Social Networking
September 19, 2007When I was searching for websites and blogs for the IDT assignment, I saw a term Web 2.0. What is Web 2.0? Isn’t there just one web that we are using – World Wide Web? No doubt, google is one of the best tools to get this figured out. According to wikipedia.com, Web 2.0 “refers to a perceived second generation of web-based communities and hosted services — such as social-networking sites, wikis and folksonomies — which aim to facilitate collaboration and sharing between users”. I am definitely surrounded by more new terms, so I just line these terms up and try to figure out one at a time.
Social network sounds familiar. I came across this website called classroom 2.0(http://classroom20.ning.com/), which is a social-networking site. It is a good website for the educators who want to share their ideas and questions in the field of technology in learning. The subscribers have the same interest and they respond to each other about ideas, suggestions, discoveries, experiments, etc. for one purpose – to improve learning and teaching using technologies.
Wikipedia gives the definition: “A social network is a social structure made of nodes (which are generally individuals or organizations) that are tied by one or more specific types of relations, such as values, visions, idea, financial exchange, friends, kinship, dislike, conflict, trade, web links, sexual relations, disease transmission (epidemiology), or airline routes.”
How is social networking doing? Is it popular nowadays? I read the study results from a company called comScore on social networking (http://www.comscore.com/press/release.asp?press=1555). It is a very intersting result, which shows the social networking is definitely “going global”. It has given a huge impact on lots of people’s lives. The study lists several major social networking sites and compare their development in the past year. MySpace is probably one of the hottest sites we hear often. According to comScore’s data, it has expanded by 72% during the past year. How about others (retrieved from site mentioned above): Facebook – 270%; Hi5 – 56%; Bebo – 172%; Tagged – 774%. Some of these are new, but they are growing at an amazing speed, even though MySpace has a big number for its unique visitors.
This is the trend. People all over the world are using Internet as a perfect tool to build this social network. With the help of a computer, they can exchange and share anything with the people who have the same interest. It has probably become lots of people’s habit to do a little bit social networking every day. As is mentioned in the study, these social networking sites have their own populations in specific regions, either in Europe, Asia or North America, etc. The tie between the site and the population is “cultural relevance.” However, it will be interesting to see if the cultural barrier will be crossed and people from all over the world will get closer (Ivins, 2007).
Social networking is the trend and you can feel the power around us.
Here’s an expanded explanation of what Web 2.0 is by someone who, I believe, was involved in originating the term: http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/oreilly/tim/news/2005/09/30/what-is-web-20.html .
Excellent intro and overview of an important trend. The term ‘Web 2.0′ is a little gimicky, and some pundits refuse to use it. But the underlying concepts of social networking and participation – where people are producers of content as well as consumers – that’s definitely an important part of what’s happening out there.
Wow! Thanks fro defining that. It was very important that you did that. I was totally thinking it was something else. I the cultural barrier can be more easily overcome if language barriers are brought down. I think that will take a while. Remember globalization is a phenomenon which is all it appears to be. Maybe in our context it is more appropriate, but like I said, there are plenty of walls to climb.
Thanks for your thoughts.
Social networking has become a useful tool in our ever changing world. So many people have been laid off and relocated and need tools to get information on what’s available in the world. We’ve always known that sometimes it’s who you know when pusuing a new position. Educating ourselves through networking web sites can be a huge help. Not only can we find information around the world, but we can build relationships and get our personal information out there. Snail mail doesn’t work for that!
I too, had no idea what 2.0 was, so thank you for sharing. I am recently getting back into new trends in technology, digital camera, ipod, laptop, etc., the trends can be expensive and confusing. It amazes me that all these tools make our lives easier, but we have to do so much to just learn the terminology.
I wish one could correct comments. I meant to say that globalization isn’t all it appears to be. At least not the way free markets have impacted the world. This is somehat of a different kind of globalization, intertwined nevertheless. So it’s good. let’s communicate, be aware and ultimately grow toghether.
I didn’t realize that I have been learning about Web 2.0 technologies without stopping to think about a definition. Thank you for sharing this information.