Social Network Sites: Definition, History, and Scholarship

Highlighted by greenbes

Currently, there are no reliable data regarding how many people use SNSs, although marketing research indicates that SNSs are growing in popularity worldwide (comScore, 2007). This growth has prompted many corporations to invest time and money in creating, purchasing, promoting, and advertising SNSs. At the same time, other companies are blocking their employees from accessing the sites. Additionally, the U.S. military banned soldiers from accessing MySpace (Frosch, 2007) and the Canadian government prohibited employees from Facebook (Benzie, 2007), while the U.S. Congress has proposed legislation to ban youth from accessing SNSs in schools and libraries (H.R. 5319, 2006; S. 49, 2007). The rise of SNSs indicates a shift in the organization of online communities. While websites dedicated to communities of interest still exist and prosper, SNSs are primarily organized around people, not interests. Early public online communities such as Usenet and public discussion forums were structured by topics or according to topical hierarchies, but social network sites are structured as personal (or "egocentric") networks, with the individual at the center of their own community. This more accurately mirrors unmediated social structures, where "the world is composed of networks, not groups" (Wellman, 1988, p. 37). The introduction of SNS features has introduced a new organizational framework for online communities, and with it, a vibrant new research context.

Highlighted by piggex

Currently, there are no reliable data regarding how many people use SNSs, although marketing research indicates that SNSs are growing in popularity worldwide (comScore, 2007). This growth has prompted many corporations to invest time and money in creating, purchasing, promoting, and advertising SNSs. At the same time, other companies are blocking their employees from accessing the sites. Additionally, the U.S. military banned soldiers from accessing MySpace (Frosch, 2007) and the Canadian government prohibited employees from Facebook (Benzie, 2007), while the U.S. Congress has proposed legislation to ban youth from accessing SNSs in schools and libraries (H.R. 5319, 2006; S. 49, 2007). The rise of SNSs indicates a shift in the organization of online communities. While websites dedicated to communities of interest still exist and prosper, SNSs are primarily organized around people, not interests. Early public online communities such as Usenet and public discussion forums were structured by topics or according to topical hierarchies, but social network sites are structured as personal (or "egocentric") networks, with the individual at the center of their own community. This more accurately mirrors unmediated social structures, where "the world is composed of networks, not groups" (Wellman, 1988, p. 37). The introduction of SNS features has introduced a new organizational framework for online communities, and with it, a vibrant new research context.

Highlighted by piggex

boyd, d. m., & Ellison, N. B. (2007)

Highlighted by zzkkem

Social Network Sites: Definition, History, and Scholarship

Highlighted by violetshadow

boyd, d. m., & Ellison, N. B. (2007). Social network sites: Definition, history, and scholarship. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 13(1), article 11. http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol13/issue1/boyd.ellison.html

Highlighted by tedperl

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.

Highlighted by jprsantos

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.

Highlighted by niclarson

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.

Highlighted by bonnieb

Social network sites (SNSs) are increasingly attracting the attention of academic and industry

Highlighted by sarahurley

we describe features of SNSs and propose a comprehensive definition

Highlighted by zzkkem

In this introductory article, we describe features of SNSs and propose a comprehensive definition.

Highlighted by jlpaluch

MySpace, Facebook, Cyworld, and Bebo

Highlighted by jlpaluch

there are hundreds of SNSs, with various technological affordances, supporting a wide range of interests and practices. While their key technological features are fairly consistent

Highlighted by jlpaluch

Most sites support the maintenance of pre-existing social networks, but others help strangers connect based on shared interests, political views, or activities. Some sites cater to diverse audiences, while others attract people based on common language or shared racial, sexual, religious, or nationality-based identities. Sites also vary in the extent to which they incorporate new information and communication tools, such as mobile connectivity, blogging, and photo/video-sharing.

Highlighted by alexpopescu

Most sites support the maintenance of pre-existing social networks, but others help strangers connect based on shared interests, political views, or activities

Highlighted by jlpaluch

(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.

Highlighted by alexpopescu

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.

Highlighted by websocial

We define social network sites as 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.

Highlighted by apalme2003

We define social network sites as 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. The nature and nomenclature of these connections may vary from site to site.

Highlighted by kspangl1

We define social network sites as 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. The nature and nomenclature of these connections may vary from site to site.

