The social networking : Innovation in Socializing
In addition, I am now registered to be a participant and have been experienced some features of the several social networking site referred to Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and Delicious. Both of them have different content design and features to accommodate a different purpose. For example, if some people planning to find a lost friend or to make one Facebook is the absolute online place to go. Meanwhile, Flickr is an online photo sharing application which is the most suitable platform for people to get inspired , also for amateur and professional artist or photographer to share and promotes their talent to others. Twitter is the web application that applied a “micro-blogging” service that used to stay update with friends or other selected members. Delicious is the web app that allows user to tag any online sources, for example, the web page and blog and also can share with others and then can re-visit the sources from any computer. It was a very useful application for anyone who doing online research.
Moreover, there are others websites function similarly with Facebook such as Friendster , MySpace , Hi5, LinkedIn, AboutMyAge operates the same purpose with Facebook. I also do some comparison as a member of Facebook and Friendster in the following article. Also there are others social networking media which focussed on helping people to find a life partner. This kind of web app is commonly known as a social dating site such as match.com, rsvp.com and oasisactive.com. However, I never employ to the web app that have any similar features with Twitter and Delicious. But, at some context, I observed that Delicious is mimicked the Favorites tab in the conventional browser menu panel while Twitter is like instant messaging that can be view in a single page without the chat window. Also, I found that Flickr has shared some similar features with other photo blogging application such as Fotopages.
Although the media categorized some of these social networking sites according to the age group as presented in the following table, I believed people interested to participate in this kind of websites because of the invitation from their friends or others.
Source: GoAustralian magazine Issue 5
| Website | Age Group |
| MySpace | 20s |
| | 30s |
| | 40s |
| AboutMyAge | 50s |
Despite of the web developer had initially specified their particular site for an intended audience and purpose and also with some policy to avoid the misconduct use of the web, it is undeniable that the site participants still have the “power” to customize these media due to whatever their interest are.
For example, people using online media to update “world” news before it is reported by the official media and clearly shown from the headline “Citizen journalist told to stop using Twitter to update on Bombay attacks” as reported by Times online. (http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article5245059.ece).
Meanwhile, social web app such as Facebook provide opportunity to create and join a personalize group (http://www.wikihow.com/Create-a-New-Facebook-Group) and some of them has using this feature to create a Facebook page for mafia and resulted to a negative feedback from the columnist as reported on (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28619999/) .
Furthermore, this media also can be used as marketing tool for product or some particular event. For instance, some of Twitter member such as that I followed, Dell Outlet recently offered 15% off on Outlet Studio™ desktop (http://twitter.com/DellOutlet) for Twitter member. In addition, site participants also used the online social media for e-announcement. For example, KL Photo awards 2009 is now call for entries and details can be viewed from (http://www.flickr.com/groups/fmdc/discuss/72157608271532084/
In short, this media can be manipulated to be used in a different context and also depends on unlimited creativity and skills owned by the online community together with features provided by a particular social networking media. The Facebook and other similar web app together with the Twitter introduced a tremendous way of “keep in touch” culture. Before this kind of web app has been launched internationally, phone and email are the most popular tools used to stay connected and updated with other people. However, these are limited to “peer-to-peer” communication only whilst the social web app provides multiple communications with different people at the same time.
For instance, if we open the Facebook page, in just a minute we able to review all friends update in a single web page. The social web promotes a “multi-tasking” value with users can view picture, watch videos, read and write message and also do a real time messaging with other members which normally known as “friends” within a same period of time.
In my opinion, easy to use interface and simple sign up process are the factor resulted to millions hit from the internet users into the site. For example, Facebook site now has 60 million users with a projection of 200 million by the end of the year (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/01/10/60minutes/main3697442.shtml). In addition, on December 11, 2008, it was announced that Facebook is testing out a new simpler signup process. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facebook). On the other hand, I also believed that easy to follow of introductory step for the beginner to participate may influenced the growing number of users.
As a beginner of Twitter, I was clueless when first time visiting the “Twitter sphere” until I noticed three simple steps how to begin “twittering” at the bottom of the page. Then, I start to understand how this web app works and become interest to “twits” as well as Flickr also provide three following instructions, users able to upload and crop image to create a “buddy” icon , choose the Flickr URL (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bugs_croquis/) , and ready to be a part of Flickr community.
