Online Social Networks
Creating social groups is one of the original practices on the Internet. Extending back to the 1960's, people have consistently used online tools to expand, extend, re-invent, and build social groups. Today, social networking has become a major activity online, and many of the functionalities and traditions from decades ago have become cast in different interfaces that include features such as profiles, friend and relationship links, instant messaging, blogs, bookmark-sharing, Web-based discussions, and Web-based email. By the early 21st century, applications ("apps") on cellphones are providing connections among people.
- Facebook: originated as a way for college students to get to know each other.
- Linkedin: a professionally-oriented network used to build business and professional contacts or to get in touch with past colleagues and friends.
- Twitter.com: a message-based social network
- reddit: communities of interest
- yelp.com: a network of people reviewing local restaurants, shopping, nightlife, businesses, and other places. Friend relationships, favorites, and profiles support a range of member-to-member interaction.
- Meetup.com: a social network that aims to connect people through in-person, local meetings on a variety of interest topics.
- Instagram: photo-based postings
- Ning.com: lets you create your own social network.
- Classmates: originated as a way for high-school classmates to keep in touch.
- ResearchGATE: social networking for scientists and researchers to connect with like-minded researchers, discuss and collaborate in groups or share papers and resources
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Historical Interest:
- Friendster: a pioneering social network recognized as the first (Web-based) social networking site.
- MySpace: a social network based on user profiles as well as many other tools to build relationships, communication, and interaction.
- google+: Google's entry into social networking, full released November 2011 (no longer operating 2020).
- Orkut: a social network affiliated with Google.
- Applications that foster social interaction:
- Smartphone-based apps:
Blogging: Creating diary-like commentary on life, passing events, people, and ideas has found a form in blogs.
Social networks emerge as groups of bloggers work and
comment on blogs or make hypertext links from blog to blog.
Many social networks that are based on user profiles also include blogs as part of the services they offer to users.
Bookmarking: Information-sharing can be among a group of people using social networking sites. Altough sharing interesting sites online has been an activity for several decades, these social networking sites oriented to tagging or bookmarking bring it to a more visible, organized, and efficient level.
References
- "PLATO: The Emergence of On-Line Community," David R. Woolley, Computer-Mediated Communication Magazine, Volume 1, Number 3, July 1, 1994, Page 5.
- Wikipedia contributors. (2020, March 16). Social network. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 14:57, March 28, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_network
Is something missing or incorrect? Please send a correction to John December.