Highlighted by forestfortrees

We define social network sites as 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.

Highlighted by troythetechguy

We define social network sites as 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.

Highlighted by jlpaluch

We define social network sites as 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. The nature and nomenclature of these connections may vary from site to site.

Highlighted by jilltxt

"Networking" emphasizes relationship initiation, often between strangers. While networking is possible on these sites, it is not the primary practice on many of them, nor is it what differentiates them from other forms of computer-mediated communication (CMC).

Highlighted by forestfortrees

While networking is possible on these sites, it is not the primary practice on many of them

Highlighted by jlpaluch

computer-mediated communication (CMC)

Highlighted by sarahurley

hat makes social network sites unique is not that they allow individuals to meet strangers, but rather that they enable users to articulate and make visible their social networks. This can result in connections between individuals that would not otherwise be made, but that is often not the goal, and these meetings are frequently between "latent ties" (Haythornthwaite, 2005) who share some offline connection. On many of the large SNSs, participants are not necessarily "networking" or looking to meet new people; instead, they are primarily communicating with people who are already a part of their extended social network. To emphasize this articulated social network as a critical organizing feature of these sites, we label them "socia

Highlighted by helenp

they allow individuals to meet strangers, but rather that they enable users to articulate and make visible their social networks.

Highlighted by apalme2003

What makes social network sites unique is not that they allow individuals to meet strangers, but rather that they enable users to articulate and make visible their social networks.

Highlighted by troythetechguy

they enable users to articulate and make visible their social networks

Highlighted by mehettable

On many of the large SNSs, participants are not necessarily "networking" or looking to meet new people; instead, they are primarily communicating with people who are already a part of their extended social network.

Highlighted by jlpaluch

they are primarily communicating with people who are already a part of their extended social network

Highlighted by forestfortrees

While SNSs have implemented a wide variety of technical features, their backbone consists of visible profiles that display an articulated list of Friends¹ who are also users of the system.

Highlighted by mehettable

While SNSs have implemented a wide variety of technical features, their backbone consists of visible profiles that display an articulated list of Friends¹ who are also users of the system. Profiles are unique pages where one can "type oneself into being"

Highlighted by psychosis

on 2009-05-25 by psychosis

Interesting idea...

on 2009-07-07 by jlpaluch

Interesting because that doesn't seem to be what's emphasized by the design of most profile pages.

Profiles are unique pages where one can "type oneself into being" (Sundén, 2003, p. 3)

Highlighted by jilltxt

After joining a social network site, users are prompted to identify others in the system with whom they have a relationship. The label for these relationships differs depending on the site—popular terms include "Friends," "Contacts," and "Fans.

Highlighted by troythetechguy

Structural variations around visibility and access are one of the primary ways that SNSs differentiate themselves from each other.

Highlighted by akochan

Structural variations around visibility and access are one of the primary ways that SNSs differentiate themselves from each other.

Highlighted by mehettable

Structural variations around visibility and access are one of the primary ways that SNSs differentiate themselves from each other.

Highlighted by troythetechguy

Structural variations around visibility and access are one of the primary ways that SNSs differentiate themselves from each other

Highlighted by jlpaluch

The term "Friends" can be misleading, because the connection does not necessarily mean friendship in the everyday vernacular sense, and the reasons people connect are varied (boyd, 2006a).

Highlighted by tunabananas

Most SNSs also provide a mechanism for users to leave messages on their Friends' profiles.

Highlighted by troythetechguy

The public display of connections is a crucial component of SNSs. The Friends list contains links to each Friend's profile, enabling viewers to traverse the network graph by clicking through the Friends lists.

Highlighted by alexpopescu

Most SNSs also provide a mechanism for users to leave messages on their Friends' profiles

Highlighted by jlpaluch

Not all social network sites began as such.

Highlighted by jilltxt

Orkut, for example, was launched in the United States with an English-only interface, but Portuguese-speaking Brazilians quickly became the dominant user group (Kopytoff, 2004).

Highlighted by troythetechguy

Some sites are designed with specific ethnic, religious, sexual orientation, political, or other identity-driven categories in mind. There are even SNSs for dogs (Dogster) and cats (Catster), although their owners must manage their profiles.

