost. As a result, campus user bases will decrease on account of people like myself not seeing facebook any differently than myspace, etc (which new university students seeking anonymity and autonomy on campus would heed away from) and in fact, as high-schoolers with friends on those networks reach university, this phenomenon has already begun being noticed.
In the end, what we may find are "students for students" types -- perhaps not unlike a younger Mark Zuckerberg -- writing their own software to create a new site which WILL be dedicated to students exclusively. And who knows - they may figure out how to steal all the data they want from their facebook accounts, and get others on board in doing the same.
I sincerely hope none of these concerns come to pass.
In the meantime, please continue to solicit feedback as you have been, and I challenge you to take baby steps in all the changes you make (I think it will go over a lot better).
Cheers and good-luck,
Trevor Barry
Undergraduate in Science,
University of British Columbia | Vancouver.
Saturday, September 09, 2006
UBC, Take 6 -- Advisor Camp, orientation, opening weekend, and First Week!!!!!!
Hey advid readers (yeah... riiiiight)
So, its «Jazzy_T» here with another update...
... Let's start with Advisor Orientation...
First off, i loved Boo*T last year... you folks helped me so much: to develop my love for student service work, to call me on my BS, and to teach me (or at least help me identify my strengths and weeknesses)... Omid and Andrew Haas, hope marine treat(ed/ing) you well... Vicki, rits and now BOO are NOT far away ;)... Db, rc training was awesome, enjoy the helicoptor, ask bonesy... Wes, summer was great, this year: yet better. :) Ash, Christal and Julie... its not that far to say hello, ANY of you... and Hoy_boy, andrew, you're my main man.... thus....*
*... but my TEAM TWEEEEEEED-SL... is the duck's bill! i mean, wowsers!
I love my team, and we had such a great time at camp and since then.
For photos from camp and orientation visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/jazzy_t/ !
So, highlights from Advisor Camp:
- leading reflection facilitations.
- playing cribbage with Mica P.
- Jumping off the 60 foot cliff into the water with Lesley, Oz, ChrisD, Jeff, GregM (to name a few)
- Leading experiental learning with kate & catherine.
- the COFFEE HOUSE with Scotty^G,... W333rrd! yo!
Additional Rezlife Orientation Hightlights:
- PreBanquet at Rose Garden... Jovid the photographers, +TweedSL sexy
- Banquet at Sage, + Rob Kim and classsy cars on the table, not to mention fingers and thumbs*;).
- Mock Day. :D
* Opening Day *
... was seamless, smooth and awesome this year.. thanks widget!
Met lots of SL and Tweeds,,, love my community!
Opening weekend, same awesomeness... meetings and socials, and movers, and new peeps.
I love my council prez's and returner residents!
Honestly, I am so stoked about this year.
FIRST WEEK (SUS, AMS, Frats*)
- SUS: volunteering back with the science undergrad society again... lovin' it. Where my on campus leadership started, and hopefully where it will continue again. Mike Duncan is a fantastic, energetic and charismatic leader/president.
- AMS: first off, IMAGINE!-- congrats to Robyn and the rest at VPS and student dev for an incredible imagine pep rally (i got to volunteer as an usher) ... new UBC prez/vicechanc Prof Stephen Toope's speach was great, as was AMS prez kevin keystone. Faculty rivalry was classy (thanx commerce) and great fun.
- AMS though!: the improv's and bbqs were amazing, jazz band on SUBcrawl, good times.
Loved the WWBBQ, and Shine is tomorrow: bright and early :)
Frats*... yes yes yes yes yes YES - i know what you are thinking.
and hey - dont get me wrong, i still stand by my last 4 years' worth of opinion... for first year students - living on campus (as all SHOULD but unfortunately cannot) - it is a bit of a waste of time and money... there is SOOO much more and better things available and accesable to contribute to, develop from, and be involved in...
