iMedia Portfolio

Page 1

Shelley iMedia Portfolio Fall 2009

Russell

syntheses

Shelley
Russell
 September
7,
2009

Book
Synthesis:
Past
&
Future
—
An
Interactive
Media
Chronology
 
 

 Interactive
media
today
has
become
the
focus
of
Web
design,
online
business
 ventures
and
futurists
looking
to
predict
its
evolution
years
from
now.
But
what
is
now
 thought
of
as
a
highly
technological
and
advanced
phenomenon
once
began
as
a
simple
 act
of
communication
between
two
or
more
human
beings.
Telephone
conversations,
 story
circles
and
newspaper
or
magazine
articles
in
which
readers
were
encouraged
to
 respond
to
the
reporter
with
comments
or
questions
are
among
the
earliest
forms
of
 interactive
media.

 

 The
rapid
development
of
interactive
media
as
a
professional
field
is
largely
due
 to
the
emergence
of
digital
computers
and
the
development
of
the
Internet
and
the
 World
Wide
Web
(p.2).
The
first
computer,
ENIAC,
was
developed
in
the
1940s.
The
 machine
was
used
to
calculate
and
was
thought
of
as
an
advancement
to
the
previous
 non‐electric
abaci
and
abacuses.
Many
scientists
and
mathematicians
contributed
to
the
 development
of
the
modern‐day
computer,
among
which
are
key
players
Charles
 Babbage,
Vannevar
Bush,
Alan
Turing,
and
Thomas
Watson.

 


 Babbage
had
the
idea
for
an
“analytical
engine”
in
1833,
which
resembled
the
 modern‐day
computer.
Bush
invented
the
differential
analyzer
in
1925,
allowing
for
 more
advanced
electrical
computation.
While
Babbage
and
Bush
were
focused
on
 computers
as
tools
for
quick
numerical
computations,
Turing
was
the
first
to
create
the
 design
of
a
“general‐purpose
computer”
(p.3).
Watson
led
IBM
engineers
in
building
the
 first
computer
able
to
operate
on
software
in
1947.
 

 While
general‐purpose
computers
were
quickly
developing,
the
creation
of
the
 Internet
was
not
far
behind.
President
Dwight
D.
Eisenhower
created
the
Advanced
 Research
Projects
Agency
(ARPA)
in
1957
to
aid
in
the
“scientific
improvement”
of
U.S.
 defense
and
intelligence
(p.4).
In
the
early
60’s
J.C.R.
Licklider,
who
was
on
the
 management
team
at
ARPA,
began
trading
information
through
their
computers
in
 order
to
facilitate
a
more
efficient
work
environment.
Paul
Baran
and
Donald
Davies
 took
Licklider’s
original
idea
of
trading
information
and
expanded
it
to
include
the
idea
 of
sending
data
in
“packets”
through
a
“digital
network”
(p.4).
Baran’s
initial
sketches
of
 centralized,
decentralized
and
distributed
networks
quickly
evolved
into
what
is
known
 today
as
the
Internet.
 

 Although
Licklider
and
his
team
are
credited
with
spawning
the
creation
of
the
 Internet,
the
sending
of
data
electronically
dates
back
to
the
1830s
when
Samuel
Morse
 sent
the
first
telegraph,
“What
hath
God
wrought?”
Following
the
telegraph,
radio
grew
 in
popularity
after
Guglielmo
Marconi’s
creation
in
the
1890s.
The
1930s
were
 considered
the
“Golden
Age
of
Radio.”
Telephones
were
being
placed
in
homes
 throughout
the
country
in
the
early
1900s,
although
privacy
was
a
major
concern
due
to
 wiretapping.
In
the
1950s,
television
replaced
radio
as
the
dominant
form
of
broadcast.
 RCA
president
David
Sarnoff
and
Philo
Taylor
Farnsworth
are
credited
with
creating
the

earliest
forms
of
television.
The
rise
of
the
Internet
occurred
between
the
1960s
and
 1990s.

 

 ARPA
first
went
online
in
1969,
connecting
four
major
universities.
Soon,
more
 machines
were
connected
and
successfully
operating.
In
order
for
scientists
and
Internet
 developers
to
make
changes
and
create
technical
standards,
Steve
Crocker
created
 Request
for
Comments,
or
RFCs.
Perhaps
one
of
the
most
well‐remembered
RFCs
is
RFC
 354,
which
was
the
posting
for
file‐transfer
protocol
(FTP)
in
1972.
While
the
 development
of
the
Internet
was
moving
ahead
at
a
rapid
pace,
75
percent
of
Internet
 traffic
was
email.
It
wasn’t
until
1990
that
Tim
Berners‐Lee
expanded
the
Internet
to
 include
the
use
of
the
World
Wide
Web
by
writing
the
first
HTML
code.

 


 Berners‐Lee
first
introduced
the
Web
at
a
conference
in
1990,
and
from
there
 Internet
Service
Providers
(ISPs)
became
more
and
more
popular
as
people
sought
out
 businesses
allowing
them
to
get
access
to
the
Internet
via
“dial
up”
connection.
In
order
 to
further
enhance
ease
of
use
on
the
Web,
Mark
Andreessen
developed
Mosaic,
a
 browser
that
later
became
known
as
Netscape.
Web
users
found
it
easy
to
navigate
 various
pages
through
use
of
the
browser,
which
directed
them
to
various
documents
 online.

Since
Andreessen’s
creation
of
Mosaic,
numerous
browsers
have
been
created
 and
the
Web
continues
to
develop
and
grow
as
more
users
gain
access.

 

 The
popularity
and
immense
success
of
the
Internet
is
most
easily
understood
 through
a
comparison
of
other
popular
mediums
in
history.
The
radio
took
38
years
to
 gain
a
minimum
of
50
million
users
and
television
had
50
million
users
in
13
years.
 However
it
took
just
four
years
for
the
Internet
to
have
50
million
users.
Several
years
 later,
one
billion
users
were
estimated
to
be
using
the
Internet
(p.9).
Many
people
often
 mistake
the
Internet
for
the
World
Wide
Web,
and
vice
versa
—
interchanging
the
two
 terms
as
though
they
are
one
in
the
same.
In
reality,
the
World
Wide
Web
is
merely
one
 use
of
the
Internet.
The
Web
includes
a
system
of
hyperlinks
to
pages
and
documents
 that
are
accessible
online,
whereas
the
Internet
is
the
network
of
computers
under
 constant
development
that
ultimately
allows
the
Web
to
exist.

 

 But
the
Internet
is
not
the
only
thing
that
is
continuing
to
grow
and
develop.
The
 Web
began
as
what
is
known
as
“Web
1.0,”
but
it
has
grown
into
the
new
and
more
 interactive
“Web
2.0.”
When
the
Web
first
began,
scientists
were
happy
that
sharing
 data
electronically
had
become
a
success,
and
Web
users
found
it
convenient
to
be
able
 to
simply
view
documents
online.

Web
1.0
has
been
described
by
CNET
as
the
“era
of
 Web
prior
to
the
bursting
of
the
dotcom
bubble”
(p.17).
Web
sites
consisted
of
mainly
 static
pages
in
which
content
was
merely
being
presented
on
the
Internet
as
another
 form
of
sending
data.
With
Web
2.0,
the
idea
is
that
content
is
being
created
exclusively
 for
Web,
in
terms
of
writing
or
design.
JavaScript,
Wikipedia
and
digg
are
credited
by
 CNET
as
some
of
the
top
contributors
to
Web
2.0.
With
the
new
Web
2.0,
users
are
 given
more
freedom
on
the
Web
to
discover
their
own
paths
of
information
and
 contribute
to
online
content.

 

 It
is
predicted
that
Web
3.0
will
become
even
more
integrated
into
the
lives
of
 Internet
users—functioning
more
as
a
human
being,
or
a
“Semantic
Web”
(p.49,
p.58).
 Columnist
Mike
Elgan
predicts
that
Web
3.0
will
be
able
to
give
users
the
sensation
that
 they
are
interacting
with
another
human
being
instead
of
a
computer.
Currently,
users

can
search
for
various
items
in
Web
browsers
and
results
will
appear.
With
Web
3.0,
the
 computer
will
understand
your
location,
the
current
weather,
as
well
as
your
previous
 preferences
based
off
of
past
searches.
Inklings
of
Web
3.0
can
be
seen
in
the
Google
 browser,
in
which
a
user
can
type
in
terms
to
the
search
bar,
and
Google
may
come
up
 with
other
results—asking
the
user:
“Did
you
mean
this
instead?”
It
is
almost
as
though
 Google
knows
what
the
user
is
looking
for—almost.
With
Web
3.0,
Elgan
and
others
 predict
that
knowing
the
user
will
be
a
definite
feature.

 

 Still,
some
futurists
are
already
discussing
Web
4.0,
which
will
manifest
itself
in
 an
“augmented
world
where
the
virtual
and
real
blur”
(p.58).
Nils
Muller,
CEO
of
 TrendOne
declared
that
Web
4.0
would
essentially
be
an
“always‐on”
world,
or
a
world
 of
hyperconnectivity.
Philip
Tetlow,
author
of
“The
Web’s
Awake:
An
Introduction
to
the
 Field
of
Web
Science
and
the
Concept
of
Web
Life,”
argues
that
the
Web
is
already
 becoming
an
independent
entity—self‐controlled
and
separated
from
the
lives
of
 humans.
Tetlow
argues
that
the
Web
is
already
moving
towards
complete
 independence:
“The
Web
should
be
considered
a
living
organism
–
a
new
post‐human
 species
consisting
of
a
single
member”
(p.48).
 

 Predictions
about
the
previously
discussed
mediums
have
ranged
from
skeptical
 to
supportive,
but
the
Internet
instilled
perhaps
the
greatest
initial
fear
in
society.
 People
were
concerned
that
the
Internet
would
mean
the
end
of
the
human
race,
and
 the
start
of
a
machine/robot‐controlled
world.
For
instance,
Mondo
2000
editor
Ken
 Goffman
said
in
1992:
“Who’s
going
to
control
all
this
technology?
The
corporations,
of
 course.
And
will
that
mean
your
brain
implant
is
going
to
come
complete
with
a
 corporate
logo,
and
20
percent
of
the
time
you’re
going
to
be
hearing
commercials?”
 (p.41).
Futurist
Jim
Dator
predicted
in
1993:
“As
the
electronic
revolution
merges
with
 the
biological
evolution,
we
will
have
–
if
we
don’t
have
it
already
–
artificial
intelligence,
 and
artificial
life,
and
will
be
struggling
even
more
than
now
with
issues
such
as
the
legal
 rights
of
robots…”
(p.42).
Google’s
official
blog
presented
views
compiled
from
10
 experts
about
the
future
of
the
Internet
in
2008.
Predictions
from
the
blog
revealed
that
 experts
believe
70
percent
of
the
human
population
will
have
fixed
or
mobile
access
to
 the
Internet
in
the
next
decade.
Video
was
predicted
to
become
a
more
interactive
 medium
in
which
users
could
choose
content
and
control
advertisements
(Official
 Google
Blog).
 

 But
with
the
Internet
deemed
a
worldwide
success,
attention
now
lies
in
its
 implications
for
the
future.
The
Internet
and
the
World
Wide
Web
are
quickly
becoming
 more
and
more
integrated
in
the
lives
of
humans—somewhat
subconsciously.
Each
time
 an
email
alert
pops
up
on
one’s
iPhone,
or
a
Twitter
update
pops
up
on
a
computer
 screen,
it
becomes
second
nature
to
respond
to
the
alerts
and
check
them
on
a
regular
 basis.
This
is
just
the
very
surface
of
the
newly‐emerging
professional
field
of
 interactivity
that
is
emerging
as
a
means
for
humans
to
communicate,
browse
and
 manipulate
data
freely
on
the
Web.
Mitch
Kapor
has
spoken
out
about
the
importance
 of
interactive
design
that
is
firm,
suitable
and
easy
to
use
(p.50).
Interactive
design
must
 evoke:
“strategy
(connecting
the
product
with
goals),
experience
(related
interaction
 and
activities
in
context),
interaction
(the
interface
in
use
over
time
by
different
people),

interface
(the
presentation
of
information
and
controls)
and
functionality
and
 information
(the
categories,
types,
attributes
and
relationships
of
users)”
(p.50).

 

 One
of
the
must
clear
manifestations
of
modern
interactivity
can
be
seen
 through
augmented
reality
(AR)
and
virtual
reality
(VR)
worlds.
In
“The
Future
of
the
 Internet
III,”
by
Janna
Anderson,
Anderson
focuses
on
breakthroughs
and
VR
and
AR,
 and
uses
of
social
networking
across
various
fields
including
government
and
 commercial
sectors.
Online
gaming,
such
as
EverQuest
and
World
of
Warcraft
has
been
 proven
to
engage
users
in
“the
practice
of
useful
pursuits,
including
rapid
response…and
 leadership
through
collaboration”
(p.52‐53).
These
VR
worlds
could
potentially
lead
to
a
 future
in
leadership
for
some
dedicated
users,
according
to
a
2008
study
in
Harvard
 Business
Review.

While
online
gaming
is
a
valuable
tool
in
terms
of
software,
change
 and
development
in
these
programs
is
motivated
largely
by
humans’
use
of
the
various
 VR
worlds
(p.53).
Although
Second
Life
(a
social
VR
world),
and
other
synthetic
gaming
 worlds
have
millions
of
registered
users,
Facebook
and
MySpace
remain
the
most
 popular
group‐centered
networks
online.

 

 David
P.
Reed
presented
the
idea
that
the
Internet
is
designed
to
be
a
 “collaborative,”
“group‐forming”
process,
in
which
users
work
together
to
communicate
 and
generate
materials
online
(p.53).
Reed’s
Law
states
that:
“The
utility
of
large
 networks
can
scale
exponentially
with
the
size
of
the
network”
(p.53).
Facebook
is
a
 perfect
example
of
Reed’s
analysis
of
the
Internet
as
a
“group‐forming”
medium.
 Studies
show
that
regular
online
networkers
continue
to
use
these
communities
to
 allow
them
to
reach
a
point
of
self‐actualization.
Businesses
have
also
taken
great
 advantage
of
social
networks
and
synthetic
VR
worlds
to
market
new
strategies
and
 products
to
consumers,
and
train
employees.
Blogs
and
online
writing
via
social
 networking
allows
for
“collective
intelligence”
(p.74),
or
the
ability
of
individuals
to
 network
their
knowledge
and
collaborate
with
other
users
to
create
valuable
projects
 and
databases
full
of
information.
 

 More
free
wireless
broadband
access,
as
well
as
more
advanced
Internet
phones
 will
further
integrate
VR
and
AR
worlds
into
the
everyday
lives
of
users.
While
AR
and
VR
 have
been
used
for
personal
gain
and
business
ventures,
these
Web
tools
can
also
make
 a
difference
globally.

One
example
of
this
is
the
MDGMONITOR,
which
is
a
poverty
 tracking
Web
site.
Poorer
areas
are
tracked
and
publically
displayed.
This
tracker
has
 raised
awareness
and
consequently
money
for
poorer
areas
around
the
globe.
 

 While
VR
and
AR
worlds
are
largely
confined
to
computers
and
the
Web,
 wearable
computing
is
not
far
from
becoming
a
reality.
Soon,
clothes
will
be
able
to
 track
emotions
of
people
and
change
room
lighting
accordingly.
They
will
also
be
able
to
 monitor
one’s
posture.
Although
there
are
many
positive
implications
to
VR
and
AR
 worlds,
these
alternative
Web
communities
do
come
with
some
safety
risks—such
as
a
 loss
of
security,
overuse
of
the
Internet,
which
has
been
proven
to
lead
to
increased
 obesity,
as
well
as
more
suicide
cases
from
harmful
social
networking
practices
(p.58).

 

 Whereas
currently
humans
are
actively
seeking
out
computers
to
search
the
 Web,
look
up
addresses
on
Google
Earth
or
phone
a
friend
using
a
free
service
such
as
 Skype,
futurists
predict
that
human=computer
interfaces
will
not
remain
so
separate
for
 long.
Presently,
when
one
uses
the
Internet
or
types
a
Word
document,
an
observer

notices
a
person,
and
a
computer;
two
separate
entities.
However
the
“Internet
of
 Things”
will
soon
grow
to
include
devices
that
will
be
mixed
in
with
the
human
world,
 but
barely
visible
to
the
naked
eye.

 

 The
“Internet
of
Things”
can
be
defined
as
any
object
in
the
world
tagged
with
an
 IP
address
(a
small
device
that
identifies
the
object).
The
integration
of
intelligent
 devices
into
the
“Internet
of
Things”
will
mark
a
change
in
human
organization.
This
 phenomenon
has
also
been
referred
to
as
“pervasive”
or
“ubiquitous
computing,”
as
 well
as
“ambient
intelligence.”
William
Gibson,
known
by
many
as
the
“Father
of
 Cyberspace,”
says
that
soon
society
will
not
be
able
to
distinguish
between
cyberspace
 and
“that
which
isn’t
cyberspace”
(p.60).
Society
is
quickly
moving
toward
an
 unavoidable
transparency
with
the
“Internet
of
Things”
and
VR/AR
worlds.
Bill
Gates
 discussed
the
new
goal
of
making
“computing
as
pervasive
as
electricity”
(p.61).
 

 It
is
somewhat
jarring
to
think
that
soon
nearly
every
medium—a
table,
shower
 curtain,
wall…etc.,
will
become
a
means
of
acquiring
information.
It
is
already
somewhat
 difficult
to
get
away
from
advertisements,
the
Internet
and
cell
phones.
But
years
from
 now
it
will
be
incredibly
difficult
to
escape
the
world
of
cyberspace
and
before
long
even
 a
camping
trip
in
the
wilderness
will
likely
be
interrupted
by
various
mediums
receiving
 and
sending
information
in
the
“Internet
of
Things.”

 

 The
human‐computer
interface
is
quickly
evolving
from
the
traditional
WIMP
 (windows,
icons,
menus
and
pointing)
display.
Two
important
trends
that
are
driving
the
 emergence
of
new
possibilities
in
this
interface
are:
1)
The
move
towards
the
Mobile
 Internet,
and
2)
Embedded
networked
computing
devices
that
are
providing
more
ways
 for
human‐computer
interactions
to
occur
(p.60).
Already,
many
news
stations
are
 implementing
touch‐screens
to
better
display
information
to
viewers,
and
many
 computers
are
in
developmental
stages
to
include
“gesture‐control
and
multi‐touch
 features”
(p.61).
 

 While
display
screens
are
becoming
more
intuitive,
Wii
controllers
can
detect
 body
movements
and
projection
breakthroughs
will
soon
allow
data
on
cell
phone
 screens
to
be
significantly
enlarged,
developers
cannot
deny
that
efficiency
does
not
 always
lie
in
the
development
of
a
new
product.
The
most‐efficient
human‐computer
 input
method
remains
the
spoken
word,
and
the
most
efficient
computer‐human
output
 method
is
text.
Speech
recognition
is
improving
but
still
has
many
errors
due
to
voice
 inflections
and
inconsistency
of
background
noise.
Technology
is
also
developing
to
 include
easy‐to‐use
handwriting
recognition
from
a
stylus,
and
pen‐based
computing,
 which
allows
users
to
transfer
notes
to
a
personal
computer.
Beyond
the
basic
human‐ computer
interface
development,
brain‐computer
interfaces
are
a
popular
prediction
 from
technology
experts.
Essentially,
these
interfaces
will
provide
a
direct
connection
 between
human
brains
and
computers.

 

 Another
term
for
these
pervasive
computing
devices
is
Adam
Greenfield’s
 “everyware,”
which
rests
on
the
idea
that
“nothing
exists
in
isolation
from
other
things”
 (p.75).
According
to
Greenfield,
“everyware”
are
devices
that
can
be
networked
to
send
 and
receive
data
constantly.
Military
and
global
corporations
are
driving
ubiquitous
 computing
research.
Two
key
principles
of
“everyware”
are:
“1)
Build
it
as
safely
as
 possible
and
build
into
it
all
the
safeguards
to
personal
values,
and
2)
Tell
the
world
at

large
that
you
are
doing
something
dangerous”
(p.79).
“Everyware”
creates
an
 immortality
of
information,
because
every
place
is
an
opportunity
for
information
 output.
With
a
more
highly‐integrated
human‐computer
interface
comes
the
idea
of
 seamless
design
(p.67),
which
will
eventually
lead
to
a
world
of
hyperconnectivity,
or
the
 idea
that
humans
will
always
be
online.

