Uh, I know you're supposed to be the expert, Library Lady, but don't you mean "fillet"? Like a "fillet mignon"?
Hee! You caught me! You're right. It's that darn theme again. We're not really talking about cuts of meat. We're talking about social networks. But just like a fillet mignon, these applications are a couple of seriously sought after treats. Millions of people the world over are joining them faster than you can say "with a side of mushrooms and a loaded baked potato, please!"
But why?
So what is a 'social network' exactly?
Trying to define a social network is difficult, somewhat like trying to cook the perfect steak--the process is evolving constantly! But believe it or not, the phenomenon began with blogging.
Really? So does that mean my blog is a social network?
Umm... No. Not really. Let's go back to the early 1990s when blog websites were becoming increasingly interactive--more about casual communication and socializing than publishing and journaling. Young people picked up on this and started combining blogging with different online tools (like instant messaging, chat, and discussion boards...) And voila! 'Twas the birth of social networking!
Okay, smarty pants, if my blog isn't a social network then what is?
Good question! There are hundreds if not thousands of different online social networks. And although each is different in it's own way, most online communities share some common features:
A. Profiles: Within these communities, every user has their own homepage, or profile, which becomes a home base of sorts. Most social networks allow you to add as much or as little information about yourself as you’d like. Common fields include your name, contact information, interests, and photographs.
B. “Friending”: This is perhaps the most important characteristic of a social network because finding friends (existing or new) is more or less the whole point of being there. Most social networks allow you to add another person/profile as a friend or a contact and your collection of friends becomes your own personal social network (not dissimilar to the way social networks are formed offline too!)
While many web 2.0 tools use some of these elements (i.e. profile pages on YouTube and Blogger, photo albums on Picasa, etc.) sites considered to be true 'social networks' will have all of these elements in common.
That said, there are still serious misconceptions over what social networking actually is and how exactly it works (or perhaps more importantly, how it doesn't work...) To better illustrate the phenomenon, let's look at a few examples.
†Twitter is a hugely popular online social networking service used by friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent messages. People write short updates or "tweets" of 140 characters or fewer. These messages are posted to a user's profile and automatically sent to followers. Uh, what's a 'follower'? Sounds kind of creepy if you ask me...
'Following' someone on Twitter means receiving their Twitter updates ('tweets'). Think of it like subscribing to a magazine. When you follow someone, you 'subscribe' to their profile. Then every time they post a new 140-character tweet, it appears on your Twitter profile. New messages are added to your profile as people post them, so you're constantly getting their updates, and in real time.
So what kind of things are people tweeting? Important stuff? Silly stuff?
Almost anything, and generally everything:
Wow. People are seriously tweeting their lives away! How many tweets are we talking about? How many people are actually doing this?
You'd be surprised at how popular this stuff is. According to a February 2010 study, approximately 73 million people used Twitter in January of 2010 registering over (get this...) 1 billion tweets.
*gasp*
Yup. And that's just the tip of the iceberg! Let's look at another application...
†Facebook is another social network website that connects us with friends and others who work, study, and live around us. Much like Twitter, people use Facebook to keep up with friends, upload photos, share links and videos, and learn more about the people they meet. And it's currently the number one used social networking application online, with more than (drum roll please) 400 million active users. More astonishing facts?- 50% of those 400 million active users log on to Facebook in any given day
- People spend over 500 billion minutes per month on Facebook
"[Originally], Facebook attracted mostly college students because of a college e-mail requirement for membership; however, recently the site expanded to include high schools and companies. Because of the academic connection to Facebook, users tend to use their real names and supply less fabricated or fantastical information."But just because you might find less fabricated or fantastical information, doesn't mean people don't have misgivings about Facebook.
Yeah, I'm not totally comfortable with the whole 'Facebook' thing... I don't want millions of people across the planet knowing what high school I went to, or what my email address is, or what books I like to read. It kind of creeps me out.
I understand. And believe me, you're not the first to express this concern. But let me explain a bit more about how Facebook works.
In theory, if your friends are on Facebook, you'd search for them on the Facebook database, send them a message asking them to be your Facebook friend, and if they agreed, then they and any other Facebook friends you make would have special access to your profile. No one can see your profile unless you "friend" them.
Ooooh. I didn't know that. I thought any random person could see my profile...
