Social networking – the advantages and disadvantages Phil Bradley www.philb.com 17 th April 2008

Social networking sites Once upon a time we thought it was

Once upon a time we thought it was

Statistics Flickr 4,000,000 LinkedIn 20,000,000 Bebo 21,000,000 Hi5 70,000,000 Facebook 100,000,000 MySpace 110,000,000

Flickr 4,000,000

LinkedIn 20,000,000

Bebo 21,000,000

Hi5 70,000,000

Facebook 100,000,000

MySpace 110,000,000

So what can be done with a social network?

So what can be done with a social network?

Key elements Locate and connect with friends or colleagues Connect to friends of friends (FOAF) Share information back and forth Keep up to date with events Find new friends Join discussion groups

Locate and connect with friends or colleagues

Connect to friends of friends (FOAF)

Share information back and forth

Keep up to date with events

Find new friends

Join discussion groups

And a few more… Instant messaging Private messaging Ask questions Answer questions Import content from different places

Instant messaging

Private messaging

Ask questions

Answer questions

Import content from different places

The case against They can waste huge amounts of time Privacy issues Danger – strangers!

They can waste huge amounts of time

Privacy issues

Danger – strangers!

Continued Individuals not representing company policy Keeping work/home personas apart Security concerns A nomadic lifestyle

Individuals not representing company policy

Keeping work/home personas apart

Security concerns

A nomadic lifestyle

… and again

The case for… Contact experts in subject areas

Contact experts in subject areas

Some other social networking options Community search engines Spokeo Start/Home pages

Community search engines

Spokeo

Start/Home pages

Other options… Chat rooms RSS feeds Social bookmarking

Chat rooms

RSS feeds

Social bookmarking

The case for getting involved Go to where the communication is Facebook is more popular than Google for 18-24 age range 25%+ 8-11 y.o. have networking profiles 85% of students have a Facebook account Create your own pages, group(s) for promotion, information provision Provides more flexibility and functionality

Go to where the communication is

Facebook is more popular than Google for 18-24 age range

25%+ 8-11 y.o. have networking profiles

85% of students have a Facebook account

Create your own pages, group(s) for promotion, information provision

Provides more flexibility and functionality

The case against getting involved

Thank you! Phil Bradley http://www.philb.com [email_address]

Phil Bradley

http://www.philb.com

[email_address]

Thanks to: http://www.mediabistro.com/avantguild/images/social_networking_wheel.jpg http://www.mysocialnetwork.net/blog/481/r10/2006-10-25%20Blog%20Posting%207%20Picture.bmp http://polymer.bu.edu/~amaral/Sex_partners/images_klovdahl_small.jpg http://digitalwaveriding.files.wordpress.com/2007/09/map.jpg http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/02_04_08_ofcom.pdf

http://www.mediabistro.com/avantguild/images/social_networking_wheel.jpg

http://www.mysocialnetwork.net/blog/481/r10/2006-10-25%20Blog%20Posting%207%20Picture.bmp

http://polymer.bu.edu/~amaral/Sex_partners/images_klovdahl_small.jpg

http://digitalwaveriding.files.wordpress.com/2007/09/map.jpg

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/02_04_08_ofcom.pdf