Highlighted by troythetechguy

Beyond profiles, Friends, comments, and private messaging, SNSs vary greatly in their features and user base.

Highlighted by alexpopescu

Some have photo-sharing or video-sharing capabilities; others have built-in blogging and instant messaging technology.

Highlighted by alexpopescu

SNSs vary greatly in their features and user base

Highlighted by mehettable

Beyond profiles, Friends, comments, and private messaging, SNSs vary greatly in their features and user base

Highlighted by jlpaluch

While SNSs are often designed to be widely accessible, many attract homogeneous populations initially, so it is not uncommon to find groups using sites to segregate themselves by nationality, age, educational level, or other factors that typically segment society (Hargittai, this issue), even if that was not the intention of the designers.

Highlighted by troythetechguy

Many SNSs target people from specific geographical regions or linguistic groups

Highlighted by alexpopescu

Some sites are designed with specific ethnic, religious, sexual orientation, political, or other identity-driven categories in mind.

Highlighted by alexpopescu

According to the definition above, the first recognizable social network site launched in 1997. SixDegrees.com allowed users to create profiles, list their Friends and, beginning in 1998, surf the Friends lists.

Highlighted by troythetechguy

segregate themselves by nationality, age, educational level, or other factors that typically segment society (Hargittai, this issue),

Highlighted by zzkkem

While SNSs are often designed to be widely accessible, many attract homogeneous populations initially, so it is not uncommon to find groups using sites to segregate themselves by nationality, age, educational level, or other factors that typically segment society

Highlighted by tunabananas

it is not uncommon to find groups using sites to segregate themselves by nationality, age, educational level

Highlighted by jlpaluch

it is not uncommon to find groups using sites to segregate themselves by nationality, age, educational level, or other factors that typically segment society

Highlighted by jilltxt

SixDegrees was the first to combine these features.

Highlighted by troythetechguy

While SixDegrees attracted millions of users, it failed to become a sustainable business and, in 2000, the service closed

Highlighted by troythetechguy

SixDegrees was simply ahead of its time

Highlighted by troythetechguy

According to the definition above, the first recognizable social network site launched in 1997. SixDegrees.com allowed users to create profiles, list their Friends and, beginning in 1998, surf the Friends lists. Each of these features existed in some form before SixDegrees, of course. Profiles existed on most major dating sites and many community sites.

Highlighted by kspangl1

the first recognizable social network site launched in 1997

Highlighted by mehettable

According to the definition above, the first recognizable social network site launched in 1997. SixDegrees.com

Highlighted by jlpaluch

the first recognizable social network site launched in 1997

Highlighted by jilltxt

SixDegrees.com allowed users to create profiles, list their Friends and, beginning in 1998, surf the Friends lists

Highlighted by jilltxt

AsianAvenue, BlackPlanet, and MiGente

Highlighted by troythetechguy

SixDegrees promoted itself as a tool to help people connect with and send messages to others.

Highlighted by alexpopescu

LiveJournal listed

Highlighted by troythetechguy

Korean virtual worlds site Cyworld

Highlighted by troythetechguy

Swedish web community LunarStorm

Highlighted by troythetechguy

most did not have extended networks of friends who were online. Early adopters complained that there was little to do after accepting Friend requests

Highlighted by jilltxt

Ryze.com was launched in 2001

Highlighted by troythetechguy

and most users were not interested in meeting strangers.

Highlighted by jlpaluch

the people behind Ryze, Tribe.net, LinkedIn, and Friendster were tightly entwined personally and professionally

Highlighted by troythetechguy

and Friendster became the most significant, if only as "one of the biggest disappointments in Internet history" (Chafkin, 2007, p. 1).

Highlighted by jlpaluch

Figure 1. Distribution of work task interruption

Highlighted by neuromancien

Figure 1. Timeline of the launch dates of many major SNSs and dates when community sites re-launched with SNS features

Highlighted by troythetechguy

Friendster launched in 2002 as a social complement to Ryze

Highlighted by troythetechguy

Friendster was designed to help friends-of-friends meet, based on the assumption that friends-of-friends would make better romantic partners than would strangers (J. Abrams, personal communication, March 27, 2003).

