The Real Me: Problematic Concepts in Social Network Sites

Web – based social forms Sofia Gkiousou – Dec 07

The Expensive Question

October 2007Microsoft hands over $240 million to Facebook for a minority stake and the Exclusive Rights to sell advertising on a worldwide scale targetting Facebook’s 50 million members (and rising).

Why?

Targeted advertising utilising the online social network / social graph

Social Networks

Durkheim’s anomie Traditional relationships are dissolved – loss of social integration

Granovetter’s ties Strong and weak ties Open and closed networks

Traditional relationships and their boundaries might be further dissolving with the use of Social Network Sites (SNS)

Social Network Sites

““web-based services that allow individuals to (1)construct a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system, (2) articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection, and (3) view and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system.” (boyd & Ellison, 2007).

Are they really an extension of the social network?

Questions

Research Problems-Short lived subject matter makes research difficult. -Too much enthusiasm (remember the dot com bubble?)

Profile Construction -Who are you in real life? (Goffman’s dramaturgy concept) -Who are you online? (breakdown of the concept of the self - Debord)

Recent research indicates that if you’re a ‘dog’ offline you’re a ‘dog’ online as well. (boyd. 2001)

Questions The Greek Proverb “Show me your friends and I'll tell you who you are”

My boss, my boyfriend and my ex -Would you ever choose to have these people in the same room in Real Life? (a breakdown of boundaries)-Privacy issues/ data protection

Are you my friend? The socially awkward situation -of rejecting a connection request-of creating Top Friends -of judging people (or is it ‘just a bit of fun’?)

The Terry Pratchett principle Once you get past the gate everyone assumes that your presence has been cleared by management.