a creative universe
CRITICAL DISCUSSION ON ONLINE SOCIAL NETWORK SERVICES
The following is an assignment essay written for my BA Honours - Information Science studies this year, its a bit klunky and maybe not the highest standard, but I thought it notable enough to post here:
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Critical discussion and evaluation of the role and application of social networking technologies in mediated networked interactive online and internet communication to support social interaction and organisational co-ordination.
Assignment 01: Critically discuss the following statement, made by Warren Larkan, an IBM general manager:
“MySpace boasts around 155-million users, Facebook, 16-million and LinkedIn, over 9-million members with these figures rising on a daily basis. Social software isn’t going anywhere and it’s not just a way for college kids to make new friends or for those in the business world to build professional relationships either. The fact is, the vast benefits of social networking reach into every aspect of the business – from customer driven product development and employee collaboration to community driven customer service and more.”
Larkan, W. 2008. Social networking: not just for kids anymore. IT-Online, 11 September 2008. http://it-online.co.za/content/view/315540/
CONTENTS
1. Introduction
2. Literature Review
3. Analysis and Findings
4. Conclusion
5. Bibliography
1. Introduction
The explosion of internet based “social networking” sites in the last few years as a result of harnessing convergent networked Information and Communication technologies (ICTs), has seen renewed commercial interest in the world wide web. After the so called “Dot Com” crash around the turn of the millennium, commercially driven interests in internet technologies have been searching for new models to see a sustained return on investment (ROI) and levels of profitability acceptable to injection of risk capital.
The term Web 2.0 has also been touted as the “savour” of the internet, and a new found freedom of communication and social interaction that will harness the “true power” of the internet and provide technologies that will have real and significant social and cultural impact and be the true enhancing of the cultural, economic and political fabric of global society.
One of the key aspects to emerge has been social networking services on the internet, consisting mainly of web portals that allow for virtual communities of users to engage with a range of interactive technologies and modules and publish information and a range of multi-media that they author themselves and usually is a communication about their lives, interests and activities they engage in. (Social Network Service 2009)
This assignment will critically explore the technologies, themes and issues surrounding online social network services.
2. Literature Review
The literature studied as sources for this assignment raise a range of issues surrounding social network services.
From commercial interests noting the ability of these type of internet portals to attract and retain very large numbers (in the millions) of users, and the subsequent commercial monetisation, primarily around advertising models - including the interesting aspect of predictive advertising based on users profiles and preferences to achieve targeted commercial messages and product offerings.
Apart from the commercialisation of user groups as consumers, is the harnessing of social network service technologies in business by being employed in Information and Knowledge Management (IM and KM) initiatives such as Communities of Practice (CoP), and project team collaboration across dispersed team member locations, that is facilitation of communication and task activity with a team of people scattered in different locations across the world, for example using site www.kluster.com.(Community of Practice 2009; Tiffany. Kluster.com – Putting Social Networks to Work; Kluster.com. 2008)
Other aspects include the impact on socio-cultural levels within society, as new form of communication technology therefore leading to new forms of social interaction and thereby potentially influencing social relationships, group dynamics and the resultant impact on socio-political and socio-economic spheres of society.
Further the influence on the phenomenon of the “global village”, and ability to communicate to anyone else using the same technology potentially anywhere else in the world, has had a major influence on the way we perceive national borders, and sovereignty. Sociologically we have seen new phenomena emerge in new cultural elements and extensions of human interaction and agency.
A scan of some recent articles on social networking website portals reveals the following issues being observed:
- Social networking as communication medium becomes more popular than emailing (Sapa-dpa. 11 March 2009)
- Alterations in the format and functionality of social network sites can have negative consequences if the user group does not agree with the changes (considering the user group membership runs into the millions, this is seen a serious democratic ie socio-political, and consumer group reaction) (AFP. 25 March 2009)
- Social network service technologies continue to develop and provide further extensions into aspects of social and cultural life, a fixed format and model for the ideal online social network service does not exist. For example MySpace successfully launching a karaoke service in Japan (A form of self-expression through music. 30 March 2009) and the launch of a new social networking based application www.spotify.com, that allows users to stream audio (ie a virtual radio station) without having to download individual songs as in the case with iTunes for example, selecting from a vast range of music tracks. (Lemon, D. 25 March 2009)
What is obvious is that social networking technologies are still highly dynamic and evolving given continuing innovations in technologies, and the ever changing and highly dynamic flux of human culture.
