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Social Kindling Re: [xmca] Invitation to connect on LinkedIn

There's a post on a blog at the Chronicle of Higher Education on a new social networking feature of the Kindle ebook reader, at 

http://chronicle.com/blogs/profhacker/kindle-amazon-com-social-kindling/35319
( I don't know if you need a chronicle subscription to see this page -- I'm guessing that you probably don't, since it's a blog rahter than their own editorial content.)
Anyway, the blogger reports that he was unaware of this new feature before he got an automatic email message informing him that somebody had signed on as a follower of his kindle reading.
Apparently, there's something you do that gives other people access to follow you, but it's sort of like what happened to Carol on LinkedIn. There's a button you click because you think it's what you need to do to get to where you're trying to go, but you have inadertently invited your personal network to follow what you're reading. People following what you do on kindle will see not only what books you are reading, but also what text you have highlighted, what notes you have entered, etc.
Reportedly, some people are seeing this as a way for faculty to connect with their students. I don't want to see my students' notes and highlighting in their books -- not even the books their using in my class -- nor do I think I want them following me that way.
Will we next be tracking each other's eye movements, maybe with software to analyze that data? I suppose this could be synthesized with pulse and blood pressure readings. We could see whether our students were disturbed at the right times reading problematic texts (did they experience appropriate cognitive dissonance while reading Vygotsky on signs and tools on this page, after what they read in the chapter assigned before this one? What comments did they register in their margin notes?).
Even without the networking of identifiable readers, my Kindle is telling me now which sentences in the books I'm reading have been highlighted by how many other readers.
Maybe Thompson-Reuters could improve their impact index by including statistics on highlighting (and we could agree among ourselves to intensively highlight each other's publications). 

On Fri, 5 Aug 2011, Andy Blunden wrote:


LinkedIn is a pain in the arse.
I get regular messages from them even though I had never even looked at their site, let alone joined. But when I followed the link to "change my message settings" I can only stop the messages coming if I join! Catch 22! 

Andy

Carol Macdonald wrote:
No Andy, it asked me to select some people on a reputable website, Linkin In, as South African professional site, and when I was reluctant to choose people, and exclude them, (about 1000) I didn't realise it would send my addressbook, so to speak. Ho hum, another one for the books. I don't know how these sites get your address boo. I discovered that Facebook has my address book too. Far too much fraternising. That flirt thing worked directly through Facebook I am sure, when I figured they had my picture and my address book. I think Facebook has loopholes. I have tightened them as far as possible. But now we have LinkedIn with access. But at least I am not flirting with everybody. I must send a generic apology. At the moment I am unsubscribing from all the newsletter, websites and so on which I have accumulated in 5 years of freelancing. I decided to leave LinkedIn because it is supposed to be quite harmless.... yeah well. And see the fancy title it gave me?
On 4 August 2011 17:31, Andy Blunden <ablunden@mira.net <mailto:ablunden@mira.net>> wrote: 

    Sounds like your computer has been invaded again, Carol!
    andy

    Carol Macdonald wrote:

        LinkedIn
        ------------



          eXtended,

        I'd like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn.

        - Carol

        Carol Macdonald
        Education Management Professional
        Johannesburg Area, South Africa

        Confirm that you know Carol Macdonald
        https://www.linkedin.com/e/b9j7b5-gqxveobn-43/isd/3758935406/NxaxapWU/
-- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
    *Andy Blunden*
    Joint Editor MCA:
    http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title~db=all~content=g932564744
    <http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title%7Edb=all%7Econtent=g932564744>
    Home Page: http://home.mira.net/~andy/ <http://home.mira.net/%7Eandy/>
    Book: http://www.brill.nl/default.aspx?partid=227&pid=34857
    <http://www.brill.nl/default.aspx?partid=227&pid=34857>
    MIA: http://www.marxists.org <http://www.marxists.org/>

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--
Visiting Lecturer 
Wits School of Education
Research Fellow
Linguistics Dept: Unisa



-- ------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Andy Blunden*
Joint Editor MCA: http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title~db=all~content=g932564744 
Home Page: http://home.mira.net/~andy/
Book: http://www.brill.nl/default.aspx?partid=227&pid=34857
MIA: http://www.marxists.org

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Tony Whitson
UD School of Education
NEWARK  DE  19716

twhitson@udel.edu
_______________________________

"those who fail to reread
 are obliged to read the same story everywhere"
                  -- Roland Barthes, S/Z (1970)
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