social media is people media

Social media - a backgrounderSocial media - a backgrounder

How the convergence of the How the convergence of the media, telecoms and computer media, telecoms and computer industry has people at its heartindustry has people at its heart

Current examples of social Current examples of social media - blogs media - blogs

Current examples of social Current examples of social media - social networking media - social networking

sites sites

Current examples of social Current examples of social media - product rating media - product rating

Current examples of social Current examples of social media - forums media - forums

For some time now so-called For some time now so-called web 2.0 has intriguedweb 2.0 has intrigued

“The second internet gold rush is in full swing…

John Lanchester gets to grips with the virtual universe and Guardian writers interview the smartest and the

luckiest entrepreneurs who demolished the old internet and built a brand new one.”

Saturday Saturday GuardianGuardian of November 4 2006 of November 4 2006

The web revolutionaries - the men and women who reshaped the net

Screengrab: Guardian videoScreengrab: Guardian video

Is what’s happening new?Is what’s happening new?

Are the web 2.0 gurus really Are the web 2.0 gurus really smashingsmashing the old net and building the old net and building

a new one?a new one?

Let’s start by looking at what’s the Let’s start by looking at what’s the Gurus’ definition of web 2.0Gurus’ definition of web 2.0

Jimmy Wales - Definitions of web 2.0Jimmy Wales - Definitions of web 2.0

Jimmy Wales creator of user edited Web encyclopaedia Wikipedia:

Its about “Its about “bebeing open to public ing open to public participationparticipation”.”.

Evan Williams - Definitions of web 2.0

The creator of Blogger, Evan Williams reckons it’s

“…just the name for the wave of stuff that is

happening right now” In other words It’s hype!

Craig Newmark - Definitions of web 2.0

Craig Newmark and Jim Buckmaster creators of Craigslist

“…“…it’s being used as a it’s being used as a marketing termmarketing term more than more than anything else”. anything else”.

Kevin Rose - Definitions of web 2.0

Digg’s creator, Kevin Rose:

It’s about “the level of participation of the users.”

Here Rose is adding some user content Here Rose is adding some user content (UGC) to a fan’s wall… err.. chest(UGC) to a fan’s wall… err.. chest

Joshua Schachter - Definitions of web 2.0

Del.icio.us creator Joshua Schachter:

The difference was that it used to be the case The difference was that it used to be the case that to build a product on the web “that to build a product on the web “totook a lot ok a lot

of engineering time, a lot of hardware and of engineering time, a lot of hardware and expensive bandwidth. It took serious cash. expensive bandwidth. It took serious cash. Now a great deal of Now a great deal of what is necessary is what is necessary is

passionpassion.”.”So Web 2.0 = LOWER BARRIERS TO ENTRY!!

Picture - Scott Beale / Laughing Squid

Martin Stiksel - Definitions of web 2.0

LastFM’s Martin Stiksel reckons its

“…something to do with the participation of people”.

Dick Costello - Definitions of web 2.0

“It’s the philosophy that customers are in control.”

For him “the companies that provide the most tools and platforms for participating in the

ecosystem will be the most successful.”

Feedburners’ Dick Costello:

To the right looking glumTo the right looking glum

David Sifry - Definitions of web 2.0

And David Sifry from Technorati

“It’s a term that we use to talk about a new group of companies and a new group of ideas that

understand the internet as being full of people who are doing things at a given time.

PS: PS: RememberRemember this this oneone

Forrester - Definitions of web 2.0

““A social trend in which A social trend in which peoplepeople use use technologies to get the things they need from technologies to get the things they need from each other, rather than from from traditional each other, rather than from from traditional

institutions like corporations”institutions like corporations”

ForresterForrester Research’sResearch’s Josh BernoffJosh Bernoff has has coined a new phrase to describe the social coined a new phrase to describe the social

media phenomena.media phenomena.

“A Groundswell”

Picture: Jeremiah Owyang

Other - Definitions of web 2.0

““(It’s) - User generated content (UGC, often hyphenated), (It’s) - User generated content (UGC, often hyphenated), refers to various kinds of media content, publicly available, refers to various kinds of media content, publicly available,

that are produced by end-users.”that are produced by end-users.”

Wikipedia

So what is social media or web 2.0?We have three basic responses

It’s Hype!It’s Hype!

It’s It’s TechnologyTechnology It’sIt’s

ParticipationParticipation

Social media is not hype

Time MagazineTime Magazine

“Facebook more popular than porn”

Is Social Media technology?

Undoubted tech has Undoubted tech has enabledenabled Social Media Social Media

But Social Media But Social Media isn't a isn't a newnew phenomena phenomena

Social media was already at work in web 1.0

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/interactive/2008/apr/18/googlerevenue

Google was the undisputed winner of Web 1.0

In the UK - since 2003 - Google has overtaken Cinema, Billboard, Radio and now even National Newspaper’sshare of advertising…

Google’s rise in the UK

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/interactive/2008/apr/18/googlerevenue

Globally Google is now the highest valued media company

It made about $16 billion in 2007…

Still, TimeWarner, the world’s biggest media company in terms of revenue, made… $46.5 billion!$46.5 billion!

