Social Network Sites: Definition, History & Scholarship

Social networking sites are a phenomenon that developed in the 1990's and are ever increasing in popularity with a remarkable range of cultures. Boyd and Ellison offer a 3 part definition to encompass this type of social media. These sites allow users to construct a private or semi private webpage within a bounded system; users construct a list of other users that they know or share a connection with and users view and search the profiles of their friends and their friend's friends.

Early social network sites didnt start out as such. QQ started out as a Chinese instant messaging service. Lunarstorm as a community site, Cyworld as a Korean discussion forum tool, and Skyrock was a French blogging service before they added social networking site features like private and public messaging services. Likewise Classmates.com was launched in 1995 and consisted of a directory of school affiliates and began supporting a friendlist after SNS's became popular.

The first discernable SNS was created in 1997, sixdegrees.com was the first to take basic features of todays social networking sites and combine them to form the first functional social networking website. AsianAvenue, BlackPlanet and MiGente are just a few websites to follow the SNS trend and combine other similar features to become some more of the first social networking sites.

The appeal and uses of these sites today can vary greatly. In 1994 teenagers began flocking to Myspace to connect with friends and favorite bands. Now, Myspace is primarily used for indie bands and other musical ventures. Professional sites like LinkedIn, Xing, and Visible Path are aimed at attracting and possibly helping "business people".

Social networking sites have come a long way since their dawning. The range of use for these sites is virtually limitless with a site out there designed to fit just about any need. From personal entertainment to business networking, SNS's seem to be here to stay.

For more information please visit:

Boyd, D.M. and Ellison, M.B. (2008), Social network sites: Definition, history, and scholarship. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 13, 210-230. doi: 10.1111/j.1083-6101.2007.00393.x

Web 2.0 & Journalism

Over the course of the semester we have covered a wide range of topics that have sparked an interest. Among those of relative importance is Web 2.0 and the many changes that its concepts have brought along with it.

Although there is no real discernable difference between Web 1.0 and Web 2.0, the changes made due to web 2.0 are great. Web 2.0 primarily refers to the creation and changes in social media. It laid the grounds for Myspace, Facebook, Twitter and now so much more. Web 2.0 allows for two way communication via discussion boards or functions similar to that. It's what enables users to leave their friends comments.

Aside from personal pages it has also paved the way for "wiki" websites. For example Wikipedia is a user generated encyclopedia containing only that which users contribute. Aside from individual definitions of basic words you can find information on just about anything from people and places to exotic dishes or even new age slang. Web 2.0 allows for users to create content in this website or edit previously existing content.

Web 2.0 has also greatly affected journalism. With an unlimited number of blogs, or web logs, out there, the user can find more personal information on subject matters specific to them. Local journalism has never been more personal. Web 2.0 allows for discussion questions and alternate points of view. This phenomenon has spread so effectively that it has become a major threat to the integrity of print journalism. We can already see what changes might come about next.

googles dark side - google conspiracy

Twitter is a social media source, of which I have no real particular interest in. However, overthe course of the last few months I have used this site to upload information relevant to my field of study; communication. By far, my favorite, or at least most relevant tweet is the one about the dark side of Google. This short video clip introduces some ideas about privacy that, as a socially responsible individual, should concern you. Google is no doubt the leader in todays online search activity and even more but has anyone asked themselves how is it that Google is so good and still improving? Google actually collects information from each of it users. Whether its just the words you type into their search engine or frequent quarry results Google collects this information and files it away accorsding to the IP address. Furthermore, Google will actually scan incoming and outgoing emails from the Gmail feature that is offered in order to pinpoint precise advertising methods and materials relevant to each individual user. What does this mean for individual privacy? Well, privacy is not a concept that seems to interest Google. The extent to which our personal information is sold, traded, stolen, or just plain viewed without our knowledge or permission is unknown, but the thought is worrisome.

Social Media: Research

My research topic narrowed in on more of the negative side of social media technologies today. More specifically, how social websites and some of their new applications are more or less an invasion of privacy. Social websites today offer a place for any user to establish an online identity. This identity is supposed to be concealed and available to only those of our privacy settings' choice. However, it is not well known that these sites log away information about each and every user weather it is public, private, or even deleted. On top of that passwords are easily hacked and sold to solicitors or even worse. Beggining with Myspace, social networking sites were basically an instant hit. It didnt take much for people to catch on to an innovative new method of communication and connection. It also didnt take much to drive these people away either. As spam advertisements soon took over random users profiles, it was clear that there was a need for a new social network. Facebook arrived just in time to satisfy the needs of the detoured Myspace users and basically take over the social networking game. Facebook has made many innovations to its trade. From sharable applications, to real time location based apps, Facebook seems to have it all. These location based apps however are the root issue on the topic of privacy. If an individual is able to be tracked and located by a device they are carrying, they then have virtually no privacy. It is features like this among other things that make these social media websites and applications an invasion of privacy.

Henry Jenkins

Henry Jenkins III is an American media scholar. He was born in Atlanta Georgia in 1958. Henry earned his masters in communication at the University of Iowa. He then received his PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Jenkins is currently a professor of several different programs at USC including the school of communication and the school of cinematic arts. He worked previously as the co-director of the Comparative Media Studies program at the prestigious MIT. On top of teaching at these top of the line universities, Jenkins has managed to write several books including, Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide, Textual Poachers: Television Fans and Participatory Culture and What Made Pistachio Nuts?: Early Sound Comedy and the Vaudeville Aesthetic.

Lately, Jenkins has been working on the topic of Media Convergence. He argues that with the continuing advancement in new media technology and the ever-expanding reaches of media convergence are to be understood as a cultural process, rather than a technological end-point.

Henry is also known for his work in the field of electronic gaming. He is most publicly recognized in several gaming magazines including, Electronic Gaming Monthly, and Game Informer.

Jenkins has published many works. One of his more recent, popular pieces that he has worked on was in 2006. Jenkins was the lead author of a White Paper for the MacArthus Foundation's Digital Media and Learning Initiative. This paper, called Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture: Media Education for the 21st Century.

Information like this and more can be found at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Jenkins
or
http://web.mit.edu/cms/People/henry3/

Image Test 2

Looming, ominous zig-zags engage in guerilla warfare.

Image Test 1

Me. Andy, the Do It Yourself expert.