The perils of popularity (or how to create hits) Rashmi Sinha www.slideshare.net

http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=13051425&size=l

social networks are evolving

~2002 linked in, friendster

linked in, friendster

Hi I found you while I was searching my network at LinkedIn. Let's connect directly, so we can help each other with referrals. If we connect, both of our networks will grow…

Just a graph! How it works People connect to each other Six degrees of separation “ Are you my friend” awkwardness 1) I am linked to -> -> to you --->You are linked to her -> -> to her…

How it works

People connect to each other

Six degrees of separation

“ Are you my friend” awkwardness

~2004 object based social networks

object based social networks

Watercooler conversations (mediated by objects, e.g., Flickr, YouTube, SlideShare) 1) I share my pics -> -> with you ---> -->You share your pics -> ---> with him How it works People share objects | watch others Connections through objects Social info streams: emergence of popular, interesting items

How it works

People share objects | watch others

Connections through objects

Social info streams: emergence of popular, interesting items

Viral sharing (pass on interesting stuff, e.g., YouTube videos) How it works Individual to individual to individual Popularity based navigation track “viral” items 1) I send video I like -> -> to you. You pass on --> --> to her, who sends on to her, who passes on…

How it works

Individual to individual to individual

Popularity based navigation track “viral” items

May 2007 Facebook - We own the social graph, you bring the objects

Facebook - We own the social graph, you bring the objects

social app has 3 components the objects the social graph the place

the objects

the social graph

the place

Can the social graph be independent of the place & objects the graph the place the objects

Nov 2007 Can Google set it free?

4 models of popularity Google Digg YouTube, SlideShare Facebook

Google

Digg

YouTube, SlideShare

Facebook

1. Google - Blind sociality Social network cannot be browsed

Social network cannot be browsed

Picasa: You cannot see friends of friends

Google calendar: You can only search public events

http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=231287836&size=o

2. Digg as a laser beam Focused in time on tech topics young male users

Focused

in time

on tech topics

young male users

encourages mobs Quick, engaging, transparent metric Sequential decisions

Quick, engaging, transparent metric

Sequential decisions

top diggers can reach front page rich get richer effect...

can reach front page

rich get richer effect...

wisdom of crowds needs independence

3. Youtube - promiscuous popularity Many metrics no multi-level menus navigation by popularity

Many metrics

no multi-level menus

navigation by popularity

Popularity on SlideShare Keep it on your desktop Download Remember stuff, tell someone you like their stuff Favorite & tag Share with your friends Email Share on your blog Embed Watch it View Interact with others Comment Goal Metric

diff strokes for diff folks most viewed most favorited & tagged

most viewed

most favorited & tagged

Long tail of content Anyone can share But who reaches the masses?

Anyone can share

But who reaches the masses?

How hits are created

N Sync vs. lonely girl

System designer as studio boss We need things to talk about at the watercooler Hits will find a way!

We need things to talk about at the watercooler

Hits will find a way!

Creating trends Everything starts as equal People can connect locally Highlight alternative viewpoints System should be flexible

Everything starts as equal

People can connect locally

Highlight alternative viewpoints

System should be flexible

4. Viral navigation on Facebook News feed, notifications & messages Its about social connections Content does not get passed Apps get passed around

News feed, notifications & messages

Its about social connections

Content does not get passed

Apps get passed around

Making spammers of all of us? Tracking spam rating Throttling as needed

Tracking spam rating

Throttling as needed

Rules of the game are always changing Changed metric Throttled viral pace Still no leveling of the playing field

Changed metric

Throttled viral pace

Still no leveling of the playing field

Popularity breeds spam & corruption Top Diggers Spammy facebook apps News feed optimization

Top Diggers

Spammy facebook apps

News feed optimization

the metric counts Digg - One transparent metric. Easily corrupted YouTube - Multiple metrics. Harder to rig Facebook - Single metric ( no installs ). Now daily usage

Digg - One transparent metric. Easily corrupted

YouTube - Multiple metrics. Harder to rig

Facebook - Single metric ( no installs ). Now daily usage

Is search threatened by popularity & virality?

User generated content Images Videos Slideshows Music Articles

Flickr based search results

Pagerank needs an open web Closed circles don’t work

Closed circles don’t work

10 lessons about social design

Forget the ipod!

Give up control This is messy!

1. Make system personally useful personal snippets (Del.icio.us & Flickr) Creativity (YouTube) My slides: SlideShare Don’t count on altruism thrive on people’s selfishness

personal snippets (Del.icio.us & Flickr)

Creativity (YouTube)

My slides: SlideShare

Don’t count on altruism

thrive on people’s selfishness

2. Symbiotic relationship between personal & social Small individual contributions can be collected & mashed-up Simple, guessable URLs for everything Slideshows > by Events Music > by Playlists

Small individual contributions

can be collected & mashed-up

Simple, guessable URLs for everything

Slideshows > by Events

Music > by Playlists

3. what kind of social do you want to be?

Which playground do you want to play in? Open web Facebook Myspace / Hi5 / Xanga / other social networks

Open web

Facebook

Myspace / Hi5 / Xanga / other social networks

Do you want your own social graph? Or play in existing ones?

Or play in existing ones?

4. Privacy is social Sharing is often in closed circles

Sharing is often in closed circles

Indexed by Google (everyone/everywhere) Only me My friends My groups Public Private Only in place

5. levels of participation Everyone does not need to create! Implicit creation (creating by consuming) Remixing—adding value to others’ content Source: Bradley Horowitz’s weblog, Elatable, Feb. 17, 2006, “Creators, Synthesizers, and Consumers”

Everyone does not need to create!

Implicit creation (creating by consuming)

Remixing—adding value to others’ content

6. Enable viral navigation Help people connect Let them feel presence of others

Help people connect

Let them feel presence of others

but decisions should be independent… Choreography: when alone, when part of group prevent mobs not too easy to mimic others incentives for originality allow for alternative viewpoints

Choreography: when alone, when part of group

prevent mobs

not too easy to mimic others

incentives for originality

allow for alternative viewpoints

7. Add in serendipity navigation not just about popularity Keep popular stuff fast moving make “long tail” accessible popularity as a jump off point to other ways of exploring personalization & recommendations ad-hoc groups?

navigation not just about popularity

Keep popular stuff fast moving

make “long tail” accessible

popularity as a jump off point to other ways of exploring

personalization & recommendations

ad-hoc groups?

8. Add in a dash of experts contest on SlideShare: both judges & popular votes

contest on SlideShare: both judges & popular votes

9. Be agile You don’t know the right answer Fail fast to get to the right answer Track metrics, adjust, change

You don’t know the right answer

Fail fast to get to the right answer

Track metrics, adjust, change

10. Most of all, allow for play

Finally your slides at http://www.slideshare.net/group/web-directions find me at http://www.slideshare.net/rashmi

your slides at

http://www.slideshare.net/group/web-directions

find me at

http://www.slideshare.net/rashmi