During October a small group of YALSA bloggers will post ideas and information about positive uses of social networking tools in schools and libraries. Here’s positive use #3.
OK, I’ve blogged about Digg before but I wanted to change the focus a little bit from my previous post. Digg is a web site on which users can link to content they think is interesting and then other site users “digg” the content. The more “diggs” someone else’s add gets, the better chance that info. has of being listed on the Digg main page. The most popular content appears on the main page of the site.
Digg started out as a site devoted to technology. However, recently the site expanded its focus and now includes world news, science, business, and entertainment. Imagine a group of teens reading the science stories on Digg and talking with each other about those they think should rise to the top. The teens might come up with a set of criteria in order to make front-page decisions. They might debate the value of one story over another. They might find out something new about science, world news, or of course entertainment.
If DOPA is passed sites like Digg won’t be available in schools and public libraries. That means opportunities to evaluate content and articulate ideas will be minimized.
