Social Networking

So, as the semester comes to an end, I can't help but wonder what social networking will hold in store for me. Beyond Facebook, my experiences with social networks was next to nothing. Now, I have a vague knowledge with these sites, but mixed feeling on them. These site become more and more intrusive in my opinion, and aren't stopping any time soon. Facebook is beginning to get involved in the job search field, has implemented the timeline (stalker watch), there are stalker websites that are essentially designed to help people stalk one another. Is this what we think is a positive step for technology? I recognize that it is cool to see how so many different technologies are being integrated with each other. Personally, I don't think that we are using many of these technologies in the most productive ways.

Do Social Networking Sites Work?

So I was reading the article on CNet (http://www.cnet.com/4520-6033_1-6240543-1.html) about whether or not social networking sites really work, and it made me think about my own experiences with them. I have never used sites such as MySpace or any of the other popular sites. I am however a member of Facebook. I never really had an initial interest in joining such a site, but there seemed to be so much buzz about it beginning senior year of high school that it seemed strange to not even check it out. I wanted to fight the mainstream culture and not give in by joining. That lasted until about halfway through my first semester as a freshmen in college. Everyone went on and on about how wonderful Facebook was that I just had to join to see if it was all true. Since I joined, I have been disappointed with the website. While it does encompass many interesting features, I think it changes the social dynamic of campuses and now society. More and more of these Internet based programs, beginning with email and instant messaging and now social networking sites are eliminating the need for people to have any human interaction. While this may seem very "cool," I don't think it is taking us down a good road. Do you think that the decreased amount of interaction between people as a result of new technologies is a positive or negative thing? Further, do you even think that technology has had this affect?

Finding Jobs on Facebook?

I find it interesting to read that Facebook and Jobster are joining forces to create a job search site geared towards college age students and those who utilize the social networking site. I began reading about this while researching for my presentation on online job searching. The article posted about it on careerjournal.com was also interesting. I think that utilizing the technology of a site that is as popular with the current college generation will serve as a powerful tool for both job seekers and employers. With that being said, it is concerning to me that a site which has already sparked so much controversy over individual profiles will be used for something as important as a job search. So many people have already experienced problems where information posted on Facebook profiles has been used against them with current and potential employers. Will the partnership between Facebook and Jobster perpetuate that problem, or will they figure out a way to use these systems in the best interest of the job seekers?

Security Concerns

One issue that I was curious about when reading some blogs that have been hosted by large corporations are the security implications with publicly available posts. Members of these companies are posting about topics that could compromise the integrity of the corporations. The chapter in "Naked Conversations" talks about how in a corporation of over 86,000 employees, the actions of one individual compromised the integrity of the entire company. Even if a company were to establish intranet pages, internal company blogs, or establish blog rules, how does the company go about ensuring that the information posted on these sites will not leave the confines of the company?

Online Collaboration

Having recently completed a group assignment using Google-Docs, I am new to the concept of online collaboration software and websites. Apparently there are many of them. I had mixed reviews of working on this assignment with this technology because I felt as though there were not enough means to communicate with the group. Each person logged on to edit and add their parts, but there was not really a sense of collaboration. However, this project was also completed without ever meeting in person which save a lot time. The article from BusinessWeek addresses these issues. One aspect to a successful site is ease of use. The article is sure to address the importance of that. The reading gives an example that says productivity was increased to such a degree that some projects that would have normally taken two months simply took minutes. It is impressive that tasks that are completed on such a regular basis can be so drastically impacted by a relatively simple technology.

Social Networking

While working on our last assignment and thinking about the different social networking sites that are out there, I began to wonder what makes one more successful than another. So many of the different sites have many of the same features, yet sites such as Facebook and MySpace have much more national and international recognition. Not only do they have a higher number of registered users, but they their name recognition has gained the respect of communities around the world. Why do you think that these certain websites have succeeded as opposed to certain other ones?

Semester in Review

This has been a good semester overall. We have had some really good class discussions, good guest speakers, and have learned a lot about social networking. Don't assume that the course is easy and does not involve a lot of work because it does. Writing a weekly blog and keeping up with commenting on classmates work on a regular basis is more challenging that I initially thought it would be. Blogging seems to come naturally to many people, and not as much to others (namely me!). However, the workload is manageable and Professor Melander is great about asking for feedback and making changes accordingly. Class discussions often spark some interesting opinions or facts about someone that I would never have known. I would recommend this course overall.

Blogging and the Law

I enjoyed listening to Tom speak about his experiences both in and out of Oracle. The thing that really struck me about his talk were the legal aspects involved in blogging. I think that it is very interesting to see how some older laws are translated into modern day context. This is a problem with many laws; technology is being developed too quickly and the government is not able to keep up. Therefore, its seems as though in decided some of these cases, the verdict is somewhat arbitrary. How do existing laws regarding printing libel and slander translate into something that is not actually "printed?" I don't think that the laws are as clear-cut as some might make them out to be.