 

 According
to
a
2008
study
conducted
by
the
Interactive
Data
Corporation
(IDC),
 many
people
are
already
classified
as
being
“hyperconnected”
users.
These
users
are
 willing
to
email,
text
and
communicate
using
other
methods
while
in
any
location—not
 differentiating
between
their
work
and
personal
lives.
Blackberry
users
have
been
 known
to
be
over‐addicted
to
the
devices—with
some
checking
them
more
than
85
 times
a
day
(p.69).
Recent
issues
have
been
raised
with
businesses
paying
employees
 overtime
for
work
done
on
Blackberries,
and
many
offices
have
an
understanding
with
 employees
that
they
can
conduct
some
personal
correspondence
on
their
Blackberries
 during
work
hours.
But
being
hyperconnected
has
been
shown
to
decrease
the
quality
 and
efficiency
of
work.
When
one
is
constantly
interrupted
by
a
phone
call
or
text
 message,
it
decreases
their
concentration
and
it
takes
time
for
one’s
mind
to
re‐focus
on
 the
task
at
hand
(p.70).
 


 Many
young
children
are
becoming
hyperconnected
too.
In
a
2007
report,
Pew
 Internet
indicated
that
93
percent
of
U.S.
teens
use
the
Internet.
Many
users,
children
 included,
have
to
adopt
multi‐tasking
in
order
to
monitor
multiple
goals
at
once.
Linda
 Stone
coined
the
term
“continuous
partial
attention,”
to
describe
hyperconnected
 individuals
who
must
focus
attention
on
one
task
while
thinking
about
several
 background
tasks
at
the
same
time.
While
multitasking
can
be
beneficial,
it
also
is
 negative
in
the
sense
that
it
can
lead
to
information
overload,
which
Basex
research
firm
 chose
as
their
“problem
of
the
year”
for
2008
(p.72).
Many
blogs
and
Web
sites
have
 been
started
that
focus
on
this
overload
of
data
and
suggest
that
technology
 complicates
our
lives
rather
than
simplifies
it.
Gina
Trapani’s
LifeHacker
site
gives
users
 tips
to
help
them
cut
through
massive
amounts
of
information.

 

 Looking
ahead
150
years,
more
and
more
information
will
become
available
to
 users
on
a
daily
basis.
Internet
pioneer
David
D.
Clark
has
predicted
that
there
will
be
a
 “need
to
accommodate
a
trillion
connected
devices
online
in
the
next
13
to
18
years”
 (p.68).
With
a
rapid
increase
in
users
and
information
available,
the
timeline
for
the
 future
suggests
that
computers
and
technology
will
become
even
more
integrated
into
 our
lives.
By
2011,
it
is
predicted
that
super
computers
will
be
on
the
market
–
operating
 close
to
the
speed
of
the
human
brain.
Intelligent
fabrics
will
be
present
in
2012
and
 human
cloning
and
teleportation
development
is
estimated
to
take
place
in
2015.
By
 2020,
ubiquitous
robots
will
be
present
on
earth
and
acquire
their
own
rights
and
jobs.
 “The
Singularity,”
or
“a
time
at
which
the
simultaneous
acceleration
of
nanotechnology,
 robotics
and
genetics
change
our
environment
beyond
the
ability
of
humans
to
 comprehend
or
predict,”
is
set
to
occur
at
2045
or
later
(p.92).

 

 Many
of
the
predictions
for
the
years
to
come
may
seem
far‐fetched,
but
in
 order
to
be
a
true
futurist,
one
must
create
his
or
her
own
image
of
where
he
or
she
 wants
to
be
in
so
many
years
(p.98).
Futuring
involves
developing
goals
and
answering
 key
questions,
as
well
as
understanding
stakeholders
and
their
roles.

Organizations
are

coping
with:
1)
Intelligent
horizon
scanning,
2)
Continuous
strategic
thinking,
3)
Dynamic
 action
planning,
and
4)
Engaging
in
collaborative
foresight
in
order
to
embrace
the
 future
and
all
that
it
has
to
offer
(p.
100‐101).
Foresight
thinking
involves
both
strategic
 and
tactical
tools.
Strategic
tools
will
reveal
a
vision
of
a
plausible
future
world
and
 challenge
one
to
think
about
the
world’s
meaning
and
the
future,
whereas
tactical
tools
 involve
creating
short‐term
strategies,
testing,
risk
assessment
and
problem
solving
 (p.103).
Mastery
of
the
following
cognitive
skills
is
essential
in
becoming
a
true
futurist:
 1)
Trend
assessment,
2)
Pattern
recognition,
3)
Systems
perspective,
4)
Anticipation,
5)
 Analysis
and
logic
(p.114).
Understanding
trends,
bigger
pictures
as
well
as
short/long‐ term
consequences
will
allow
one
to
determine
the
best
form
of
response
in
the
future.



 

 Trend
scanning,
networking,
action
planning
and
horizontal
scanning
are
several
 methods
one
can
take
to
understand
the
pace
of
change,
research
current
trends
and
 take
appropriate
action.
Trend
scanning
involves
looking
at
identified
trends
and
 analyzing
their
impact
over
time.
Networking
allows
companies
and
individuals
to
 communicate
any
outcomes
of
research
through
publications,
events,
case
studies
or
 final
reports.
Following
research
is
action
planning,
in
which
an
organizational
strategy
is
 defined
and
decisions
are
made
to
pursue
the
strategy
defined
in
research.
Horizontal
 Scanning
is
a
way
to
explore
“external
environmental
factors
in
order
to
understand
the
 pace
of
change,
and
identify
opportunities,
challenges
and
future
developments”
 (p.149).
Trends
are
much
easier
to
identify
than
developing
issues
because
trends
are
 already
labeled,
whereas
new
issues
occur
because
of
a
value
shift
or
a
change
in
the
 view
of
society.

 

 A
key
principle
to
horizon
scanning
is
that
“more
is
less”
(p.157).

According
to
 the
Law
of
Requisite
Variety
(Ashby
1956),
“A
system
with
the
requisite
control
variety
 can
deal
with
the
complexity
and
challenges
of
its
environment.
A
system
that
tries
to
 insulate
itself
from
environmental
variety
will
become
highly
unstable”
(p.157).
 Shielding
oneself
from
cyberspace
and
the
vast
amounts
of
information
available
will
 only
be
harmful
long‐term.
Preparing
for
the
future
involves
embracing
the
unknown
 and
delving
into
research
and
readings
on
current
trends
as
well
as
emerging
issues.

Shelley
Russell
 September
14,
2009

Book
Synthesis:
An
Introduction
to
Interactive
Media
Theory

Whereas
content
was
once
placed
on
the
Web
out
of
mere
convenience
in
the
 late
90’s,
it
is
now
being
written
specifically
for
the
online
environment.
Newspapers
are
 hiring
separate
online
staffs
to
handle
content
and
companies
are
looking
for
ways
to
 condense
information
for
the
Web
—tailoring
it
to
clever
designs
and
trying
to
maintain
 a
strong
following.
While
it
was
once
acceptable
for
businesses
to
engage
in
one‐way
 communications
with
consumers,
interactivity
is
changing
the
face
of
this
 communication.
Most
companies
are
recognizing
that
in
order
to
remain
competitive
 and
successful
long‐term,
they
will
have
to
embrace
more
direct
consumer
feedback
 and
consequently
work
to
break
down
barriers
that
have
historically
been
long‐ standing.
 

 Defining
interactivity
is
difficult,
as
there
is
no
universal
definition.
Interactivity
 can
refer
to
anything.
Technically
speaking,
opening
a
door
is
interactive:
A
person
 engages
with
the
doorknob,
turning
it
to
get
a
response—an
open
door.
But
more
 modern
forms
of
interactivity
are
occurring
online.
Many
experts
have
developed
 definitions
of
interactivity
based
off
of
personal
opinion
and
research.

 • Steur
defined
interactivity
as
“the
extent
to
which
users
can
participate
in
 modifying
the
form
and
content
of
a
mediated
environment
in
real
time”
(p.2)

 • Rheingold
said
that
listservs,
newsgroups
and
e‐mail
represented
interactivity
 (p.2)
 • Koolstra
and
Bos
define
interactivity
as

“the
degree
to
which
two
or
more
 communication
parties
[human
or
computer]
act
on
each
other
in
an
 interrelated
manner.
 • Downes
and
McMillan
completed
a
more
in‐depth
study
regarding
different
 levels
of
interactivity.
They
created
two
categories
in
order
to
assess
 interactivity:
“Message
Dimensions”
(time,
place
and
direction),
and
“Participant
 Dimensions”
(control,
responsiveness
and
perceived
goals)
(p.2).
 Downes
and
McMillan’s
definition
of
interactivity
seems
like
the
most
complete
and
 thorough
definition
because
it
is
the
most
flexible.
This
is
appropriate
because
 interactive
content
must
be
flexible
in
order
to
be
truly
interactive.
Downes
and
 McMillan’s
categories
are
useful
because
they
accept
different
levels
of
interactivity:
 “Low‐values”
and
“high
values.”
Sites
with
more
control
and
responsiveness
rank
higher
 than
sites
with
navigation
buttons
that
do
not
give
the
user
much
freedom.
Interactive
 sites
do
not
necessarily
need
to
be
complex;
a
simple
site
can
be
more
intuitive
and
 interactive
than
a
complicated
site
that
drives
away
users
and
is
difficult
to
use.
 Interactive
features
will
not
be
appreciated
unless
they
are
easy
to
access
and
appeal
 most
users—including
those
with
lower
levels
of
online
experience.
 

 In
order
to
identify
more
specific
elements
of
interactivity,
Koolstra
and
Bos
 developed
an
interactivity
scorecard,
which
identified
areas
on
a
site
that
expressed
 synchronicity,
timing
flexibility,
control
over
content
and
use
of
sight,
among
several

other
categories.
Control
is
one
of
the
most
frequently
mentioned
aspects
of
 interactivity
in
Koolstra
and
Bos’
model—it
is
present
in
timing
flexibility
and
control
 over
content
on
the
scorecard.
Control
is
arguably
the
most
important
aspect
of
 interactivity.
Each
of
the
above‐mentioned
definitions
of
interactivity
involves
the
 participation
of
users,
including
user
control
in
the
click
path
or
specific
message
of
the
 site.
Interactivity
is
a
way
to
describe
the
two‐way
interaction
between
a
user
and,
in
 this
case,
a
computer
or
a
particular
Web
site.
Web
sites
that
gain
the
most
page
views
 from
users
and
maintain
a
large
user
base
are
those
that
provide
unique
and
useful
 interactive
tools
to
Web
users.
Successful
interactive
Web
sites
do
not
happen
off
 chance.
There
are
specific
guidelines
for
effective
interactive
design
strategies.

 

 According
to
interaction
designer
Patrick
Jordan,
“Good
design
goes
past
 usability
and
looks
at
how
people’s
values,
aspirations,
hopes,
fears
and
dreams
can
be
 implemented”
(p.10).
Jordan
refers
to
these
elements
as
“human
factors.”
Human
 factors
are
a
key
component
to
successful
interaction
design
because
interactivity
is
 centered
on
the
needs
and
goals
of
the
user.
 Don
Norman
developed
the
“emotional
 Visceral
 Behavioral
 Re/lective
 design
model,”
which
looks
at
the
idea
that
 aesthetically
pleasing
Web
sites
and
products
 are
viewed
in
a
positive
light.
The
model
includes
three
dimensions:
Visceral,
behavioral
 and
reflective.
These
dimensions
deal
with
the
way
the
objects
are
perceived;
out
of
 instinct
and
in
relation
to
behavior
and
thoughts.
According
to
Norman,
an
effective
 design
addresses
all
three
dimensions.
 

 Interaction
design
is
a
complex
process.
It
is
described
as:
“the
discipline
of
 defining
the
behavior
of
products
and
systems
that
a
user
can
interact
with”
(p.6).
 Effective
design
emerges
after
research,
sketching
and
multiple
revisions.
There
are
two
 key
aspects
of
interactive
design:
Social
and
affective.

 
 • Involves
the
interactions
among
users,
as
 
 well
as
between
users
and
their
electronic
 
 Social
 devices
(i.e.
cell
phone
or
computer)
 
 ritical
factors
of
SxD:
"interpersonal
 interaction
 • Ccommunication,
speech
and
writing,
the
 
 pragmatics
of
talk
and
interaction"
(p.7)
 
 design
 
 • This
is
more
of
the
emotional
response
in
 
 interaction
design.
 
 s
described
in
Don
Norman's
model,
there
 Affective
 • Ais
a
need
for
products
to
ignite
positive
 
 response
 emotions
in
consumers.
The
use
of
icons,
 
 sound,
dynamic
color
schemes
and
 
 animations
are
a
useful
way
to
do
this
(p.8).
 
 
 These
two
aspects
of
interactive
design
are
equally
important
in
terms
of
user
 experience.
Not
only
must
users
be
able
to
have
the
freedom
to
explore,
self‐learn
and
 interact
with
one
another,
but
it
is
also
crucial
that
they
feel
positive
emotions
while
 doing
so.
These
feelings
can
often
occur
sub‐consciously.
Oftentimes
the
first

impression
of
a
Web
site;
the
color
scheme,
layout
and
font
choice
are
the
only
 elements
necessary
to
instill
positive
feelings
in
the
user.
Many
times,
a
user
will
ignore
 valuable
content
and
resources
due
to
a
poor
design
or
a
Web
site
that
evokes
negative
 feelings.
This
analysis
is
further
supported
by
Nathan
Shedroff’s
“Information
 Interaction
Design
book,
in
which
Shedroff
emphasizes
the
importance
of
creating
 “valuable,
compelling
and
empowering
information
and
experiences
for
others”
(p.4).
In
 order
to
create
a
design
that
includes
all
or
most
of
the
elements
discussed
in
the
above
 paragraphs,
interaction
designers
follow
a
six‐step
process
(illustrated
in
diagram
 below).

 

 Each
of
these
steps
is
equally
important
in
creating
an
effective
design.
 Depending
on
the
size
of
the
product,
feedback
 from
users
and
the
purpose
of
the
design,
 Prototyping
and
 Design
Research
 designers
can
go
through
this
cycle
multiple
 usability
testing
 times
until
they
settle
on
the
final
product.
 Shedroff
is
also
credited
with
creating
the
 Research
 “Continuum
of
Interactivity,”
in
which
he
 Analysis
and
 Implementation
 concept
 emphasizes
feedback,
control,
creativity/co‐ generation
 creativity,
productivity,
communications
and
 adaptivity
as
important
interactive
components
 Alternative
 (p.4).
 System
testing
 design
and
 

 Web
design
can
be
a
time‐consuming
 evaluation
 process,
but
it
is
important
to
get
into
the
mind‐ set
that
a
design
is
never
really
completed.
Especially
today
with
developing
technology
 and
an
incredibly
fast
flow
of
information,
Web
sites
should
be
continuously
monitored
 and
updated—in
terms
of
content
and
appearance.

 

 Robert
Reimann,
author
of
“So
you
want
to
be
an
Interaction
Designer,”
asserts
 that
interaction
designers
must
“have
empathy
with
users
and
the
ability
to
 conceptualize
working
solutions
(and
then
refine
them
ruthlessly”
(p.11).
These
skills
are
 not
always
inherent
traits
and
can
be
difficult
to
acquire.
It
is
interesting
to
think
about
 the
different
roles
of
individuals
in
design
firms
and
companies.
Sometimes
the
most
 creative
mind
may
be
in
the
wrong
department.
It
is
admirable
for
companies
to
 outsource
certain
design
jobs,
seek
help
from
internal
departments
or
hire
experts
for
 Web
design
because
those
companies
not
only
understand
their
weaknesses
but
also
 appreciate
the
importance
of
a
solid
design
that
will
benefit
consumers.

 

 An
interaction
designer
must
be
comfortable
with
conceptualizing
and
refining
 solutions.
It
is
interesting
to
think
about
this
because
a
designer
must,
in
other
words,
 be
able
to
do
the
same
thing
that
users
expect
to
be
able
to
do
with
content
that
is
truly
 interactive
(i.e.
discuss,
suggest
and
improve).
This
idea
can
be
expressed
in
the
example
 of
electronic
artist
Imogen
Heap,
who
made
all
of
her
music
available
online
at
 www.flickr.com.
Users
were
then
able
to
comment
on
the
songs
and
suggest
 improvements.
Interactivity
occurs
here
on
two
levels:
One
in
the
aspect
of
the
Web
 site’s
technical
components,
and
the
other
in
terms
of
the
willingness
of
the
artist
to
 openly
communicate
and
use
her
listeners
as
a
primary
influence
in
the
final
product.

 

 If
interactive
design
is
genuine,
the
viewers
are
the
true
central
focus
of
any

project.
Everything
is
done
with
the
purpose
of
appealing
to
the
site’s
audience
and
 ultimately
providing
a
unique
enough
experience
to
bring
them
back
to
the
page
in
the
 future.
Interaction
designers
not
only
work
with
producers,
consumers
and
interfaces,
 but
they
also
study
cognitive
psychology
theories
in
order
to
better
assess
the
needs
of
 site
visitors.
The
theories
described
below
have
been
divided
into
three
main
categories:

 1)
Theories
that
relate
to
the
actions
of
producers
and
creators
 2)
Theories
that
relate
to
the
actions
of
the
audience
 3)
Theories
that
relate
to
the
effect
of
the
media
on
its
audience
 
 
 Robert
Craig’s
“7
Traditions
of
Communications
Theory”
is
not
included
in
the
 explanations
of
these
theories
because
it
encompasses
aspects
from
so
many
of
them.
 Craig’s
seven
traditions
include:
 7
Traditions
of
Communications
Theory
 Rhetorical
 The
practical
art
of
 Each
of
these
traditions
was
identified
 discourse
 following
Craig’s
observation
of
other
 Semiotic
 Communication
 scholars’
approaches
to
studying
 through
signs
 communications
theory
and
its
 Phenomenological
 Dialogue,
or
the
 effects.
Understanding
the
 experience
of
otherness
 importance
of
these
means
of
 Cybernetic
 Information
systems
 communications
is
crucial
to
creating
 approach,
or
 content
and
design
that
has
 information
processing
 interactive
appeal.

 Sociopsychological
 Expression,
interaction
 

 Quantitative
and
qualitative
 and
influence
 research
is
used
throughout
 Sociocultural
 Reflection
of
social
 communications
theories
to
gain
 order
 valuable
data.
Quantitative
research
 Critical
 Discursive
reflection,
 involves
gathering
numerical
data
and
 analytical
reasoning
 the
use
of
mathematical
models
or
 Rhetorical
 The
practical
art
of
 hypotheses.
Qualitative
research
 discourse
 involves
the
process
of
looking
at
the
 Semiotic
 Communication
 meanings
behind
the
numbers.
Focus
 through
signs
 groups
and
interviews
are
common
 Phenomenological
 Dialogue,
or
the
 experience
of
otherness
 forms
of
this
research.

 Cybernetic
 Information
systems
 

 The
theories
outlined
in
the
 approach,
or
 next
few
pages
are
separated
 information
processing
 according
to
their
focus.
The
analysis
 Sociopsychological
 Expression,
interaction
 in
this
paper
will
be
focused
mainly
on
 and
influence
 the
middle
column,
“actions
of
the
 Sociocultural
 Reflection
of
social
 audience,”
because
these
are
the
 order
 theories
that
will
be
most
important
in
 Critical
 Discursive
reflection,
 terms
of
the
future
and
interactivity.
 analytical
reasoning
 The
idea
of
being
interactive
involves
 placing
control,
creativity
and
feedback
in
the
hands
of
the
consumer
(or,
the
audience).
 The
Shannon‐Weaver
model
of
communication,
for
instance,
involves
the
sending
of
a

message
via
a
signal
to
the
receiver
(p.17).
This
model
is
a
popular
communications
 model
but
it
fails
to
include
multi‐directional
communication.
Interactivity
is
based
on
 real‐time,
two‐way
conversation.
This
model
could
better
be
updated
to
express
this
by
 illustrating
a
return
of
information
from
the
receiver
to
the
transmitter.
This
update
 would
better
convey
the
idea
of
a
conversation,
rather
than
a
one‐way
communication
 of
information.
However;
a
true
interactive
model
should
do
more
than
this—it
should
 illustrate
a
cycle.
The
two‐way
conversation
should
not
stop
after
the
consumer
returns
 a
message
to
the
producer.
Instead,
the
producer
should
communicate
back,
and
so
 forth.
Many
businesses
are
working
toward
this
goal
after
adopting
the
mindset
that
 consumers
are
quickly
transitioning
into
active
participants.