Highlighted by troythetechguy

Friendster gained traction among three groups of early adopters who shaped the site—bloggers, attendees of the Burning Man arts festival, and gay men (boyd, 2004)

Highlighted by troythetechguy

Figure 1. Timeline of the launch dates of many major SNSs and dates when community sites re-launched with SNS features

Highlighted by kspangl1

As Friendster's popularity surged, the site encountered technical and social difficulties (boyd, 2006b). Friendster's servers and databases were ill-equipped to handle its rapid growth, and the site faltered regularly, frustrating users who replaced email with Friendster

Highlighted by troythetechguy

Highlighted by alexpopescu

While most dating sites focused on introducing people to strangers with similar interests, Friendster was designed to help friends-of-friends meet, based on the assumption that friends-of-friends would make better romantic partners than would strangers (J. Abrams, personal communication, March 27, 2003)

Highlighted by jlpaluch

and a rupture of trust between users and the site

Highlighted by troythetechguy

Because organic growth had been critical to creating a coherent community, the onslaught of new users who learned about the site from media coverage upset the cultural balance

Highlighted by jlpaluch

From 2003 onward, many new SNSs were launched, prompting social software analyst Clay Shirky (2003) to coin the term YASNS: "Yet Another Social Networking Service.

Highlighted by troythetechguy

LinkedIn, Visible Path, and Xing (formerly openBC) focus on business people.

Highlighted by troythetechguy

"Passion-centric" SNSs like Dogster

Highlighted by troythetechguy

Couchsurfing connects travelers to people with couches

Highlighted by troythetechguy

MyChurch joins Christian churches and their members

Highlighted by troythetechguy

Care2 helps activists meet,

Highlighted by troythetechguy

as the social media and user-generated content phenomena grew, websites focused on media sharing began implementing SNS features and becoming SNSs themselves. Examples include Flickr (photo sharing), Last.FM (music listening habits), and YouTube (video sharing).

Highlighted by troythetechguy

Google's Orkut

Highlighted by troythetechguy

Microsoft's Windows Live Spaces (a.k.a. MSN Spaces)

Highlighted by troythetechguy

Most took the form of profile-centric sites, trying to replicate the early success of Friendster or target specific demographics.

Highlighted by alexpopescu

MySpace was begun in 2003 to compete with sites like Friendster, Xanga, and AsianAvenue, according to co-founder Tom Anderson (personal communication, August 2, 2007); the founders wanted to attract estranged Friendster users (T. Anderson, personal communication, February 2, 2006)

Highlighted by troythetechguy

"Passion-centric" SNSs like Dogster (T. Rheingold, personal communication, August 2, 2007) help strangers connect based on shared interests.

Highlighted by alexpopescu

Most took the form of profile-centric sites

Highlighted by mehettable

social media and user-generated content phenomena grew, websites focused on media sharing began implementing SNS features and becoming SNSs themselves

Highlighted by alexpopescu

"Passion-centric" SNSs like Dogster (T. Rheingold, personal communication, August 2, 2007) help strangers connect based on shared interests

Highlighted by jilltxt

Furthermore, as the social media and user-generated content phenomena grew, websites focused on media sharing began implementing SNS features and becoming SNSs themselves.

Highlighted by tunabananas

urthermore, as the social media and user-generated content phenomena grew, websites focused on media sharing began implementing SNS features and becoming SNSs themselves. Examples include Flickr (photo sharing), Last.FM (music listening habits), and YouTube (video sharing).

Highlighted by vlhannon

Furthermore, as the social media and user-generated content phenomena grew, websites focused on media sharing began implementing SNS features and becoming SNSs themselves. Examples include Flickr (photo sharing), Last.FM (music listening habits), and YouTube (video sharing).

Highlighted by jlpaluch

MySpace was begun in 2003 to compete with sites like Friendster, Xanga, and AsianAvenue, according to co-founder Tom Anderson (personal communication, August 2, 2007); the founders wanted to attract estranged Friendster users

Highlighted by vlhannon

MySpace changed its user policy to allow minors. As the site grew, three distinct populations began to form: musicians/artists, teenagers, and the post-college urban social crowd.

Highlighted by troythetechguy

MySpace was able to grow rapidly by capitalizing on Friendster's alienation of its early adopters. One particularly notable group that encouraged others to switch were indie-rock bands who were expelled from Friendster for failing to comply with profile regulations.