I think the idea of a reputation system is very interesting. However, there are also some flaws with it. For the sake of this post, I will us EBay as the example because I am most familiar with it. As someone who uses EBay on a somewhat regular basis to buy such a wide variety of things, a user's reputation may be the determination of whether or not they can even make a purchase. When I first started on EBay in middle school, the scope of products that were available was not nearly as large as it is today. One problem that I had though was buying my first item. I is not an uncommon occurrence to see no zero or negative feedback bidders posted in the item description. If this is the case, how does one get their first feedback without buying an item? That being said, it seems very cool that in a system where millions of people are "connected" to each other and have never met, that they can have some knowledge about what type of person this is and whether or not to do business with them. This is similar to the effect that blogging can have on businesses. If people post positive feedback, then consumers might be more inclined to proceed with their business. The reverse is also true.

Self-Regulation

I think that his weeks reading has a few interesting points. Most interestingly though is the idea that "blogs can be an equalizing force when dealing with media criticism. It is fantastic because blogging is a self-regulating media." I think that this is important because it is a new way in the face of negative media to spin the public opinion if your favor. In the past, what ways did an organization have to change the public perception in light of negative press? Imagine if George Bush had powerful enough blogs that could change the public perception of him? :-) That would really prove Lutz's point about the benefits of blogs .

Microsoft

The "Conversations" reading was interesting in the way in which it showed how people use blogs for different reasons. In this case, Microsoft was discussed. XML Team Program Manager Joshua Allen decided that he could use blogging as a way to alter the perception of the public regarding Microsoft; he said that "we'd show that we were real people, not the Borg." This apparently was all in an effort to get more employees to follow suit. I think that this was an important move because people seemed to want to know that there were real people working there, and what better way to show it then blogging.

Before this class, I had heard of the term "blogging," but I really had no idea what that meant. Having made a concerted effort to read some blogs (both related and unrelated to IT) people have some very interesting things (and some really stupid things) to say. A man named Leroy Sievers who has been fighting cancer and according to the doctors is supposed to already be dead, takes time out each day to post a blog. To me, this blog is interesting because it is insights from a man that knows that each day could be his last. ( http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5563178 This one is about the rescue squad where I work. He is coming to do another ride-along with us this weekend which is very exciting having read his blog and understanding how significant it was to him last time. ) Another blog that I also enjoyed reading was one I found through my professors website. This is interesting because I think that many people don't realize that teachers/professors are real people (not "Borgs") and have lives. This blog gave me insight into the life of a man that I see for an hour and a half twice a week. It also gave me some tips about what he likes and dislikes from students.
(www.greggivers.com click on blog at the top once you open this page)

Public Goods

The "Mobs" reading discusses public goods. It is defined in the book as "a resource from which all may benefit, regardless of whether they help create it." This seems to be an important idea, particularly into today's day of online social networking. In the past this idea related primarily to public TV, parks, and other general public goods. Today it can relate to ones business, social life, etc. The idea that so many people can be connected through one technology (again the six degrees argument) is rather mind-boggling. However, trends in technology don't seem to last long enough before something is considered obsolete. So once these technologies that we use on a daily basis for social networking, business, and many other things becomes obsolete, through what medium are we able to manage those contacts? As with any free technology "free riding seriously threatens their continued sustainability."

Organization Charts

This reading talked about the different roles people in an organization can play in a networking sense. What was most interesting about this was that the people who you would think should be the connectors within the network were actually less connected, while the others were the true connectors. To figure this out, the companies had a specialist create an organization chart. What was most interesting to me about these charts was not only showing how the most influential people were not the ones we might expect, but rather for being used as a means of accountability. Having worked within many different organizations and companies, accountability seems to be so important. Everyone always wants to know who is responsible for what whether it be positive or negative.

In class last week, we discussed the six degrees link. Whether or not you believe this theory to be true, the people that were identified by the organization chart described in the reading as connectors are the types of people that would prove it. Most everyone should be connected through any of their networks to at least one connector. If every connector is also connected to at least one other connector and these relationships keep expanding outwards, then maybe the theory does have some merit. Last week in class we began the small world project. I didn't think I knew anyone in Australia (where my target lives). The information said that my target is in the medical field and travels to Chicago a lot. In a matter of two days and two connections, I managed to get connected with someone involved in the same line of work in Australia. That was pretty impressive and shocking to me. I think it would be pretty cool if I was able to connect with my target in under six degrees. This reading made me think about the importance of really thinking about who you know. Are the people that you might associate with importance really the important ones? Or are the less well know people really the ones that you need to go through. I agree with the articles position that "as people rise in the hierarchy, they move out to the edge of a network, not the center.

New to Old

What is interesting are the three stages that a new idea must pass through: "ridicule, violent opposition, and acceptance." As with many new technologies, there is a risk to companies, but eventually they are able to turn them into positive things. The problem is still the rapid rate at which a technology becomes both mainstream and later obsolete.

Opening Statement

Hello. My name is Ryan Schonfeld. I am a student at American University in Washington, DC. This blog was created in conjunction with a class related to social networking. On that note, all of the work contained herein is my own and was produced in accordance with the University's Academic Integrity Code.