Social networking services focus on building online communities of people who share interests and/or activities, or who are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others. Most social network services are web-based and provide a variety of ways for users to interact, such as email and instant messaging services.
#25484
Blogging as Social Activity, or, Would You Let 900 Million People Read Your Diary? 
'Blogging' is a Web-based form of communication that is rapidly becoming mainstream. In this paper, we report the results of an ethnographic study of blogging, focusing on blogs written by individuals or small groups, with limited audiences. We discuss motivations for blogging, the quality of social interactivity that characterized the blogs we studied, and relationships to the blogger¡¯s audience. We consider the way bloggers related to the known audience of their personal social networks as well as the wider 'blogosphere' of unknown readers. We then make design recommendations for blogging software based on these findings.
Nardi, Bonnie A., Diane J. Schiano and Michelle Gumbrecht. Comcast (2003). Articles>Web Design>Blogging>Social Networking
#20284
Building a Virtual Community: A Case Study of Professional and Technical Communication
The Diploma of Professional and Technical Communication is an Internet-based course, developed and taught by Christchurch Polytechnic in conjunction with University of Western Sydney, Nepean. Developing a student community is essential in an effective learning environment. The diploma is designed to encourage online student participation with the aim of promoting a virtual community. Elements of effective online course design include clear learning outcomes, tutors who motivate, activities to encourage participation, and prompt feedback. The analysis of student online interpersonal communication showed a successful virtual community was in fact created.
Draper, Richard, Kathy Knight and Alison Sanders. STC Proceedings (1998). Articles>Education>Community Building>Social Networking
#20636
Building an Online Learning Community
We decided to explore alternative methods for incorporating discussion into a distance-learning course in an attempt to facilitate the sense of community found in more traditional classrooms. Our goal through this study was to uncover factors that enable and hinder discussion between students in online learning environments and to determine whether the level of class discussion leads to an increased sense of community.
McDowell, Mindi, Stephanie Trunzo and Kristin Vincent. Orange Journal, The (2003). Articles>Education>Community Building>Social Networking
#30256
Building Online Communities: Interview with Svi Ben-Elya about Elephant.org.il
In this podcast, I talk with Svi Ben-Elya about Elephant.org.il. Elephant is an online community he and others created to empower technical communicators in Israel (originally in the city of Yokneam) with relevant salary information to make them more market savvy when they negotiate jobs.
Ben-Elya, Svi and Tom H. Johnson. Tech Writer Voices (2007). Articles>Interviews>Community Building>Social Networking
#25659
Building Web-Based Scholarly Communication Forums
Scholarly communication is the root of scientific progress. Research on how to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the scholarly communication system is being carried out worldwide, particularly with respect to electronic journals which can and should be constructed as communication forums. Refereeing new contributions for these forums is a major means for their quality control and for the acceptance of the new media. We have implemented a web-based electronic refereeing system for an electronic journal (RIS - Review of Information Science) whose many value-added features are described in detail. Faster communication and enhanced interactivity between referees, editors and authors will be achieved by the use of this Web based electronic refereeing system. In order to ease access and browsing, articles already published will be integrated and managed in a database-based open hypertext system, in this case in KHS (Konstanz hypertext system). Finally, we describe the advantage of a real time communication system for authors, referees, editors and the domain-specific public. Further research will focus at improving the communicative features of this preliminary web-based communication forum and at evaluating it from a user point of view.
Kuhlen, Rainer and Zhongdong Zhang. ISRDP in Digital Libraries (1997). Articles>Research>Community Building>Social Networking
#31057
Designing Online Social Networks: The Theories of Social Groups
It's important to fully understand the theories of social groups before designing online social networks - find out all you need to know!
Halabi, Lisa. Webcredible (2008). Design>Web Design>Community Building>Social Networking
#31227
Technological changes keep happening, and every time a new phenomenon occurs, employers seem to react the same way. Questions that were asked about phones, e-mail, mobile phones and blogs in the workplace are now being asked about online social networks. Why do we keep repeating history? In my view, it’s because we can get so overwhelmed by the possibilities of the tools that we lose focus on the basic functions of communication and how these tools can help us with them.