Highlighted by vlhannon

July 2005, News Corporation purchased MySpace for $580 million

Highlighted by troythetechguy

Bands were not the sole source of MySpace growth, but the symbiotic relationship between bands and fans helped MySpace expand beyond former Friendster users. The bands-and-fans dynamic was mutually beneficial: Bands wanted to be able to contact fans, while fans desired attention from their favorite bands and used Friend connections to signal identity and affiliation.

Highlighted by vlhannon

Bands wanted to be able to contact fans, while fans desired attention from their favorite bands and used Friend connections to signal identity and affiliation.

Highlighted by tunabananas

MySpace differentiated itself by regularly adding features based on user demand (boyd, 2006b) and by allowing users to personalize their pages.

Highlighted by jilltxt

Teenagers began joining MySpace en masse in 2004. Unlike older users, most teens were never on Friendster—some joined because they wanted to connect with their favorite bands; others were introduced to the site through older family members. As teens began signing up, they encouraged their friends to join. Rather than rejecting underage users, MySpace changed its user policy to allow minors. As the site grew, three distinct populations began to form: musicians/artists, teenagers, and the post-college urban social crowd. By and large, the latter two groups did not interact with one another except through bands. Because of the lack of mainstream press coverage during 2004, few others noticed the site's growing popularity.

Highlighted by vlhannon

Teenagers began joining MySpace en masse in 2004

Highlighted by jilltxt

MySpace changed its user policy to allow minors

Highlighted by jilltxt

three distinct populations

Highlighted by jilltxt

Then, in July 2005, News Corporation purchased MySpace for $580 million (BBC, 2005), attracting massive media attention. Afterwards, safety issues plagued MySpace.

Highlighted by jlpaluch

While MySpace attracted the majority of media attention in the U.S. and abroad, SNSs were proliferating and growing in popularity worldwide. Friendster gained traction in the Pacific Islands, Orkut became the premier SNS in Brazil before growing rapidly in India (Madhavan, 2007), Mixi attained widespread adoption in Japan, LunarStorm took off in Sweden, Dutch users embraced Hyves, Grono captured Poland, Hi5 was adopted in smaller countries in Latin America, South America, and Europe, and Bebo became very popular in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Australia. Additionally, previously popular communication and community services began implementing SNS features. The Chinese QQ instant messaging service instantly became the largest SNS worldwide when it added profiles and made friends visible (McLeod, 2006), while the forum tool Cyworld cornered the Korean market by introducing homepages and buddies (Ewers, 2006).

Highlighted by alexpopescu

although research suggests that the concerns were exaggerated.²

Highlighted by jlpaluch

Blogging services with complete SNS features also became popular. In the U.S., blogging tools with SNS features, such as Xanga, LiveJournal, and Vox, attracted broad audiences.

Highlighted by vlhannon

other SNSs launched to support niche demographics before expanding to a broader audience.

Highlighted by alexpopescu

Blogging services with complete SNS features also became popular. In the U.S., blogging tools with SNS features, such as Xanga, LiveJournal, and Vox, attracted broad audiences

Highlighted by jlpaluch

Mexico, Italy, and Spain. Although SNSs like QQ, Orkut, and Live Spaces are just as large as, if not larger than, MySpace, they receive little coverage in U.S. and English-speaking media, making it difficult to track their trajectories.

Highlighted by kamccollum

Although SNSs like QQ, Orkut, and Live Spaces are just as large as, if not larger than, MySpace, they receive little coverage in U.S. and English-speaking media, making it difficult to track their trajectories.

Highlighted by vlhannon

Unlike previous SNSs, Facebook was designed to support distinct college networks only.

Highlighted by mehettable

Unlike previous SNSs, Facebook was designed to support distinct college networks only.

Highlighted by jlpaluch

The change to open signup did not mean that new users could easily access users in closed networks—gaining access to corporate networks still required the appropriate .com address, while gaining access to high school networks required administrator approval. (As of this writing, only membership in regional networks requires no permission.) Unlike other SNSs, Facebook users are unable to make their full profiles public to all users. Another feature that differentiates Facebook is the ability for outside developers to build "Applications" which allow users to personalize their profiles and perform other tasks, such as compare movie preferences and chart travel histories.

