Social Networks

Consider these questions as you review the examples below. Try the quiz from the left menu: What Have You Learned? after you’ve spent some time with this section.

If you aren’t sure what social networking really is, watch this video on Social Networking by Common Craft:

Video by CommonCraft

If you know what it is, or think you do, consider this:

NK  hangs out on Facebook, Tweets occasionally and follows many bloggers. She has “friends” and “followers” in her networks and she “friends” and “follows” others – some whom she knows, some she doesn’t (or at least not well). She is pretty open about what she posts and uses privacy settings moderately. Sometimes she’s surprised by what people think of what she’s posted, sometimes embarrassed and some online misunderstandings have led to problems in her offline life. Still, her networks are an important part of her world and (as her networks change to include a wider range of people) she’s changing too – learning more about the power of  words and images and about her own power to influence and be influenced by people she wouldn’t have likely ever had a conversation with offline.

Social media researcher danah boyd has some provocative thoughts on the idea of being visible online in her recent talk: Do you See What I See?: Visibility of Practices through Social Media.

Social networking involves:

What You Share

• Consider who is a part of your networks – friends, colleagues, people you know, people you don’t. Whenever you post something, it is open to interpretation – they people who know you well will see it one way, the people you don’t will see it another. Just know that.

Who You Share it With

• What you share with your friends, you may not want your employers to see and what you share with your family, you may want to keep private. Think about your social network sites and the different options available to you through privacy settings, private messaging, etc. so that you can manage what you share in a way that makes sense to you. See our advice on privacy settings and terms of use.

Facebook has recently developed a statement of rights and responsibilities (in plain language) which helps users understand exactly what information will be shared with whom. It also provides links to further information about adjusting your settings to have more control over your information.

Responsibility to Your Networks

• You may be comfortable posting that photo of last night’s party – but your friend may not. If others are part of the content you are posting (photos, video, etc.) think about whether or not they want that image to be public or posted and act accordingly.
• Remember that people are your “friends” and  “followers”.  People make mistakes, mis-communicate sometimes and share things they wish they hadn’t.  Sometimes a post in your network may make you feel scared or worried.  Ask for help if you need it and reach out when you can – just as you would if faced with a similar situation offline.

Social networking gone mainstream:
Marketers, institutions and business are exploring (exploiting?) sites like Facebook and MySpace.  Here are some examples of the more creative “mainstream” uses of Facebook: UBC’s Terry Project and Stanford’s Open Office Hours.