Social networking services are a fast-growing business in the Internet. However, it is unknown if online relationships and their growth patterns are the same as in real-life social networks. In this paper, we compare the structures of three online social networking services: Cyworld, MySpace, and orkut, each with more than 10 million users, respectively. We have access to complete data of Cyworld's ilchon (friend) relationships and analyze its degree distribution, clustering property, degree correlation, and evolution over time. We also use Cyworld data to evaluate the validity of snowball sampling method, which we use to crawl and obtain partial network topologies of MySpace and orkut. Cyworld, the oldest of the three, demonstrates a changing scaling behavior over time in degree distribution. The latest Cyworld data's degree distribution exhibits a multi-scaling behavior, while those of MySpace and orkut have simple scaling behaviors with different exponents. Very interestingly, each of the two e ponents corresponds to the different segments in Cyworld's degree distribution. Certain online social networking services encourage online activities that cannot be easily copied in real life; we show that they deviate from close-knit online social networks which show a similar degree correlation pattern to real-life social networks.

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Analysis of topological characteristics of huge online social networking services

What is a social medium, and how may one moderate, isolate, and influence communicative processes within? Although scholars assume an inherent understanding of social media based on extant technology, there is no commonly accepted definition of what social media are, both functionally and theoretically, within communication studies. Given this lack of understanding, cogent theorizing regarding the uses and effects of social media has been limited. This work first draws on extant definitions of social media and subcategories (e.g., social network sites) from public relations, information technology, and management scholarship, as well as the popular press, to develop a definition of social media precise enough to embody these technologies yet robust enough to remain applicable in 2035. It then broadly explores emerging developments in the features, uses, and users of social media for which future theories will need to account. Finally, it divines and prioritizes challenges that may not yet be apparent to t...

Social Media: Defining, Developing, and Divining

This study explored how social networking technology can be used to supplement face-to-face courses as a means of enhancing students' sense of community and, thus, to promote classroom communities of practice in the context of higher education. Data were collected from 67 students who enrolled in four face-to-face courses at two public universities in Taiwan. Findings indicated that the majority of participants developed strong feelings of social connectedness and expressed favorable feelings regarding their learning experiences in the classes where social networking sites were used as a supplementary tool. Learner difficulties and concerns of instructors about the educational use of social media are addressed with recommendations for future research and practice.

Educational use of social networking technology in higher education

"To Save Everything Click Here: The Folly of Technological Solutionism." Evgeny Morozov. Allen Lane. March 2013. --- Technology, Evgeny Morozov proposes, can be a force for improvement – but only if we abandon the idea that it is necessarily revolutionary and instead genuinely interrogate why and how we are using it. Alison Powell finds that although the final chapter of this book provides some examples of thoughtful ways that technology could be used as a way of thinking through problems rather than as a panacea, Morozov does not develop his critique much beyond the superficial “it’s not all about the internet.”

Book review: To save everything click here: the folly of technological solutionism

1. Apply the communication theory in order to: analyze their own social environments public opinion and mass culture phenomena; understand and explain the reality in where they live; value the theoretical approach on communication. 2. Elementally determine mass communication methods and research techniques, practice them, and derive their social implications. 3. Differentiate and relate multiple perspectives on mass communication theory, from the traditional approaches to the ones emerged in the network society. 4. Estimate the market as a core player in the development and expansion of mass communication and culture. 5. Achieve a critical analysis of the social, political and cultural implications of the communication modalities emerged in the information society.

On the theories of communication

Major museums worldwide are starting to use social media such as blogs, podcasts and content shares to engage users via participatory communication. This marks a shift in how museums publicly communicate their role as custodians of cultural content and so presents debate around an institution's attitude towards cultural authority. It also signifies a new possible direction for museum learning. This article reports on a range of initiatives that demonstrate how participatory communication via social media can be integrated into museum practices. It argues that the social media space presents an ideal opportunity for museums to build online communities of interest around authentic cultural information, and concludes with some recent findings on and recommendations for social media implementation.

Participatory Communication with Social Media

This paper posits that social networking can take a central role in learning in informal environments such as museums, libraries and galleries. It argues that social media offers young people agency previously unavailable in informal learning environments in order to explore complex responses to and participation with cultural content. The paper will consider transformations in digital literacy and the processes by which young learners can connect with knowledge in informal learning environments to become active cultural participants. Die Wirkung sozialer Medien auf informelle Bildung in Museen Dieses Papier postuliert, dass soziale Vernetzung eine zentrale Rolle im Lernen in informellen Umgebungen wie Museen, Bibliotheken und Galerien annehmen kann. Es behauptet, dass soziale Medien jungen Leuten als Agentur in informellen Lernumgebungen dienen konnen, die zuvor nicht verfugbar sind, um komplexe Antworten zu erkunden und Beteiligung mit kulturellem Inhalt zu erkennen. Die Autoren betrachten Transformatio...

The Impact of Social Media on Informal Learning in Museums

Social media enable cultural participants to both explore images of themselves and distribute those images across broad online social networks. Museums worldwide are starting to use social media such as blogs, wikis and vlogs to engage online participants with new interactive experiences. This represents a shift in the ways in which museums: 
•	act as trusted cultural online networks; 
•	distribute community knowledge; and 
•	view their role as custodians of cultural content. 

It is this broader distribution of community knowledge which sets social media technologies apart from more traditional outreach models where museums work with audiences. As the products of social media are readily available online, their existence within museum communication programs presents debate around an institution’s investment in its own continuing cultural authority. This paper will investigate some of the issues surrounding the use of social media in museum programs and will argue that there are strong epistemological reasons for social media to add value to museum programs.

https://researchbank.swinburne.edu.au/file/e469ae2a-a2dd-4e6d-808a-e691643c049a/1/PDF (Accepted manuscript).pdf

How will social media affect museum communication

Digital cultural communication: audience and remediation

This article uses the example of a mobile mixed-media platform – a converted three-wheeled auto-rickshaw – in Sri Lanka in order to explore whether and how content-creation activities can enable marginalised communities to have a voice. It draws upon research into participatory content-creation activities conducted in 15 locations across India, Indonesia, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. The main findings are: the need to pay attention to context when thinking about what might be locally appropriate, relevant, and beneficial in terms of participatory content creation; the benefits that can be gained from creatively reaching out to and engaging marginalised groups and encouraging a diversity of voices; the usefulness of locally produced content for generating local debate around local issues; and the benefits of encouraging participation at all stages of content creation, so that content is locally meaningful and might lead to positive social change.

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Jerry Watkins

Papers

Participatory Communication with Social Media

The Impact of Social Media on Informal Learning in Museums

How will social media affect museum communication

Digital cultural communication: audience and remediation

Participatory content creation: Voice, communication and development