Group items tagged

YouTube history, milestones, video statistics, top 10 channels (most subscribed).

History of Friendster and discussion of it as a business failure

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."

Nice timeline of history of the Web, 2000-2010. Good mix of items and some include audio links. Used in class.

Good, short history of YouTube from Ars Technica - circa 2010

Short history of social networks circa 2009 from the perspective of Gina Bianchi, co-founder of Ning.

"In a sweeping ruling with little precedent in the eight-year history of Wikipedia, the committee blocked editing from "all I.P. addresses owned or operated by the Church of Scientology and its associates, broadly interpreted." The ruling did allow users from those addresses to appeal to be reinstated on a case-by-case basis."

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.

Infographic with some nice nistory and demographics for social media students.

Recent Ted Talk from Clay Shirky presented at the Ted@State conference. Description from the site:\n\nWhile news from Iran streams to the world, Clay Shirky shows how Facebook, Twitter and TXTs help citizens in repressive regimes to report on real news, bypassing censors (however briefly). The end of top-down control of news is changing the nature of politics.

Good short overview of social networks by Mark Glaser - complement Boyd & Ellison article for class

Great essay from Shirky on newspapers and changes in culture.

A conversation with Marc Andreessen, co-founder and chairman of Ning and an investor in several startups including Digg, Plazes, and Twitter.

2010 profile of Zuck in New Yorker to coincide with opening of the Social Network movie.