Social Networks

This week on Monday’s session our case topic was the social networks. We were asked to make brain storming and discuss the following issues :

• What types of social networks are there?
• How are social networks structured?
• What type or roles and connections can people in a network have?
• What type of roles and connections you have? How do networks affect your Insight Project?
• What ways are there to leverage social networks?
• Are there any ways to quantify social network metrics?
• What does social capital mean?

Well, what can I say about them… Social networks are like oceans which accommodates thousands of creatures (people), environments (groups) and activities to keep survive like hunting (like socializing and becoming popular). There’s like a mutualist relationship between the social network site providers and the users. The providers make profit and the users use the ability to keep in touch with their friends, relatives, etc and have the chance contact with new people. In addition to that, some users can even make some money by creating applications for that web site, if there’s an API for that.

However, when talking about social networking sites, I think people should consider one very import thing: When they sign up to a site, usually they give most of the information about themselves without questioning the risks in that. More to that, those sites get even more information about you as you become an active user by participating activities, and so on. For instance, Facebook keeps every photo that you upload, information about your relatives, friends, relationship status, sex, religion… anything… Of course you can keep it strict by limiting the information that you give them from the beginning. On the other hand, the question at this point is that, if we really do need social networking sites or not. Isn’t it possible to just keep a phone book, or maybe something more fancy?

Well, maybe it was a bit pessimistic look through to the social networks, but it’s better to criticize these platforms from such angle instead of using them blindly.  or don’t know… maybe it’s better just to enjoy socializing for now =)

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