Communications
theories:

Actions
of
producers

Harold
Lasswell
–
who
says
what
 to
whom
in
what
channel
with
 what
effect.

Actions
of
audience

Activity
Theory
–
Kant,
Hegel,
 Marx
and
Engels.
It
is
based
on
 the
idea
that
people
are
active
 beings
who
improve
and
achieve
 their
personal
goals
by
their
own
 actions.

 Shannon‐Weaver
 Symbolic
Interactionism
–
 Model/Information
Theory
–
a
 Herbert
Blumer
coined
the
term.
 mathematical
representation
that
 George
Herbert
Mead
and
 includes
an
information
source,
 Charles
Cooley
argue
that
 encoder,
channel,
decoder
and
 “people’s
selves
are
social
 destination.
Noise
is
also
a
factor.
 products
and
these
selves
are
 purposive
and
creative.”
 Propaganda
Theory
–
a
technique
 Online
Communities
Theory
–
 in
which
human
actions
are
 Peter
Kollock.
These
communities
 manipulated
due
to
varying
 existed
before
social
networks
 representations
of
content.
Roger
 and
represent
online
groups.
 Brown
defines
information
as
 People
are
motivated
to
 propaganda
“when
the
goal
of
 contribute
to
these
communities
 persuasive
effort
is
to
benefit
the
 for
various
reasons,
including
 persuader”
(not
the
consumer).
 anticipated
reciprocity
and
a
 sense
of
efficacy.
 Percussion
Theories
–
Cooper
 Uses
and
Gratifications
Theory
–
 and
Jahoda.
This
includes
fear
 this
theory
looks
at
the
reasons
 appeal
(the
use
of
threat
to
instill
 that
people
communicate,
as
well
 concern
or
fear
in
the
audience),
 as
what
they
gain
from
their
 and
functional
approach
to
 experiences.
The
theory
delves
 attitude
change
(where
humans
 into
the
question
of
how
people
 are
irrational
and
rational— are
motivated
to
use
certain
tools
 depending
on
time
and
place).
 to
meet
their
specific
needs.
 Media
richness
theory
–
Richard
 Spiral
of
Silence
–
Elisabeth

Effect
of
media
on
audience
 Knowledge
Gap
Theory
–
 Tichenor,
Donohue
and
Olien.
 With
each
new
medium,
the
gap
 between
the
information‐rich
and
 information‐poor
becomes
larger.
 The
goal
is
digital
inclusion.
 Cultivation
Theory
–
George
 Gerbner.
This
is
included
in
the
 social
construction
of
reality.
If
 the
audience
is
over‐exposed
to
a
 certain
message,
this
can
cause
 them
to
obtain
a
common
 worldview
or
role.

 Technological
Determinism
–
 Marshall
McLuhan:
“the
medium
 is
the
message”
(p.40).
 Technological
factors
are
 responsible
for
driving
social
 change.

Powerful
Effects
Theory
– centered
around
the
idea
that
 media
effects
are
most
powerful
 if
they
are
able
to
reach
multiple
 people
on
many
different
levels.
 This
theory
involves
campaigning
 and
specific
ways
to
target
and
 secure
a
following.

 Agenda
Setting/Media
Framing
–

Daft
and
Robert
Lengel.
Richer
 media,
i.e.
videos
and
interactive
 multimedia
packages,
are
a
more
 effective
and
personal
means
of
 communication

Noelle‐Neumann.
People
will
 speak
out
about
something
if
the
 majority
agrees
with
them.
 Otherwise,
they
are
likely
to
 remain
silent
about
the
issue.
 Perception
theory
–
Berelson
and
 Steiner.
Message
interpretation
is
 a
complex
process
where
people
 selectively
“choose,
analyze
and
 interpret
messages”
into
 something
that
has
meaning.

 Schema
–
Graber,
Fiske
and
 Kinder.
A
cognitive
structure
 developed
based
on
previous
 experiences
and
knowledge.
 People
retain
story
conclusions
 rather
than
details
about
the
 actual
story
itself.
 Image
Perception
Theory
–
Linda
 Scott.
“Theory
of
visual
rhetoric
 to
help
in
understanding
of
how
 people
process
pictures.”
 Social
Network
Theory
–
 Granovetter,
Wellman,
Boyd.
 Attempts
to
look
at
social
 network
ties,
how
and
why
they
 develop,
and
the
ways
in
which
 these
ties
affect
norms.
Every
 human
is
somehow
connected
to
 another.
 Social
Construction
of
Reality
–
 Adoni
and
Mane.
Social
factors
 and
features
of
technology
 combine
to
influence
the
user.

Max
McCombs
and
Donald
Shaw.
 The
media
dictate
important
 messages
and
tell
us
which
issues
 we
should
think
about,
as
well
as
 how
we
should
think
about
them.
 Media
Ecology
–
Neil
Postman
et
 al.
This
theory
looks
at
the
 varying
effects
of
media
as
 related
to
the
perception,
 understanding,
feeling,
values
 and
survival
of
an
audience.

Social
construction
of
reality
–
 Adoni
and
Mane.
Attempts
to
 look
at
social
network
ties,
how
 and
why
they
develop,
and
the
 ways
in
which
these
ties
affect
 norms.
Every
human
is
somehow
 connected
to
another.
 Diffusion
of
Innovations
Theory
–
 
 Everett
Rogers.
Looking
at
the
 ways
that
innovations
become
 popular
throughout
a
social
 system.
 Human
Action
Cycle
model
–
Don
 
 Norman’s
model.
Analyzes
the
 steps
people
take
to
achieve
a
 goal.

The
Activity
Theory
supports
the
theme
of
interactivity
because
it
recognizes
the
 fact
that
consumers
are
active,
in
other
words
“prosumers,”
who
enjoy
making
their
 own
decisions,
self‐learning
and
exploring.
Interactive
content
requires
that
users
 engage
and
participate
freely—sometimes
on
an
unlimited
basis.
This
theory
was
first
 used
in
the
1990s
and
originates
from
the
realm
of
human‐computer
interaction
(HCI).
It
 fits
well
with
interactivity
because
it
implements
the
HCI
research
concepts
of
 interactive
design,
participatory
design
and
cognitive
modeling.
Followers
of
this
theory
 are
accepting
the
value
of
a
more
vocal
and
influential
consumer,
and
they
tailor
their
 content
according
to
these
new
and
freer
parameters.
The
Activity
Theory
serves
three
 important
functions
(shown
in
 the
diagram
to
the
right).
 • Reveals
the
ways
in
which
actions
and
processes
 
 are
divided
and
shaped
by
a
community
as
it
is
 involved
in
accomplishing
a
goal.
 Symbolic
Interactionism
also
 • Shows
the
importance
of
involving
individuals
 emphasizes
the
importance
of
 from
a
speci/ic
community
in
the
act
of
design.
 Activity
Theory
 • Shows
how
knowledge
and
artifacts
are
re/ined
 the
audience
or
consumer.
 and
automated
to
create
a
useful
and
successful
 Functions
 end
product.
 However
this
theory
includes
 the
idea
that
humans
are
 creative
beings
who
are
heavily
 influenced
by
past
experiences.
 Herbert
Blumer
coined
the
term
and
 developed
three
premises
behind
this
theory
that
hold
true
in
terms
of
creating
a
 dynamic,
interactive
product
that
will
grab
and
hold
viewer
attention
long‐term
(p.22).
 
 Blumer’s
Three
Premises:
 • Human
beings
act
toward
things
on
the
basis
of
meanings
that
they
ascribe
to
 those
things.
 • The
meaning
of
such
objects
or
events
is
derived
from
the
social
interaction
that
 an
individual
has
with
other
people,
and
society
as
a
whole.
 • Meanings
are
handled
and
modified
through
an
interpretative
process.
 
 These
premises
further
support
the
importance
of
research
for
interactive
design
and
 content.
Individuals
have
deep‐seated
morals
and
memories
of
past
experiences
that
 will
not
easily
be
swayed.
Understanding
these
morals
and
beliefs
will
show
through
in
 terms
of
a
solid
design
and
content
that
will
appeal
to
the
target
audience.

 

 The
Online
Communities
and
Social
Networking
Theories
are
very
much
related
 in
that
they
are
focused
on
the
meanings
behind
the
connections
that
individuals
create
 with
one
another.
“Online
communities”
was
the
term
used
prior
to
the
existence
of
 social
networks
(i.e.
online
groups
in
which
online
communities
revolved
around
blogs,
 e‐mail
and
synthetic
online
worlds)
(p.26).
Social
networks
such
as
Facebook
and
 MySpace
began
to
appear
and
rapidly
gain
popularity
just
several
years
ago.
Facebook,
 the
most
popular
social
network,
was
created
and
launched
just
five
years
ago
in
2004
 and
has
already
achieved
more
than
250
million
active
users.
According
to
the
Facebook
 Web
site,
more
than
120
million
users
log
onto
the
Web
site
at
least
once
each
day.
The
 Online
Community
Theory
looks
to
address
the
reasons
and
motivations
behind
the

millions
of
users
on
the
site
(and
other
social
networks)
each
day.
Peter
Kollock
 developed
a
set
of
motivations
for
users
contributing
to
online
communities
(p.27):
 The
Social
Network
Theory
works
to
 Kollock's
four
motivations
for
 define
the
meanings
behind
these
 contributing
to
online
 ties.
Mark
Granovetter
differentiated
 communities:
 between
strong
and
weak
ties
in
 social
networks.
According
to
 • Anticipated
reciprocity:
People
are
motivated
to
 give
valuable
inforamtion
to
online
groups
 Granovetter,
oftentimes
smaller,
 because
they
expect
that
they
will
get
information
 closer
networks
represent
weaker
 back
in
return.
 ties
due
to
the
fact
that
they
are
 • Increased
recognition:
Social
network
members
 have
a
desire
for
prestige.
Even
anonymous
 closed
off
from
outside
sources
that
 contributors
and
hackers
often
keep
their
 can
contribute
new
material
and
 screennames
so
they
will
be
recognized‐‐despite
 resources,
as
well
as
creative
ideas.
 the
fact
that
they
could
be
caught
and
punished.
 Under
this
theory,
Ithiel
de
Sola
Pool
 • Sense
of
Ef/icacy:
The
feeling
that
you
have
a
 direct
in/luence
on
your
environment

(i.e.
a
 was
the
first
to
propose
the
“small
 greater
purpose
in
life)
 world
phenomenon,”
(mentioned
in
 • Sense
of
Community:
Interaction
in
a
community
 the
theory
chart
above).
Many
 encourages
more
interaction.
Positive
feedback
 motivates
individuals
and
further
encourages
 researchers
have
further
developed
 discussion
and
feedback
in
online
communities.
 Pool’s
original
idea.
Watts
and
 Strogatz
proved
in
their
research
that
 by
adding
a
small
number
of
random
links,
a
weakly
connected
network
could
 instantaneously
become
highly
connected.

 

 Individuals
who
are
heavily
involved
in
social
networking
should
take
advantage
 of
the
value
in
weak‐ties.
Sometimes
following
a
professional
on
Twitter
or
“friending”
 an
expert
in
one’s
research
concentration
can
lead
to
a
valuable
connection
down
the
 road.
Albert‐Laszlo
Barabasi
defined
these
weak
connections
in
online
communities
as
 scale‐free
networks,
in
which
a
few
highly
connected
“super‐nodes”
or
“hubs”
are
at
 the
heart
of
the
network
with
most
of
the
other
ties
being
weak
(p.24).
Facebook
and
 Twitter
have
been
very
useful
starting
tools
in
graduate
research
in
terms
of
seeking
out
 background
information
and
finding
well‐connected
professionals
in
the
field
of
 communications.
Twitter
is
a
good
example
of
the
value
in
weak
links;
one
can
“follow”
 a
complete
stranger,
but
if
that
stranger
is
highly
networked,
their
Twitter
updates
with
 useful
resources
and
links
will
be
frequently
available.

While
these
theories
are
very
 valuable
and
useful
in
terms
of
modern
communications
and
interactivity,
the
Uses
and
 Gratifications
Theory
best
encompasses
the
ultimate
focus
of
interactivity:
The
needs
 and
personalities
of
consumers.
 

 The
Uses
and
Gratifications
Theory
“identifies
how
people
are
motivated
to
use
 particular
communications
tools
to
meet
particular
needs,”
by
considering
the
“actions
 of
an
active
audience”
(p.31,
33).
The
theory
rests
on
the
notion
that
the
media
can
take
 certain
steps
to
appropriately
serve
consumers
instead
of
merely
dictating
information
 and
messages
to
them
in
an
impersonal
matter.
Katz,
Gurevitch
and
Haas
developed
 Five
Categories
of
Needs
to
describe
the
motivations
behind
the
uses
of
 communications
tools
(p.32):

Cognitive
Needs—Needs
related
to
gaining
knowledge,
insight
and
an
understanding
of
 the
environment.
 Affective
Needs
–
Strengthening
aesthetic,
pleasurable
and
emotional
experiences.
 Personal
Integrative
Needs
–
Strengthening
credibility,
confidence,
stability
and
status
 of
an
individual.
 Social
Integrative
Needs
–
Strengthening
contact
with
family,
friends
and
the
rest
of
the
 world.
 Escapist
Needs
–
Needs
related
to
escape,
tension
release,
desire
and
diversion.

 
 Each
of
these
needs
is
important
in
understanding
ways
to
effectively
communicate
a
 message.
Most
users’
motivations
cross
over
multiple
categories.
In
researching
a
target
 audience,
it
is
important
to
include
questions
about
these
categories
so
that
the
media
 can
better
serve
its
audience.
Abraham
Maslow
developed
a
similar
model
to
describe
 the
needs
of
users
as
related
to
communications
tools:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Self‐actualization
is
a
point
in
which
the
user
feels
 Self­ actualization
 completely
in
touch
with
their
morality,
creativity,
 acceptance,
purpose,
meaning
and
inner
potential.
 Self­esteem
 Many
social
network
users
and
Second
Life
users
 feel
as
though
they
can
identify
a
true‐life
 Love
and
belonging
 purpose
through
connections
and
decisions
 they
make
online
in
virtual
communities.
 Safety
and
security
 While
these
motivations
are
important,
 Physiological
needs
 users
can
experience
gratifications
 from
any
number
of
areas,
 including:
From
a
medium’s
content,
from
familiarity
of
a
genre,
from
general
exposure
 to
the
medium
and
from
social
context
in
which
the
medium
is
used
(p.32).

 

 According
to
Lasswell,
the
media
serves
the
functions
of:
Surveillance,
 correlation,
entertainment
and
cultural
transmission
(p.32).
However
important
 changes
in
modern
communications
have
expanded
these
functions
to
include
 demassification
(control
by
an
individual),
asynchroneity
(ability
to
access
and
 participate
at
any
convenient
time)
and
interactivity
(mutual
discourse
and
an
 exchange
of
roles
between
participants
and
producers)
(p.34).

 

 In
looking
at
the
wide
range
of
communications
theories
available,
it
may
be
 difficult
to
settle
on
one
theory
in
particular.
Futurists
and
those
looking
to
create
 interactive
content
should
read
about
theories
such
as
Uses
and
Gratifications,
and
the
 Activity
Theory—in
other
words,
theories
that
make
the
audience
the
focus.
 Communications
is
no
longer
just
about
how
to
get
a
message
to
an
audience,
but
also
 how
to
get
that
audience
to
respond,
interact
and
adopt
a
genuine
interest
in
the
topic
 at
hand.
Whether
users
are
classified
as
assimilators,
hoppers
or
sensors
(as
identified
 by
Professors
Janna
Anderson
and
Byung
Lee)
(p.36),
the
message
should
still
be
clear
 and
user‐specific
(depending
on
the
target
audience).
Anderson
and
Lee’s
classifications
 of
users
are
similar
to
Everett
Rogers’
five
adopter
types
(p.42):
Innovators,
early
 adopters,
early
majority,
late
majority
and
laggards.
Every
user
has
different
morals,
skill

levels,
motivations
and
opinions.
This
further
emphasizes
the
need
for
the
“mass
 audience”
to
be
dissected
through
research
and
thoughtful
discussion.
The
term
 “consumer”
should
be
permanently
changed
to
“individual.”
The
free
and
open
Web
is
 allowing
users
to
express
themselves
and
develop
strong
online
personalities
and
 reputations.
Ha
and
James
identified
Five
Dimensions
of
Interactivity:
 

 
 
 Interaction
designers
and
writers
 should
focus
on
each
of
these
components
when
creating
 Playfulness
 any
products
online.
A
beneficial
user
experience
on
 the
Web
should
always
be
a
memorable
one.
 Theories
that
are
rigidly
structured,
or
those
 Reciprocal
 that
only
focus
on
one
factor,
such
as
 Communciations
 Choice
 technological
determinism,
are
ignoring
the
 fact
that
multiple
factors
and
varying
user
 personalities
contribute
to
the
overall
 experience
and
producers
should
address
content
 and
design
formation
on
multiple
levels.

 

 In
terms
of
the
timeline
at
the
end
of
 Information
 Connectedness
 Collection
 this
book,
it
was
fascinating
to
read
about
the
 numerous
changes
that
have
occurred
in
a
 relatively
short
amount
of
time.
For
the
most
 part,
the
media
has
done
a
good
job
in
keeping
up
 with
technological
developments
and
improvements.
The
speed
at
which
all
of
this
 change
took
place
was
very
interesting.
The
Friendster
social
network
was
released
in
 2002
and
in
less
than
10
years
social
networking
sites
have
grown
immensely
in
 popularity.
Between
2002
and
2006,
three
of
the
most
popular
networking
sites
 (LinkedIn,
Facebook
and
Twitter)
were
created.
In
general,
new
developments
in
 technology
were
first
for
utilitarian
purposes,
and
then
were
expanded
on
and
 developed
for
personal
use
and
enjoyment.
The
Adobe
Creative
Suite
changed
the
face
 of
communications
in
that
it
created
a
new
way
to
present
and
market
information.
 With
each
update,
Adobe
improves
the
software—making
it
more
intuitive
and
capable
 of
catering
to
the
specific
needs
of
the
user.
 

 Technological
developments
are
occurring
more
rapidly
and
are
becoming
more
 monumental.
“The
future,”
is
getting
closer
to
being
reality
each
day.
Those
individuals
 and
organizations
that
resist
change
will
only
find
themselves
falling
further
behind
and
 losing
touch
with
more
efficient
and
effective
means
of
communication.
For
example,

 “The
Alamance
News,”
a
small
local
paper
based
out
of
Graham,
North
Carolina,
the
 editor
in
chief
refuses
to
create
a
Web
site
for
the
paper.
As
a
result,
subscriptions
are
 falling
because
readers
are
most
attracted
to
online
papers
where
they
can
better
 communicate
with
reporters
and
get
instant
story
updates.
This
stubborn
mindset
is
an
 impediment
to
businesses.
Embracing
interactivity
is
beneficial
to
both
consumers
and
 businesses
because
a
more
open
communication
leads
to
uninhibited
exchange
of
 feedback
and
creativity.

Shelley
Russell
 October
5,
2009

Book
Synthesis:
Reaching
Interactive
Media
Audiences

In
order
to
effectively
reach
interactive
media
audiences,
businesses
and
various
 media
outlets
must
re‐think
their
products
and
content,
as
well
as
the
nature
of
their
 consumers.
This
book,
“Reaching
Interactive
Media
Audiences,”
is
centered
around
the
 idea
of
the
emergence
of
spreadable
media,
proactive
consumers
and
the
importance
of
 research
and
usability
testing
for
new
user‐centered
design
processes.
Essentially,
it
is
 not
the
good,
but
the
consumer
that
is
the
new
focus
for
companies
looking
to
market
a
 product
to
an
interactive
media
audience.
 
 Convergence
culture
expert
Henry
Jenkins
created
a
new
model
to
describe
the
 ways
that
information
is
distributed
and
shared
on
a
daily
basis:
“Spreadable
media.”
 This
model
rests
on
the
idea
that
when
information
is
transferred
among
consumers,
it
 is
“repurposed,”
or
“transformed,”
and
this
re‐creation
of
original
content
adds
value
 because
the
content
can
be
made
more
specific
to
various
cultural
contexts
(p.2).
Past
 models
utilized
a
centralized
control,
or
“stickiness.”
 

