DM110 Emerging Web Media Dr. John Breslin [email_address] http://sw.deri.org/~jbreslin/ Week 4: Social Networks

We all live in a social network… … of friends, family, workmates, fellow students, acquaintances, etc.

… of friends, family, workmates, fellow students, acquaintances, etc.

Friend of a friend, or “dúirt bean liom go ndúirt bean leí” Theory that anybody is connected to everybody else (on average) by no more than six degrees of separation Everyone’s connected…

Friend of a friend, or “dúirt bean liom go ndúirt bean leí”

Theory that anybody is connected to everybody else (on average) by no more than six degrees of separation

Milgram’s six degrees of separation theory Sociologist Milgram conducted this experiment: Random people from Nebraska were to send a letter (via intermediaries) to a stock broker in Boston Could only send to someone with whom they were on a first-name basis Among the letters that found the target, the average number of links was six Stanley Milgram (1933-1984)

Sociologist Milgram conducted this experiment:

Random people from Nebraska were to send a letter (via intermediaries) to a stock broker in Boston

Could only send to someone with whom they were on a first-name basis

Among the letters that found the target, the average number of links was six

Stanley Milgram (1933-1984)

And now a major motion picture, kind of… Six Degrees of Separation (1993) “ I read somewhere that everybody on this planet is separated by only six other people. Six degrees of separation between us and everyone else on this planet. The President of the United States, a gondolier in Venice, just fill in the names... It’s not just big names — it’s anyone. A native in a rain forest, a Tiero del Fuegan, an Eskimo. I am bound — you are bound — to everyone on this planet by a trail of six people.” Play from 1990 by John Guare

Six Degrees of Separation (1993)

“ I read somewhere that everybody on this planet is separated by only six other people. Six degrees of separation between us and everyone else on this planet. The President of the United States, a gondolier in Venice, just fill in the names... It’s not just big names — it’s anyone. A native in a rain forest, a Tiero del Fuegan, an Eskimo. I am bound — you are bound — to everyone on this planet by a trail of six people.”

Play from 1990 by John Guare

The Erdős number Number of links required to connect scholars to Erdős via co-authorship of papers Erdős wrote 1500+ papers with 507 co-authors Jerry Grossman’s site allows mathematicians to compute their Erdős numbers: http://www.oakland.edu/enp/ Connecting path lengths, among mathematicians only: The average is 4.65 The maximum is 13 Paul Erdős (1913-1996)

Number of links required to connect scholars to Erdős via co-authorship of papers

Erdős wrote 1500+ papers with 507 co-authors

Jerry Grossman’s site allows mathematicians to compute their Erdős numbers:

http://www.oakland.edu/enp/

Connecting path lengths, among mathematicians only:

The average is 4.65

The maximum is 13

Paul Erdős (1913-1996)

Trying to make friends Valdis Marc Met Marc and I already had friends in common! I later found out my cousin Ailish also knows Andrew. The “small world” phenomenon… Latvia Uldis DERI John Dublin Clare Bros John C Andrew

“ It’s a small world after all!”, by Kentaro Toyama Kentaro Bash Karishma Sharad Maithreyi Anandan Venkie Soumya Prof. McDermott Ranjeet Prof. Sastry PM Manmohan Singh Prof. Balki Pres. Kalam Prof. Jhunjhunwala Dr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia Ravi Dr. Isher Judge Ahluwalia Pawan Aishwarya Ravi’s Father Amitabh Bachchan Prof. Kannan Prof. Prahalad Nandana Sen Prof. Amartya Sen Prof. Veni

The Kevin Bacon game (1) Boxed version of the game Invented by three Albright College students in 1994: Craig Fass, Brian Turtle, Mike Ginelly Goal is to connect any actor to Kevin Bacon, by linking actors who have acted in the same movie The “Oracle of Bacon” website uses IMDB to find the shortest link between any two actors: http://oracleofbacon.org/

Boxed version of the game

Invented by three Albright College students in 1994:

Craig Fass, Brian Turtle, Mike Ginelly

Goal is to connect any actor to Kevin Bacon, by linking actors who have acted in the same movie