3. Analysis and Findings
Looking at the more theoretical and abstract definitions of what constitutes a social network and its modalities in society is key to understanding the phenomenon of social network services’ networked and internet based technologies.
Social networking did not just arise as a consequence of certain hardware and software technological developments primarily as the result of the establishment of the world wide web of interconnected networks of computers and related ICT technologies.
Social networking is a phenomenon that has existed in human society and culture throughout time, without it social cohesion and activity could not take place, leading to group dynamics and co-ordination of activities necessary for human cultural and societal development, such as the development of technology and civilisation throughout history.
A social network is a series of human relationships as noted by the points of contact and level of interaction that these points of contact indicate. In the sphere of sociological analysis of society, looking and analysing social networks has emerged as a key school of study to explain social phenomenon. (Social Network. 2009)
The main aim of mentioning this, is that by understanding traditional and sociological approaches to analysing social networks, gives us insight into the recent phenomena of ITC technology based social networking services that have become popular on the internet. As opposed to seeing online social networking services and portals as distinct phenomenon we should consider that they are an extension of social networks and cultural interactions and human communication, utilising new human created technologies that have lead to new modes of communication and interaction.
However the fundamental need for human expression, communication and social interaction and forming meaningful relationships with others, underlies the phenomenon, and that these new technological forms have not given rise to this social phenomenon, but are merely another modality of human cultural expression and interaction and relationships.
What is key, however, is that at the core of online social network services is technological innovation. The explosion of networked ICT technologies since the late 1990s through till today, has seen the exponential development of hardware and software platforms to utilise the global network of ICTs.
A review of the development of online social networking shows the marked improvements as new technologies developed, on the one hand ICT hardware with increased bandwidth capacity on the networked side, and increased processing and memory (RAM) capabilities on server and client side computers, together with software developments that provided ever more sophisticated applications primarily in the realm of personnel computing.
Together with the rise of the Personal Computer (PCs), and accessibility through lowering costs of PCs and telecommunications, saw the popular uptake and embracing and utilisation of these new technologies. Later developments in mobile and wireless communication and laptop or notebook computing have also lead to the pervasive use in developed countries of the internet.
A review of the development of online social networking services shows that from the early days of global networked computers as the internet and world wide web developed, forms of social network services emerged, such as bulletin boards and Usenet groups. Developments in the 1990s saw more complex and sophisticated platforms emerge with a slight halt and collapse following the “dot-com bust”. Following this with MySpace launching in 2003, and the 2007 rise to prominence of Facebook as seen the most popular formats of online social networking emerge as we know them today. (Glaser, M. 29 August 2007)
We must also note the implementation of social network service technologies not only for the popular consumer individual user, but the use for business and organisation management and development.
A number of platforms have grown to provide companies and other organisations with useful tools to facilitate collaboration and co-ordination on multiple levels within the organisation, from collaboration in Project Teams, to Communities of Practice, and extension of integrated Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. Even Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platforms have been extended to include interactive collaborative applications that even go so far as to allow customers to provide input into new product development, and adjustments to organisational structure to respond better to service needs.
Resources such as Kluster.com provide open platforms and the application of social network service applications, for facilitating project collaboration, communication and co-ordination. (Kluster.com. 2008)
An interesting further development has been the integration with open source software technologies, allowing for a wider reach and easier implementation of social network services. Platforms such as Ning.com allow for custom social network portals to be developed enabling a greater range of themes, topics and niche user groups to interact as a collective using this online networked service. (Ning, Inc. 2009)
An example of this is the locally published interactive magazine based in Cape Town, South Africa, which utilises the Ning.com framework, called Pythagoras-TV, the brainchild of award winning South African architect Don Albert, touted as “the world's first and foremost intelligent, popular publishing platform in music, art, fashion, architecture, film, media and design.”, which is a members only online magazine designed for self-publishing, and other interactive social networking aspects to accommodate a diverse community of creative individuals from across the global village. (Pythagoras-TV – a creative universe. 2009)
4. Conclusion
Online social network services have emerged through a range of technological developments in networked ICTs, to provide new formats and platforms for human interaction and collaboration.
Technology has in the past often tried to achieve enhancement of human communication and socio-cultural interaction but has fallen short due to certain limitations. The technologies of today however seem to be having real significance in providing extension of more “naturalistic” social interactions, relationships and communication.
As opposed to just “consuming” internet media, or experiencing limited interactivity that dictated our experience, it now appears possible that we have the ability to create content, communicate and collaborate with our own experiences, and determine our own outcomes through the use of these technologies. But these are not just merely self publishing of static content, there is a dynamic interactive element that allows for a range of “conversations” ,commentary and collaboration.