 Stickiness
and
spreadability
can
be
thought
of
as
two
separate
models
of
media
 contact.
Web
sites
such
as
Amazon
are
“sticky”
sites;
they
get
the
attention
of
the
 consumer
and
work
to
keep
the
consumer
on
the
site.

On
the
Amazon
Web
site,
 information
is
concentrated
within
the
site
and
there
are
very
few
links
to
external
sites.
 New
sites
using
the
spreadability
model
do
just
the
opposite.
They
encourage
open‐ ended
participation
with
many
external
links.
Users
are
motivated
to
spread
the
word
 and
collaboration
between
producers,
marketers
and
consumers
is
essential
for
the
 survival
of
the
Web
site
and
its
content.
There
has
been
a
clear
shift
in
the
way
that
 consumers
are
viewed.
Whereas
once
businesses
and
media
outlets
could
easily
dictate
 content
to
a
receptive
audience,
this
audience
is
making
a
transformation.
Marketers
 are
recognizing
an
emergence
of
“prosumers,”
and
“multipliers,”
or
those
who
are
 becoming
more
active
at
manipulating
and
deciding
which
content
will
survive
in
the
 masses
(p.12).
 

 Spreadability
relies
on
the
minds
of
consumers
to
keep
information
alive.
 Because
of
this,
consumers
are
becoming
key
players
for
producers,
who
rely
on
their
 users
to
complete
their
work
by
expanding
the
meaning
and
the
purpose
of
content.
It
is
 interesting
to
think
that
no
matter
how
skilled
or
experienced
a
marketing
team
is,
it
will
 never
be
able
to
predict
all
of
the
uses
of
contexts
that
their
message
will
be
used
for.
 Consumers
serve
as
multipliers
because
they
expand
upon
the
original
purpose
of
 messages
to
create
something
previously
unpredicted
by
any
producers
or
marketing
 teams.
“As
consumers
produce
and
circulate
media,
they
are
blurring
the
line
between
 amateur
and
professional”
(p.27).
These
new
and
more
prominent
consumers
have
 been
deemed:
“loyals,
media
actives,
inspirational
consumers,
connectors
and
 influencers
(p.27).
 



 Many
companies,
such
as
Facebook,
allow
users
to
decide
what
kind
of
 relationship
they
wish
to
have
with
the
site;
such
as
fan,
friend
or
coworker.
Andrew

Lockhart
has
suggested
that
other
companies
should
follow
suit
because
the
move
 would
only
allow
businesses
to
better
understand
their
consumers
and
cater
content
 accordingly.
Not
only
are
consumers
becoming
more
active
in
leading
content
on
the
 Web,
but
the
present
day
culture
is
now
also
known
as
a
“networked
culture”
(p.28).
 Lochay
Banker
indicated
that
this
shift
was
a
positive
one,
as
the
practical
capacities
of
 individuals
have
been
improved
threefold:

 

 1)
Improvement
in
the
capacity
to
do
for
and
by
themselves

 

 2)
Enhancement
in
the
capacity
to
do
more
in
loose
commonality
with
others
 

 3)
Improvement
in
the
capacity
of
individuals
to
do
more
in
formal
organizations

 

















that
operate
outside
of
the
market
sphere
(p.28).
With
a
new
networked

 

















culture
comes
structures
that
shape
various
groups.
 

 Lara
Lee
developed
a
social
structure
typography
to
describe
the
different
 network
boundaries
of
consumers.
The
typography
is
divided
into
three
sections:
Pools,
 webs
and
hubs.
In
pools,
people
may
not
be
strongly
connected
with
one
another,
but
 all
have
a
strong
association
with
a
value
or
a
common
cause.
Webs
consist
of
strong
 social
connections
between
members,
and
hubs
are
influenced
by
dominant
figures— such
as
a
fan
club.
The
most
common
types
of
Web
community
that
would
allow
for
 spreadable
content
are
free
registration
communities.
Everyone
is
encouraged
to
join
 and
this
provides
more
channels
for
content
flow.
James
Paul
Gee
has
referred
to
these
 networked
communities
as
“affinity
spaces”
(p.29).
“We
form
non‐exclusive
 relationships
to
these
kinds
of
‘affinity
spaces’…this
focus
on
social
mobility
and
multiple
 commitments
helps
us
to
understand
how
content
might
spread
quickly
between
 different
[spaces]
as
members
trade
information
from
one
site
to
another”
(p.29).
 Newly
empowered
individuals
are
ultimately
facilitating
the
distribution
and
survival
of
 media
content.
 

 Two
main
components
lead
to
the
survival
of
ideas:
individual
choices
and
the
 method
of
circulation.
Depending
on
various
backgrounds
and
agendas,
consumers
 ultimately
choose
which
ideas
to
share
with
others.
In
addition,
the
method
of
 circulation
of
different
content
is
essential
to
market
a
specific
message
to
consumers.
 Online
video
for
example
allows
for
a
“direct
transmission
of
ideas,”
(p.7)
whereas
it
 would
not
be
appropriate
to
place
other
forms
of
media
in
the
same
method
of
 circulation.
Marketers
must
test
and
research
which
method
of
circulation
would
be
 most
appropriate
for
the
message
that
they
want
to
reach
consumers.


 

 Notable
commercials
or
media
messages
that
have
stuck
in
the
minds
of
 consumers
over
long
periods
of
time
include:
NBC’s
one‐time
airing
of
the
Virginia
Tech
 shooter,
Cho
Seung‐Hui’s
tapes
and
photos,
Will
Ferrell’s
many
impersonations
of
 President
George
W.
Bush
and
the
shocking
Truth
ads
that
focus
on
tobacco
statistics
 and
present
live
demonstrations.
These
three
examples
tie
in
well
with
some
of
the
 structural
strategies
presented
in
the
book.
The
Virginia
Tech
example
is
shocking,
but
it
 is
also
information
seeking.
Many
people
were
confused
as
to
why
the
video
and
photos
 aired
on
the
news
in
the
first
place.
Others
wondered
if
it
was
a
mistake,
and
many
 people
called
one
another
to
spread
the
news
and
discuss
the
content.
The
Truth
ads
 also
fall
under
information
seeking
content.
Viewers
are
often
left
questioning
the
 seemingly
unbelievable
statistics
and
discussing
them
long
after
the
airing
of
the
ad.

Aside
from
information
seeking,
other
structural
strategies
for
spreadability
include
 humor,
parodies,
unfinished
content
and
nostalgia.
Will
Ferrell’s
Bush
impersonations,
 and
the
Cadbury’s
Gorilla
commercial
fall
under
the
humor
category
(p.37).
Good
 parodies
are
able
to
provide
multiple
levels
of
engagement,
so
that
most
viewers
will
 understand
the
humor—regardless
of
whether
or
not
they
comprehended
the
original
 intent
of
the
ad.
Structural
strategies
are
important,
but
not
the
sole
contributor
to
the
 survival
and
spreadability
of
content.
 

 For
content
to
exist
in
the
realm
of
consumer
groups
for
long
periods
of
time,
 compelling
nature
of
the
material
is
essential,
but
survival
depends
on
the
fact
that
the
 material
can
be
used
to
make
meaning
(p.8).
Individual
choices
lead
people
to
weed
out
 the
mass
of
products
and
messages
and
retain
only
several
over
a
long
period
of
time.
 According
to
Knobel
and
Lankshear,
adaptation
is
a
central
component
to
 spreadability.
The
example
in
the
book
involving
the
emergence
of
Soulja
Boy
as
an
 artist
supports
Knobel
and
Lankshear’s
idea.
Soulja
Boy
gained
popularity
after
YouTube
 viewers
were
encouraged
to
change
and
video
and
remix
the
original
song
in
unique
 ways.

Soulja
Boy
saw
success
“in
part
as
a
consequence
of
his
understanding
of
the
 mechanisms
by
which
cultural
content
circulates
within
a
participatory
culture”
(p.9).

 

 Patricia
Turner’s
research
about
rumor
circulation
in
the
African
American
 community
also
reveals
a
new
form
of
spreadability
in
“solidified
rumors,”
or
word
of
 mouth
(p.32).
Turner’s
research
indicates
that
there
are
three
social
factors
motivating
 the
spread
of
content:

 

 1)
To
bolster
camaraderie
and
identity
in
a
community

 

 2)
To
gather
information
and
explain
confusing
events
 

 3)
To
establish
boundaries
of
an
“in‐group”
(p.32).

 Research
shows
that
fans'
advocacy
of
a
certain
franchise
or
consumers'
decision
to
 back
a
specific
brand
comes
from
the
relation
of
the
franchise
or
brand
to
the
 consumer's
community
‐
whether
it
serves
a
valued
function
or
expresses
a
common
 feeling
or
perception
in
that
particular
culture.
 

 Ultimately,
the
consumers
decide
which
brands
and
messages
to
promote
based
 off
of
their
cultural
backgrounds
or
communal
interests.
In
order
for
marketers
to
be
 successful
in
promoting
a
product,
they
must
relinquish
some
control
over
their
 message—accepting
that
it
will
be
personalized
and
localized
in
various
communities
 (p.33‐34).
These
flexible
messages
are
often
referred
to
as
“producerly
texts,”
which
 have
some
ambiguity,
thereby
allowing
for
some
shift
or
development
in
meaning
by
 consumers
(p.35).
 

 Producers
must
also
distinguish
between
mass
media
and
popular
media
if
they
 want
a
message
or
brand
to
have
“staying
power”
in
a
community.
Mass
media
refers
to
 mass
produced
and
distributed
content,
such
as
a
song
on
the
radio.
But
mass
media
 becomes
popular
media
when
it
is
“meaningfully
integrated”
into
the
lives
of
 consumers”
(p.35).

On
various
levels,
users
find
a
way
to
use
a
message
to
channel
their
 own
feelings
or
beliefs.
Spreadable
content
occurs
when
a
message
transitions
into
the
 popular
media
realm.
This
is
an
obvious
challenge
for
powerful
companies
and
 businesses,
since
integration
of
a
message
into
a
culture
is
not
something
that
can
be
 forced
on
anyone.

Marketers
and
advertisers
often
use
the
terms
“viral”
and
“meme”
to
describe
 the
circulation
of
content
among
various
cultures
(p.2).
However,
according
to
authors
 Jenkins,
Li
and
Krauskopf,
these
terms
are
very
difficult
to
define
and
can
often
lead
to
 confusion.
“Viral”
media
is
ultimately
a
flawed
view
of
the
way
that
content
moves
 through
society
today.
The
term
viral
implies
that
the
content
is
being
involuntarily
 injected
into
the
minds
of
consumers,
and
spread
rapidly
like
a
virus.
However;
based
on
 the
above
discussions
of
spreadable
and
changeable
media,
the
term
“viral”
media
does
 not
include
the
transformation
and
changing
of
ideas
based
off
of
different
cultural
 contexts.
Instead,
it
only
relates
to
replication
of
ideas.
Douglas
Rushkoff’s
book
“Media
 Virus”
is
closely
related
to
the
term
viral
media,
because
the
book’s
content
focuses
on
 the
spread
of
ideas
that
can
occur
without
the
consent
of
the
user
(p.4).

 

 Memes,
a
term
coined
by
Richard
Dawkins
in
1976,
are
described
as
the
ideas
at
 the
center
of
“virally
spread
events”
(p.5).
These
ideas
are
the
ones
that
move
among
 consumers.
According
to
Dawkins,
memes
possess
three
characteristics:

 • Fidelity
 • Fecundity
 • Longevity
 Jenkins
et
al.,
recognize
the
memes
and
viral
media
yet
view
them
as
being
completely
 contradictory
to
spreadability.
Ideas
spread
not
because
they
are
forced
upon
 consumers,
but
because
consumers
have
accepted
and
chosen
specific
messages
to
 retain
long‐term:
“We
want
to
suggest
that
these
materials
travel
through
the
web
 because
they
are
meaningful
to
the
people
who
spread
them”
(p.6).
Jenkins
contradicts
 Dawkins
by
saying
that
memes
do
not
have
the
ability
to
self‐replicate,
consumers
are
 not
“susceptible”
entities
and
viral
media
are
not
meaningless
“snacks”
(p.6).
 Consumers
drive
away
any
unwanted
content
and
spread
messages
that
relate
to
them
 in
some
way.
Success
in
creating
ideas
that
will
survive
in
the
masses
for
long
periods
of
 time
comes
from
understanding
the
nature
of
the
consumer
and
the
moral
economy
for
 which
the
idea
is
being
marketed.

 
 The
moral
economy
of
a
community
is
described
as
a
“set
of
social
norms
and
 mutual
understandings
that
allow
two
parties
to
do
business
together”
(p.17)
 Spreadable
media
calls
for
a
new
moral
economy
involving
an
increased
trust
between
 producers
and
consumers.
A
large
divide
between
these
two
entities
comes
from
the
 underlying
interests
of
each
group:
profit
and
social
acceptance,
respectfully.

In
a
 sense,
there
is
a
“cultural”
divide
between
producers
and
consumers:
the
commodity
 culture
versus
the
gift
economy.
The
former
emphasizes
economic
motives
while
the
 latter
focuses
on
the
importance
of
social
motives.
In
terms
of
online
content,
the
gift
 economy
operates
as
a
system,
in
which
information
or
content
is
free,
but
one
gains
 recognition,
respect
and
feelings
of
good
will
from
other
members
of
the
community
 (i.e.
other
consumers)
(p.21).

 

 According
to
an
excerpt
from
Lewis
Hyde’s
“Thinking
through
the
Gift
 Economy,”
social
norms
facilitate
the
exchange
of
gifts,
not
the
economy.
As
such,
it
is
 the
gift
economy
that
is
responsible
for
the
spread
of
new
media
content
to
interactive
 audiences.
Consumers
are
not
economically
driven
to
distribute
content
to
others.
 Instead,
they
circulate
information
freely
to
boost
social
standing
and
gain
respect
from

fellow
community
members.
Perhaps
the
biggest
difference
between
gift
economy
and
 commodity
culture
is
that
items
or
messages
in
the
gift
economy
have
worth,
whereas
 those
in
the
commodity
culture
have
value
(p.22).
In
terms
of
spreadable
media
and
 success
online,
worth
means
more
to
consumers
than
a
monetary
value.
In
order
for
the
 value
of
a
message
to
transfer
its
meaning
to
worth,
advertisers
must
draw
on
already‐ established
meanings
within
the
culture
(p.25).
Too
often,
companies
try
to
create
 communities
around
their
products,
instead
of
accepting
pre‐existing
values
and
 standards
within
a
community.
A
business
must
not
only
understand
their
consumer
 and
the
importance
of
giving
a
message
worth
in
the
eyes
of
the
audience,
but
they
 must
also
accept
the
benefits
of
spreadable
media
because
it
is
more
effective
at
 generating
a
buzz
than
revenue.
 

 Advertisers,
although
ultimately
wound
up
in
commodity
culture,
must
give
up
 some
profit
in
order
to
gain
a
committed
audience.
The
benefits
of
spreadable
media
 include:

 • Creating
an
active
audience
 • Empowering
the
audience
and
making
users
an
integral
part
of
the
product’s
 success,
3)
Gaining
recognition
through
online
word
or
mouth
 • Reaching
a
highly
interconnected
audience
 • Communicating
with
audiences
in
a
community
that
they
already
understand
 and
value
(p.44).

 Based
off
of
the
strong
influence
of
word
of
mouth,
companies
have
a
lot
to
gain
by
 giving
up
some
of
their
power.
“By
ceding
this
power
to
its
consumers
companies
are
 losing
much
of
the
control
over
their
distribution,
but
they
are
gaining
the
value
of
each
 user’s
personal
ties”
(p.47).
Many
companies
are
now
catering
more
to
consumers.
 Sony‐BMG,
which
has
historically
been
“prohibitionist”
in
terms
of
allowing
consumers
 to
view
any
of
its
content
on
YouTube,
is
now
allowing
the
content
to
be
linked
to
the
 original
site
while
preventing
the
video
to
be
embedded
in
YouTube.
Fans
can
share
 music
while
visiting
Sony
BMG’s
official
Web
sites
and
consumers
are
gaining
trust
in
the
 company
because
the
company
no
longer
doubts
them
(p.46).

 

 While
many
may
see
consumers
as
one
large
“mass
audience,”
this
is
not
the
 case.
There
are
many
different
types
of
consumers—each
playing
a
unique
role
of
 engagement
and
commitment
in
a
community.

Ross
Mayfield’s
Power
Law
of
 Participation
explains
that
not
all
consumers
can
accommodate
and
understand
how
to
 use
the
multitude
of
available
social
software.
Consumers
range
from
low‐threshold
 participants
to
the
“core
community”
of
influencers.
Sites
such
as
digg
fall
under
the
 “low‐threshold
participation”
category.
Users
simply
use
a
one‐click
method
to
put
 something
of
interest
on
their
favorites
list.
This
low
level
of
participation
is
often
 referred
to
as
“collective
intelligence,”
in
which
not
all
users
must
devote
large
amounts
 of
time
to
a
Web
site,
but
a
little
bit
of
participation
from
a
large
amount
of
people
can
 result
in
a
collaborative
effort
to
figure
out
an
issue
or
put
resources
together.
While
 these
sites
are
valuable,
there
is
no
commitment
from
consumers.
Subscribing
to
 different
sites
requires
a
sustained
attention
from
users,
such
as
Facebook.
Users
will
go
 back
repeatedly
to
communicate
on
the
site
or
update
their
profile.

The
core
community,
mentioned
above,
is
a
small
percentage
of
Web
users
who
 lead
and
collaborate
with
others.
For
example,
on
Wikipedia,
500
people
(or
just
.5
 percent
of
users)
account
for
50
percent
of
all
the
edits.
This
small
number
of
people
 makes
up
the
core
community
(p.50).
Mayfield’s
idea
of
a
core
community
closely
 coincides
with
Malcolm
Gladwell’s
“Influencer
Model”
(p.27).
Gladwell’s
model
rests
on
 the
idea
that
in
each
system,
some
users
are
more
valuable.
These
valued
consumers,
or
 “influencers,”
need
to
be
reached
in
order
to
guarantee
success.

 

 To
gain
insight
into
one’s
audience
and
behaviors
of
consumers,
research
is
 essential.
Multiple
sources
list
statistical
analysis,
surveys,
ethnographic
research,
 interviews,
contextual
inquiries
and
Web
analytics
as
important
forms
of
qualitative
and
 quantitative
data
collection.
Before
seeking
out
specific
information
on
site
visitors
 through
external
means
of
research,
one
can
look
at
information
already
embedded
in
 the
site:
such
as
visitor
loyalty,
bounce
rate,
time
on
site,
location,
search
terms
and
 traffic
source
(p.53).
This
information
can
provide
valuable
data
on
the
general
interests
 of
site
visitors,
as
well
as
how
they
are
finding
the
link
to
a
particular
site.
Data
 collection
follows
the
initial
look
at
statistics.
Depending
on
the
interests
of
the
site
 creator
or
marketer,
not
all
methods
may
apply.

 

 Surveys
are
a
fast
way
to
generate
a
large
amount
of
both
qualitative
and
 quantitative
data,
although
responses
may
be
inaccurate.
Ethnographic
research
is
 valuable
because
it
involves
observing
users
in
their
own
context
and
recording
overall
 behaviors.
Interviews
take
ethnographic
research
a
step
further;
allowing
researchers
to
 ask
consumers
why
they
behave
in
certain
ways.
Contextual
inquiries
involve
combining
 observation
and
interview.
The
above
research
methods
are
valuable
tools
for
learning
 about
one’s
audience,
however
there
are
other
ways
to
gain
insight
into
a
consumer
 group:
Personas
mental
models
and
experience
lifecycles.

 

 According
to
Steve
Baty,
personas
are
used
to
represent
various
types
of
people
 that
the
organization
or
business
wishes
to
connect
with.
When
working
in
a
 communications
research
group,
Baty
noted
that
researchers
are
quick
to
jump
at
a
 certain
“type”
of
person
by
way
of
stereotyping.
Personas
should
not
be
created
unless
 a
particular
person
was
observed
that
fits
a
type
of
consumer
that
is
being
targeted.
 Researchers
must
not
have
pre‐defined
notions
of
personas
prior
to
collecting
data.
 Mental
models
and
experience
lifecycles
are
detailed
visual
representations
that
can
 provide
information
on
how
and
why
users
approach
various
content
(p.59‐60).