Highlighted by vlhannon

Unlike other SNSs, Facebook users are unable to make their full profiles public to all users

Highlighted by jlpaluch

Some, like aSmallWorld and BeautifulPeople, intentionally restrict access to appear selective and elite. Others—activity-centered sites like Couchsurfing, identity-driven sites like BlackPlanet, and affiliation-focused sites like MyChurch—are limited by their target demographic and thus tend to be smaller.

Highlighted by vlhannon

Finally, anyone who wishes to create a niche social network site can do so on Ning, a platform and hosting service that encourages users to create their own SNSs.

Highlighted by jlpaluch

Currently, there are no reliable data regarding how many people use SNSs, although marketing research indicates that SNSs are growing in popularity worldwide (comScore, 2007). This growth has prompted many corporations to invest time and money in creating, purchasing, promoting, and advertising SNSs. At the same time, other companies are blocking their employees from accessing the sites. Additionally, the U.S. military banned soldiers from accessing MySpace (Frosch, 2007) and the Canadian government prohibited employees from Facebook (Benzie, 2007), while the U.S. Congress has proposed legislation to ban youth from accessing SNSs in schools and libraries (H.R. 5319, 2006; S. 49, 2007).

Highlighted by helenp

The rise of SNSs indicates a shift in the organization of online communities. While websites dedicated to communities of interest still exist and prosper, SNSs are primarily organized around people, not interests. Early public online communities such as Usenet and public discussion forums were structured by topics or according to topical hierarchies, but social network sites are structured as personal (or "egocentric") networks, with the individual at the center of their own community. This more accurately mirrors unmediated social structures, where "the world is composed of networks, not groups"

Highlighted by alexpopescu

Highlighted by kamccollum

The rise of SNSs indicates a shift in the organization of online communities. While websites dedicated to communities of interest still exist and prosper, SNSs are primarily organized around people, not interest

Highlighted by vlhannon

a shift in the organization of online communities

Highlighted by mehettable

primarily organized around people, not interests

Highlighted by mehettable

impression management, self-presentation, and friendship performance.

Highlighted by zzkkem

To date, the bulk of SNS research has focused on impression management and friendship performance, networks and network structure, online/offline connections, and privacy issues

Highlighted by zzkkem

To date, the bulk of SNS research has focused on impression management and friendship performance, networks and network structure, online/offline connections, and privacy issues.

Highlighted by kamccollum

To date, the bulk of SNS research has focused on impression management and friendship performance, networks and network structure, online/offline connections, and privacy issues.

Highlighted by jlpaluch

Like other online contexts in which individuals are consciously able to construct an online representation of self—such as online dating profiles and MUDS—SNSs constitute an important research context for scholars investigating processes of impression management, self-presentation, and friendship performance.

Highlighted by jblue62

impression management, self-presentation, and friendship performanc

Highlighted by apalme2003

Impression management is one of the reasons given by Friendster users for choosing particular friends (Donath & boyd, 2004)

Highlighted by jlpaluch

on 2009-07-07 by jlpaluch

Impression (persona) management is an increasingly important skill for students to master earlier in their lives.

"Friends" on SNSs are not the same as "friends" in the everyday sense; instead, Friends provide context by offering users an imagined audience to guide behavioral norms.

Highlighted by mehettable

instead, Friends provide context by offering users an imagined audience to guide behavioral norms

Highlighted by benjamin

Lampe, Ellison, and Steinfield (2007) explored the relationship between profile elements and number of Facebook friends, finding that profile fields that reduce transaction costs and are harder to falsify are most likely to be associated with larger number of friendship links.

Highlighted by jlpaluch

inding that profile fields that reduce transaction costs and are harder to falsify are most likely to be associated with larger number of friendship links. These kinds of data also lend themselves well to analysis through network visualization

Highlighted by kamccollum

there are passive members, inviters, and linkers "who fully participate in the social evolution of the network"

Highlighted by mehettable

passive members, inviters, and linkers "who fully participate in the social evolution of the network"

Highlighted by kamccollum

Although exceptions exist, the available research suggests that most SNSs primarily support pre-existing social relations.

