Group items tagged

Probably the most important reading we will do in terms of "foundations" of social networks. Take your time with it and read it closely.

"Social network sites (SNSs) are increasingly attracting the attention of academic and industry researchers intrigued by their affordances and reach. This special theme section of the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication brings together scholarship on these emergent phenomena. In this introductory article, we describe features of SNSs and propose a comprehensive definition. We then present one perspective on the history of such sites, discussing key changes and developments. After briefly summarizing existing scholarship concerning SNSs, we discuss the articles in this special section and conclude with considerations for future research."

Opinion piece on the use of Facebook by faculty. Discusses concerns of privacy and granularity in use of FB by teachers. A bit naive in my opinion but does discuss the issues.

What types of news stories do consumers share and discuss the most? What issues do they have less interest in? What is the interplay of the various new media platforms? And how do their agendas compare with that of the mainstream press? To answer these questions, the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism has gathered a year of data on the top news stories discussed and linked to on blogs and social media pages and seven months' worth on Twitter. We also have analyzed a year of the most viewed news-related videos on YouTube. Several clear trends emerge.

History of Friendster and discussion of it as a business failure

Short essay from Caroline McCarthy about the "exhibitionism" of the generation of students just leaving and currently in college. Raises some good questions for discussion.

Interesting discussion of the differences between Facebook and Twitter, especially among 18-24 group.

discusses Facebook's use in organizing protests, when it works and when it doesn't.

"First we'll discuss four ways that small groups separated from a full river of news can help you use the social web more effectively. Then, for context, we'll briefly contrast this with the value of the full stream of information. Using both together is more useful than merely limiting the full stream to a manageably small group of sources on a given topic or of a certain priority."

discussion group for Friendfeed issues

Charlie Rose discusses Twitter and social media with Evan Williams.

"Clay Shirky visits Google's Mountain View, CA, headquarters to discuss his book, "Here Comes Everybody." This event took place on March 11, 2008, as part of the Authors@Google series."

Discussion of one website's comparison of group vs. page.

article by danah boyd on identity, social networks, and the mixed audience of social network interactions... this page also has an .mp3 audio of danah's discussion of the piece.

Discussion of writing styles when writing status messages.

Nothing surprising to me, but these are key discussion points about Facebook.

Review of The Social Network movie on Facebook in the Guardian (UK). Discusses the liberties taken by the authors.

Discussion of Ning's successes in the aftermath of the big changes in 2010.

Nice definition of the concept of graphs in the context of social networks. Also discusses some possible categories.

A Q&A discussion with Mark Zuckerberg and david Kirkpatrick on the history, technology, and cultural effects of Facebook. Nothing shocking but worth the time nonetheless.

The South Park guys skewer Facebook culture and pay tribute to the original Tron movie. Aside from being damn funny there's a lot of great discussion points in here.