 

 Once
research
is
complete
and
targeted
audiences
have
been
identified,
Web
 content
should
be
promoted.
Understanding
a
user‐centered
design
(USD)
process
is
 essential
to
creating
a
site
that
will
be
visited
frequently
by
many
consumers.
UCD
works
 to
“integrate
users
representing
the
profiles
of
target
user
groups
into
the
development
 process”
(p.
84).
Instead
of
creating
a
site
and
then
presenting
it
to
a
consumer,
 consumers
are
placed
in
the
center
of
the
design
process.
Creating
prototypes,
or
“rapid
 application
development”
(RAD)
for
users
to
test
and
releasing
a
Beta
version
of
the
 site
will
generate
a
large
amount
of
feedback
and
save
money
because
advertisers
will
 ultimately
be
putting
out
a
pre‐tested,
consumer‐approved
Web
site
(p.103).
Focus
 groups
as
well
as
eye‐tracking
and
heat
maps
are
often
used
to
gain
feedback
on
the
 tester
site
(p.88‐89).

The
most
important
factor
in
determining
the
credibility
of
a
user
experience
is
 visual
design
(p.103).
Consumers
look
for
sites
that
are
aesthetically
pleasing,
easy
to
 use
and
have
a
solid
interface.
According
to
Bruce
Tognazzini,
effective
interfaces
are
 the
most
fundamental
and
important
requirement
for
a
successful
interactive
design
 (p.107).
Beyond
the
initial
look
and
feel
of
the
site,
visitors
look
for
a
clear
interface
that
 is
easy
to
explore.
Those
who
create
sites
for
more
advanced
users
will
likely
not
be
as
 successful
as
those
who
cater
to
users
of
various
experiences.
According
to
Don
 Norman,
people
process
input
at
three
levels:

 • Visceral
level
–
pre‐consciousness
and
pre‐thought
in
which
appearance
matters
 first
 • Behavioral
level
–
experience
with
a
product,
function,
performance
and
 usability
 • Reflective
level
–
the
full
impact
of
thoughts
and
emotions.
The
meaning
of
the
 product
is
realized
(p.111).


 Understanding
these
input
levels
and
recognizing
basic
principles
of
interactive
design
 can
lead
a
designer
to
achieve
an
easily‐accessible
site
that
will
load
quickly
and
 promote
accurate
content.
 

 Another
valuable
tool
that
site
creators
often
enable
is
tagging.
Tagging
is
a
term
 that
refers
to
assigning
descriptive
keywords
to
various
sections
of
content,
photos
or
 video.
Joshua
Schachter
is
credited
with
creating
the
first
social
bookmarking
service,
 Del.icio.us,
and
consequently
creating
tagging.
If
a
tagging
system
is
added
into
a
Web
 site,
the
interactivity
of
the
site
is
automatically
enhanced.
Visitors
are
encouraged
to
 participate,
and
items
on
the
site
can
be
more
easily
found
through
searches
for
specific
 tags.
According
to
Gene
Smith,
tagging
falls
in
the
middle
of
three
categories:
 Information
architecture,
in
which
labeling
promotes
usability;
Social
software,
in
which
 tagging
can
facilitate
group
interactions
and;
Personal
information
management
(PIM),
 where
tagging
allow
for
personal
organization
(p.117).
 

 It
is
interesting
to
think
that
when
tagging
first
began,
people
objected
to
“non‐ expert”
taggers
participating
in
the
labeling
process.
Now,
many
sites
depend
on
users
 of
all
experience
levels
to
give
their
input
in
the
form
of
tags.
When
searching
for
an
 article
on
a
blog
for
example,
users
can
type
in
a
number
of
different
terms
and
likely
 find
the
correct
article
due
to
tagging.
In
addition,
tagging
promotes
exploration
on
a
 site
and
can
unite
people
with
common
interests
(p.117).
With
strong
followers
and
a
 solid
site
structure,
the
last
step
in
the
interactive
design
process
involves
monitoring
 content
after
it
is
on
the
site.
Part
of
what
makes
interactive
content
interactive,
is
that
 it
is
constantly
being
updated
and
checked
for
accuracy.
Interactive
Web
sites
should
 operate
in
this
way.
 

 In
the
age
of
spreadable
content
and
interactive
audiences,
monitoring
content
 can
best
be
achieved
through
the
use
of
usability
research,
usage
trends
and
Web
 analytics—although
misleading
statistics
from
Web
analytics
can
often
confuse
 researchers.
A
hit
is
a
request
for
a
file
from
the
Web
server
(including
all
of
the
files
on
 a
Web
site).
If
a
user
clicks
on
a
portfolio
page,
there
will
automatically
be
multiple
hits
 if
there
are
multiple
files
on
the
page.
Many
marketers
get
excited
when
looking
at
hits
 because
the
number
high,
but
it
is
inaccurate.
Page
views
are
the
more
accurate

statistic.
Click
paths
are
also
valuable
for
researchers
because
they
reveal
the
different
 links
the
consumer
follows.
Designers
can
look
at
the
click
paths
and
cater
content
to
 more
popular
sites,
or
make
other
sections
of
the
page
more
noticeable
to
entice
 visitors
(p.73‐74).
Thinking
about
Search
Engine
Optimization
(SEO)
is
also
essential
in
 creating
a
successful
site.
Sites
that
are
ideal
for
SEO
are
frequently
updated,
have
high‐ quality
content
and
an
abundance
of
resources
(p.121).
With
so
many
tools
to
monitor
a
 site
and
its
content,
marketers
should
be
careful
not
to
get
too
caught
up
in
design
and
 stray
away
from
the
focus,
which
is
to
engage
users.
 

 According
to
Jesse
James
Garrett,
users
are
engaged
via
mind
(cognition),
heart
 (emotion),
senses
(perception)
and
bodies
(action)
(p.127).
As
interactive
 communicators,
it
is
our
job
to
provide
the
tools
necessary
for
consumers
to
follow
our
 content
and
spread
messages
to
other
interested
users.
But
it
is
also
our
job
to
give
 consumers
the
freedom
to
use
the
tools
we
provide,
as
they
like.
The
spreadability
 approach
is
not
for
everyone.
Companies
that
already
possess
a
strong
brand
message
 or
have
predictably‐delivered
messages
through
television
or
radio
may
not
need
to
 take
the
risk.
However,
the
notion
of
spreadable
content
is
important,
and
all
businesses
 should
recognize
and
understand
it
as
a
possibility
for
a
way
to
successfully
reach
and
 maintain
a
strong
consumer
following.

blogs

The
“Me”dia
Interactive
Wheel
 September
23,
2009
 
 By
Shelley
Russell

Davis
Foulger’s
Ecological
Model
of
the
Communications
Process
is
good,
but
not
 great.
At
first
glance,
it
appears
to
include
most
elements
of
current
communication.
 Foulger’s
dotted
lines
between
the
creators
and
consumers
indicate
that
there
is
 some
crossover
between
the
two.
Message,
languages
and
media
are
in
the
center
to
 indicate
that
messages
are
transmitted
in
between
producers/creators
and
 consumers/audiences.
But
then
Foulger’s
model
takes
a
wrong
turn:
He
asserts
that
 creators
“imagine
and
create
messages”
and
consumers
“observe,
attribute
and
 interpret
messages.”
True,
but
these
definitions
exclude
the
more
active
consumer
 base,
or
the
“prosumers.”

 
 Who
is
to
say
that
the
consumers
aren’t
the
ones
who
are
creating
or
imagining
 original
content?
This
is
the
definition
of
blogging
and
user‐generated
information
 on
the
Web.
Producers,
as
mentioned
multiple
times
in
Charlene
Li’s
“The
 Groundswell,”
should
be
constantly
observing
and
interpreting
their
message
as
 well.
Success
comes
from
listening
to
consumers
and
responding
to
their
needs.
 Foulger’s
model
also
leaves
out
the
idea
that
consumers
are
communicating
with
 each
other—more
now
than
ever
before.

Interpretation
of
messages
occurs
within
 the
consumer
base,
not
just
per
individual
Web
user.
 
 With
all
this
being
said,
how
can
one
create
a
model
that
includes
all
of
the
 necessary
components?
Interactive
media
is
allowing
for
a
more
transparent
 information
flow,
making
it
more
difficult
to
define
specific
roles
in
the
 communication
timeline.
Where
can
individuals
confidently
place
themselves
in
any
 existing
model?

 
 With
the
help
of
classmates
Paul
Wagner,
Linda
Misiura,
Jordan
Yost
and
Andrew
 Rushton,
we
were
able
to
develop
a
new
working
model,
the
“Me”dia,
or
the
“Me”
 model:
An
interactive
wheel
of
message
processing.
Instead
of
focusing
on
 additional
players
in
communications,
this
model
focuses
on
the
individual.
Each
 instance
of
the
wheel
represents
one
person.
The
inner
wheel
portrays
different
 types
of
messages
in
terms
of
their
participatory
levels,
or
opportunities
for
creative
 input
by
the
consumer.
The
outer
wheel
defines
the
different
roles
that
consumers
 can
play
in
the
communications
process:
Creators,
responders,
lurkers
and
inactive
 audience.
The
outer
wheel
spins
independently,
thereby
illustrating
that
consumers
 do
not
take
on
one
role,
but
instead
they
transform
depending
on
the
message,
and
 the
personality
of
the
individual
who
is
viewing
the
message.

The
future
of
social
networking:
Predictions
and
insight
from
 a
professional
 September
28,
2009
 
 Shelley
Russell
 
 Today’s
lecture
focused
on
my
research
topic,
the
future
of
social
networking.
My
 research
has
been
extended
to
include
privacy
issues
as
well.
 Out
of
all
the
sources
I
have
collected
regarding
the
future
of
social
networking,
 Charlene
Li’s
prediction
seems
very
logical.
According
to
a
blog
post
from
Forrester
 Research
(http://blogs.forrester.com/groundswell/2008/03/the‐future‐of‐s.html),
 Li
writes:
“Social
networks
will
be
like
air.”
She
discusses
ubiquitous
social
 networking
sites,
attributing
them
to
a
necessity
that
will
possess
all
of
our
 connections.
Key
terms
from
the
blog
post
include
the
idea
of
a
universal
identity,
a
 single
social
graph,
social
context
for
activities
and
social
influence
defining
 marketing
value.
 But
if
social
networks
are
everywhere,
what
will
this
mean
in
terms
of
security
and
 privacy?
There
are
already
numerous
issues
related
to
social
networks
and
privacy.
 Users
are
concerned
about
vague
privacy
policies
and
how
their
information
is
 being
used.
I
spoke
with
Mihir
Kshirsagar,
a
former
fellow
at
EPIC,
who
offered
 insight
about
how
concerns
about
privacy
will
change
over
time:
“Today
we
are
still
 in
the
collection
mode.
People
are
still
trying
to
understand
the
ways
that
their
 information
is
collected.
But
in
the
future
it
is
going
to
be
about
how
information
is
 processed,
and
what
decisions
are
being
made
based
on
the
way
that
it
is
 processed.”
 According
to
Kshirsagar,
defining
privacy
in
terms
of
social
networks
is
synonymous
 with
defining
control
of
information.
Users
want
to
be
able
to
manipulate
and
use
 their
own
personal
data
in
the
ways
that
are
useful
to
them.
Kshirsagar
discussed
 the
fact
that
in
the
real
world,
information
is
collected
for
one
use
and
one
use
only,
 such
as
a
credit
card
transaction,
but
this
information
collection
in
social
networks
 may
not
be
for
just
one
use.
We
are
so
quick
to
give
out
details
about
our
lives
on
 Facebook
profiles
because
we
think
that
it
is
going
to
be
shared
only
between
our
 friends.
 Kshirsagar
offered
a
real‐world
example
to
illustrate
the
ways
that
social
 networking
sites
can
collect
personal
information
from
users
and
manipulate
it
to
 their
advantage:
 “I
go
to
a
Dunkin
Donuts
to
get
a
donut.
I
know
that
the
storeowner
knows
I
am
 buying
this.
I
give
money
and
I
get
the
donut.
That
information
is
being
collected
in
a
 very
specific
context.
Imagine
if
the
same
storeowner
then
collects
information

about
how
may
donuts
I
have
bought
in
a
period
of
time.
Then
someone
else
comes
 and
buys
that
information.
Then
they
use
it
to
market
more
things
to
me.
Maybe
 they
will
sell
it
to
my
insurance
carrier
so
they
can
see
if
I
am
at
a
risk
of
a
heart
 attack.”
 The
fact
that
the
above
example
could
become
a
reality
in
the
near
future
is
 startling.
How
can
we
maintain
control
of
our
information
if
it
is
being
collected
and
 exchanged
amongst
third‐party
Web
sites
without
our
consent?
 Privacy
laws
in
Europe
and
Canada
have
been
re‐worked
and
extended
to
include
 protection
of
privacy
and
personal
information
online.
We
have
not
yet
adapted
our
 laws
in
the
U.S.;
although
the
White
House
has
hired
a
social
media
archivist
and
is
 clearly
aware
of
the
growing
presence
and
importance
of
social
networking
sites.
 Hopefully
these
changes
will
happen
soon,
as
more
and
more
organizations
such
as
 EPIC
testify
before
Congress
and
work
to
enact
change.

Search
engine
optimization
and
site
maintenance
 October
4,
2009

By
Shelley
Russell

After
reading
“Be
the
Media”
Chapter
9,
I
found
that
I
learned
many
important
tips
 about
search
engine
optimization
and
the
importance
of
knowing
the
tools
that
are
 available
to
aid
in
the
creation
and
maintenance
of
Web
sites.
 While
I
am
learning
a
lot
about
the
Web
design
process
in
the
iMedia
program,
I
had
 not
read
much
about
specific
tools
available
to
insure
that
a
site
will
gain
an
 audience
and
remain
competitive.
85
percent
of
users
will
find
a
site
using
search
 engines,
so
it
is
essential
to
improve
page
rank
through
keywords
and
meta‐tags
on
 the
Web
site.
 When
reading
the
chapter,
I
was
surprised
that
many
of
the
tools
available
to
 improve
page
rank
are
easy
to
apply
to
a
Web
site.
During
the
Digital
Media
 Workshop
in
August,
I
became
more
skilled
at
using
Dreamweaver,
but
I
was
not
 taught
about
the
importance
of
filling
in
image
tags
and
establishing
a
title
page
for
a
 Web
site.
It
is
so
simple
to
title
a
Web
document,
but
many
student
Web
sites
say
 “Untitled”
at
the
top
of
the
Web
site
window.
This
alone
is
enough
to
greatly
 decrease
a
page
rank
because
the
site
will
not
be
search
friendly.
 If
the
majority
of
Web
users
rely
on
search
engines,
it
is
also
important
to
utilize
off‐ page
optimization
factors,
which
Mathison
says
are
even
more
important
for
 ranking
than
on‐page
factors.
These
factors
include
commenting
on
blogs
or
 discussion
boards,
publishing
stories
on
other
Web
sites,
or
submitting
articles
to

directories.
 The
biggest
take‐away
from
this
chapter
is
something
that
I
am
pushing
myself
to
do
 on
a
regular
basis:
When
you
have
created
a
Web
site
and
it
is
finally
online,
the
 work
is
far
from
being
finished.
Making
the
site
live
is
just
the
first
step.
For
any
sort
 of
success,
creators
must
be
constantly
active
on
the
Web.
They
are
not
just
creators
 of
Web
sites,
but
participants
looking
to
spread
a
brand
and
draw
in
users/readers.
 It
is
my
instinct
to
create
something,
display
it
and
then
move
on
to
another
project.
 But
a
Web
site
is
never
complete.
Content
and
design
must
remain
up‐to‐date,
and
 the
audience
base
should
continue
to
grow
with
added
effort
in
spreading
 awareness
about
the
site’s
presence
online.

5
effective
free
tools
to
promote

 your
business
and
self
using
Web
2.0
 October
7,
2009

By
Shelley
Russell
 
 1.
Blogging
 
 Blogging
is
a
great
way
to
express
your
identity,
goals
and
ideas
online.
With
enough
 effort
to
consistently
tag
and
categorize
posts,
as
well
as
promote
your
blog
on
 external
Web
sites,
it
is
possible
to
gain
a
faithful
following
and
expand
your
site’s
 audience.
 From
my
reading
and
class
discussions,
the
most
important
thing
about
starting
 your
own
blog
is
to:
a)
Write
to
be
scanned,
and
b)
Write
with
the
attitude
that
 people
are
reading
your
blog
posts
and
are
interested
in
what
you
are
writing
about.
 Easy­to­use
blogging
sites:
‐WordPress
‐Blogger
‐Tumblr
 2.
Facebook
fan
pages
 More
than
10
million
Facebook
users
become
fans
of
fan
pages
each
day.
This
is
 quite
a
large
following.
Campaigns
like
TGIFriday’s
Woody
Burger
promotion
 became
instantly
successful
via
fan
pages
due
to
the
spreadability
of
information
in
 that
medium.
 A
particularly
useful
aspect
of
Fan
pages
is
that
users
can
invite
friends
to
become
a
 fan
of
that
page.
Bands,
individual
artists
and
businesses
are
taking
advantage
of
 these
pages
to
interact
with
consumers.

Key
concepts
about
fan
pages
include:
 ‐Creating
a
page
with
the
intention
to
interact.
 ‐Making
an
effort
to
read
user
comments
and
respond—either
generally
or
to
 specific
comments.
 ‐Encouraging
fans
of
the
page
to
participate
on
the
Wall
and
write
messages.
 3.
Twitter
 Aside
from
creating
a
basic
Twitter
account
and
working
to
achieve
a
large
amount
 of
followers,
I
recently
came
across
an
interesting
advertising
tool.
While
working
 on
a
class
project
involving
the
Water.org
Web
page,
there
was
an
option
for
me
to
 donate
my
Twitter
status.
 Essentially,
this
status
donation
means
that
by
subscribing,
I
am
allowing
water.org
 to
re‐Tweet
select
messages
on
my
Twitter
page.
This
is
an
effective
marketing
tool
 because
many
of
my
followers
on
Twitter
may
not
be
aware
of
Water.org
or
their
 current
efforts
to
conquer
the
water
crisis.
 This
re‐Tweeting
tool
is
very
effective
for
non‐profits.
 4.
MySpace
 MySpace
is
a
very
effective
tool
for
musicians.
A
simple
profile
set‐up
allows
artists
 or
bands
to
list
information
about
upcoming
concerts,
allow
users
to
listen
or
 download
songs
from
a
built‐in
player
on
the
site
and
inform
viewers
about
new
 events.
 Users
can
interact
with
artists
or
bands
by
posting
comments
on
the
profile
page.
As
 the
creator
of
that
Web
page,
it
is
important
to
frequently
offer
updates
or
respond
 to
occasional
comments.
Users
need
to
feel
like
their
voice
is
being
recognized.
 By
participating
more
in
the
discussion
aspect
of
your
site,
you
will
likely
gain
a
 more
loyal
fan
base
that
appreciates
your
effort
to
communicate
with
them.
 5.
YouTube
 Some
of
the
most
low‐budget,
small‐scale
videos
have
become
viral
on
YouTube.
 Take
this
video
for
example:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFpbXJuQYnE.
A
 driver
takes
their
car
through
the
wrong
entrance
of
a
gate.
“Driver
Fail,”
posted
on
 failblog.org
October
6,
has
already
achieved
116,392
views
on
YouTube.
 By
creating
a
YouTube
count
to
post
interesting,
funny
or
compelling
information

online,
there
is
a
chance
that
people
will
choose
to
subscribe
to
your
channel.
 Gaining
subscribers
will
likely
increase
if
you
promote
these
videos
on
blogs.
 The
nice
thing
about
YouTube
is
that
videos
can
easily
be
embedded
and
shared
on
 popular
social
networking
sites
like
Facebook.
It
is
also
a
simple
process
to
embed
a
 YouTube
video
on
a
blog
such
as
WordPress.
 Most
of
the
above
tools
work
together
and
there
are
elements
of
crossover
that
 allow
an
individual
or
business
to
easily
use
and
incorporate
most
of
these
tools
in
 their
strategy
for
online
promotion.