Barbaro, Geoff. Communication World Bulletin (2008). Articles>Business Communication>Community Building>Social Networking
#31579
Friend or Foe? Web 2.0 in Technical Communication
The rise of Web 2.0 technology provides a platform for user-generated content. Publishing is no longer restricted to a few technical writers—any user can now contribute information. But the information coming from users tends to be highly specific, whereas technical documentation is comprehensive but less specific. The two types of information can coexist and improve the overall user experience. User-generated content also offers an opportunity for technical writers to participate as “curators”—by evaluating and organizing the information provided by end users.
O'Keefe, Sarah S. Scriptorium (2008). Articles>Web Design>Technical Writing>Social Networking
#20876
The IEEE PCS Virtual Community has been established to provide you with a more robust environment to facilitate your online collaborative efforts. Enhanced capabilities not featured in static web pages or email listservs include: calendar function; polling function; file sharing; enhanced search function; and im (chat).
#31490
Leading Your Company into the Wikis, Blogs, and Social Networks of Web 2.0
In this podcast, I talk with Alan Porter, vice president of Operations at WebWorks, about the Web 2.0 technologies they’re using to reach out to their customer base. In addition to using blogs, wikis, and social networks to connect with customers, WebWorks also uses wikis to facilitate communication and collaboration within their company.
Porter, Alan J. and Tom H. Johnson. Tech Writer Voices (2008). Articles>Interviews>Web Design>Social Networking
#31276
Leveraging Collaborative Environments
Meet Scott, age 28, with a Dunkin' Donuts cup costume, a web site, a MySpace page and an archive of compelling brand content that, by the way, happens to rank number four in a Google search for the brand name. Scott is among the legions of brand enthusiasts who are knocking down the walls of the traditional "us versus them" brand relationship, demanding to be let in and be a part of the brand experience.
Key, Rob. Communication World Bulletin (2007). Articles>Web Design>Collaboration>Social Networking
#31252
New Media Answers Old Questions for CEOs
How do you scare a CEO? Whisper the words "new media" and wait for the trembling to begin. But new media can also help CEOs address old issues in their role as chief communicators for their organizations.
Furiga, Paul. Communication World Bulletin (2007). Articles>Management>Business Communication>Social Networking
#31830
On a Scale of 1 to 5: Understanding Risk Improves Rating and Reputation Systems
Where would we be without rating and reputation systems these days? Take them away, and we wouldn’t know who to trust on eBay, what movies to pick on Netflix, or what books to buy on Amazon. Reputation systems (essentially a rating system for people) also help guide us through the labyrinth of individuals who make up our social web. Is he or she worthwhile to spend my time on? For pity’s sake, please don’t check out our reputation points before deciding whether to read this article.
Kirtland, Alex. Boxes and Arrows (2008). Articles>Web Design>User Experience>Social Networking
#31278
Ready for Life in Transparencyville?
Before you jump up and down about social media and the wonderfully transparent world it is creating, consider the consequences. There’s just no way to prevent those outside your walls from looking in. Leaky information, errant e-mails and inappropriate instant messages now have the capacity to become very, very public. If there's one lesson that communicators need to take away from the new social media, it's how to operate in a world of transparency.
Fernando, Angelo. Communication World Bulletin (2007). Articles>Web Design>Collaboration>Social Networking
#31583
Social Media 101: Now Everyone's a Technical Writer
Free and cheap tools (blogging software, cheap digital cameras) have made "many-to-many" communication possible. This is sometimes called the "rise of the creative class." People are shifting from being consumers to creators.
O'Keefe, Sarah S. Palimpsest (2008). Articles>Writing>Collaboration>Social Networking
#31271
Social Media Is Changing Everything
When Sun Microsystems CEO Jonathan Schwarz needs to communicate with the world, he doesn’t necessarily call a press conference, issue a press release, or even convene a webinar or videoconference. He blogs. His online diary gives him an unfiltered channel leading to the employees, customers, analysts and resellers who represent the first wave of perception formation regarding important company products and service initiatives. Sun is leading a transformation of the communication profession, as the Web transitions from an information repository to a platform of collaboration and community building.
