Comments on: Tr.im and the risks of social media

By: Wendy Reynolds

Wendy Reynolds — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 12:39:03 +0000

While most of the material we currently create via social media is ephemeral, we do need to be aware that over time, we will be creating more important documents in this space – see how e-mail is now considered the document type for “formal” communications in the minds of Gen X and Y.

Finding solutions for this now, while it doesn’t matter so much, is important, so that we aren’t scrambling to cope when it does matter.

By: Laurie

Laurie — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 00:29:41 +0000

I definitely back up my blog and website stuff as needed, but like Vickie am not too concerned about Twitter/Facebook etc. Most of it is most important in the moment and fresh content could be created just as easily as re-creating an archives. And I would be cautious of relying on finding anything older on Twitter, I’ve definitely noticed you can’t search back very far anymore.

By: Luis

Luis — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 19:14:56 +0000

Because wordpress is based on open source software that is freely available and modifiable, you’re in a lot better position than people using tr.im, twitter, etc.- if wordpress.com announced it was going out of business tomorrow, there’d be a dozen migration options for you to choose from by tomorrow night. So really the problem is with proprietary social media, not all social media.

By: Jay Parkhill

Jay Parkhill — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 17:44:30 +0000

I agree with Vickie. I create lots of online content, but I view it all as ephemeral (though I do back up my blog to comply with Cal Bar’s 2 year record of advertising rules).

The activity and the relationships are more important to me than any single piece of content. If Wordpress and Twitter died tomorrow it would take me a little while to rebuild the social graphs, but I would do it and would restart with fresh content somewhere else.

By: Vickie Pynchon

Vickie Pynchon — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 16:13:03 +0000

I used to worry about losing my work but realized at some point that I generate “content” daily, compulsively, and more coherently today than yesterday. Other than my book in progress (which my addiction to social media is delaying; I’m losing weight now – one addiction at a time please!) I genuinely wouldn’t much care if my entire online life disappeared. I wouldn’t, of course, re-create it. Lot’s of it is like yesterday’s newspaper, fit for wrapping fish. But that’s MY point of view. Maybe the present gets more and more important and the past less precious as one nears the 60 mark!