The “Oracle of Bacon” website uses IMDB to find the shortest link between any two actors:

http://oracleofbacon.org/

The Kevin Bacon game (2) Rod Stoneman (I) was in Falls, The (1980) with Patrick Whitney (I) Patrick Whitney (I) was in Penn & Teller Get Killed (1989) with Nancy Giles Nancy Giles was in Loverboy (2005) with Kevin Bacon

Rod Stoneman (I) was in Falls, The (1980) with Patrick Whitney (I)

Patrick Whitney (I) was in Penn & Teller Get Killed (1989) with Nancy Giles

Nancy Giles was in Loverboy (2005) with Kevin Bacon

The Kevin Bacon game (3) Total number of actors in database (as of yesterday): 832904 Average path length to Kevin: 2.97 Actor closest to “center”: Rod Steiger (2.68) Rank of Kevin, in terms of closeness to center: 1049th Most actors are within three links of each other!

Total number of actors in database (as of yesterday):

832904

Average path length to Kevin:

2.97

Actor closest to “center”:

Rod Steiger (2.68)

Rank of Kevin, in terms of closeness to center:

1049th

Most actors are within three links of each other!

What are social network services? Idea behind social networking services (SNS) is to make these real-world relationships explicitly defined online Wikipedia: “ A social network service is social software focused on the building and verifying of online social networks for whatever purpose.” Surf from your list of friends to find friends-of-friends, or friends-of-friends-of-friends for various purposes SNS are the new digital public places of Web 2.0 Most allow content generation and sharing Gradual transformation of SNS to public e-markets

Idea behind social networking services (SNS) is to make these real-world relationships explicitly defined online

Wikipedia:

“ A social network service is social software focused on the building and verifying of online social networks for whatever purpose.”

Surf from your list of friends to find friends-of-friends, or friends-of-friends-of-friends for various purposes

SNS are the new digital public places of Web 2.0

Most allow content generation and sharing

Gradual transformation of SNS to public e-markets

Features of social network services Network of friends (inner circle) Person surfing Private messaging Discussion forums Events management Blogging and commenting Media uploading

Network of friends (inner circle)

Person surfing

Private messaging

Discussion forums

Events management

Blogging and commenting

Media uploading

Motivation for social network services Allows a user to create and maintain an online network of close friends or business associates for social and professional reasons: Friendships and relationships Offline meetings Curiosity about others Business opportunities Job hunting

Allows a user to create and maintain an online network of close friends or business associates for social and professional reasons:

Friendships and relationships

Offline meetings

Curiosity about others

Business opportunities

Job hunting

Create new event Search for NY people and invite guests Choose all matches or friends only Invitation and RSVP link sent automatically Organise a regular networking event for members of a particular SNS living in New York: Example: meet with local professionals

Create new event

Search for NY people and invite guests

Choose all matches or friends only

Invitation and RSVP link sent automatically

Organise a regular networking event for members of a particular SNS living in New York:

Create a network of parents to seek advice, offer help, and connect: Filter your network of connections to see those with kids living in your area Give this network a name, e.g. “Galway Parents’ Network” Send your network of parents regular messages for support and advice Example: creating a network for parents

Create a network of parents to seek advice, offer help, and connect:

Filter your network of connections to see those with kids living in your area

Give this network a name, e.g. “Galway Parents’ Network”

Send your network of parents regular messages for support and advice

Connected to any notable political figures? Check the “shortest path” If you know John then you are connected to Michael D. Higgins through John’s friend Iggy Example: know any famous people?

Connected to any notable political figures?

Check the “shortest path”

If you know John then you are connected to Michael D. Higgins through John’s friend Iggy

Search for those who work in venture capital Target those people working at firms of interest View profiles to see common friends that can get you a meeting with the VC of choice Try LinkedIn.com You have a business idea and are looking for an “in” at a venture capital firm: Example: finding venture capital

Search for those who work in venture capital

Target those people working at firms of interest

View profiles to see common friends that can get you a meeting with the VC of choice

Try LinkedIn.com

You have a business idea and are looking for an “in” at a venture capital firm:

Find other NUI Galway singles with common interests and activities: Search SNS for singles in your local area Sort list to see pictures first Find someone you like and send them a message from their profile http://www.mulley.net/2006/07/23/how-to-use-google-to-get-a-girl-and-get-laid/ Example: networking for social purposes