Gronstedt, Anders. Communication World Bulletin (2007). Articles>Web Design>Community Building>Social Networking
#25494
Social Network Analysis on the Semantic Web: Techniques and Challenges for Visualizing FOAF
The Semantic Web promises to provide new applications for Internet users through the use of RDF metadata attached to various information resources on the web. Yet issomewhat unclear who will provide the metadata, or what will motivate people to provideit, let alone the exact nature of the applications the Semantic Web will ultimately support. What will the ¡°killer app¡± of the Semantic Web be, and what shape will it take?
Paolillo, John C. and Elijah Wright. (We)blog Research on Genre Project, The (2004). Articles>Information Design>Metadata>Social Networking
#31238
Social Networking for Business: Measuring the Results
The online world is abuzz with talk about social networking. With companies such as Facebook seemingly constantly in the news, 2007 has been the year that social networking took its first adolescent steps beyond being the sole purview of, well, adolescents, and started to become a tool that is getting noticed in the business world. But with all the hype out there about online social networking, how can organizations begin to better understand the tangible business impact of their forays into this area?
Carfi, Christopher. Communication World Bulletin (2007). Articles>Web Design>Community Building>Social Networking
#29675
Social Networks And Group Formation: Theoretical Concepts to Leverage
Understanding the formation, evolution and utilization of online social networks becomes important. While the Internet contributes to the information overload, it also provides useful tools to effectively manage ones social networks and through them gain access to the right pieces of information.
Singh, Shiv. Boxes and Arrows (2007). Articles>Web Design>Community Building>Social Networking
#29180
A rationale for joining as many social networking sites as possible, if you are a marketing professional.
Streight, Steven. Blogger.com (2007). Articles>Cyberculture>Marketing>Social Networking
#31740
Systems That Get Better the More People Use Them
In Publishing 2.0, Tim O'Reilly says Web 2.0 is 'any network effect that makes a system better the more people use it.' Web 2.0 isn’t just user-generated content; it’s harnessing the collective intelligence of your users to make your system better.
Johnson, Tom H. I'd Rather Be Writing (2008). Articles>Documentation>Web Design>Social Networking
#31240
Types of Social Media Measurement
Social media measurement sounds like an inherently good idea. Management likes numbers, and if we can measure it, we can manage it. So, all this new online activity should be easier to understand, once we measure it. There's only one problem: What does social media measurement mean? Like social media itself, it is an evolving term with multiple definitions based on the needs of different constituencies.
Gilliatt, Nathan. Communication World Bulletin (2007). Articles>Web Design>Community Building>Social Networking
#24924
Virtual Communities: Weaving the Human Web
Muses on the increasing importance of communities in the technical communication profession.
Quesenbery, Whitney. Intercom (2005). Articles>TC>Community Building>Social Networking
#31239
Web 2.0: The Medium is the Message, But What's the Result?
Let's face it: These are tough times to be a professional communicator. Our audiences have taken the reins of what is indisputably the dominating mass communication medium of our era: the Internet. Web 2.0, characterized by social media applications for peer-to-peer collaboration such as YouTube, MySpace and Wikipedia is challenging all of our basic assumptions as communication practitioners. The astonishing rise of social networking structures and content is in effect challenging the very existence of the traditional corporate communication function.
Kealey, Caroline. Communication World Bulletin (2007). Articles>Web Design>Community Building>Social Networking
#31277
Where in the World Is Second Life?
Like most corporations, computer maker Dell offers a pop-up list of countries and regions on its web site. But, look closely between Saudi Arabia and Senegal, and you'll find a country called "Second Life." Click on it and you'll find that it's not a country but a world—of the virtual kind.
Gronstedt, Anders. Communication World Bulletin (2007). Articles>Collaboration>Community Building>Social Networking
