Mindpsill - Technology

TVO (TVOntario) program The Agenda poses a question to the list of panelists: is Facebook is just a fad? The most interesting part of the program was when Nancy Baym, an associate professor of communication studies, is asked what value does she get out of facebook. The three main points she makes are:

• Convergence of friendship networks
• Lightweight fun way to stay in touch with people
• Means of crafting a public persona (gain publicity for yourself)

The other topics discussed are:

• The value of the acquisition of a minute part of facebook by Microsoft?
• Will Microsoft add a drag to facebook’s rapid development?
• How people are using facebook to make money?
• The potential of a new advertising platform developed by facebook.
• Privacy concerns in facebook and other social networking services

The program starts with an interview with Harvard professor Steven Pinker about the value of swearing in the context of his new book The stuff of thought: Language as a window into human nature. There's also an explanation on where the word spam came from: A Monthy Python sketch.