MetaFilter posts tagged with socialnetworks

Self-segregation on social networks?

Marky — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:27:28 -0800

Are social networks becoming segregated by choice?

"MySpace is no longer cool. As a matter of fact, its number of users is now one-half the size of rival Facebook. Is this because MySpace is too black for the rest of America? Teenage Internet users may hold the answer. High-schoolers report their use of the social-networking giants along racial lines—MySpace is seen as “black,” while Facebook is “white.”

Can Facebook Save the World

cal71 — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 08:34:22 -0800

"Can Facebook defeat terrorism?" wonders Matt Armstrong. A conference of both web and social entrepreneurs, policy wonks, and activists will convene to create a how-to guide for changing the world through social networking tools. Jared "Children of Jihad" Cohen was a driving force behind the initiative. We've seen social networking impact an election, while others are already trying to change the world with it. This conference, while exciting and important, raises a few questions. Just look at the list who's convening it: "Facebook, Google, YouTube, MTV, Howcast, Columbia Law School and the U.S. Department of State Convene the Alliance of Youth Movements Summit." As Steve Corman notes: "...merely giving Facebook (or other social networking technologies) to people in other terrorism hotspots will probably do little until the right social conditions develop for them to have an imact. Facebook, by itself, is not enough to cause social movements that can defeat terrorism." Well said. Aren't the unique cultural conditions in each of these "hot spots" being ignored under the relatively new (and market-driven) idea of "global youth culture"? MTV is one of the organizers of this event, and they are certainly invested in promoting a global youth culture (read Naomi Klein's No Logo, ch 5 for more on this). Is this the apotheosis of certain brand identities, the moment when corporations merge with the government and with the left simultaneously? Will this initiative address the challenges of creating peaceful dialogue among cultures, or simply become overly enamored of the tools at its disposal? Do young people want their social networking time to be productive? Could Spam bring it all down? What about the digital divide? Shouldn't we be focusing on the more pressing technological issues that most people face? Can we do both at the same time? I'm very curious to hear feedback from the Blue on this.

Social networks are like the eye

sveskemus — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 15:43:45 -0800

Social networks are like the eye: A talk with Nicholas A. Christakis. Dr. Christakis' current work is principally concerned with health and social networks. This work takes seriously the contention that because people are inter-connected, their health is inter-connected. Christakis, like a group of other scholars researching social science questions, uses Facebook to gather data about how people form social relationships. From the Edge article:

We are thus at a moment where a leap forward in the methodology for the study of social networks has been made, firstly by building on past work. But secondly, we are at a moment where — because of modern telecommunications technologies and other innovations — people are leaving digital traces of where they are, who they are interacting with, and what they are saying or even thinking. All of these types of data can be captured by the deployment of what I call "massive passive" technologies and used to engage social science questions in a way that our predecessors could only dream of. We have vast amounts of data that can be reapplied to investigate fundamental questions about social organization and about morality and other concerns that have perplexed us forever.

Just Say NoSo.

wendell — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 17:24:55 -0800

NoSo [embedded audio] is the next stop on the self-referential satire train of Web 2.0.* Going beyond Useless Account, inspired (kinda) by Flash Mobs, Fight Club ("the first rule..."), and MeFi Meetups, it allows anonymous users the opportunity to organize "NOevents" where members can congregate in selected physical locations without using their technological connectivity devices and NOT engage in communication with each other. That's right, no talking allowed at a NOevent. Reading books is OK. You may go home and blog about it, but NO live blogging. Organized by a San Franciso art group that may just be using it to get people to show up at their installations (aha!), and who violate the Fight Club rule in an interview with R.U. Sirius.(~~via~~blame TechCrunch) *Plagiarized with attribution from bhouston.

Friendster : Wallflower at the Web Party

Afroblanco — Sun, 15 Oct 2006 20:45:12 -0800

Friendster : Wallflower at the Web Party via

If you can't beat 'em sue 'em.

delmoi — Sat, 16 Sep 2006 15:40:19 -0800

Friendster awarded patent on social networking.

flickrgraph

carter — Sat, 12 Feb 2005 12:19:27 -0800

flickrgraph Dynamic visualization of flickr contact networks [java, flash, assorted technical jiggery-pokery]

Orkut - Google Social Networking

Steve_at_Linnwood — Fri, 23 Jan 2004 01:01:39 -0800

Google (kinda) Offers Social Networking called Orkut
Acording to this CNET artice, Orkut is the outgrowth of a personal project by Google Engineers Orkut Buyukkokten. He created "Orkut.com in the past several months by working on it about one day a week--an amount that Google asks all of its engineers to devote to personal projects". And oh, by the way:

"Membership to orkut is by invitation only.
If you have a friend who's a member of orkut, have them invite you to join."

Buddyzoo!

aznblader — Tue, 15 Apr 2003 03:25:18 -0800

Buddyzoo is an interesting new site that lets you see which buddies on your AIM buddy list your buddies share with you. Sort of like a six degrees of seperation kind of thing. Very neat. Go check it out and sign up! And tell your friends!

Social Networks

oissubke — Thu, 16 Jan 2003 15:37:24 -0800

Joint ventures, terrorist networks, and other joys of social network analysis.