Whether online social network services are the ultimate technologies in facilitating an extension of human interaction and communication is yet to be seen, what is certain is that it has lead to new socio-cultural expression, and made significant impact on society in this phase of history to warrant serious study and analysis.
The future trends and technological developments will need to be closely watched as new models develop, and with South Africa and the rest of Africa poised to experience a flood of new bandwidth capacity and potential for connection to the world wide web, it will be interesting to observe the impact on our local societies, as more people become exposed to online social networks.
5. Bibliography
A form of self-expression through music. 30 March 2009. IOL Technology. http://www.ioltechnology.co.za/article_page.php?iSectionId=2883&iArticleId=4913098 (Accessed 30 March 2009)
AFP. 25 March 2009. Facebook vows ‘improvements’ after user backlash. IOL Technology. http://www.ioltechnology.co.za/article_page.php?iSectionId=2883&iArticleId=4905797 (Accessed 27 March 2009)
Community of practice. 2009. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_of_practice (Accessed on 09 April 2009).
Glaser, M. 29 August 2007. Your Guide to Social Networking Online. MediaShift. http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2007/08/your-guide-to-social-networking-online241.html (Accessed 09 April 2009)
Kluster.com. 2008. http://www.kluster.com/ (Accessed on 09 April 2009)
Lemon, D. 25 March 2009. Goodbye CDs, goodbye iTunes. The Independent as published in IOL Technology. http://www.ioltechnology.co.za/article_page.php?iSectionId=2891&iArticleId=4905622 (Accessed 25 March 2009)
Ning, Inc. 2009. http://www.ning.com/ (Accessed 01 May 2009)
Pythagoras-TV – a creative universe. 2009. http://pythagoras-tv.com/ (Accessed 01 May 2009)
Sapa-dpa. 11 March 2009. Social networking beats emailing – poll. IOL Technology. http://www.ioltechnology.co.za/article_page.php?iSectionId=2883&iArticleId=4883195 (Accessed 26 March 2009)
Social Network. 2009. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_network (Accessed on 09 April 2009).
Social Network Service. 2009. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_networking_service (Accessed on 09 April 2009).
Tiffany. Kluster.com – Putting Social Networks to Work. Killerstartups.com. http://www.killerstartups.com/Social-Networking/kluster-com-putting-social-networks-to-work (Accessed on 09 April 2009).
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Critical discussion and evaluation of the role and application of social networking technologies in mediated networked interactive online and internet communication to support social interaction and organisational co-ordination.
Assignment 01: Critically discuss the following statement, made by Warren Larkan, an IBM general manager:
“MySpace boasts around 155-million users, Facebook, 16-million and LinkedIn, over 9-million members with these figures rising on a daily basis. Social software isn’t going anywhere and it’s not just a way for college kids to make new friends or for those in the business world to build professional relationships either. The fact is, the vast benefits of social networking reach into every aspect of the business – from customer driven product development and employee collaboration to community driven customer service and more.”
Larkan, W. 2008. Social networking: not just for kids anymore. IT-Online, 11 September 2008. http://it-online.co.za/content/view/315540/
CONTENTS
1. Introduction
2. Literature Review
3. Analysis and Findings
4. Conclusion
5. Bibliography
1. Introduction
The explosion of internet based “social networking” sites in the last few years as a result of harnessing convergent networked Information and Communication technologies (ICTs), has seen renewed commercial interest in the world wide web. After the so called “Dot Com” crash around the turn of the millennium, commercially driven interests in internet technologies have been searching for new models to see a sustained return on investment (ROI) and levels of profitability acceptable to injection of risk capital.
The term Web 2.0 has also been touted as the “savour” of the internet, and a new found freedom of communication and social interaction that will harness the “true power” of the internet and provide technologies that will have real and significant social and cultural impact and be the true enhancing of the cultural, economic and political fabric of global society.
One of the key aspects to emerge has been social networking services on the internet, consisting mainly of web portals that allow for virtual communities of users to engage with a range of interactive technologies and modules and publish information and a range of multi-media that they author themselves and usually is a communication about their lives, interests and activities they engage in. (Social Network Service 2009)
This assignment will critically explore the technologies, themes and issues surrounding online social network services.
2. Literature Review
The literature studied as sources for this assignment raise a range of issues surrounding social network services.
From commercial interests noting the ability of these type of internet portals to attract and retain very large numbers (in the millions) of users, and the subsequent commercial monetisation, primarily around advertising models - including the interesting aspect of predictive advertising based on users profiles and preferences to achieve targeted commercial messages and product offerings.
