THE INTERNET IS PEOPLE Ben Werdmuller December 1, 2008

Social network

Social network adj. Relating to human society and its members.

Social network n. An interconnected system of things or people.

Social network n. An interconnected group of people.

Networks of people are complicated. Not discrete (may overlap) Different, but not distinct, contexts (may communicate or meet in a variety of ways) More formal, or specialised, networks have more restrictions Subject to personalities

Not discrete (may overlap)

Different, but not distinct, contexts (may communicate or meet in a variety of ways)

More formal, or specialised, networks have more restrictions

Subject to personalities

Some ways to communicate within networks Face to face The post Phone SMS, MMS Fax, email (Etc) Web

Face to face

The post

Phone

SMS, MMS

Fax, email

(Etc)

Web

Social networks don't live on the web. Flickr is a photo sharing site. Delicious is a bookmarking tool. Last.fm lets you discover new music based on your preferences. Facebook is a utility that lets you keep track of your existing friends.

Flickr is a photo sharing site.

Delicious is a bookmarking tool.

Last.fm lets you discover new music based on your preferences.

Facebook is a utility that lets you keep track of your existing friends.

"If you need scale in order to create value, it's hard to get scale, because there's little incentive for the first people to use the product. [...] The system should be useful for user number one." - Joshua Schachter, inventor of Delicious, Technology Review, 2006

Social networking tools Have features appropriate to the network One common feature: people Amplify the network effect Don't try to create the network (New network connections may arise through a purpose)

Have features appropriate to the network

One common feature: people

Amplify the network effect

Don't try to create the network

(New network connections may arise through a purpose)

Long ago, at a university far, far away ... (500 miles away, give or take) Educational community software inflexible, expensive, underused Top-down organisation Little community focus Elsewhere, a revolution was taking place ...

(500 miles away, give or take)

Educational community software inflexible, expensive, underused

Top-down organisation

Little community focus

Elsewhere, a revolution was taking place ...

"If I went in there and said, Hey, you're using that tag wrong, people would just tell me [where to go]" - Joshua again (Or to put it another way: people are individuals.)

Elgg 0.x: the 'personal information landscape' (2004) A niche social networking tool User maintains full control over their data and persona Granular, cross-site privacy settings Cross-site tagging Discovery through relevant connections Freedom to customise an individual site

A niche social networking tool

User maintains full control over their data and persona

Granular, cross-site privacy settings

Cross-site tagging

Discovery through relevant connections

Freedom to customise an individual site

Elgg 1.x: the 'social application engine' (2008) Maintains principles Much greater flexibility No features as standard; why mandate blogs? Or profiles? Easier to create a new function Easier to support different platforms

Maintains principles

Much greater flexibility

No features as standard; why mandate blogs? Or profiles?

Easier to create a new function

Easier to support different platforms

Me My university (Elgg) My friends (Facebook) My place of work (Sharepoint) My obsessive Doctor Who fandom (Livejournal)

In summary Social networks are made of people Elgg is one way to facilitate a social network The best social apps have another main purpose Platform(s) and feature(s) should be chosen based on the needs of the network Social networking tools don't have any required features (except users)

Social networks are made of people

Elgg is one way to facilitate a social network

The best social apps have another main purpose

Platform(s) and feature(s) should be chosen based on the needs of the network

Social networking tools don't have any required features (except users)

What do you want to do?

What do you want to do?

Thanks for listening! Enjoy the day. Ben Werdmuller [email_address] http://elgg.org/ http://benwerd.com/ http://twitter.com/benwerd/