Hello all you bloggers.

This image struck me as an example of what we can experience when we take a different perspective.

After living near the Macquarie Centre for 5 years, this is the first time I have looked at it from this perspective.

The photo, when taken from this angle, accentuates the limitless nature of the sky. The word 'Macquarie' takes on a new meaning of lightness when only the final 4 letters are visible.

This reminds me of how easy it is to look at things - whether they are buildings, loved ones or the technologies we use - from only one perspective. This limits not only how we as individuals see each other and our technologies, but also the direction of our society.

If we take a multifaceted view towards blogging and other social sites, like flickr, the capabilities of these technologies(through our use), as well as the capabilities of our society, will crystalise into a world more colourful.

Or will it...?

New vs. old

I am fascinated by the concept of lifelong learning when contrasted against the formal education system. Much popular text on the two concepts tends to polarise these ideas within fixed frames, where lifelong learning is advertised to fill the gaps of the established system.
This is very similar to popular discourse on blogs in their challenge to traditional media systems, via the promotion of multiple voices rather than that of the news anchor or journalist.
While the existance of these concepts and technologies do challenge the established systems of education and communication, they also open up a series of new issues.
The first major issue is that over half of the world's population does not have access to a telephone line, let alone a computer. So, although information (or stories) no longer lays in the propriety of three or four pairs of hands, it doesn't extend to the several billion people living outside developed nations.
Another issue is, after reading several news blogs by citizens, will the authority of the journalist really weaken, or will it strengthen? Although we are exposed to a wider range of opinions, at the end of the day, we may feel the need for a solid, well researched point of view. That's not to say that citizen based journalism is less accurate, just that a barrage of multiple voices all saying slightly different things can become a bit confusing.
On top of that, the information that we blog about is not often 'new' information. We could create a dicussion amongst bloggers about yesterday's attacks in Mumbai, for instance. Unless they were all first hand accounts from the area, alot of the 'facts' from these stories would have come from traditional news outlets.
Blogging and new media are thus not completely distinct from established media. Both forms work together in their use and impact on/in society. This can also be said about the concept of lifelong learning.
It is fascinating and very important to consider all of the possibilities that this society's transition between technologies could leave us with. Which is why, for me, the platform for conversation that blogging has to offer is the most significant aspect of learning 2.0.
So, with that in mind, I look forward to hearing what everyone else has to say about these issues.