BUT! alas! as one who has been around those blocks... it is a thought: although perhaps only a passing fancy (while the free burgers and beer are still available ;)
I have attended ΔKE BBQ, AΔΦ Beer Garden, ΒΘΠ Fiesta, Figi House ΦΔG, and met/talked with a guy from the obscure ΦU (phi upsilon)
As long as there are events to enjoy - this year, for something new - I will discover and attend :)
Honestly, what it will probably come down to, is a lack of funds or desire to "pay for friends" as they say - as I am already stocked with an amazing bunch here at UBC already... and the select true few off campus who always keep it real, and i love them too...
Anyways, that about gets you allz up to the date... and perhaps i will add a few photos above or below this from my flickr (cited above)
cheers,
~Trev~
So, its «Jazzy_T» here with another update...
... Let's start with Advisor Orientation...
First off, i loved Boo*T last year... you folks helped me so much: to develop my love for student service work, to call me on my BS, and to teach me (or at least help me identify my strengths and weeknesses)... Omid and Andrew Haas, hope marine treat(ed/ing) you well... Vicki, rits and now BOO are NOT far away ;)... Db, rc training was awesome, enjoy the helicoptor, ask bonesy... Wes, summer was great, this year: yet better. :) Ash, Christal and Julie... its not that far to say hello, ANY of you... and Hoy_boy, andrew, you're my main man.... thus....*
*... but my TEAM TWEEEEEEED-SL... is the duck's bill! i mean, wowsers!
I love my team, and we had such a great time at camp and since then.
For photos from camp and orientation visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/jazzy_t/ !
So, highlights from Advisor Camp:
- leading reflection facilitations.
- playing cribbage with Mica P.
- Jumping off the 60 foot cliff into the water with Lesley, Oz, ChrisD, Jeff, GregM (to name a few)
- Leading experiental learning with kate & catherine.
- the COFFEE HOUSE with Scotty^G,... W333rrd! yo!
Additional Rezlife Orientation Hightlights:
- PreBanquet at Rose Garden... Jovid the photographers, +TweedSL sexy
- Banquet at Sage, + Rob Kim and classsy cars on the table, not to mention fingers and thumbs*;).
- Mock Day. :D
* Opening Day *
... was seamless, smooth and awesome this year.. thanks widget!
Met lots of SL and Tweeds,,, love my community!
Opening weekend, same awesomeness... meetings and socials, and movers, and new peeps.
I love my council prez's and returner residents!
Honestly, I am so stoked about this year.
FIRST WEEK (SUS, AMS, Frats*)
- SUS: volunteering back with the science undergrad society again... lovin' it. Where my on campus leadership started, and hopefully where it will continue again. Mike Duncan is a fantastic, energetic and charismatic leader/president.
- AMS: first off, IMAGINE!-- congrats to Robyn and the rest at VPS and student dev for an incredible imagine pep rally (i got to volunteer as an usher) ... new UBC prez/vicechanc Prof Stephen Toope's speach was great, as was AMS prez kevin keystone. Faculty rivalry was classy (thanx commerce) and great fun.
- AMS though!: the improv's and bbqs were amazing, jazz band on SUBcrawl, good times.
Loved the WWBBQ, and Shine is tomorrow: bright and early :)
Frats*... yes yes yes yes yes YES - i know what you are thinking.
and hey - dont get me wrong, i still stand by my last 4 years' worth of opinion... for first year students - living on campus (as all SHOULD but unfortunately cannot) - it is a bit of a waste of time and money... there is SOOO much more and better things available and accesable to contribute to, develop from, and be involved in...
BUT! alas! as one who has been around those blocks... it is a thought: although perhaps only a passing fancy (while the free burgers and beer are still available ;)
I have attended ΔKE BBQ, AΔΦ Beer Garden, ΒΘΠ Fiesta, Figi House ΦΔG, and met/talked with a guy from the obscure ΦU (phi upsilon)
As long as there are events to enjoy - this year, for something new - I will discover and attend :)
Honestly, what it will probably come down to, is a lack of funds or desire to "pay for friends" as they say - as I am already stocked with an amazing bunch here at UBC already... and the select true few off campus who always keep it real, and i love them too...
Anyways, that about gets you allz up to the date... and perhaps i will add a few photos above or below this from my flickr (cited above)
cheers,
~Trev~
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