Let’s compare: How much money did the BT Group make in 2007?

This UK telecoms operator made about $41 billion in 2007, more than twice what Google made.

The world’s biggest telecoms Company, AT&T made

$119 billion!!

Of the 3 industries converging online…

(the media, computer and telecoms industries)

Telecoms was always playing in one league up from the other two…

Of the 3 industries converging into the net telecoms is the largest

Revenue in billions of USD

$0

$20,000

$40,000

$60,000

$80,000

$100,000

$120,000

$140,000

Google

Times Warner

DisneyNTT AT&T

VerizonBT GroupMicrosoft

Media companies

Telecoms companies

Computing companies

What’s my point??

Many people first thought telecoms would be used to broadcast information one way.

Then they thought it will be used primarily by business.

They were wrong.

What’s my point??

Boring telecoms companies are interactive & they connect people.

They have content (UGC at that) and - one to one - conversations.

These conversations are considered very valuable - people pay inordinate amounts to have them.

Telecoms is Social Media’s closest antecedent.Telecoms is Social Media’s closest antecedent.

The business of corporates giving us news & entertainment(broadcast, top down)

One to many

The business of conversations giving us news and entertainment

(Interactive, peer to peer, person to person)

The business of top down(One to many) is big…

Ad revenue global in millions

$0

$100

$200

$300

$400

$500

$600

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Ad revenue global inmillions

Source: PriceWaterhouseCoopers

The business of connecting & talking is bigger

Revenue Ads vs Telecoms in millions

$385$521

$2,000

$512

$0

$500

$1,000

$1,500

$2,000

$2,500

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Ad revenue global inmillions

Telecoms Global

Telecoms North America

Source: PWC & Gartner

And like telecoms the killer apps of web And like telecoms the killer apps of web 1.0 was social as well1.0 was social as well

Killer Killer Apps!Apps!Search?!Search?! Instant

Messaging

Email

Really? - Email and IM is about connecting and conversation, but is Search!??

The early World Wide WebThe early World Wide Web

Have any of you heard of -Have any of you heard of -

““Jerry’s guide to the World Wide Web”?Jerry’s guide to the World Wide Web”?

The early World Wide WebThe early World Wide Web

Jerry Yang tried to categorise the web in a directory Jerry Yang tried to categorise the web in a directory in April 2004in April 2004

The company that tried this became Yahoo!The company that tried this became Yahoo!

But the directory failed, the web was too But the directory failed, the web was too BIGBIG..

Wild Wild Web (site) growth chart

Source: Jacob Nielsen - useit.com

Jerry’s guide - April 1994 (1000 websites)

April 2006 Page & Brin starts working on the Google search engine (100,000 websites)

PS: This chart is logarithmic

Google launches (9 million sites)

Why is this significant?

Because this spectacular growth of spectacular growth of media channelsmedia channels was unlike the limited channels of print, radio or TV! And…

…the majority of sites were

amateuramateur! Eek!

The magna carta of the web

Do you know what this formula is?Do you know what this formula is?

PR(U) = (1-d) + d * PR(U) = (1-d) + d * sumV(PR(V)/N(V))sumV(PR(V)/N(V))

Painting: Liberty leading the people by Delacroix

It’s Google’s Pagerank formula

‘PageRank relies on the uniquely democratic nature of the web by using its vast link structure as an indicator of an individual page’s value.

In essence, Google interprets a link from page A to page B as a vote, by page A, for page B. But, Google looks at more than the sheer volume of votes, or links a page receives; it also analyzes the page that casts the vote. Votes cast by pages that are themselves “important” weigh more heavily and help to make other pages “Important”.’

Google

PagerankPagerank makes the Web a meritocracy

The result is that ordinary people and services and products with no brand power or marketing budgets can compete successfully for exposure with established brands in Google’s search results - provided…

…their web pages are considered good by other web pages!

This makes the web an attractive place for ambitious, This makes the web an attractive place for ambitious, creative and smart people! They know creative and smart people! They know they’ll get

noticed!

Google search is the foundation of social media.

So elements of social media has been So elements of social media has been with us for some timewith us for some time

But recent technology improvements like But recent technology improvements like AjaxAjax

lubricates the social wheels,lubricates the social wheels,

for instance it can make for instance it can make content ratingcontent rating easier easier

And other new tech like RSS and XML!

These really make the sharing and mixing These really make the sharing and mixing of information and data easy so of information and data easy so

conversations canconversations can

traveltravel

Thanks to XMLI can send a Flickr pic to my blog with

the click of a button

And I can follow conversations on Forums and Blogs in my RSS newsreader

So everyday So everyday humanhuman behaviour and behaviour and needs have found a home in improving needs have found a home in improving

online technologyonline technology

What kind of human behaviour?What kind of human behaviour?