Apart from the commercialisation of user groups as consumers, is the harnessing of social network service technologies in business by being employed in Information and Knowledge Management (IM and KM) initiatives such as Communities of Practice (CoP), and project team collaboration across dispersed team member locations, that is facilitation of communication and task activity with a team of people scattered in different locations across the world, for example using site www.kluster.com.(Community of Practice 2009; Tiffany. Kluster.com – Putting Social Networks to Work; Kluster.com. 2008)
Other aspects include the impact on socio-cultural levels within society, as new form of communication technology therefore leading to new forms of social interaction and thereby potentially influencing social relationships, group dynamics and the resultant impact on socio-political and socio-economic spheres of society.
Further the influence on the phenomenon of the “global village”, and ability to communicate to anyone else using the same technology potentially anywhere else in the world, has had a major influence on the way we perceive national borders, and sovereignty. Sociologically we have seen new phenomena emerge in new cultural elements and extensions of human interaction and agency.
A scan of some recent articles on social networking website portals reveals the following issues being observed:
- Social networking as communication medium becomes more popular than emailing (Sapa-dpa. 11 March 2009)
- Alterations in the format and functionality of social network sites can have negative consequences if the user group does not agree with the changes (considering the user group membership runs into the millions, this is seen a serious democratic ie socio-political, and consumer group reaction) (AFP. 25 March 2009)
- Social network service technologies continue to develop and provide further extensions into aspects of social and cultural life, a fixed format and model for the ideal online social network service does not exist. For example MySpace successfully launching a karaoke service in Japan (A form of self-expression through music. 30 March 2009) and the launch of a new social networking based application www.spotify.com, that allows users to stream audio (ie a virtual radio station) without having to download individual songs as in the case with iTunes for example, selecting from a vast range of music tracks. (Lemon, D. 25 March 2009)
What is obvious is that social networking technologies are still highly dynamic and evolving given continuing innovations in technologies, and the ever changing and highly dynamic flux of human culture.
3. Analysis and Findings
Looking at the more theoretical and abstract definitions of what constitutes a social network and its modalities in society is key to understanding the phenomenon of social network services’ networked and internet based technologies.
Social networking did not just arise as a consequence of certain hardware and software technological developments primarily as the result of the establishment of the world wide web of interconnected networks of computers and related ICT technologies.
Social networking is a phenomenon that has existed in human society and culture throughout time, without it social cohesion and activity could not take place, leading to group dynamics and co-ordination of activities necessary for human cultural and societal development, such as the development of technology and civilisation throughout history.
A social network is a series of human relationships as noted by the points of contact and level of interaction that these points of contact indicate. In the sphere of sociological analysis of society, looking and analysing social networks has emerged as a key school of study to explain social phenomenon. (Social Network. 2009)
The main aim of mentioning this, is that by understanding traditional and sociological approaches to analysing social networks, gives us insight into the recent phenomena of ITC technology based social networking services that have become popular on the internet. As opposed to seeing online social networking services and portals as distinct phenomenon we should consider that they are an extension of social networks and cultural interactions and human communication, utilising new human created technologies that have lead to new modes of communication and interaction.
However the fundamental need for human expression, communication and social interaction and forming meaningful relationships with others, underlies the phenomenon, and that these new technological forms have not given rise to this social phenomenon, but are merely another modality of human cultural expression and interaction and relationships.
What is key, however, is that at the core of online social network services is technological innovation. The explosion of networked ICT technologies since the late 1990s through till today, has seen the exponential development of hardware and software platforms to utilise the global network of ICTs.
A review of the development of online social networking shows the marked improvements as new technologies developed, on the one hand ICT hardware with increased bandwidth capacity on the networked side, and increased processing and memory (RAM) capabilities on server and client side computers, together with software developments that provided ever more sophisticated applications primarily in the realm of personnel computing.
Together with the rise of the Personal Computer (PCs), and accessibility through lowering costs of PCs and telecommunications, saw the popular uptake and embracing and utilisation of these new technologies. Later developments in mobile and wireless communication and laptop or notebook computing have also lead to the pervasive use in developed countries of the internet.
A review of the development of online social networking services shows that from the early days of global networked computers as the internet and world wide web developed, forms of social network services emerged, such as bulletin boards and Usenet groups. Developments in the 1990s saw more complex and sophisticated platforms emerge with a slight halt and collapse following the “dot-com bust”. Following this with MySpace launching in 2003, and the 2007 rise to prominence of Facebook as seen the most popular formats of online social networking emerge as we know them today. (Glaser, M. 29 August 2007)
We must also note the implementation of social network service technologies not only for the popular consumer individual user, but the use for business and organisation management and development.
