About the name of the blog

Do we need forks? is a name that reflects my philosophy about technology - the first question we should ask is "Do I NEED this?" Will it make my life and meaningful occupations easier, or better in some way?
As a student (first time around), I remember reading a scene from a play set in the 1600s, where French nobles were wondering what to do with a fork. The social context meant that forks were unnecessary. In that time, people would bring a knife, use a spoon for liquids, and hands for everything else. In a different social context where people are concerned about hygiene, a fork seems relevant. Or you could just wash your hands really well before each meal.
This philosophy about technology relates well to frameworks of occupational therapy. We look at the person - do they really need this technology? - the occupation - how meaningful is this occupation and do they need technology to make it easier to participate in? - and the environment, which includes social factors - is this technology going to fit with their environment?

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Online community one - Just Breathe


This is a Christchurch website set up to provide a forum for mothers with postnatal depression, as well as family and friends.  People seem to log in to make connections in the real world, as well as get advice on general information about being a mum, and PND.

It is very well organised and some of the topics available to comment on as of today are:
  • General chat (the most popular, with 227 topics and 2023 posts!!!!)
  • Useful tips and advice
  • Medication
  • Having another baby
Information flow is not one way, but reciprocal.
There are also links to coffee groups in Christchurch and the West Coast.  There are 210 members and the website is only open to registered members, maintaining a certain level of privacy.  People could register under fake names, so there is a lack of accountability, but with a forum, there is always a moderator to make sure conversations are not impacting on anyone's participation.

People can contribute by sharing their experience or answering questions on the forums, or arrange a get-together outside of an established coffee group, via a separate forum.  The coffee group forums are public, and seem to be a place for people to follow up with each other.  One thread was "Where is everybody?" and included answers such as this one: "sorry i never made it this monday....sarah went for a sleep and I ended up falling asleep too. It possible I may have a job next month too...arggghhhhh so scared."


Interestingly, many of the posts on the get-together forum are from people in Auckland.  This shows that when people are looking for support, internet forums have an advantage over traditional geographic communities, as the support is accessible regardless of location.

What this community probably cannot provide is real-time connection.  If someone is having a crisis and needs help, they are more likely to call someone who is geographically close, rather than rely on posting a message to a forum.  This community does provide a message centre for people who meet in real-time, so facilitates the creation of more traditional communities as well as creating a new "online" one.
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