Self promotion (Altruism?)Self promotion (Altruism?)

Being socialBeing social

Self actualisation (Identity formation)Self actualisation (Identity formation)

And connecting (Networking)And connecting (Networking)

Self promotion (altruism)Self promotion (altruism)

Often altruism is Often altruism is the flip side of the flip side of self promotionself promotion

Sharing stuffSharing stuff for free is a good for free is a good way to promote way to promote yourself!yourself!

This 18 year old - Alex - has 30,000 followers on YouTube

This is UGC!This is UGC!

Being socialBeing social

Playing, Playing, making making friendships, friendships, talking.talking. It can be serious like where Tony and Bono discuss poverty over a beer. But its personal & authentic.

Self actualisation and Self actualisation and IdentityIdentity

formationformation

You can find You can find your voice your voice onlineonline

You can You can express express youryourself self

MySpace and MySpace and blogs are very blogs are very good for this…good for this…

Connecting or NetworkingConnecting or Networking

finding a client or a finding a client or a business partnerbusiness partner……

Like Like meetingmeeting like minded like minded people, people, staying in touchstaying in touch, , findingfinding a lover… a lover…

&&

Let me illustrate by…Let me illustrate by…

……showing how these needs are met to showing how these needs are met to various degrees in well known web sitesvarious degrees in well known web sites

Second LifeSecond Life

Just by being on SL you are Just by being on SL you are user generated user generated content.content. You are You are sharingsharing..

It’s a It’s a very socialvery social space, playful. space, playful.

Users of SL tend not to use their own identity, but a Users of SL tend not to use their own identity, but a elaborateelaborate fictionalfictional one. one.

There’s There’s not much by way of networkingnot much by way of networking functionality. You don’t have a contact or friend list functionality. You don’t have a contact or friend list

for example.for example.

MySpaceMySpace

MySpace is ideal for bands or artists to MySpace is ideal for bands or artists to promotepromote themselves. It’s full of UGC!themselves. It’s full of UGC!

It’s It’s very socialvery social..

Real Real identitiesidentities not that important, not that important,

but pages very customizable - you but pages very customizable - you

can create one can create one

Good networking functionalityGood networking functionality - Anybody can see - Anybody can see who your ‘friends’ are, and some users have who your ‘friends’ are, and some users have

thousands of them.thousands of them.

FacebookFacebook

Just by being on the site Just by being on the site a user’s actions a user’s actions generates content.generates content.

It’s a It’s a very socialvery social site site

Real identitiesReal identities are are veryvery veryvery important. important.

Excellent NetworkingExcellent Networking functionality aimed at functionality aimed at keeping you in touch with real world friends. keeping you in touch with real world friends.

““You can’t create communities, you can just find them”You can’t create communities, you can just find them” - - Mark Mark ZuckerbergZuckerberg

Facebook - Reuters of humanity? Facebook - Reuters of humanity?

I I digressdigress but… but…

Do you remember David Silfry’s Do you remember David Silfry’s definition of web 2.0?definition of web 2.0?

FacebookFacebook took his definition to heart took his definition to heart

Facebook’s Personal news feed of what Facebook’s Personal news feed of what your Friends are doing is a great your Friends are doing is a great implementation of this definition.implementation of this definition.

““It’s the wisdom of your crowd” It’s the wisdom of your crowd” Jeff Jarvis - Media professorJeff Jarvis - Media professor

““It’s the Reuter’s of inanity” It’s the Reuter’s of inanity”

Sam Leith - Daily TelegraphSam Leith - Daily Telegraph

LinkedIn

It has some user created content like the Question and Answers section. Users can show how smart they are by answering.

There’s little functionality that encourages socialising on LinkedIn (No poking!).

Users real identities are crucial, but they are stripped of any depth. It’s a corporate identity.

Networking is aimed at connecting with valuable business partners or clients, often with people you don’t know.

“We focus on a few but high value moments” Reid Hoffman, LinkedIn’s founder.

We had 3 responses to the question ‘what is web 2.0?’

It’s Hype!It’s Hype!

It’s It’s TechnologyTechnology It’sIt’s

ParticipationParticipation

But the correct answer is obvious. It’s media and technology for & by

PEOPLEPEOPLE

People media

WeWe can express ourselves can express ourselves

What are key characteristics of people media?

It revolves around people, connecting, self expression,

interactive, self actualisation, open, free, flat, sharing,

recognition, altruism, communicating, talking,

authorship, authentic, reputation, meritocracy, reputations

Tom Anderson founder of MySpace

““Andy Warhol said everybody is famous for 15 minutes. Andy Warhol said everybody is famous for 15 minutes. Social Networking changed that to everyone is famous Social Networking changed that to everyone is famous for 15 people. for 15 people.

If you have a million friends, your broadcasting. You’re If you have a million friends, your broadcasting. You’re an entertainer”an entertainer”

THE ENDTHE END

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