Social Networks on the Rise

I think what is most interesting about “Social Networks on the Rise” is the acknowledgment of collective wisdom. The most important innovation that the Web has brought is the place where those who are curious can find an answer, while those who have answers to some questions—and the way the web works, that question-pool is limitless—can add their input. This chapter mentions wikis as a social network—interestingly enough, while Wikipedia (-media, etc.) acts as an encyclopedia, it’s generated by individuals who has specific information (and, hopefully, supported by the checks and balances system that other users offer). I’ve contributed to Wikipedia, before they put the limits on submissions, and so has my boyfriend, who is a shy expert in music theory and Japanese video game soundtracks. As there will always be strange and, what were previously unanswerable, questions, social networks offer more than traditional methods can—even if, sometimes, a teenager looking to prank a rival high school messes up the information (and, yes, this did happen at my high school). If news and information is free-flowing, education is limitless.

Researching the Internet Experience

I read the appendix in Online about the research of the individual's experience with the internet. One of the introductory points caught my eye: that internet exploration is done by people from all backgrounds. Everyone is interested in just how people respond and use the internet. As one of my professors said today, there isn't a lot of studies on people and the internet-- whether it be about responses, reactions, usability, etc. It's interesting that such a widespread tool isn't over-researched, let alone barely researched. The article goes on to mention the different topics for research, including technological aspects (software, etc., and how we use them) and the social aspects. The last part seems useless for us, because it has to do with the ethics of researching-- isn't that something for marketing or journalism? But, I suppose, there will be some use for it; ethics are in every situation, especially when polling others.