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The podcasts I record for I'd Rather Be Writing cover the latest trends in technical communication. I interview tech writing luminaries around the world as well as record STC presentations and other audio content. You can subscribe to podcast specific feeds using the subscription information below.
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Podcast — Social Networking and the Value of User Communities for Technical Communicators
April 12th, 2008 | Posted in Blogging, Podcasts 15 Comments »
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Duration: 20 min.
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In this podcast, I talk with Scott Abel about social networking, in particular The Content Wrangler community he started at TheContentWrangler.ning.com. Scott talks about this new social network specifically for technical communicators. But he also explains the value of social networks for your help deliverables. Social networks can help users connect with one another and also help technical communicators better understand their users.
Podcast Topics
Topics in this podcast include:
- Reasons why Scott started The Content Wrangler social network community
- What social networking is and how it contrasts with listservs, blogs, and podcasts
- One advantage of social networks — you can create subgroups based on more granular niches
- What to do after joining a social network
- The importance of member photos in social network interaction
- Why social networking is not limited to MySpace and music videos
- The ability for members to create blogs, post events, and do other innovative things
- How the social network allows users to connect with other users, connect with jobs, and connect with events
- General guidelines for using the social network: experiment and explore, you can’t break it
- Problems people encounter after joining the social network
- The preoccupation with tools that technical writers have, and why “Ning” itself is irrelevant
- Criticisms and questions Scott has received about the social network he created
- How content is featured on the main page
- What it means to be a group leader/moderator and participant
- The mistake some technical writers make in thinking they can be Miss Cleo
- What Scott has learned about his community of users, and how it influenced the content he publishes
- The global community of technical communicators that is part of The Content Wrangler social network
Resources
- Check out The Content Wrangler social network
- View Scott Abel’s blog
- Learn more about Ning
- Check out the podcast’s intro music, Velveture by Ocean Alexander
- Visit my page on The Content Wrangler social network (and feel free to add me as a friend)
- Join the Podcasting Group on the social network
- Join the Blogging Group on the social network
- Become a member of the Content Wrangler community
Contacts
To contact Scott, send an email to scottabel@mac.com. To contact me, send me an email at tomjohnson1492@gmail.com. I love to hear from listeners, so if you have feedback about the podcast, let us know.
Tags: Ning, Scott Abel, social networking, The Content Wrangler
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[...] Green Social Networks You Should KnowPodcast — Social Networking and the Value of User Communities for …Is social networking is right for corporate marketing? Two tests …Comment on I Saw The Future [...]
[...] Posts Hey all Content Wrangler community members, I interviewed Scott Abel for a podcast called Social Networking and the Value of User Communities. In this podcast, I talk with Scott Abel about social networking, in particular this new social [...]
Hey Tom,
I just listened to this podcast and man, it was really good.
You asked Scott which tools are best to use for creating a social network, and his response was the tools don’t matter.
While I agree the tools shouldn’t matter, in the end they really do. For example; why did he pick Ning.com to create his Content Wrangler network? There had to be some conscious decision.
No matter what type of network you want to create, or blog to write, the tools do play some factor.
Scott also mentions wanting to give the members a bigger voice, which blogs don’t always give. For the most part blogs are linear in nature. You post information and then spend the time leaving comments. Most blog posts are not living breathing entities.
Anyway, this was one of the best podcasts I’ve listened too in a long time. Great work and good job Scott.
Thom Allens last blog post..World Horror Convention In Salt Lake City
Hi Tom and Scott –
Great interview.
I’m so glad you’re using the example of Harjot finding his long lost pal Rahul through your Ning site, it’s a really neat personal connection for them. It’s so interesting that old friends are finding each other online.
An interesting juxtaposition, in my mind, is that many of us are having to redefine “friend” on these social sites. My guess is that tech writers who are constantly striving for accuracy in terminology are having a tough time with the term “friend” – and that’s why we don’t always know what to on Ning when they get there. Their terminology doesn’t match what they’re used to doing with their friends.
Hardly any of my real life friends are on twitter, have a blog, or do any of these online networking things I do. But, my list of online “friends” (really, professional contacts) grows, and it all helps me become better at my job.
Great podcast, right in line with my current interests in conversation and community. Thanks to you both!
[...] On The Content Wrangler site there’s a great post asking where does user participation fit in our world? There are plenty of answers, and my interest lies in the case studies that show the amazing power of what results when users actively participate. If you’re interested in user participation and social networking, check out Tom Johnson’s interview with Scott Abel about social networking. [...]
Downloading as I type, but as I’m in the midst of building a ‘community’ website (not based on Ning, alas) I’m very interested in what Scott has to say.
That and I’ve no idea who Miss Cleo is so I’m double-intrigued!
The theme of your blog is great. Job well done. How to win at guilt-free network marketing: Burn your names list, ditch the Thursday night hotel Ra-Ra meetings and NEVER pay for another worthless opportunity lead again!
[...] Scott Abel podcast [...]
[...] of participation Here comes everybody Clay Shirky talks about his book, Here Comes Everybody (vid) Interview: User participation and social networking [...]
[...] just saying the word “tool” brings up immediate negative responses. For example, when I interviewed Scott Abel about social networks and asked him about Ning, he didn’t want to discuss Ning because for him — and many others [...]
I don\’t normally leave comments… but I really enjoyed your post! I will be leaving a link back here in my blogroll! Thanks!
Adding this to my bookmarks. Thank You
[...] Social Networking and the Value of User Communities for Technical Communicators: This podcast looks at social networking generally, and as a tool that can help technical communicators connect with customers. [...]
“which tools are best to use for creating a social network, and his response was the tools don’t matter.”
I disagree completely, if you are building a social network as a place for your target audience to gather you need to make it useful, attractive and a quality site. There are some free sites out there that allow you to set up a very basic social network, however if you are looking for a strong base on which to grow your business, leave it to the professionals.