Viral
video
qualities
 October
12,
2009
 By
Shelley
Russell

Class
discussion
today
was
centered
on
viral
video.
 Some
of
my
personal
favorites
include
the
following:
 Baby
attacked
by
cat:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjgrCzf0oZM
 Vodafone:
The
Mayfly:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvC_KHU4AqE
 OK‐go
on
treadmills:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTAAsCNK7RA
 Reporter
fail:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVR1JunnuGE
 Sound
of
Music
(Central
Station
in
Belgium):
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EYAUazLI9k&feature=related

 Today
in
class,
group
discussion
led
us
to
develop
a
list
of
qualities
essential
in
any
 viral
video.
 This
is
what
we
came
up
with:
 1.
Humor
 2.
Shock
value
 3.
Inherent
talent
 4.
Candid
moments
caught
on
tape
 5.
Extreme
natural
occurrences
 6.
Remixes
and
mash‐ups

7.
Good
pacing
 In
addition
to
certain
qualities
that
should
be
present
in
some
capacity
in
viral
 videos,
content
is
also
essential.
My
group
identified
five
categories
that
can
add
to
 the
spreadability
of
videos
online:
 1.
Children
 2.
Groups
of
people
(Thriller
prison
dance
video,
Improv
Everywhere
team,
Hey
 Jude
in
Trafalgar
Square…etc)
 3.
Original
music
 4.
Animals
 5.
Celebrities
(Although
celebrities
are
by
no
means
essential
in
viral
videos)
 Another
aspect
that
adds
to
the
success
of
viral
videos
is
the
ability
for
users
to
 relate
to
the
content
or
the
subjects
in
the
content.
Anyone
can
easily
create
and
 post
videos
on
YouTube.
In
thinking
about
some
of
the
most
popular
videos
on
the
 Web,
most
of
them
have
nothing
to
do
with
famous
figures,
but
instead
capture
 funny
or
interesting
moments
about
average
human
beings.

Vodpod:
Embed
the
seemingly
un­embed­able!
 October
15,
2009
 
 By
Shelley
Russell

Upon
completing
my
rough
prototype
for
my
Memoryall
assignment,
I
was
quite
 excited
and
wanted
to
post
it
on
my
Wordpress.
Unfortunately,
the
embed
code
 wasn’t
working
and
I
wasn’t
sure
why.

 
 Then
I
found
the
problem.
 
 I
had
created
my
project
in
Vuvox,
and
while
Vuvox
videos
can
be
easily
embedded
 in
most
Web
sites,
Wordpress
is
not
compatible
for
some
reason.

 
 Luckily,
I
found
Vodpod,
a
useful
tool
that
allowed
me
to
easily
embed
my
project
on
 my
Wordpress
account.

 
 By
visiting
http://vodpod.com/wordpress,
I
simply
dragged
the
“Post
to
 Wordpress”
button
to
my
toolbar,
and
was
easily
able
to
capture
the
video
I
wanted
 from
Vuvox,
paste
in
the
link
and
password
to
my
blog,
and
it
instantly
appeared
as
 a
post.

After
my
quick
success
with
the
free
tool,
I
went
to
Vodpod’s
site
to
learn
more.
By
 signing
up
for
a
free
account,
users
get
access
to
a
“Share
Video”
button
that
they
 can
place
on
their
toolbar.
Members
of
the
Vodpod
community
can
easily
create
lists
 of
their
favorite
videos
and
share
them
by
clicking
the
button
on
their
toolbar.

 
 In
addition,
Vodpod
can
grab
and
embed
videos
into
the
following
Web
sites:
 
 Wordpress
 Blogger
 Twitter
 Facebook
 Tumblr
 Typepad
 MySpace
 
 There
are
some
limitations.
For
example,
while
Vodpod
did
embed
my
Vuvox
video,
 Wordpress
does
not
support
the
full‐screen
option
for
my
collage.
I
ended
up
 creating
a
new
account
with
Blogger
for
this
reason.
 
 Also,
there
are
some
sites
that
do
not
allow
Vodpod
to
grab
videos.
 
 Additional
Vodpod
resources
include:
 
 Vodpod
on
Twitter:
http://twitter.com/vodpod
 Vodpod
blog:
http://blog.vodpod.com/
 Vodpod
geek
blog:
http://geekblog.vodpod.com/

How
being
a
social
media
expert
can
earn
you
a
new
car
 October
21,
2009
 
 By
Shelley
Russell

Ford
Motors
is
launching
a
new
campaign
to
sell
cars
with
the
help
of
individuals
 who
have
established
a
social
media
presence
online.
Ford’s
Fiesta
Movement
 launched
earlier
this
year.
The
company
chose
100
agents
to
perform
missions
over
 a
six‐month
period
while
blogging
about
the
Ford
Fiesta
and
driving
the
car
around
 while
performing
the
missions.

One
of
these
agents
was
one
of
iMedia’s
own,
David
 Parsons.

 
 Parsons
has
been
blogging
about
his
experiences
with
the
Fiesta,
and
more
 information
about
his
experiences
can
be
accessed
via
his
blog:
 http://giveusafiesta.tumbler.com.
More
information
is
also
available
here:
 http://fiestamovement.com/agents/view/88.

While
chances
for
applying
for
this
campaign
have
long
passed,
Ford
Motors
has
 announced
their
new
Fusion
41
campaign.
The
company
is
looking
for
eight
owners
 of
Ford
Fusion
or
Ford
Hybrid
owners
to
participate
in
a
relay
race.
Each
of
the
 chosen
owners
will
put
together
a
team
of
four
friends
and
pass
off
the
car
for
a
 duration
of
three
weeks.
Each
team
will
receive
a
2010
Ford
Fusion,
accompanied
 by
free
gas.

 
 Social
media
presence
and
experience
of
team
members
is
key,
because
the
 competition
requires
that
members
document
their
experience
with
the
Ford
 Fusion
online
via
blogging,
videos,
and
other
social
media
devices
such
as
Facebook
 or
Twitter.
The
winner
of
the
competition
will
get
to
keep
their
2010
Ford
Fusion
 and
the
vehicle
will
be
paid
in
full
by
Ford
Motors.
The
four
friends
on
the
winning
 team
will
receive
gas
for
a
year.
 
 Many
of
us
in
the
iMedia
program
have
been
wondering
how
blogging
can
be
 beneficial
to
our
lives.
We
are
either
confused
about
why
we
or
blogging,
or
 searching
for
meaning
behind
the
words
we
are
writing.
This
could
serve
as
an
 answer
for
any
lost
iMedia
bloggers
about
there.
Even
losing
teams
have
something
 to
gain
because
they
will
have
experienced
the
power
of
social
media
at
its
best— incorporating
video
and
text
into
multimedia
presentations,
allowing
interested
 Web
surfers
to
follow
them
on
the
Ford
Fusion
relay.
 
 Interested
participants
have
until
November
6th
to
apply.
Competition
rules
can
be
 found
here:
http://fordvehicles.emipowered.net/fusion41/register/?

Twitter–A
classroom
requirement
 October
23,
2009
 
 By
Shelley
Russell

In
the
iMedia
program
at
Elon,
we
work
to
establish
our
online
identities
through
 the
use
of
social
media
platforms
such
as
blogging
and
micro‐media
outlets,
but
 imagine
having
an
entire
class
dedicated
to
one
social
media
site.
 Griffith
University
in
Australia
is
doing
just
that.
 Recognizing
the
growing
importance
for
communications
professionals
to
have
a
 well‐established
online
presence,
the
university
recently
updated
their
 communications
curriculum
to
include
a
class
with
a
focus
on
Twitter.
 Journalism
students
will
now
work
to
develop
a
focus
to
their
Tweets
that
they
may
 be
able
to
use
in
the
future
as
they
grow
as
a
professional
online
following
 graduation.
So–no
more
“Just
went
to
the
gym”
or
“So
tired
today,
sandwich
for

lunch
now”
Tweets.
In
just
140,
how
can
one
structure
a
statement
of
value– attracting
viewers
and
hopefully
holding
their
attention?
 Griffith
University
journalism
students
will
soon
have
the
answers.
 As
reported
in
an
article
in
Mashable.com,
many
students
at
the
university
were
 unaware
of
Twitter,
or
didn’t
understand
the
purpose
of
the
site.

The
school
is
 pushing
ahead
with
the
course
despite
mixed
feelings.
 While
it
would
be
a
challenge
to
focus
a
semester
on
the
logistics
of
writing
for
 Twitter,
the
class
will
likely
remain
valuable
to
the
journalism
students
at
Griffith– whether
or
not
they
end
up
using
Twitter
in
the
future.
More
than
learning
how
to
 get
one’s
message
across
in
140
characters
(including
any
hyper‐links),
students
are
 learning
about
clean,
concise
writing–writing
that
could
ultimately
earn
them
more
 readers
and
help
them
gain
popularity
on
the
Web.
 While
many
newspapers
and
radio
stations
are
moving
content
online,
the
audience
 there
is
different.
Web
surfers
are
faced
with
an
endless
supply
of
information.
Upon
 searching
for
keywords
or
a
specific
news
story,
users
expect
to
be
able
to
quickly
 view
content
with
minimal
scrolling
over
a
small
time
period.
This
cannot
be
 achieved
with
wordiness.
While
a
class
on
Twitter
may
seem
like
a
challenge
to
 some,
or
pointless
to
others,
the
real
key
is
condensing
language
for
the
Web;
 creating
content
that
is
scannable
and
accessible
to
most
users.
 Also,
with
Twitter
gaining
popularity,
journalism
and
communications
professionals
 will
need
to
learn
to
use
these
tools
and
stay
up‐to‐date
with
the
latest
 developments.
Even
today,
it
is
almost
imperative
that
one
establish
themselves
via
 a
blog,
Twitter,
or
even
both.
 More
information
on
Griffith
University’s
new
course
can
be
found
here.

Social
media
tools:
Great
marketing
potential,
but
are
 companies
taking
full
advantage?
 October
30,
2009
 By
Shelley
Russell
 
 A
recent
article
in
“PR
Week”
magazine
outlined
the
importance
of
social
 networking
use
among
companies,
in
terms
of
various
uses
of
social
media
tools,
 and
the
influence
that
customer
feedback
has
on
business
strategies
and
products.
 The
report
was
centered
on
the
magazine’s
2009
Social
Media
Survey.
 According
to
the
article
written
by
Kimberly
Maul,
most
companies
turn
to
social

networking
as
their
social
media
marketing
tool
of
choice.
One
of
the
most
striking
 statistics
from
the
article
is
that
37
percent
of
companies
do
not
use
social
media
 tools
as
a
way
to
market
to
consumers.
This
is
a
significant
portion
of
businesses.
 While
some
non‐participating
companies
may
have
made
the
choice
after
studying
 customers’
social
technographics
profiles,
this
still
leaves
many
companies
out
of
 the
social
media
sphere
for
other
reasons.
 It
is
interesting
to
think
about
the
reasons
why
companies
choose
to
stay
out
of
the
 social
media
sphere.
Statistics
from
the
study
report
that
53
percent
of
corporations
 say
that
a
“lack
of
international
resources
and
time”
is
their
biggest
barrier
to
 becoming
involved
with
social
media.
43
percent
chose
lack
of
knowledge
and
 expertise.
 Smaller
companies
may
not
be
able
to
devote
the
time
to
Tweet
200
times
a
day
like
 General
Motors
did
in
June,
but
posting
several
Tweets
a
day
and
one
blog
post
 several
times
a
week
is
more
effective
than
no
social
media
presence
at
all.
 Upon
searching
my
name
in
Google
search
at
the
beginning
of
the
iMedia
program;
 my
name
did
not
appear
until
the
fifth
or
sixth
page.
Now
after
using
Twitter
and
 blogging
frequently,
valid
links
to
my
name
appear
on
the
first
search
results
page.
 Building
an
online
presence
is
crucial—especially
for
businesses
with
customers
 that
spend
a
lot
of
time
online.
 Maul
reported
that
59
percent
of
companies
said
that
no
specific
funding
was
set
 aside
for
social
media
interactions.
While
many
companies
may
be
aware
of
social
 media
tools,
they
are
not
taking
advantage
of
those
tools.
There
are
some
businesses
 that
may
be
reluctant
to
spend
money
due
to
the
difficulty
in
proving
any
Return
on
 Investment
(ROI).
While
ROI
may
not
be
easy
to
measure,
any
amount
of
customer
 response
through
social
media
is
a
sign
that
company
efforts
are
not
going
 unnoticed.
 Ford’s
digital
and
multimedia
communications
manager
Scott
Monty
has
the
right
 idea:
“Our
social
media
strategy
is
pretty
simple.
It
is
essentially
to
humanize
the
 company
by
connecting
our
constituents
with
our
employees
and
with
each
other
 when
possible,
to
provide
value
along
the
way.”
 Companies
must
relinquish
some
control
when
moving
to
social
media
platforms,
 understanding
that
while
all
feedback
on
the
sites
may
not
be
positive,
there
is
 ultimately
value
in
engaging
in
this
form
of
two‐way
communication
with
 customers.
 Read
the
full
article
here.

How
to
stand
out
amidst
the
information
overload:
Pros
and
 cons
of
various
communication
methods
 November
2,
2009
 
 By
Shelley
Russell

In
the
future,
we
will
likely
see
a
large
movement
in
mobile
technology
as
a
source
 of
communication
for
businesses
looking
to
market
products,
or
newspapers
 reaching
out
to
readers
with
mobile
devices
for
story
updates
and
breaking
news.

 
 Currently
there
is
a
knowledge
gap
for
members
of
older
generations
who
do
not
 use
cell
phones,
but
soon
almost
everyone
will
have
a
mobile
device.
The
United
 States
is
behind
in
terms
of
cell
phone
technology.
Japan
cell
phone
companies
have
 excelled
in
research
and
producing
more
durable,
capable
mobile
phones.
 
 Mobile
devices
will
likely
be
a
large
component
of
Web
4.0.
More
Web
sites
are
 becoming
cell‐phone
compatible,
and
most
phones
allow
users
Internet
access.

 
 Marketers
will
be
able
to
reach
consumers
almost
instantaneously
via
e‐mail
news
 letters,
text
messaging
alerts
or
social
media
avenues.
But
there
are
pros
and
cons
 associated
with
each.
Depending
on
one’s
audience
and
communications
strategy,
 some
tools
may
be
more
appropriate
than
others.
 
 The
pros
and
cons
are
listed
below,
followed
by
an
overarching
pros
and
cons
list
 for
the
mobile
Web
in
general.
 
 E­mail
news
letters:
 pros—
 ‐usually
there
is
an
opt‐in
and
opt‐out
 ‐allows
for
target
audience
(people
generally
choose
which
newsletters
to
subscribe
 to)
 ‐you
can
attach
e‐mails
to
analytics
programs
and
monitor
audience
behavior.
 ‐you
can
hire
e‐mail
clients
and
companies
to
manage
your
mailing
list
(they
will
 update
it
depending
on
who
subscribes/un‐subscribes)
 ‐you
can
rent
lists
of
similar
target
audiences
and
send
out
an
e‐mails
to
expand
 your
contact
list
 
 cons—
 ‐some
people
have
trouble
viewing
the
graphics
depending
on
e‐mail
clients
 ‐some
heavy
graphic
images
will
not
translate
as
well
on
mobile
phones
 ‐knowledge
gap
of
users
 ‐a
lot
of
users
subscribe
and
may
just
delete
the
e‐mail
in
their
inbox
 ‐managing
an
e‐mail
list
takes
work
and
time
to
keep
the
language
and
content
 current
and
user‐appropriate
 ‐security
issues:
you
must
protect
the
personal
data
of
users.

text/SMS
alerts:
 pros—
 ‐feels
more
personal
to
the
consumer
 ‐some
SMS
alerts
allow
you
to
reply
and
offer
feedback
 ‐reaches
consumer
immediately
 ‐opt‐in/opt‐out
options
 ‐you
can
have
data
about
consumers’
locations,
allowing
you
to
market
to
a
 geographic‐specific
consumer
base
 
 cons—
 ‐limited
characters
for
each
message
 ‐intrusive
 ‐limited
in
timeframe
of
sending
messages
 ‐opt‐outs
can
be
more
difficult
with
text
messaging—normally
you
can
opt‐out
by
 replying
to
the
text
with
“STOP,”
but
there
is
a
knowledge
gap
and
not
everyone
is
 aware
of
this
option.
 
 social
media:
 pros—
 ‐humanizes
larger
companies
especially
 ‐social
networking
sites
(SNS)
have
their
own
culture—this
can
be
helpful
for
 targeting
audiences
and
relating
to
consumers
on
a
more
personal
level
 ‐Groundswell—you
can
lurk
and
get
value
from
social
networks
and
easily
get
 feedback
from
customers
 ‐content
posted
in
the
right
way
on
SNS
is
very
spreadable
 
 cons—
 ‐learning
curve
 ‐more
research
and
time
may
be
needed
to
understand
the
language
and
online
 culture
of
social
networking
members
 ‐perceived
barrier
to
entry—not
all
generations
can
understand
the
uses
of
social
 media
or
relate
to
the
concept
 ‐certain
SNS
are
not
mobile‐device
friendly
 
 Mobile
Web:
 pros—
 ‐always
with
you,
and
you
are
always
connected
 ‐content
producers
are
forced
to
create
a
cleaner
design
interface—less
clutter
and
 more
direct
information
 ‐if
you
can’t
afford
a
computer,
you
can
probably
afford
a
mobile
phone
and
get
 Internet
access
 ‐for
the
consumer,
there
is
not
as
much
advertising
on
mobile
Web
sites
 ‐for
the
advertiser,
limited
ad
space
is
a
plus
because
they
are
not
competing
with
 other
ads
or
companies

‐GPS
function
in
the
phones
enable
for
an
easier
search
about
businesses,
 restaurants
or
shops
in
the
area.
 
 cons—
 ‐some
sites
aren’t
accessible
via
the
mobile
Web
 ‐limited
audience—not
all
phones
can
access
the
Web
and
not
all
customers
enable
 it
 ‐browser
platform—it
is
unsure
which
browser
is
going
to
come
out
on
top
 ‐searching
the
Web
on
mobile
phones
can
be
tedious
with
phones
that
don’t
have
a
 full
keyboard
 ‐some
mobile
plans
can
be
expensive
to
add
Internet
 ‐current
battery
life
runs
out
quickly
if
you
use
the
mobile
Web
like
you
use
the
Web
 on
your
computer.

Web
redesign
success
stories:
Yahoo
and
MSN
 November
4,
2009
 
 By
Shelley
Russell

Two
major
Web
companies
have
recently
completed
Web
site
redesigns.
While
the
 designs
themselves
are
different,
both
have
similar
themes:
 
 1. Simplicity
 2. Personalization
 3. Integration
and
links
to
social
media
tools
 
 Yahoo!
 
 Yahoo
launched
its
homepage
re‐design
in
July
2009.
The
site,
which
remains
one
of
 the
most
visited
sites
with
a
third‐place
ranking
on
Alexa.com,
receives
millions
of
 page
views
each
day.

 
 While
Yahoo’s
old
interface
used
to
be
cluttered
and
jumbled
with
text‐heavy
 sections
and
minimal
use
of
images
or
graphics,
the
site’s
new
design
is
very
 purposeful
and
effective.

 
 The
redesign
maintains
the
same
layout
and
overall
look
and
feel,
but
the
placement
 of
elements
and
their
presentation
is
more
effective
for
users.
The
top
four
stories
 on
Yahoo
are
now
shown
in
the
form
of
an
interactive
menu—users
can
select
 images
and
see
a
photo
preview.
In
addition,
a
sliding
bar
was
added
at
the
bottom
 of
the
graphic
so
that
previous
top
stories
can
be
easily
accessed
from
that
section
of
 the
site.

Instead
of
using
the
left
panel
of
the
Web
site
to
link
exclusively
to
other
Yahoo
 pages,
the
sidebar
now
includes
buttons
for
media
tools,
such
as
Facebook
and
 Flickr.

 
 The
site
has
also
worked
to
integrate
personalization
into
the
interface.
The
“My
 Favorites”
section
gives
users
the
option
of
choosing
their
favorite
applications
and
 saving
them
in
one
location—making
the
interface
more
useful
to
them.
 
 According
to
a
recent
article
from
Adotas.com,
Yahoo’s
redesign
efforts
have
been
a
 success.
Time
spent
on
the
homepage
has
increased
20
percent.
The
article
also
 reported
that
there
was
a
76
percent
increase
in
click‐through
rates
of
stories
 placed
in
the
“Today”
section
of
the
site.
Customization
has
also
drawn
in
more
 users.
The
addition
of
more
choice
and
control
helped
to
draw
a
wider
and
more
 loyal
audience
base.

 
 More
specifics
about
the
redesign
can
be
found
here.
 
