Website, 2012–2014

Info:

MIT Connect was created out of a need for a website as “social media hub,” where people could find social media content from all of MIT’s departments in one place. The objective was to support the university’s reputation as innovative, smart, energetic, and creative by showcasing an active stream of unique content. MIT Connect spotlighted content about events, research, news, social activities, and academics.

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Photos:

View the full album on Flickr.

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Online reviews:

“…these types of pages (often called hubs, mashups, or aggregators) are still very common, but I think we’ve gotten better at them. Look at MIT’s Connect, which blends highlighted social media posts and accounts with a robust directory.”

– Georgy Cohen, “Reconsidering the Social Media Hub,” MeetContent (February 2014)

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“MIT Connect takes it a step further by combining a social stream; a ‘Discover’ section that highlights key accounts; a searchable, sortable, categorized directory; and a blog for social media communicators at MIT. The engaging site includes a tremendous amount of content in a format that guides, rather than overwhelms, the user.”

– Dinah Winnick, “Curator or Traffic Cop?,” CASE Blog (April 2013)

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“For Hatch, it’s all about the connections. ‘The great thing about social media is that there’s always a connection that leads you to another connection. This site is meant to reflect that psychology, where you make one connection and end up discovering others. If I can paraphrase the Alumni Association, the connections are… infinite!’ Hatch finds a lot of purpose — and poetry — in that notion.”

– Robyn Fizz, “MIT Connect: Explore the World of MIT through Social Media,” MIT IS&T News (Nov 2012)

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“Not often do you hear social media compared to a school’s hallways. At MIT—where the Infinite Corridor spans 0.16 miles and runs through the Institute’s main buildings—however, everything is designed to feel connected, creative and collaborative, including the school’s newest social media dashboard MIT Connect.”

– Lauren Landry, “MIT’s New Social Media Dashboard Offers Up an Interactive Way to Explore the Institute,” BostInno (October 2012)

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“…social media ‘mashup’ pages have been a huge trend in higher ed over the past few years. Institutions need a way to aggregate their content, and some institutions are taking their mashups/ social directories to a whole new level. MIT Connect is a prime example of this.”

– Abbey Pratt, “The Secret Sauce Behind MIT Connect,” Uversity.com (September 2012)

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