Week 3 Blog #6 Communities of Practice

In our school this year, our faculty has been admonished to 'work smart.' Finally, after many years, we were given a tool called Share Point. All I know, in this first week of school is that we can access anything that is work related in the application. So far, it's great; it has cut down on time, on paper, and improved communication. They are adding more tools to it as I write, to maximize our working environment.
Great improvement for our school district. On the other hand, I was reading an article written by Blake Snow (2009 May) Are Social Web Sites Spoiling In-Person Conversation? Communication consultant Patti Wood is mentioned in the article as saying 'the internet was designed to share information, not emotions.' Yes and no.
I think like anything else, network communites have their great points, and not so great areas. I think of what Gordon Brown said in his video Wiring a Web For Global Good how pictures in global societies 'unlock what we cannot see' this is a great example of the power of networking and social media; how the world watched in horror the video taken of Neda, an Iranian girl shot and killed for protesting against the government of Iran. How the video of her death impacted communities to bring them together; to be a voice; instantaneously. That is the power of voice within media, the internet must share emotions many times over; I am not refering about users posting 'I'm in a bad mood today' but the sharing of information built for a common good globally.
Patti Woods goes on to say that ' the idea of being present in the moment is disappearing. Oftentimes we devalue our current situation --the friends and family around us, our surroundings and setting --for something going on somewhere else, somewhere that seems far more interesting that what is right in front of us.'
I disagree with Woods. I would have to reply that something going on somewhere else, may impact our current situation. For example politics, human rights, etc. Did not the ability of networking help Mexico spread the word on Swine Flue, so that surrounding countries could take measures in avoiding an even major disaster?
Once again, society is seeing how powerful social websites and social media is.