Learning 2.0 Assignment 6: Digg, Newsvine, and Reddit

This week we’re exploring ways to keep up with news sources. One way to see what people are interested in is to check out what's popular on social media sites that allow users to nominate and then “vote” for news and other items they find interesting. There are many of these sites—and everyone from mainstream media (for example, The New York Times, slate.com, and the Washington Post) to blogs and Web sites includes links so readers can recommend content from these sites to other readers. This assignment is due Monday, October 27.

First, look for boxes labeled “Share” or “Article Tools” on news sites, blogs, and Web pages to find links for sharing the article. Here are some examples:

1. Read about Digg (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digg iki/Digg), Reddit (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reddit), and Newsvine (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newsvine).
2. Take the Digg tour (http://digg.com/tour/). “Digg is a place for people to discover and share content across the web, from the biggest online destinations to the most obscure blog. Digg surfaces the best stuff as voted on by our users.”
3. Look at the Reddit intro (http://www.reddit.com/help/). Reddit “is a source for what's new and popular online. Vote on links that you like or dislike and help decide what's popular, or submit your own!”
4. Take the Newsvine tour (http://www.newsvine.com/_cms/welcome). “Updated continuously by citizens like you, Newsvine is an instant reflection of what the world is talking about at any given moment.”
5. Read one or more stories on a news/information site (for example The New York Times, Washington Post, BBC News, Star Tribune, or another site) and then recommend it via the Share tools. You’ll notice that each site offers a different set of sites you can share with. In your blog posting, link to the story that you recommended.

Based on your readings and activities for this assignment, answer the following blog prompts:

1. How do you think you can use these tools in your school work or at home?
2. Do these tools seem to be productivity enhancers or productivity detractors?
3. Have you ever read a story/item as a result of seeing it on one of these sites?How do these sites compare to Del.icio.us?
4. Remember to provide a link to the story that you recommended.

Questions?

• Post any questions in the discussion forum in D2L
• E-mail your professor: Melissa Prescott or Robin Ewing