 MSN.com
 
 The
new
homepage
design
plans
for
MSN.com
were
launched
today.
The
old
page
 was
much
more
cluttered
and
text
heavy
than
the
new,
simplistic
design.
The
site
is
 still
in
its
preview
stage,
but
presents
a
much
easier
navigation
and
interface.
 
 The
new
design
promotes
the
use
of
video
and
customization
features.
Users
can
 specify
settings
for
their
home
page,
as
well
as
stream
feeds
from
social
media
tools
 such
as
Windows
Live,
Facebook
and
Twitter.
Yahoo’s
homepage
does
not
yet
offer
a
 Twitter
application.

 
 According
to
Alexa.com,
MSN.com
remains
one
of
the
most
popular
Web
sites,
 ranking
in
eighth
place.
The
site’s
integration
with
Bing,
and
its
cleaner
design
will
 make
it
more
competitive
with
top
sites
such
as
Google
and
Yahoo.
 
 Read
more
about
the
redesign
here.

Space
tourism:
A
useful
venture
or
a
waste
of
money?
 November
9,
2009
 
 By
Shelley
Russell

In
two
years
time,
$4
million
could
earn
you
a
trip
to
outer
space.
In
2012,
Galactic
 Suite
is
set
to
begin
accommodating
guests
at
the
first
hotel
in
space.
According
to
 the
article
on
Yahoo,
guests
will
spend
eight
weeks
training
for
the
trip
on
an
island
 in
the
Caribbean.
Following
the
training,
the
trip
to
space
will
take
a
day
and
a
half.
 Guests
will
spend
three
days
in
the
resort—wearing
Velcro
suits
in
order
to
stick
to

the
walls.
The
Barcelona‐based
company
will
launch
guests
into
space
via
Russian
 rockets.

 
 I
found
this
topic
quite
suitable
for
my
final
face‐to‐face
topic
because
it
expressed
 what
we
have
been
talking
about
and
researching
throughout
the
semester:
The
 future.
This
future
is
very
real,
and
in
many
ways
we
are
already
living
it.
Five
years
 ago,
a
hotel
in
space
would
seem
impossible.
It
still
seems
implausible
now.
It
is
 unimaginable
to
think
that
space
tourism
could
become
a
booming
industry.
 
 When
I
read
about
the
upcoming
space
resort
I
was
excited
about
the
opportunities
 available,
such
as
the
fact
that
guests
could
orbit
earth
in
80
minutes,
seeing
15
 sunsets
each
day,
or
that
this
resort
could
make
space
travel
more
accessible
to
the
 general
public
(well,
the
general
public
who
has
$4
million
dollars
to
spare).
 
 And
that
brings
me
to
my
concerns.
The
cost
is
obviously
a
big
one.
If
space
tourism
 does
catch
on,
the
cost
will
likely
decrease
significantly,
but
at
the
moment
there
are
 very
few
people
who
can
afford
the
expensive
vacation.
But
affording
it
is
one
thing.
 Who
has
the
time
to
take
eight
weeks
off
of
work
to
complete
a
space‐training
 program?

Billionaires,
apparently.


 
 Aside
from
cost,
I
also
have
concerns
about
safety.
These
issues
are
not
addressed
 on
the
Web
site.
If
disastrous
accidents
can
occur
for
professional
astronauts,
then
 surely
they
can
happen
with
a
rocket
full
of
civilians.
I
am
curious
as
to
how
the
 rocket
will
attach
to
the
resort,
as
well
as
how
expensive
it
would
be
to
maintain
the
 structure
in
space.
 
 As
reported
on
Yahoo,
43
guests
have
made
reservations
so
far,
and
Galactic
Suite
is
 currently
accepting
reservations
from
their
Web
site.

 While
I
think
that
success
with
this
project
is
beneficial
to
those
interested
in
space
 and
space
training,
the
cost
and
safety
concerns
make
me
wonder
if
some
things
 should
just
be
left
to
the
professionals.

IGF
Egypt:
Panel
on
the
mobile
Web
 November
15,
2009
 By
Shelley
Russell
 I
am
currently
sitting
in
the
conference
center,
finishing
up
a
13‐hour
work
day
at
 the
Internet
Governance
Forum
in
Sharm
el
Sheikh,
Egypt.
One
of
the
most
 interesting
sessions
that
I
attended
today
had
to
do
with
the
mobile
Web.
I
was
able
 to
briefly
speak
with
keynote
speaker
Tim
Berners‐Lee
following
the
session.
 Some
of
the
main
points
from
panelists
included
the
need
for
Web
content
to
be
 tailored
to
smaller
devices,
as
well
as
the
pressing
issue
of
expanding
content
on
the
 Web
to
come
from
non‐Western
countries.
In
order
for
under‐developed
and

developing
countries
to
be
able
to
access
the
Web,
it
is
essential
for
content
on
the
 Web
to
appeal
to
them.
With
billions
of
documents
available
online,
very
little
 content
is
appropriate
or
understandable
to
individuals
in
Africa,
Southeast
Asia
or
 Latin
America.
 I
was
able
to
live
tweet
during
some
of
the
sessions.
The
Twitter
feed
for
Imagining
 the
Internet
can
be
accessed
here.
 The
following
are
some
memorable
quotes
from
the
session:
 Tim
Berners­Lee:
 “In
Ghana,
the
government
was
less
worried
about
connectivity
and
more
concerned
 with
their
being
enough
content.
There
is
no
realization
that
they
could
actually
 create
it
online,
or
tat
they
could
go
to
a
street
map
and
enter
information.
There
is
a
 culture
shock
that
this
is
not
America’s
Internet.”
 “We
have
always
found
in
the
past
that
the
open
world
beats
the
closed
world.
 When
America
Online
tried
to
put
themselves
online
without
acknowledging
the
 Web,
it
didn’t
work.
Everybody
else
is
always
going
to
be
bigger.
The
open
platform
 is
very
important
and
we
should
push
for
it.”
 Nii
Quaynor:
“Networks
in
Africa
are
fragile,
and
coverage
is
not
total
in
several
 African
countries.
The
user‐interface
may
become
a
principal
access
instrument
for
 people
in
Africa.
There
has
been
a
focus
on
developing
applications
for
UI’s.”
 Yoshiko
Kurisaki:

“Technology
alone
does
not
change
a
society.
But
if
it
is
used
 appropriately
by
the
people,
it
has
the
potential
to
change
the
society
for
the
better.
 The
focus
should
be
on
the
people
who
are
at
the
far
end
of
the
digital
divide.”

 Leslie
Martinkovics:

“Broadband
infrastructure
is
an
absolutely
vital
component.
 Broadband
investments
create
jobs,
stimulates
demand
for
richer
content
and
fuels
 the
growth
of
a
dynamic
global
Internet.”

top 10’s

Top
10
Lists

Shelley
Russell
 Fall
2009

Top
10
Interactive
Media
Thinkers
 
 1.
Seth
Godin
–
Godin
is
an
author
of
many
business
books
including
“Purple
Cow”
and
 “All
Marketers
are
Liars.”
He
coined
the
term
“permission
marketing,”
to
identify
the
 need
for
advertisers
to
allow
customers
to
opt‐in
to
receiving
e‐letters
or
catalogues.
 Opt‐ins
are
incredibly
important—perhaps
now
more
than
ever.
Users
are
bombarded
 with
the
amount
of
information
available
on
the
Web.
Godin
also
has
a
blog,
which
can
 be
accessed
at
http://sethgodin.typepad.com.
On
his
blog,
Godin
writes
about
uses
of
 new
social
media
and
free
technological
tools
available
on
the
Web.
Godin
also
 incorporates
information
into
his
blog
about
businesses
that
have
been
successful
by
 making
use
of
storytelling
and
other
multimedia
tools
on
the
Web.

 2.
Clay
Shirky
–
Shirky
is
a
writer
and
teacher.
He
is
perhaps
most
famous
for
his
book
 “Here
Comes
Everybody.”
Paul
Wagner
outlined
a
quote
from
Shirky’s
book
during
face‐ to‐face
Friday:
“Groups
of
people
who
want
to
collaborate
tend
to
trust
one
another.”
 Shirky
is
a
firm
believer
that
less
control
on
the
Web
(i.e.
more
freedom
given
to
 viewers)
is
the
best
way
to
have
a
successful
site
and
maintain
a
loyal
audience.
Shirky’s
 personal
blog
can
be
accessed
here:
http://www.shirky.com/.
 3.
Mark
Luckie
–
Luckie
is
author
of
10,000
Words
blog.
Luckie
remains
connected— reaching
out
and
constantly
reading
many
different
Web
sites
online
to
stay
 knowledgeable
about
up‐do‐date
information.
Luckie
has
integrated
himself
into
the
 world
of
social
media,
subscribing
to
80
different
blogs
and
updating
his
own
blog
at
 least
once
a
week.
10,000
Words
can
be
found
here:
http://10000words.net/.
 4.
Jim
Cashel
–
Cashel
is
chairman
of
Forum
One
Communications,
a
company
that
is
 focused
on
Web
strategy.
Cashel
has
become
an
expert
with
ideas
centered
on
online
 communities,
such
as
design
and
use
of
various
social
media.
Users
can
follow
Jim
 Cashel
on
Twitter:
http://twitter.com/Cashel.
 5.
Brain
Solis
–
Solis
is
perhaps
most
famous
for
his
work
on
the
conversation
prism,
but
 he
is
also
a
published
author
and
speaker
on
the
topics
of
new
marketing
and
 engagement.
Solis
is
knowledgeable
about
social
media
and
is
also
credited
with
being
a
 futurist.
Fans
of
Solis
can
read
about
his
latest
projects
and
see
new
visualizations
here:
 http://www.briansolis.com/.
 6.
Charlene
Li
–
Li
recently
co‐authored
“Groundswell,”
sponsored
by
Forrester
 Research.
Li’s
work,
as
well
as
common
topics
in
her
blog,
includes
the
areas
of
 interactivity,
social
media
and
marketing.
Li’s
Web
site
can
be
found
here:
 http://www.charleneli.com/.
Li
also
frequently
posts
about
latest
research
and
projects
 on
the
Groundswell
blog:
http://blogs.forrester.com/groundswell/.
 7.
Chris
Crawford
–
Crawford
is
famous
for
coining
the
term
“interactive
storytelling.”
 He
is
a
noted
computer
game
designer,
as
well
as
a
writer.
Crawford
is
currently
working

on
“Storytron,”
which
is
an
engine
for
running
“interactive
electronic
storyworlds.”
 Crawford’s
main
focus
is
currently
on
“people
games,”
which
involve
interactions
of
 well‐defined
characters
in
a
social
space.
More
information
about
Crawford
can
be
 accessed
here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Crawford_(game_designer).
 8.
David
Weinberger
–
Weinberger
is
co‐author
of
“Cluetrain
Manifesto.”
While
this
 book
is
focused
on
the
idea
of
business
as
a
conversation,
this
concept
is
largely
 interactive.
Weinberger’s
chapters
in
the
book
express
the
need
for
two‐way
dialogue;
 recognizing
a
more
knowledgeable
consumer
base
with
larger
expectations
due
to
 information
and
reviews
available
on
the
Internet.
Fans
can
follow
Weinberger
on
 Twitter:
http://twitter.com/dWeinberger.
His
Web
site
is:
 http://www.hyperorg.com/blogger/.
 9.
Brian
Storm
–
Storm
is
the
president
of
MediaStorm,
a
multimedia
production
studio.
 MediaStorm
works
to
create
“cinematic
narratives
for
distribution
across
a
variety
of
 platforms.”
In
other
words,
Storm
is
a
storyteller.
His
Web
site
(www.mediastorm.org),
 presents
a
simple,
interactive
and
creative
look
at
storytelling
from
all
over
the
world.
 MediaStorm
has
also
produced
many
interactive
applications
and
Web
sites
for
clients
 such
as
media
companies.
 10.
Andrew
Kramer–
Kramer
is
a
visual
effects
artist
and
filmmaker,
working
for
 Creating
COW
Magazine
as
a
writer,
contributing
editor
and
a
COW
Master
Series
 Trainer.
Kramer
also
presented
a
Web
site
offering
tutorials
on
After
Effects
and
Post
 Production
Tools.
The
Web
site
is
available
here:
www.videocopilot.net.

 
 Other
Important
Thinkers:
Henry
Jenkins,
Jacob
Nielson,
Chris
Anderson,
Andrew
 DeVigal

Top
10
iMedia
Readings

1.
Groundswell
–
This
book
outlines
effective
and
ineffective
business
strategies— praising
those
that
emphasize
a
two‐way,
open
communication
with
customers.
The
 Groundswell
blog
can
be
accessed
here:
http://blogs.forrester.com/groundswell/.

 2.
The
Information
Design
Handbook
–
This
book
outlines
effective
components
of
 information
design,
presents
a
brief
historical
perspective
and
defines
key
aesthetic
 principles
that
play
a
role
in
good,
influential
design.
The
book
also
includes
great
 information
graphics
and
presents
a
nice
use
of
color
for
organizational
purposes.
A
 review
of
the
book
is
available
here:
http://blog.duarte.com/2008/11/information‐ design‐handbook/.

 3.
10,000
Words
–
Mark
Luckie’s
blog.
Luckie
presents
information
in
a
way
that
is
easy
 to
understand
and
interesting
to
read.
A
lot
of
his
blog
post
focus
on
numbers,
such
as
 his
latest
post:
“5
Creative
uses
of
Flash
and
interactive
storytelling,”
or
“3
Multimedia
 journalists
to
watch.”
Luckie
subscribes
to
more
than
80
blogs
and
organizes
 information
into
very
easy‐to‐read
posts.
Almost
all
of
his
posts
provide
direct
links
to
 important
content,
and
Luckie
frequently
embeds
videos
or
large
thumbnails
to
draw
 the
reader
and
attract
an
audience.
A
link
to
the
blog
is
available
here:
 www.10000words.net.

4.
Be
the
Media
–
Sections
of
this
book
are
helpful.
I
had
never
read
about
podcasts.
 The
author
(George
Mathison)
is
very
good
at
detailing
a
step‐by‐step
process
of
how
an
 individual
would
go
about
creating
a
podcast.
My
biggest
issue
with
the
book
is
that
I
 know
most
of
the
information
in
the
chapters.
Much
of
it
is
quite
basic.
However,
it
is
a
 very
useful
tool
for
businesses
looking
to
move
online,
or
individuals
learning
about
 branding
and
new
resources
available
for
self‐promotion
on
the
Web.
The
book
can
only
 be
purchased
from
the
Be
the
Media
Web
site:
http://www.bethemedia.org/
 5.
Forrester
Research
–
Forrester
is
a
market
and
technology
research
company
that
 publishes
studies
and
advises
business
leaders
all
over
the
world.
The
company
 produces
“forward‐thinking
research.”
The
Web
site
provides
many
free
data
sets
and
 studies
about
pertinent
information,
including:
Identity,
consumer
marketing,
Google
 and
profitability
online.
More
information
and
studies
completed
by
Forrester
can
be
 found
here:
http://www.forrester.com/rb/research.
 6.
Imagining
the
Internet
Web
site
–
This
site
is
a
great
place
to
go
for
information
 about
the
future
of
the
Internet.
The
site
has
more
than
6,000
pages
looking
into
the
 topic
at
hand.
Videos
from
Internet
Governance
Conferences
are
available,
as
well
as
 future
predictions
about
the
Internet
from
prominent
people.
Users
are
given
the
 opportunity
to
share
their
prediction
about
the
future,
as
well
as
view
and
search
for
 keywords
of
other
users’
predictions.
Predictions
and
coverage
of
Internet
events
such
 as
IGF‐USA
and
IGF‐Egypt
are
available
on
the
site:
http://www.elon.edu/predictions/.
 7.
Media
Bistro
–
this
site
is
a
great
mash‐up
of
material
for
interactive
media
 professionals.
The
site
publishes
various
blogs
related
to
communications,
as
well
as
job
 listings.
The
site
has
become
an
international
resource
and
has
900,000
users
who
have
 used
the
site
for
its
many
services.
Media
Bistro
is
also
available
on
Twitter—providing
 frequent
updates
about
communications
news.
The
site
can
be
accessed
here:
 http://www.mediabistro.com/.

 8.
Writing
for
Multimedia
and
the
Web—Timothy
Garrand
wrote
this
book
to
provide
 information
to
media
professionals
about
writing
for
interactive
media.
This
is
a
very
 useful
resource
and
it
documents
step‐by‐step
processes
about
creating
wireframes
and
 storyboards,
as
well
as
information
about
project
planning
and
content
development
 and
management
on
the
Web.
The
text
is
available
on
Google
Books:
 http://books.google.com/books?id=bHSukrGBiB4C&dq=writing+for+multimedia+and+th e+Web&printsec=frontcover&source=bn&hl=en&ei=pAwcS9f0GtCztgep6‐ 3jAw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CBoQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q =&f=false.
 9.
A
Whole
New
Mind
–
Daniel
Pink’s
blog
is
a
writer
who
is
focused
on
the
“changing
 world
of
work.”
Pink’s
work
is
centered
on
business
and
technology,
and
has
become
an
 expert
on
data
about
the
Information
Age.
Pink
could
definitely
be
considered
a
futurist,
 and
his
work
is
useful
for
any
business
or
individual
learning
to
make
a
name
for
 themselves
in
the
world.
More
information
about
the
book
can
be
found
on
Pink’s
Web
 site:
http://www.danpink.com/whole‐new‐mind.
 10.
The
Cluetrain
Manifesto
–
While
the
Cluetrain
Manifesto
is
a
bit
redundant,
it
gets
 the
word
out
that
businesses
are
conversations.
The
Groundswell
does
a
much
better
 job
of
explaining
this
without
sounding
repetitive,
but
the
Cluetrain
Manifesto
is
a
great

tool
for
businesses.
The
book
documents
the
fact
that
consumers
are
now
more
 intelligent
then
ever
before.
Businesses
must
understand
this
and
work
to
raise
their
 standards—both
in
terms
of
their
products,
and
their
communication
with
consumers.
 The
Web
site
can
be
accessed
here:
http://www.cluetrain.com/.
 
 
 Top
10
iMedia
Issues
 
 1.
User
control
–
Choice
and
control
are
the
pillars
of
interactive
media.
In
order
to
 establish
a
system
that
users
can
easily
use
and
communicate
with,
control
is
essential.
 In
this
sense,
control
and
choice
are
one
in
the
same.
Giving
freedom
to
the
consumer
is
 something
that
sets
interactive
media
apart
from
traditional
means
of
communication.
 2.
Security
–
By
allowing
consumers
more
freedom
with
systems
and
more
 opportunities
to
share
information
online,
security
and
online
privacy
are
issues
that
 must
be
addressed.
Privacy
policies
and
terms
of
service
on
Web
sites
have
shifted
from
 documents
once
seen
as
“the
fine
print”
to
well‐read,
dissected
sentences.
Consumers
 are
becoming
more
aware
of
privacy
issues
and
this
is
causing
a
surge
in
online
security
 by
Web
producers,
as
well
as
protection
of
personal
data.
 3.
User‐centered
design
–
While
design
aesthetics
are
important,
understanding
the
 users’
needs
has
always
taken
precedent.
User‐centered
design
can
be
thought
of
as
a
 manifestation
of
choice
and
control,
the
foundation
of
interactive
media.
Researching
 social
technographics
profiles
and
conducting
quantitative
or
qualitative
research
can
 lead
to
effective
design
that
is
well‐suited
for
the
target
audience.

 4.
Human‐computer
interaction
(HCI)
–
This
term
refers
to
the
study
of
the
ways
that
 users
interact
with
computers.
Basic
concepts
of
HCI
include
interactive
design,
 participatory
design
and
cognitive
modeling.
Followers
of
this
theory
are
accepting
the
 value
of
a
more
vocal
and
influential
consumer,
and
they
tailor
their
content
according
 to
these
new
and
freer
parameters.

 5.
Interaction
Design
–
According
to
Robert
Reimann,
author
of
“So
you
want
to
be
an
 interaction
designer,”
interaction
designers
must
“have
empathy
with
users
and
the
 ability
to
conceptualize
working
solutions
(and
then
refine
them
ruthlessly).”
These
 designers
must
work
with
producers,
consumers
and
interface
concepts
in
order
to
 develop
the
most
appropriate
product
for
the
client.
By
considering
users’
needs,
goals,
 values
and
aspirations,
or
human
factors,
interaction
designers
can
produce
 aesthetically
pleasing
sites
that
appeal
to
users
on
many
different
levels.

