Knitting 2.0 - a.k.a. Crafts and Web 2.0
Today on my local radio station wrir, there was a story about a woman who just wrote a book about knitting - The Friday Night Knitting Club. One of her points was that in this era, many people are searching for authenticity in their lives. Yes, I know that is a problematic term, but her point is that knitting is offering an entire generation of women a connection to their past, their mothers, their ancestors, etc.
At the same time, I am intrigued because there is an amazing amount of knitting resources - blogs, website, social networking sites, etc. I am a member of ravelry, the yarn store that I go to (the Yarn Lounge) has a blog, and I frequently use the Web site knitty. Through all these "high tech" resources, I am learning about a relatively simple low-tech process.
This is where it gets really interesting to me as an artist and as an art teacher. In the olden days, the apprecentice model prevailed for artists and artisans. Because of social changes and our contemporary society, theat is not currently practiced. However, through all these formats, we may be moving into a time of online communities of practice that nuture and build art practice. My friend Jodi mentioned how she found all sorts of sewing resources online and this got her started thinking about this trend. I blogged about this before, but I am interested in hearing from others about your experiences learning about art, artmaking, art techniques, etc. online. Have you made connections with others online that have translated into your own artmaking? If so, how and why?
Comments
Health 2.0 is derived from the term Web 2.0, which implies a 2nd generation/release of the Internet.
The '2.0' part was established within computer programming - as a new edition of a an application is released, it is common practice for the programmers to add an incrementing number at the end of a program's name, to label the new version.
Web 2.0 implies the '2nd release' of the Internet, which of course is not based on anything concrete. The Internet being made up of millions upon millions of interconnecting computers running lots of various programs, but is more of a concept to describe the type of programs/applications/functionality one can now locate on the Internet.
The Internet was initially complied of mainly static pages of data. Soon to follow was email, web forums and chat rooms where discussions could take place.
Web 2.0 refers to a trend on the Internet that saw a step forward in the way users conduct communicate over the Internet, which includes the use of blogs, videos, podcasts, wikis and online communities where people with common interests get together to share ideas, media, code and all types of information.
Web 2.0 technologies such as social networking, blogs, patient communities and online tools for search and self-care management look as though they will permanently alter the healthcare landscape indefinitely.
As with Web 2.0, there is a lot of debate about the meaning of the term 'health 2.0'. The Wall Street Journal recently attempted to define Health 2.0 as:
“The social-networking revolution is coming to health care, at the same time that new Internet technologies and software programs are making it easier than ever for consumers to find timely, personalized health information online. Patients who once connected mainly through email discussion groups and chat rooms are building more sophisticated virtual communities that enable them to share information about treatment and coping and build a personal network of friends. At the same time, traditional Web sites that once offered cumbersome pages of static data are developing blogs, podcasts, and customized search engines to deliver the most relevant and timely information on health topics.”
While this traditional view of the definition imputes it as the merging of the Web 2.0 phenomenon within healthcare. I personally believe it’s so much more. In my opinion, Health 2.0 goes way beyond just the permeant social networking technology to include a complete renaissance in the way that Healthcare is actually delivered and conveyed.
Source - http://rxpop.com/
Posted by: William Hill | January 11, 2008 3:16 PM
I just happened to read an article by Susan Elzey, about a former art teacher who is currently a library director in Danville, Virginia. He is practicing the apprentice model by offering free quilting workshops at the Danville Public Library, out of his love for fabric art and to help others understand the historical development of quilting. One workshop attendee stated that making the quilt was the first time she had ever sewn. You can read the entire article at http://www.registerbee.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=DRB/MGArticle
/DRB_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1173354285710
Sewing and quilting, like other creative art forms helps us to focus on something productive and allows our bodies to relax from stressful everyday life. In fact, some studies say that sewing is very therapeutic and something you can pass on to your children
Sewing 2.0 offers many people who want to learn how to sew an alternative to the traditional learning model. There are online communities listening to audio and watching step-by-step sewing instructions on YouTube.
The new generation can and will connect to their ancestors, it just appears that they will have more options than in the past. They can choose to learn in a traditional classroom setting or attend the virtual online community. Technology - we live in interesting times.
Posted by: Thelma Horton | January 21, 2008 6:35 PM
Melanie,
Do you know of anyone interested in posting their art and crafts creations in our website for free?
I appreciate any information.
Jorge
Posted by: Arts 'n Dolls | March 28, 2008 3:35 PM
web 2.0 and social networking is a an exciting phenomenon. the web has truly become "democratised" and the implication for society as a whole is far reaching. some countries actually fear the effect of social networking sites and seek to block them, but there are always ways to get around such blocks and an entire industry has sprung up to meet that demand.
Posted by: free proxy surfing | April 5, 2008 3:00 PM
Well, somewhat. I am a sofware developer and have been doing it since 1993, before the Internet became what it is today. Through the years I have had many people assist me in solving tough software problems (my art), and I have returned the favor countless times.
Forums are our best source for experts, and the forum format works well for this application. You might want to try forums to track categories and threads of conversations.
Posted by: software development, programming | April 17, 2008 5:38 AM
Just bought the book you've mentioned in your post .
Looking forward to it and Will let you know my reviews soon .
Tanuj
http://www.hohealth.com
Posted by: Tanuj | May 4, 2008 4:37 PM
Do you know of anyone interested in posting their art and crafts creations in our website for free?
Posted by: ral | June 3, 2008 2:46 AM