Week 11 Social Networking

Part 1
I have a fairly limited history with social networking and all of the different services that are provided in today’s world. I started using social media a few years ago when Myspace first became popular and deemed it something that was not for me. I like to keep in contact with my friends but don’t feel that I need to be involved in every tiny detail of their lives. I eventually deleted my account with Myspace and do not miss it at all. I do use email quite frequently and find it to be a great tool for networking and communicating efficiently.

Part 2
The social networking service that I decided to join was Facebook.

Part 3
“Design Analysis of Facebook”
The service I chose to join was Facebook and the community that it serves is anyone who is looking to connect and share with the people in their life. I found that getting set up on Facebook was quite easy and pretty typical. The service is a lot like a more personal email account that caters to your personal tastes and needs. By registering through an existing group such as a school you attended or a business where you worked; Facebook makes it easy for you to find people that you know. Once you have found a few friends, Facebook then begins recommending friends for you based on connections it makes through the friends you already have. Facebook also is very personal in many other aspects of its design and set up. When I edit my profile to list my favorite music, Facebook updated me as to when and where I could go see the artists that I posted. When I edited my favorite sports and hobbies, Facebook again had all kinds of recommendations as to groups I should join or offers I should be aware of. I think social goals that are associated with Facebook have to do with popularity and instant gratification. I think it is a big deal for some people to post a comment or picture and then have a group of twenty or more people reply to what you said. I think that social status is measured by how many friends you have and also by how many times you can pop up on your friend’s page. The more pictures and posts you can generate, the more you pop up and the bigger the splash you make in the social networking pool.

Part 4
I think that the future of social networking has endless possibilities. I think that people are so connected and in tune with what everyone else in their network is doing that this takes communication to the next level. I think that social networking is here to stay and will be constantly integrated into our everyday lives until we are robots. Right now Facebook can recommend friends who have similar interests in anything from sports and music to politics and religion. I think the next step is for Facebook to not only recommend those friends but then to book a tee time for you at the local golf course with them. Then it will book your dinner reservation, being sure to choose a restaurant that your friends would approve of, considering an update will be posted upon your arrival. Then, facebook will choose your wine for you at dinner and post that on your page as well so that everyone will be able to comment on your selection. It seems a bit ridiculous to me but it’s as if we are running around with a chip in our brain letting everyone know exactly when and what we are doing. I think that society has become attached to this feeling of instant gratification and that the future of this social networking frenzy will only be known in time.