Find other NUI Galway singles with common interests and activities:

Search SNS for singles in your local area

Sort list to see pictures first

Find someone you like and send them a message from their profile

http://www.mulley.net/2006/07/23/how-to-use-google-to-get-a-girl-and-get-laid/

History of online social networking Up to 2003: OneList, ICQ, Evite 2003 to 2005: Friendster, orkut, LinkedIn 2005 to 2007: Bebo, MySpace, YouTube 2007 to the future: More later…

Up to 2003:

OneList, ICQ, Evite

2003 to 2005:

Friendster, orkut, LinkedIn

2005 to 2007:

Bebo, MySpace, YouTube

2007 to the future:

More later…

Big social network services MySpace 130,000,000 Hi5 50,000,000 Xanga 40,000,000 Classmates.com 40,000,000 orkut 36,532,811 Windows Live Spaces 30,000,000 Friendster 29,100,000 Reunion.com 25,000,000 Bebo 22,000,000 BlackPlanet.com 18,000,000 Cyworld 15,000,000 Facebook 12,000,000 LiveJournal 10,921,263 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_social_networking_websites

MySpace 130,000,000

Hi5 50,000,000

Xanga 40,000,000

Classmates.com 40,000,000

orkut 36,532,811

Windows Live Spaces 30,000,000

Friendster 29,100,000

Reunion.com 25,000,000

Bebo 22,000,000

BlackPlanet.com 18,000,000

Cyworld 15,000,000

Facebook 12,000,000

LiveJournal 10,921,263

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_social_networking_websites

orkut, Google’s SNS

Bebo, #200 in the world after just over a year

Klostu, a super social network of bulletin boards

Lots of venture capital for and sales of SNS sites Friendster – $13M VC Tribe – $6.3M VC LinkedIn – $4.7M VC Bebo – $15M VC (target audience is 10-20 years) MySpace – Sold to News Corporation for $580M (target audience is 20-30 years) Friends Reunited – Sold to ITV for £120M Facebook – Purported $1B offer by Yahoo!, $1.6B actually available for deal, $2B wanted by founder

Friendster – $13M VC

Tribe – $6.3M VC

LinkedIn – $4.7M VC

Bebo – $15M VC (target audience is 10-20 years)

MySpace – Sold to News Corporation for $580M (target audience is 20-30 years)

Friends Reunited – Sold to ITV for £120M

Facebook – Purported $1B offer by Yahoo!, $1.6B actually available for deal, $2B wanted by founder

Can be many links even in a small-sized SNS Meaningless when viewed as a whole, so need to apply some social network analysis (SNA) techniques: “ Social Network Analysis: Methods and Applications”, Stanley Wasserman and Katherine Faust http://www.socialnetworks.org/ http://lrs.ed.uiuc.edu/tse-portal/analysis/social-network-analysis/ http://vlado.fmf.uni-lj.si/pub/networks/pajek/ For example, can reduce the amount of relevant social network data by clustering May choose to cluster people by common friends, by shared interests, by geography, by tags, etc.

Meaningless when viewed as a whole, so need to apply some social network analysis (SNA) techniques:

“ Social Network Analysis: Methods and Applications”, Stanley Wasserman and Katherine Faust

http://www.socialnetworks.org/

http://lrs.ed.uiuc.edu/tse-portal/analysis/social-network-analysis/

http://vlado.fmf.uni-lj.si/pub/networks/pajek/

For example, can reduce the amount of relevant social network data by clustering

May choose to cluster people by common friends, by shared interests, by geography, by tags, etc.

What is social network analysis? People are represented as nodes or “actors” Relationships are represented as lines or edges: Relationships may be acquaintanceship, friendship, co-authorship, etc. Allows analysis using tools of mathematical graph theory, and mapping: Movie actors Scientists and mathematicians Sexual interaction Phone call patterns

People are represented as nodes or “actors”

Relationships are represented as lines or edges:

Relationships may be acquaintanceship, friendship, co-authorship, etc.

