Social Networks and the Media Bill Thompson [email_address]

Why me? Technology critic Writer, pundit, journalist Regular BBC contributor Tame geek Professional programmer Systems administration, web developer Pundit and commentator Trying to see where we are going Looking at the future that is already here

Technology critic

Writer, pundit, journalist

Regular BBC contributor

Tame geek

Professional programmer

Systems administration, web developer

Pundit and commentator

Trying to see where we are going

Looking at the future that is already here

Time for reflection The world has changed We can feel it in the wind We can see it on the screens We can hear it from the iPhones We can join the ‘ world has changed ’ Facebook group

The world has changed

We can feel it in the wind

We can see it on the screens

We can hear it from the iPhones

We can join the ‘ world has changed ’ Facebook group

New Strategies are Needed From communique to conversation Two way media require different skills Rapid pace of innovation Twitter Seesmic Buzzspotr Qik.tv User-generated content And user-generated services and interaction Who needs television was yesterday’s question Who needs media websites?

From communique to conversation

Two way media require different skills

Rapid pace of innovation

Twitter Seesmic Buzzspotr Qik.tv

User-generated content

And user-generated services and interaction

Who needs television was yesterday’s question

Who needs media websites?

Qik TV

It’s All Relative The world changed in 1907 Special relativity Quantum theory It changed again in 2007 Facebook / MySpace / Bebo Twitter / Dopplr / Seesmic Web 2 is a revolution Take it seriously

The world changed in 1907

Special relativity

Quantum theory

It changed again in 2007

Facebook / MySpace / Bebo

Twitter / Dopplr / Seesmic

Web 2 is a revolution

Take it seriously

Getting Lost in Web 2.0

Defining Social Network Sites We define social network sites as web-based services that allow individuals to construct a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system, articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection, and 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.

We define social network sites as web-based services that allow individuals to

construct a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system,

articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection, and

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.

Long time coming Older communities like The Well Some but not all characteristics Early attempts Friendster SixDegrees (1997-2001) Social networking today Happening in a Web 2.0 world Net using population large and growing Access easy and cheap (in the West)

Older communities like The Well

Some but not all characteristics

Early attempts

Friendster

SixDegrees (1997-2001)

Social networking today

Happening in a Web 2.0 world

Net using population large and growing

Access easy and cheap (in the West)

New Ways of Being Web 2.0 and SNS Self-published content Sharing, linking and embedding Cross-references Tagging and folksonomies Richer environment than before Often spread over multiple sites and services

Web 2.0 and SNS

Self-published content

Sharing, linking and embedding

Cross-references

Tagging and folksonomies

Richer environment than before

Often spread over multiple sites and services

The New World Impact goes far beyond media Affects our sense of self Changes what it is to be ‘me’ Importance goes beyond individual SNS Facebook may decline, but the world has changed Understanding it will be hard Social science approach Discourse analysis Ethnomethodology

Impact goes far beyond media

Affects our sense of self

Changes what it is to be ‘me’

Importance goes beyond individual SNS

Facebook may decline, but the world has changed

Understanding it will be hard

Social science approach

Discourse analysis

Ethnomethodology

Today’s Plays Media desperation Have a presence anywhere they can Get content in front of people Hope some of it sticks

Media desperation

Have a presence anywhere they can

Get content in front of people

Hope some of it sticks

Worldwide

Not just the BBC..

No Connection The BBC has no direct link to audience No billing relationship Research tries to fill the gap Used to know who visited bbc.co.uk No longer true The social networks own the audience YouTube sees the profiles Bebo gets the page views Facebook serves the ads

The BBC has no direct link to audience

No billing relationship

Research tries to fill the gap

Used to know who visited bbc.co.uk

No longer true

The social networks own the audience

YouTube sees the profiles

Bebo gets the page views

Facebook serves the ads

Don’t Panic Remember the 15 Principles Treat the entire web as a creative canvas: don’t restrict your creativity to your own site (#5). Link to discussions on the web, don’t host them: only host web-based discussions where there is a clear rationale (#14) We don’t need myFaceBBCeBo

Remember the 15 Principles

Treat the entire web as a creative canvas: don’t restrict your creativity to your own site (#5).