Highlighted by alexpopescu

These relationships may be weak ties, but typically there is some common offline element among individuals who friend one another, such as a shared class at school. This is one of the chief dimensions that differentiate SNSs from earlier forms of public CMC such as newsgroups

Highlighted by alexpopescu

Finally, Liu, Maes, and Davenport (2006) argued that Friend connections are not the only network structure worth investigating. They examined the ways in which the performance of tastes (favorite music, books, film, etc.) constitutes an alternate network structure, which they call a "taste fabric."

Highlighted by kamccollum

Although exceptions exist, the available research suggests that most SNSs primarily support pre-existing social relations.

Highlighted by jblue62

SNSs primarily support pre-existing social relations

Highlighted by apalme2003

most SNSs primarily support pre-existing social relations.

Highlighted by mehettable

Although exceptions exist, the available research suggests that most SNSs primarily support pre-existing social relations

Highlighted by jlpaluch

These relationships may be weak ties, but typically there is some common offline element among individuals who friend one another, such as a shared class at school.

Highlighted by jlpaluch

For instance, Lampe, Ellison, and Steinfield (2006) found that Facebook users engage in "searching" for people with whom they have an offline connection more than they "browse" for complete strangers to meet

Highlighted by jlpaluch

Likewise, Pew research found that 91% of U.S. teens who use SNSs do so to connect with friends

Highlighted by kamccollum

Likewise, Pew research found that 91% of U.S. teens who use SNSs do so to connect with friends (Lenhart & Madden, 2007).

Highlighted by jlpaluch

Highlighted by kamccollum

she argues that SNSs are "networked publics" that support sociability, just as unmediated public spaces do.

Highlighted by mehettable

Popular press coverage of SNSs has emphasized potential privacy concerns, primarily concerning the safety of younger users (George, 2006; Kornblum & Marklein, 2006). Researchers have investigated the potential threats to privacy associated with SNSs. In one of the first academic studies of privacy and SNSs, Gross and Acquisti (2005) analyzed 4,000 Carnegie Mellon University Facebook profiles and outlined the potential threats to privacy contained in the personal information included on the site by students, such as the potential ability to reconstruct users' social security numbers using information often found in profiles, such as hometown and date of birth.

Highlighted by helenp

Of the teens with completely open profiles, 46% reported including at least some false information.

Highlighted by kamccollum

on 2008-10-11 by kamccollum

Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

on 2009-03-11 by jilltxt

Well, it shows the teens are in control of their own "identity management", right? I think this might be very different from case to case - in some cases fake info may be used in bullying or trickery, in others it's simply irony, like the 15 year old who says she's a widow and works in sewage (Lüders, "Why and how online sociability became part and parcel of teenage life", forthcoming). Obviously she doesn't expect anyone to believe that.

a relational dialectics approach,

Highlighted by zzkkem

Scholars are documenting the implications of SNS use with respect to schools, universities, and libraries.

Highlighted by mehettable

content analysis

Highlighted by zzkkem

Finally, challenging the view that there is nothing educational about SNSs, Perkel (in press) analyzed copy/paste practices on MySpace as a form of literacy involving social and technical skills.

Highlighted by kamccollum

Finally, challenging the view that there is nothing educational about SNSs, Perkel (in press) analyzed copy/paste practices on MySpace as a form of literacy involving social and technical skills.

Highlighted by jlpaluch

nterview and observation data,

Highlighted by zzkkem

analyzing and modeling the preferences listed on over 127,000 MySpace profiles

Highlighted by zzkkem

survey data collected at a college with diverse students

Highlighted by zzkkem

signaling theory

Highlighted by zzkkem

Judith Donath extends signaling theory to explain different tactics SNS users adopt to reduce social costs while managing trust and identity. She argues that the construction and maintenance of relations on SNSs is akin to "social grooming."

Highlighted by jlpaluch

The fact that participation on social network sites leaves online traces offers unprecedented opportunities for researchers

Highlighted by jlpaluch

Although the situation is rapidly changing, scholars still have a limited understanding of who is and who is not using these sites, why, and for what purposes, especially outside the U.S. Such questions will require large-scale quantitative and qualitative research.

Highlighted by jlpaluch

Furthermore, only .08% of students surveyed by the National School Boards Association (2007) met someone in person from an online encounter without permission from a parent.

Highlighted by jlpaluch

who is and who is not using these sites, why, and for what purposes, especially outside the U.S.

Highlighted by ifiamastudent

Social Network Sites: Definition, History, and Scholarship

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