Allows analysis using tools of mathematical graph theory, and mapping:

Movie actors

Scientists and mathematicians

Sexual interaction

Phone call patterns

Visualising your network of friends You can graphically visualise your network of friends and friends-of-friends using various graphical tools This is the friends network for “john b” (the ellipse in the center) Surrounding him are his friends and friends-of-friends

You can graphically visualise your network of friends and friends-of-friends using various graphical tools

This is the friends network for “john b” (the ellipse in the center)

Surrounding him are his friends and friends-of-friends

Vizster, based on Prefuse

Social network analysis in use Sociology theory applied to the 21st century, collecting data from social network websites: http://www.zephoria.org/thoughts/archives/2006/08/19/research_on_soc.html Combine with Semantic Web technologies to determine social behavioural patterns: http://www.blogninja.com/galway-iswc2005.ppt MIT Media Lab are conducting mobile SNA research via their “Reality Mining” project: http://reality.media.mit.edu/

Sociology theory applied to the 21st century, collecting data from social network websites:

http://www.zephoria.org/thoughts/archives/2006/08/19/research_on_soc.html

Combine with Semantic Web technologies to determine social behavioural patterns:

http://www.blogninja.com/galway-iswc2005.ppt

MIT Media Lab are conducting mobile SNA research via their “Reality Mining” project:

http://reality.media.mit.edu/

Knowing too much? Individuals are revealing more and more information on SNS and other social software sites Advertisers and marketers can gain better understanding from customer behavioural patterns NSA using social network analysis technologies for homeland security Personal privacy issues, where sensitive personal information is revealed on SNS Analysing masses of social network information, “clouds” showing the overall picture NSA also using “automated intelligence profiling” based on unreliable information

Individuals are revealing more and more information on SNS and other social software sites

Advertisers and marketers can gain better understanding from customer behavioural patterns

NSA using social network analysis technologies for homeland security

Personal privacy issues, where sensitive personal information is revealed on SNS

Analysing masses of social network information, “clouds” showing the overall picture

NSA also using “automated intelligence profiling” based on unreliable information

The future of social network services Object-centered sociality: http://www.zengestrom.com/blog/2005/04/why_some_social.html Users connected via a common object, e.g. their job, university, hobby SNS methods simulate real-life social interaction: People meet others through something they have in common, not by randomly approaching each other Better interaction methods with friends à la Second Life Distributed social networks and reusable profiles: Users may have many identities on different social networks, where each identity was created from scratch Allow user to import existing identity, using a single global identity with different views (see FOAF and OpenID)

Object-centered sociality:

http://www.zengestrom.com/blog/2005/04/why_some_social.html

Users connected via a common object, e.g. their job, university, hobby

SNS methods simulate real-life social interaction:

People meet others through something they have in common, not by randomly approaching each other

Better interaction methods with friends à la Second Life

Distributed social networks and reusable profiles:

Users may have many identities on different social networks, where each identity was created from scratch

Allow user to import existing identity, using a single global identity with different views (see FOAF and OpenID)

A distributed social network with FOAF Can use FOAF to describe social networks across a number of services Picture shows data from both boards.ie and my hand-coded FOAF file

Can use FOAF to describe social networks across a number of services

Picture shows data from both boards.ie and my hand-coded FOAF file

Free social networking software AroundMe http://www.barnraiser.org/software_aroundme.php Yogurt http://sourceforge.net/projects/yogurt

AroundMe

http://www.barnraiser.org/software_aroundme.php

Yogurt

http://sourceforge.net/projects/yogurt

References “ Linked”, Albert-Laszlo Barabasi “ Six Degrees”, Duncan J. Watts Thanks: http://www.csd.abdn.ac.uk/~fguerin/teaching/CS5038/assessment/essays_from_2006/groupC/GroupCsocial.ppt http://research.microsoft.com/toyama/talks/2005%2009%2019%20Social%20Networks.ppt

“ Linked”, Albert-Laszlo Barabasi

“ Six Degrees”, Duncan J. Watts

Thanks:

http://www.csd.abdn.ac.uk/~fguerin/teaching/CS5038/assessment/essays_from_2006/groupC/GroupCsocial.ppt

http://research.microsoft.com/toyama/talks/2005%2009%2019%20Social%20Networks.ppt