Social Media & Knitting: A Match Made in Heaven

It is easy to see that the omnipresence of the Internet, social media, and networking tools have drastically changed the ways in which people communicate with each other. Time and space become insignificant - if you want to see someone, you can use Skype. Hungry,  but don't want to talk on the phone? Order your pizza online. Improvements in technology have allowed us to communicate instantly with people all over the globe. This phenomenon has helped to bring together people with the same interests, and those people can easily create communities in which to share their passions.

One such community that has flourished over the past few years is the online knitting community. Once considered a solitary activity, knitting has evolved from a household task to a creative activity in which fellow knitters can share their creations. The invention of the knitting machine in the late 19th century eliminated the need to make basic clothing, and allowed knitters to create beautiful pieces for their own enjoyment. Naturally, if you create something gorgeous, you want to show everyone... right? Right. Enter Ravelry.

Source: Ravelry.com

The knitting community has clearly embraced the Groundswell in nearly every aspect. Ravelry, the largest online knitting community, currently has 1,323,934 registered users, with 86,414 of those users visiting the site in the previous 24 hours. This sheer amount of users is incredible in itself, but what Ravelry has done for the knitting community is even more impressive. Ravelry allows users from all over the world to collaborate on projects, ask for help and opinions, and provide feedback for designers and yarn companies. (For more on Ravelry, see my previous post.)

Many yarn companies have taken Li and Bernoff's advice: "Why build it if you can join it?" (p. 173) With such an active community as Ravelry, yarn companies have no incentive to build communities of their own, because they will not be as successful. Instead, yarn companies are creating presences in Ravelry groups, by adding their yarns to the database, creating fan groups, and listening and talking with the Groundswell.

For example, WEBS, the largest yarn store in the country, provides discount codes for certain yarns on their Twitter and Facebook. Only people who "like" WEBS on Facebook can use these codes. By providing an incentive for spectators to participate in the Groundswell, WEBS increases traffic to their site, which will eventually offset the cost of the discount.

Source: WEBS on Facebook

By participating in Ravelry forums, yarn companies can also provide an outlet for their customers to provide reviews on certain yarns, get customer support, and ask for advice. Most of the posts are from knitters who are extremely enthusiastic and passionate about their favorite yarns, so these yarn companies are also gaining free publicity from word-of-mouth.

Online knitters are also embracing other tools to share their projects, like Flickr and YouTube. My Flickr (also on the right side of my blog) shows photos of projects that I've completed. There are also photo tutorials on Flickr that will teach other knitters particular techniques or stitches. YouTube is also popular for video tutorials. To this day, I can't do Judy's Magic Cast-On without watching Cat Bordhi's video!

Source: frecklegirl on Flickr

Often times, the Internet is given a bad reputation for allowing people to become anti-social. However, in this case, I would argue that the Internet and social media have actually facilitated in-person group meetings. For example, the founders of Ravelry recently traveled from Boston to Wisconsin for the Madison Knitters' Guild Knit-In. Jess and Casey travel frequently, and they usually give presentations on Ravelry and how social media has impacted the knitting community. They also blog about their experiences during and after the conventions!

Conventions like the National NeedleArts Association's yearly trade shows and the New York Sheep and Wool Festival in Rhinebeck, New York bring together knitters who would normally only interact via the Internet. Jess and Casey also facilitate Ravelry meetups, where Ravelry friends can meet in person!

Social media, including forums and rating systems, have radically changed the way in which knitting is viewed. Now, knitting is "in." The whole "do-it-yourself" (DIY) culture is extremely popular, and knitting holds a special place in that culture. Ravelry is like the online "home base" for knitters around the world. An old-fashioned activity like knitting could have faded away very easily, but the online knitting community has allowed it to flourish. I can only imagine it will become even more popular over time.

For more information on my sources, please see my Delicious homepage. And follow me on Twitter to continue the conversation on knitting and social media!

Social Media & Knitting

How "Connection" Erodes Intimacy

The perceived need to be constantly connected to all of your friends is becoming a problem for face-to-face, personal, and private interactions. The networked public has brought about a general shift in attitudes -- what was once private is now public, and nothing is off-limits. The social networking technologies have even seeped into one of the most private aspects of a person's social life -- their love life.

About a week before finals began in the Fall 2010 semester, a new social network emerged, quietly at first, but then spread like wildfire. I'm talking about LikeALittle. LikeALittle is formatted similar to Twitter, and it has separate pages for different college campuses across the country. The basic concept behind LikeALittle is to provide a space for students to "flirt" anonymously with other students. Here you can see the example that is auto-populated on Clark's homepage:

Who wouldn't want to receive a message like that?

After a "flirt" is posted, other students can comment anonymously on it, and users can choose to "like" a post, or even send a private message to the author. Personally, I think it's a brilliant idea! It allows shy students to flirt with other students in their "native language," via the Internet. The site has exploded since December 2010, and I would not be surprised if they released a smartphone application soon. They are constantly hiring new staff.

Most of the posts on LikeALittle are innocent enough. Some examples include: "laughter is the best cure, and you're so good at it. i'd be your girl, if you just noticed it," and "Cute tallish one. I've seen you glancing :) Come say hi already!" However, some of the posts can get inappropriate quickly, which is why LikeALittle recruits moderators to make sure everything stays lighthearted and fun.

Students can use LikeALittle to say things they normally wouldn't in person.

Although I love the idea, I admit it becomes a little problematic. Whatever happened to passing a note across the classroom, or hesitantly asking someone to go see a movie? Sites like LikeALittle make those first romantic interactions less serious, and somehow less real. Because it is completely anonymous, its users are more likely to post things they would not say straight to that person's face.

The LikeALittle creators are taking advantage of the ideas of blurred boundaries, because they know they can reach their target audience at any moment. LikeALittle has also linked with Facebook, which is a smart strategy. By connecting their site to Facebook, the creators of LikeALittle can tap into the network of Joiners (using Groundswell terminology) and encourage them to become Creators or Critics.

The LikeALittle authors have established a community, much like Procter & Gamble's beinggirl.com. Their community was established around the problems young girls face every day. LikeALittle was established around the problems faced by shy students who want to meet new people. Since LikeALittle is not selling a product, they don't run the risk of shouting at their users.

If only it were that easy! (Source: http://globalthoughtz.com)

Personally, given the choice to make an anonymous "flirt" on LikeALittle or to actually speak to my crush in person, I would choose the offline interaction. Because LikeALittle is anonymous, the chances of your crush actually figuring out who you are are slim to none. If you seriously want to try and go on a date or even start a relationship, LikeALittle is not the way to go.