Facebook has been introduced globally in year 2004 while Friendster has been set up two years earlier, in year 2002. Therefore, I started using Friendster since 2005 and registered as a Facebook member in 2009. In general, both websites shared almost similar features and organized in a different way. For example, in Friendster when a site member posted a comment to other member ,these also known as a testimonial while in Facebook “write to a wall” features is represent the same. However, Facebook goes advanced from Friendster by offering comet-based instant messaging application called “chat” via the website. Likewise, the blogging features for both sites are designed differently. The Friendster members required to personalize their own blog URL while Facebook users can used “Notes” features to write and share their journal with friends.An intuitive and easy access of “social” methodology employed by Facebook using “people you may know tool” and “suggested friends” function that I believed affect the number of friends that I produced within 24 hours of using that application. Although, I already be a Friendster member longer than Facebook, but my Friends list is higher by 10 people in Facebook with 56 and 46 in comparison to Friendster. In addition, “Friend Finder” is the application used by Friendster to help the site member to find friends.
The “write to wall” feature is similar to post a message or comment in Friendster and both application will alert the users via email. However, Facebook not just notified but also display the message in the email while Friendster send the notification with “review comment” button. Friendster member need to enter the site in order to view the sent message. For this features, Facebook goes beyond Friendster in the way to simplify some action for the site user. Thus, if we received messages we more interested to read that message instead of do other action before the task can be completed.
Although, Facebook offered more outstanding features than Friendster , I never think to resign as a Friendster member. This is because of all people listed in my Friends list in my Friendster page is “really” my friends in real life and also like “alumni” page for me while in Facebook I preferred to accept them as my “virtual friends” and also a “future friends”. Accordingly, I never knew all friends listed in my Facebook but, I can “see” them through photos. Moreover, most of friends that I get from the “People you may know” tool are Malaysian who are in Queensland University and what amazed me that I can recognized them on the street after firstly met them in the Facebook . I updated with their current news from the Facebook but I never talk and knew each of them in a real life. On the other hand, I assumed that I just be friends with them virtually in the Facebook without really be a friend with them in the real world.
In addition, I recognized some of my friends in Friendster also a friend in the Facebook. This is happen because of using the contact importer application will invite all contact located in the address book. Because I am using the same registered email for invitation then resulted to that issue. But, what interest me, some of my friends update regularly their photos in the Facebook rather than in Friendster. This make me wonder why and until I noticed that Facebook allows users to upload an unlimited size and number of pictures while Friendster only allowed not more than 2 MB and required extra plug in from HTML uploader and Windows XP uploader wizard if user want to exceed the limit.
Furthermore, the Photos application offered by Facebook is exceptional than Friendster. Besides of the Facebook users can upload unlimited number of photos they also able to tag the picture. Tag feature allows user to label anyone who in the photo. If a photo contains a user’s friend then the user can tag the friend in the photo. This sends a notification to the friend that they have been tagged, and provides them a link to see a photo.
Some people may argue why we need to provide our full name for a particular web application likes Facebook and Friendster. It is matter? However, users may enter “unreal” information or fake profile into the application. But, what may happen is they might be failed to find their childhood friends, ex-colleague, ex-schoolmate and also their old friends not be able to recognize them. Some media report that, in a world with no cell phone or e-mail directories, application such as Facebook has become a way to find lost friends. However, if users provide “unreal” information, they may lost their friends forever.
Nowadays, the social networking media has going mobile. People will be able to MySpace from the Blackberry, sending picture and video through MMS to their Facebook, deliver and received latest updates via SMS from Twitterers. In contrast, online photo management application such as Flickr also offered collaboration with online image editing software at http://www.picnik.com/ and also allowed Flickr user to design and print their photo in style by using online printing services from (http://www.moo.com/). Integration with different technology and application will promotes growth of online social media in the future. However, it is suggested there are also any collaboration between the social networking hosts to wider the network of online community. For example by notify members that their friends also are in other social networking site.
References:
- myspace mobile. http://www.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=mobile.
Last retrieved on : 10 February 2009 - Facebook, MySpace drive mobile web use. http://www.news.com.au/technology/story/0,28348,25006302-5014239,00.html.
Last retrieved on: 10 February 2009. - Pro-mafia Facebook pages cause alarm in Italy.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28619999/
Last Retrieved on: 10 February 2009. - Citizen journalists told to stop using Twitter to update on Bombay attacks. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article5245059.ece.
Last Retrieved on: 10 February 2009. - Go Australian magazine: Get connected! Your Lifestyle technology guide. Issue 5.pg 38-39.
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