Conclusion: "Future of Friendship"

Among my most cherished memories are the letters my husband and I use to exchange in the early years of our marriage. Because we were thousands of miles apart, the most efficient and economical way of communicating was through letters (I still have them all). There were no instant messaging, emails or any social networking sites then. Our only electronically means of communication was the telephone and those telephone calls were not that cheap. I remember loosing contact with most of my childhood and school friends who had moved away. They became just memories. Even though we sometimes promise to keep in touch, they all tend to fade away after a few letters . robles.callutheran.edu/~tierney/tradfri.html Those indeed were the days.

This era is quite different. The innovation of the Internet and mushrooming of social network sites have changed the dynamics of relationships thus friendships. In this past weeks as we have explored the concept of the “Future of friendship”, We have seen how friendship as we know it have evolved into cyber relationships. We have explored the effectiveness of online communication, we have questioned the trust issues and weigh the risks involved and we have questioned the future of online friendship in 2020 and beyond. Where have our quest taken us? We all have different views concerning this 21st century phenomenon yet we all have come to a consensus that what is happening now on these social media networks is just a tip of the iceberg - the “future of online friendships” is about to move to a new dimension it is just a matter of time. http://www.technologyreview.com/computing/25079/?a=f

What have we learnt or gained from this blog? If my friends will agree, we have learnt that traditional or online"friendship" might differ on so many levels but a friend is some one who is always there for you, online or offline. For us four, I hope the bond of friendship that we have form might carry us to 2020, God willing.

Conclusion : My Journey from Social Media-Eek to Social Media-Geek

This course has taught me plenty about the evolution of Web 2.0 and the effects it has on our society. A very interesting book, which we used as our text for this class, is Throwing Sheep in the Boardroom. Authors Matthew Fraser and Soumitra Dutta explain how social networking is changing the world we live in, and focus on the shift in our identities, status and power.

Many other issues are examined in this class, but the most important concept I have learned, is that of online friendships. I was previously of the opinion that online relationships were neither rewarding or successful; that there was nothing beneficial to gain from them. However, I have since been convinced that I was wrong. In my research, I have come across numerous success stories about friendships and relationships.

The one that affected me the most is the story of Lina, Yul, Collette and Mel. Four women from different backgrounds and belief systems joined a group for an online school project. Sound familiar?
I "met" these wonderful women barely seven weeks ago, and am amazed at the amount of respect and admiration I have for them already. They are intelligent and reliable ladies who each have their own great and unique sense of humour. I believe that our online connection with each other will continue to grow and flourish long after this class is completed.

Mashable is an online social media guide that provides tips to making to the most of your relationships.
I am so glad that I have had the opportunity to connect with such great women. I would love to hear your stories about an online friendship or relationship you have had, whether it was a positive experience or not. Do you think we can create meaningful relationships with someone we have not met face-to-face? Please share your thoughts.