Nope, only your friends can see your profile, communicate with you, see your pictures, read the information you choose to display, etc. And there are plenty of privacy settings you can work with to increase or decrease your visibility on the network.
*sigh* That makes me feel a bit better...
Hold that thought.
Reality is such that generally, as soon as you post a profile, you will be flooded with requests from people who want to be your Facebook friend--old classmates, neighbors, people you haven't spoken to or seen in years (and years, and years, and YEARS...) Because the entire purpose of the website is just that: to find your long-lost buddies. So be prepared. No, strangers can't see your profile or view your pictures or send you an email. And they never will unless you "friend" them. But the pressure to do so can be overwhelming.
There's also the question of what is done with the information you give Facebook--is it used for marketing purposes or sold to third parties? Ask yourself, "do I want to be involved with this aspect of social networking?" That's not to say there aren't ways to protect yourself and your information (those all-important privacy settings I mentioned earlier...) But these are all things you should consider before you register.
Wow... I hadn't thought of these issues...
Something else to keep in mind: what I've said here only relates to Facebook. These "rules" re: friending, privacy, etc. do not necessarily apply to other social networking websites (i.e. Twitter, Myspace, Friendster, etc.) So as with all of these websites, if you have any questions--i.e. who the company is, what it is they do, what they do with the information you give them, or questions about managing your accounts--contact the company or institution involved for more information before proceeding with your registration. This includes Facebook! Read screens carefully, protect yourself, and only give access to your information to those you know and trust.
Sounds good. I think I'm prepared to make an informed decision now!
Good!
Your Task
I'm going to cut you some slack in this assignment. I recognize not everyone wants a Twitter profile, and I totally understand the hesitation. After reading the information I've given you here, if you are still uncomfortable with the idea of Twitter I do not expect you to create a Twitter profile. However, you're not totally off the hook! You have two options:
To complete this assignment:
Option A:
1. Go to http://twitter.com/ and sign up for an account. Feel free to use a pseudonym if you're not comfortable giving your private information. Just make note of your pseudonym details in case you need to refer to them later.
Remember to record your email and password.
2. Look for the search box at the very top of the Twitter page. Explore Twitter by searching for “Burlington Public Library” and see if you can find our Twitter account.
3. Follow us on Twitter!
4. Try searching for something else that you are interested in, like a hobby or sport and see what you can find. Follow some more people.
5. Make sure you post some tweets of your own.
6. Once you’ve spent time on Twitter, return to your blog and write a new post answering the following questions:
6. Once you’ve spent time on Twitter, return to your blog and write a new post answering the following questions:
- What do you think of Twitter?
- Do you have concerns about social networking?
- Will you continue to use Twitter after the Betty Blogger program?
5. Click Publish Post.
Option B:
1. Finish reading through this assignment.
2. Do not sign up for a Twitter account. Do not pass GO. Do not collect $200.
3. Go directly to your blog and answer the following questions:
Option B:
1. Finish reading through this assignment.
2. Do not sign up for a Twitter account. Do not pass GO. Do not collect $200.
3. Go directly to your blog and answer the following questions:
- Why have you chosen not to register for a Twitter account? Please note: 'I got lazy' and/or 'I just don't want to' isn't good enough. Please be explicit. I want you to think about why you're abstaining...
- What, if any, are your concerns about social networking?
4. Click Publish Post.
For the teacher's pet: If you have chosen to register for a Twitter, try playing with the settings, retweeting others messages, or use a hashtag in your own.
For the teacher's pet: If you have chosen to register for a Twitter, try playing with the settings, retweeting others messages, or use a hashtag in your own.
† Research from Facebook and Learning 2.0 @ Mac; The Rough Guide to MySpace & Online Communities, by Peter Buckley; MySpace Unraveled by Larry Magid and Anne Collier; and Twitter Help.
Further Reading:
Facebook Addresses Privacy Commissioner's Concerns, News Release.
Google and Facebook's Privacy Illusion, Bruce Schneier (blog).
Facebook's Canada Problem, Reuters.
Catone, Josh. Twitter for Beginners: 5 Steps for Better Tweeting
"Going Where Patrons Are." By: Farkas, Meredith. American Libraries, Apr2007, Vol. 38 Issue 4, p27-27, 1p; (AN 24652763)
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