A number of platforms have grown to provide companies and other organisations with useful tools to facilitate collaboration and co-ordination on multiple levels within the organisation, from collaboration in Project Teams, to Communities of Practice, and extension of integrated Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. Even Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platforms have been extended to include interactive collaborative applications that even go so far as to allow customers to provide input into new product development, and adjustments to organisational structure to respond better to service needs.
Resources such as Kluster.com provide open platforms and the application of social network service applications, for facilitating project collaboration, communication and co-ordination. (Kluster.com. 2008)
An interesting further development has been the integration with open source software technologies, allowing for a wider reach and easier implementation of social network services. Platforms such as Ning.com allow for custom social network portals to be developed enabling a greater range of themes, topics and niche user groups to interact as a collective using this online networked service. (Ning, Inc. 2009)
An example of this is the locally published interactive magazine based in Cape Town, South Africa, which utilises the Ning.com framework, called Pythagoras-TV, the brainchild of award winning South African architect Don Albert, touted as “the world's first and foremost intelligent, popular publishing platform in music, art, fashion, architecture, film, media and design.”, which is a members only online magazine designed for self-publishing, and other interactive social networking aspects to accommodate a diverse community of creative individuals from across the global village. (Pythagoras-TV – a creative universe. 2009)
4. Conclusion
Online social network services have emerged through a range of technological developments in networked ICTs, to provide new formats and platforms for human interaction and collaboration.
Technology has in the past often tried to achieve enhancement of human communication and socio-cultural interaction but has fallen short due to certain limitations. The technologies of today however seem to be having real significance in providing extension of more “naturalistic” social interactions, relationships and communication.
As opposed to just “consuming” internet media, or experiencing limited interactivity that dictated our experience, it now appears possible that we have the ability to create content, communicate and collaborate with our own experiences, and determine our own outcomes through the use of these technologies. But these are not just merely self publishing of static content, there is a dynamic interactive element that allows for a range of “conversations” ,commentary and collaboration.
Whether online social network services are the ultimate technologies in facilitating an extension of human interaction and communication is yet to be seen, what is certain is that it has lead to new socio-cultural expression, and made significant impact on society in this phase of history to warrant serious study and analysis.
The future trends and technological developments will need to be closely watched as new models develop, and with South Africa and the rest of Africa poised to experience a flood of new bandwidth capacity and potential for connection to the world wide web, it will be interesting to observe the impact on our local societies, as more people become exposed to online social networks.
5. Bibliography
A form of self-expression through music. 30 March 2009. IOL Technology. http://www.ioltechnology.co.za/article_page.php?iSectionId=2883&iArticleId=4913098 (Accessed 30 March 2009)
AFP. 25 March 2009. Facebook vows ‘improvements’ after user backlash. IOL Technology. http://www.ioltechnology.co.za/article_page.php?iSectionId=2883&iArticleId=4905797 (Accessed 27 March 2009)
Community of practice. 2009. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_of_practice (Accessed on 09 April 2009).
Glaser, M. 29 August 2007. Your Guide to Social Networking Online. MediaShift. http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2007/08/your-guide-to-social-networking-online241.html (Accessed 09 April 2009)
Kluster.com. 2008. http://www.kluster.com/ (Accessed on 09 April 2009)
Lemon, D. 25 March 2009. Goodbye CDs, goodbye iTunes. The Independent as published in IOL Technology. http://www.ioltechnology.co.za/article_page.php?iSectionId=2891&iArticleId=4905622 (Accessed 25 March 2009)
Ning, Inc. 2009. http://www.ning.com/ (Accessed 01 May 2009)
Pythagoras-TV – a creative universe. 2009. http://pythagoras-tv.com/ (Accessed 01 May 2009)
Sapa-dpa. 11 March 2009. Social networking beats emailing – poll. IOL Technology. http://www.ioltechnology.co.za/article_page.php?iSectionId=2883&iArticleId=4883195 (Accessed 26 March 2009)
Social Network. 2009. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_network (Accessed on 09 April 2009).
Social Network Service. 2009. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_networking_service (Accessed on 09 April 2009).
Tiffany. Kluster.com – Putting Social Networks to Work. Killerstartups.com. http://www.killerstartups.com/Social-Networking/kluster-com-putting-social-networks-to-work (Accessed on 09 April 2009).
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