Link to discussions on the web, don’t host them: only host web-based discussions where there is a clear rationale (#14)

We don’t need myFaceBBCeBo

Life on the Social Web Let’s look at my online life… Bit of an early adopter (1984) Willing to play and learn Some degree of technical understanding Boundaries increasingly blurred Email, web, social sites, applications…

Let’s look at my online life…

Bit of an early adopter (1984)

Willing to play and learn

Some degree of technical understanding

Boundaries increasingly blurred

Email, web, social sites, applications…

Widgets and the world The links are vital Easy connections Emergent social networks The technology is permissive Open up APIs Develop widgets Encourage cross-pollination

The links are vital

Easy connections

Emergent social networks

The technology is permissive

Open up APIs

Develop widgets

Encourage cross-pollination

Twitter What you are doing in 140 characters Follow and be followed Immersive, evanescent, compelling The micro-community A shared conversation

What you are doing in 140 characters

Follow and be followed

Immersive, evanescent, compelling

The micro-community

A shared conversation

Where do the media fit? Get news from the main sites Links and references from friends Postings from blogs URLs in tweets The BBC home page matters less True for other sites too…

Get news from the main sites

Links and references from friends

Postings from blogs

URLs in tweets

The BBC home page matters less

True for other sites too…

Bloglines

Where do you fit?

Threat.. or Opportunity? The conversation needs content We discuss news stories, TV programmes, films, politics Traditional media is a starting point Can also keep the conversation lively The commercial model is less obvious We don’t know how to make money out of Web 2.0 either

The conversation needs content

We discuss news stories, TV programmes, films, politics

Traditional media is a starting point

Can also keep the conversation lively

The commercial model is less obvious

We don’t know how to make money out of Web 2.0 either

A Free Content Movement? Like Free Software Develop code Give it away Make money on service, support and the rest Can the media work like this? Could it justify the licence fee or something similar? Will it attract advertisers?

Like Free Software

Develop code

Give it away

Make money on service, support and the rest

Can the media work like this?

Could it justify the licence fee or something similar?

Will it attract advertisers?

Too Open? SNS encourage openness Challenges our idea of privacy Creates serious issues for journalism May affect job prospects and relationships An inevitable conseqence? Or do we want to step back? Applies at an organisational level too…

SNS encourage openness

Challenges our idea of privacy

Creates serious issues for journalism

May affect job prospects and relationships

An inevitable conseqence?

Or do we want to step back?

Applies at an organisational level too…

Biased BBC?

Good Research?

Tomorrow’s BBC Never mind ‘Future Media and Technology’ What about ‘Future Audiences’? Need to follow their behaviour Need to spot new trends Need to stay with them

Never mind ‘Future Media and Technology’

What about ‘Future Audiences’?

Need to follow their behaviour

Need to spot new trends

Need to stay with them

Watching Spooks

TVersity

TVersity

We decide the future Sometimes SF doesn’t predict It inspires For example Wm Gibson and Cyberspace Minority Report and gestural interfaces

Sometimes SF doesn’t predict

It inspires

For example

Wm Gibson and Cyberspace

Minority Report and gestural interfaces

Imagine Tomorrow’s Media Growth of SNS Blurring of online/offline boundaries Destination sites less important Aggregators provide pointers to content Lose the home page Content sits on servers Available to all for linking and embedding Feeds the continuous conversation There’s no newspaper there, it’s everywhere.

Growth of SNS

Blurring of online/offline boundaries

Destination sites less important

Aggregators provide pointers to content

Lose the home page

Content sits on servers

Available to all for linking and embedding

Feeds the continuous conversation

There’s no newspaper there, it’s everywhere.

Be there too Join other people’s conversations In blogs and photo feeds and websites In chatrooms and virtual worlds Across the social network sites Be part of the debate Don’t try to own the conversation Don’t assume people will come to you Don’t look for simplicity We still don’t know where this is going

Join other people’s conversations

In blogs and photo feeds and websites

In chatrooms and virtual worlds

Across the social network sites

Be part of the debate

Don’t try to own the conversation

Don’t assume people will come to you

Don’t look for simplicity

We still don’t know where this is going

Don’t forget to play Watch the skies Get there first with the cool stuff Experiment and take risks Move fast, spend little Join the sites Learn how they work Share your experiences

Watch the skies

Get there first with the cool stuff

Experiment and take risks

Move fast, spend little

Join the sites

Learn how they work

Share your experiences

The new model “ be there, for everyone, everywhere” or perhaps Making the unlinkable, linkable

“ be there, for everyone, everywhere” or perhaps

Making the unlinkable, linkable

Thank You