 6.
Enabling
two‐way,
ongoing
communication
–
A
successful
interactive
product
allows
 users
freedom
to
move
about
the
space,
make
choices
and
ultimately
control
activity
on
 the
site.
Beyond
choice
and
control,
content
producers
must
work
to
establish
an
 ongoing,
open
dialogue
with
users—bridging
the
gap
between
creators
and
consumers.
 Engaging
in
open
dialogue
also
builds
trust
with
users
and
is
more
likely
to
lead
to
a
site
 or
company’s
long‐term
success.
 7.
Accessibility
–
Steps
can
be
taken
to
ensure
that
a
Web
site
will
be
easily
found
and
 used
by
a
variety
of
readers.
Awareness
of
handicapped
users
is
crucial—especially
as
 more
people
and
valuable
resources
are
moving
online.
Providing
options
for
different

font
size
settings,
subtitles
when
necessary
or
alternative
color
schemes
can
help
 accommodate
users
with
impairments
and
make
the
interactive
experience
available
to
 more
users.
 8.
Search
engine
optimization
(SEO)
–
Making
a
user‐friendly,
aesthetically
pleasing
 Web
site
is
only
one
part
of
interactive
media.
If
the
site
is
not
appropriately
placed
 online
and
steps
are
not
taken
to
ensure
that
it
will
be
easily
found
via
various
search
 engines,
all
of
the
hard
work
and
research
that
went
into
designing
the
product
may
go
 to
waste.
Meta‐tags
and
keyword
tags
must
be
installed
into
each
site.
This
way,
users
 will
have
a
must
easier
time
finding
sites
online.
In
addition,
free
analytics
tools
such
as
 Google
Analytics
can
help
site
creators
understand
which
keywords
are
most
effective,
 as
well
as
how
users
are
using
the
site.
Producers
can
then
use
this
data
to
fix
and
 improve
underperforming
keywords
or
portions
of
the
site.
 9.
Knowledge
of
Audience
–
Interface
design,
content
and
navigation
should
all
be
 constructed
around
the
users.
After
understanding
the
importance
of
underlying
choice
 and
control
in
any
interactive
media
product,
the
audience
is
the
next,
essential
 component.
Communications
theories
play
a
large
role
in
helping
designers
and
content
 producers
understand
their
audience,
and
how
they
will
use
the
product.
The
Uses
and
 Gratifications
Theory
is
one
of
the
most
important
in
terms
of
interactive
media.
It
 encompasses
the
users’
reasons
and
motivations
for
communicating,
as
well
as
what
 they
gain
from
their
experiences.

Other
theories
that
recognize
a
participatory,
active
 audience
in
interactive
media
include
Activity
Theory,
Online
Communities
Theory
and
 Symbolic
Interactionism.
 10.
Spreadability
–
The
concept
of
spreadability
relies
on
consumers
to
disseminate
 information
and
keep
ideas
alive.
Different
types
of
content
will
appeal
to
various
social
 structures
or
affinity
spaces
online;
a
term
coined
by
James
Paul
Gee.
Adaptation
plays
a
 large
role
in
spreadability
as
well
as
the
ability
of
consumers
to
create
meaning
out
of
 content.
Ideas
will
ultimately
survive
if
the
appeal
to
consumers’
interest.

Top
10
iMedia
Theories

1.
Uses
and
Gratifications
Theory
–
this
theory
looks
at
the
reasons
that
people
 communicate,
as
well
as
what
they
gain
from
their
experiences.
The
theory
delves
into
 the
question
of
how
people
are
motivated
to
use
certain
tools
to
meet
their
specific
 needs.
It
fits
in
well
with
interactive
thinking
because
it
recognizes
the
audience
as
the
 most
important
factor
in
communication
and
looks
to
shape
content
based
off
of
the
 needs
of
an
audience.
 2.
Activity
Theory
–
this
theory
is
based
on
the
idea
that
people
are
active
beings
who
 improve
and
achieve
their
personal
goals
by
their
own
actions.
This
is
the
idea
at
the
 heart
of
interactivity.
Users
are
no
longer
passive
beings;
instead
they
are
active
users
 hoping
to
be
given
more
freedom
and
choice
on
the
Web.
 3.
Online
Communities
Theory
–
People
are
motivated
to
contribute
to
these
 communities
for
various
reasons,
including
anticipated
reciprocity
and
a
sense
of
 efficacy.
Social
media
is
a
key
component
of
interactivity.

4.
Diffusion
of
Innovations
Theory
–
This
theory
looks
at
the
ways
that
innovations
 become
popular
throughout
a
social
system.
Understanding
the
factors
that
make
 content
spreadable
and
ultimately
popular
on
the
Web
is
crucial
to
creating
effective
 interactive
content.

 5.
Social
Network
Theory
–
By
looking
at
how
and
why
social
network
ties
develop,
and
 the
ways
in
which
these
ties
affect
the
norms,
one
can
begin
to
understand
the
ways
 that
social
networks
are
created
and
what
ultimately
holds
them
together.
This
theory
 supports
the
idea
that
every
human
is
somehow
connected
to
another.
Designing
 interactive
content
requires
the
ability
to
create
content
that
will
be
accessible
to
users
 of
varying
age
groups,
skill
sets
and
abilities.
Understanding
connections
between
users
 is
one
way
to
insure
that
content
will
be
well
received
by
a
greater
audience.
 6.
Symbolic
Interactionism
–
This
theory
rests
on
the
notion
that
“people’s
selves
are
 social
products
and
these
selves
are
purposive
and
creative.”
Web
designers
and
online
 content
producers
must
abandon
old
notions
and
relinquish
some
of
their
control
and
 creativity
to
the
user.
 7.
Image
Perception
Theory
–
“Theory
of
visual
rhetoric
to
help
in
understanding
of
how
 people
process
pictures.”
Visual
elements
are
essential
components
of
interactive
 content.
 8.
Perception
Theory
–
Message
interpretation
is
a
complex
process
where
people
 selectively
“choose,
analyze
and
interpret
messages”
into
something
that
has
meaning.
 The
best
interactive
media
is
created
after
research
has
been
done
to
determine
the
 audience,
and
the
ways
that
the
audience
will
best
interpret
the
information
being
 presented.

 9.
Social
Construction
of
Reality
Theory
–
Social
factors
and
features
of
technology
 combine
to
influence
the
user.
In
“Groundswell,”
one
of
the
main
ideas
is
that
 technology
should
be
secondary.
Understanding
social
factors
and
audience
interests
is
 the
most
important
aspect
of
interactivity.
It
is
only
after
gaining
a
clear
understanding
 of
the
audience
that
one
can
begin
to
implement
it
into
an
appropriate
medium.
 10.
Spiral
of
Silence
Theory
–
People
will
speak
out
about
something
if
the
majority
 agrees
with
them.
Otherwise,
they
are
likely
to
remain
silent
about
the
issue.
Interactive
 content
must
provide
an
open
an
approachable
means
of
dialogue,
in
which
all
users
are
 encouraged
to
participate.

Top
10
iMedia
Info
Visualizations

1.
The
“Me”
Model
–
My
classmates
and
I
developed
this
model
during
an
in‐class
 discussion
about
currently‐existing
communications
models,
and
how
we
could
improve
 or
update
older
models
to
include
newer
concepts
associated
with
interactive
media.
 The
“Me”
Model
takes
into
account
the
four
different
types
of
users:
Creators,
 responders,
audiences
and
lurkers.
Each
message
that
is
sent
out
to
users
is
interpreted
 differently
based
off
of
that
message’s
spreadability
and
media
type
(i.e.
warm,
hot,
 cold
and
cool
media).
Each
media
type
allows
for
a
different
amount
of
input
and
 participation
from
users.
The
model
features
two
rotating
wheels:
One
for
media
type

and
one
for
consumer
type.
These
are
constantly
changing
based
on
the
many
different
 types
of
messages
that
get
sent
out
to
users.
The
visualization
can
be
seen
here:
 http://com530.wordpress.com/2009/09/23/the‐media‐interactive‐wheel/.
 2.
Twitterverse
(Brian
Solis)
–
Solis’s
visualization
of
the
Twitterverse
shows
the
 different
ways
that
Twitter
can
connect
others
via
various
applications
on
the
Web.
 According
to
Brian
Solis,
the
Twitterverse
“advances
micro
interaction
and
connections
 through
an
expanding
network
of
applications,
engendering
the
potential
for
macro
 reach
and
resonance
online
and
in
real
life.”
Twitter’s
applications
are
close
to
nearly
 1,000
tools
that
help
users
communicate
and
engage
with
one
another.
More
 information
and
a
visualization
of
the
Twitterverse
can
be
found
here:
 http://www.briansolis.com/2009/05/gazing‐into‐twitterverse/.
 3.
Digg
labs
(arc,
big
spy,
stack)
–
Digg
is
a
wonderful
tool,
but
it
can
be
overwhelming.
 Users
can
miss
some
of
the
most‐discussed
Web
sites
or
concepts
because
there
are
so
 many
stories
and
ideas
available
daily
online.
Digg
labs
provide
an
easy
way
for
users
to
 check
up
on
the
most
recent
diggs
and
learn
about
ideas
that
they
may
have
previously
 overlooked.
Arc
uses
a
sphere
to
organize
stories
and
topics,
whereas
Big
Spy
lists
 stories
by
timeliness
and
popularity.
Headlines
with
larger
fonts
indicate
that
more
diggs
 have
been
received.
Stack
is
a
real‐time
presentation
of
diggs—showing
up
to
100
 stories
at
once.
More
types
of
visualizations
are
available
on
the
site.
Full
information
 graphics
with
accompanying
descriptions
can
be
found
here:
http://labs.digg.com/.
 4.
Internet
Memes
Timeline
–
This
timeline
presents
a
history
of
the
different
memes
 that
made
their
way
across
the
Internet
in
the
past.
Information
and
dates
in
the
 interactive
timeline
came
from
Wikipedia
and
Memelabs.
This
is
a
particularly
effective
 visualization
because
users
can
mouse
over
different
elements
and
learn
more
about
 them.
There
is
also
a
zoom
function
on
the
timeline
so
users
can
choose
the
amount
of
 dates
they
want
to
see
at
one
time.
In
addition,
users
can
submit
updates
to
add
to
the
 crowd‐sourced
visualization.
To
read
more
about
the
tools
and
navigate
the
timeline,
 visit
this
Web
site:
http://www.dipity.com/tatercakes/Internet_Memes.
 5.
Media
Diet
Pyramid
–
Wired
Magazine
developed
the
Media
Diet
Pyramid
in
July
 2009.
The
pyramid
is
based
off
of
the
fact
that
the
average
American
spends
9
hours
a
 day
in
front
of
a
screen—whether
it
be
the
television,
laptop
or
cell
phone.
The
 visualization
is
designed
to
help
users
manage
their
time
with
various
wireless
 electronics
and
Web
tools.
The
pyramid
distributes
the
9
hours
of
daily
screen
time
as
 follows:
1
hour
gaming,
1.25
hours
on
social
networks,
.75
hours
microblogging,
2.5
 hours
watching
news
and
3.5
hours
on
entertainment
such
as
online
video
and
T.V.
To
 learn
more
about
the
pyramid
breakdown
and
see
the
full
visualization,
visit
this
Web
 site:
http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/magazine/17‐08/by_media_diet
 6.
Periodic
Table
of
Visualization
Methods
–
This
visualization
is
extremely
information‐ rich.
It
includes
information
about
most
visualization
types
and
organizes
them
by
color‐ coded
categories—in
the
familiar
form
of
a
periodic
table.
Info‐graphic
categories
 include:
Data,
strategy,
information,
metaphor,
concept
and
compound
visualizations.
 Within
those
categories
are
different
“elements,”
or
examples
of
each.
Aside
from
 merely
listing
these
visualization
types
in
a
table,
this
info‐graphic
also
provides
a
nice
 rollover
feature,
allowing
users
to
quickly
see
which
type
of
visualization
is
being

represented.
The
full
table
can
be
accessed
here:
http://www.visual‐ literacy.org/periodic_table/periodic_table.html#
 7.
Ruder
Finn
Intent
Index
–
The
Intent
Index
suggests
that
people
go
online
for
at
least
 one
of
seven
reasons:
To
learn,
have
fun,
socialize,
express
themselves,
advocate,
do
 business
or
shop.
Upon
clicking
on
the
spherical
visualization,
the
user
is
directed
to
a
 further
breakdown
of
each
category.
The
graphic
is
interactive
with
rollover
elements
 that
correspond
with
detailed
statistics.
Users
can
modify
the
graphic
by
choosing
to
 organize
the
data
to
include
all
genders,
male,
female,
youth
or
seniors.
The
full
graphic
 can
be
accessed
here:
http://www.ruderfinn.com/rfrelate/intent/intent‐index.html
 8.
Abraham
Maslow’s
Hierarchy
of
Needs
Model
–
Maslow,
a
psychologist,
developed
a
 theory
based
on
the
idea
that
humans
have
five
fundamental
needs:
Physiological,
 safety,
love/affection,
esteem
and
self‐actualization.
These
are
listed
in
the
order
that
 they
appear
in
the
pyramid
visualization—from
the
bottom‐up.
The
idea
is
that
the
 needs
at
the
base
of
the
pyramid,
such
as
physiological
and
safety,
are
the
most
basic
 needs,
whereas
self‐actualization
(emphasized
at
the
top
of
the
pyramid),
is
much
more
 complex.
Maslow
suggested
that
people’s
needs
are
addressed
progressively;
once
the
 bottom
needs
are
met,
people
can
move
up
the
pyramid
of
needs
at
their
own
pace.
 While
this
model
does
not
directly
tie
in
to
the
field
of
communications,
it
has
been
 adapted
to
this
industry,
as
well
as
many
others
including
education.
In
applying
this
 theory
and
model
to
interactivity,
content
creators
and
producers
can
learn
to
better
 understand
their
audience/consumers,
and
the
needs
that
are
most
important
to
them.
 Many
explanations
of
this
model
exist
online.
A
nice
overview
and
visualization
exists
 here:
http://psychology.about.com/od/theoriesofpersonality/a/hierarchyneeds.htm
 9.
Social
Marketing
Compass
(Brian
Solis)
–
The
Social
Marketing
Compass
is
a
tool
 developed
and
designed
by
Brian
Solis
and
Jesse
Thomas.
The
compass
“points
a
brand
 in
a
physical
and
experiential
direction
to
genuinely
and
effectively
connect
with
 customers,
peers,
and
influencers,
where
they
interact
and
seek
guidance
online.”
The
 brand
is
at
the
center
of
the
compass,
and
is
directed
by
different
types
of
players,
the
 media
platform,
channels
and
emotions.
Each
of
these
categories
is
color‐coded
and
 strategically
placed
on
the
compass.
This
is
a
valuable
tool
for
marketers
looking
to
 appropriately
direct
promotion
of
a
product
of
concept
to
an
intended
audience.
The
 link
to
the
high‐quality
image
can
be
accessed
here:
 http://www.flickr.com/photos/briansolis/3987986119/sizes/l/.
A
further
description
of
 the
concept
from
Brian
Solis
can
be
found
here:
 http://www.briansolis.com/2009/10/introducing‐the‐social‐compass/
 10.
Conversation
Prism
(Brian
Solis)
–
The
Conversation
Prism
is
another
information
 visualization
concept
developed
by
Brian
Solis
and
Designed
by
Jesse
Thomas.
The
prism
 has
been
revised
once
to
include
a
more
in‐depth
center—encompassing
feedback
and
 dispersion
methods
of
different
brands.
The
prism
is
divided
into
24
petals—each
one
 acting
as
a
category
for
various
conversation
methods
on
the
Web
and
via
other
media
 forms
such
as
mobile
communication.
Some
of
the
various
categories
are
Forums,
 SMS/Voice,
Blogs
Communities,
Twitter
Ecosystems,
Lifestreams
and
Social
Networks.
 The
full
conversation
prism
can
be
found
here:
http://theconversationprism.com/1024/.
 A
more
in‐depth
description
can
be
accessed
here:
http://theconversationprism.com

Top
10
iMedia
Resources
 
 1.
Mashable.com
–
Mashable.com
is
a
blog
that
acts
as
a
social
media
guide,
providing
 up‐do‐date
news
about
social
media
in
general,
as
well
as
offering
specific
blog
feeds
 about
YouTube,
Facebook,
Google,
MySpace,
Twitter
and
the
iPhone.

The
Web
site
was
 founded
in
July
2005
and
the
blog’s
founders
describe
it
as
“the
world’s
largest
blog
 focused
exclusively
on
Web
2.0
and
social
media
news.”
A
staff
of
about
15
people
is
 responsible
for
producing
breaking
news
to
an
audience
of
communications
 professionals,
early
adopters
and
various
brands
and
marketing
agencies.
This
blog
is
a
 valuable
tool
for
the
most
up‐do‐date
information
surrounding
developing
 communications
media.
The
blog’s
Web
site
is:
www.mashable.com.

 2.
TechCrunch
–
TechCrunch
was
founded
in
June
2005
and
is
blog
that
details
and
 reviews
various
companies
and
products
surrounding
the
Internet.
The
Web
site
profiles
 new
companies,
as
well
as
existing
companies
that
are
engaging
in
innovative
or
 interesting
practices
in
the
commercial
world.
TechCrunch
has
branched
out
and
has
 Web
sites
across
the
world.
TechCrunch
Europe,
TechCrunch
France
and
TechCrunch
 Japan
provide
more
focused
information
on
those
geographical
regions.
The
original
 blog
can
be
accessed
here:
www.techcrunch.com.


 3.
iMedia
Connection
–
This
Web
site
is
designed
as
a
resource
for
marketing
and
 communications
professionals.
The
site
provides
a
variety
of
different
links
such
as
a
 blog
about
latest
marketing
developments
and
companies.
Additional
information
is
 available
regarding
media
and
consumer
strategies.
Lists
of
resources
and
important
 leaders
in
the
marketing
world
are
also
available.
The
home
page
features
a
mash‐up
of
 different
articles
that
can
be
found
throughout
the
site.
The
site
can
be
accessed
here:
 www.imediaconnection.com.


 4.
Lynda.com
–
Lynda.com
is
a
useful
tool
for
anyone
looking
to
boost
their
knowledge
 and
skill
set
of
many
multimedia
tools
and
software.
Video
tutorials
provide
information
 about
the
Adobe
Creative
Suite,
as
well
as
other
online
tools
like
Vuvox.
The
tool
is
not
 free,
but
the
yearly
fee
is
relatively
cheap
for
the
wealth
of
information
that
exists.
The
 tutorials
are
created
by
communications
professionals
such
as
Chris
Orwig,
who
has
 designed
valuable
tutorials
about
Photoshop
functions.
One
of
the
great
things
about
 Lynda.com
is
that
it
can
be
a
valuable
resource
for
beginners
and
professional
alike.
A
 wide
variety
of
tutorials
allow
users
to
go
as
in‐depth
as
they
like.
Exercise
files
are
also
 available
for
download
so
users
can
follow
along
with
the
same
files
used
in
the
 tutorials.
The
Web
site
can
be
accessed
here:
www.lynda.com.
 5.
Interactive
Media
Design
–
This
blog
is
a
great
tool
for
interactive
media
designers
 looking
to
learn
more
about
successful
interactive
media
designs
and
observe
latest
 developments
in
the
field.
Numerous
videos
are
embedded
in
the
blog,
as
well
as
 examples
of
interesting
and
creative
interactive
media
work.
There
is
also
a
lot
of
 personal
feedback
on
the
blog
from
the
author
about
communications
topics
like
the
 new
Twitter
list
functions,
or
the
interactive
billboard
recently
introduced
in
Times
 Square,
NY.
The
blog
can
be
found
here:
http://interactivemediadesign.blogspot.com.
 6.
10,000
Words
blog
–
This
site
presents
a
journalistic
blog
about
technology
and
 communications
news
and
resources.
It
is
authored
by
print
journalist
Mark
Luckie,
who

has
developed
many
multimedia
and
interactive
projects.
One
of
the
most
valuable
 things
about
Luckie’s
posts
is
that
they
are
easy
to
read
and
often
come
in
the
form
of
 lists,
such
as
his
latest
post:
“7
Reasons
Why
Your
Readers
Blog,”
or
10
Incredible
 Interactive
Audio
Experiences.”
The
blogs
are
a
mix
of
Luckie’s
personal
ideas
based
off
 of
his
work
in
the
world
of
communications,
as
well
as
compilations
of
resources
 assembled
by
Luckie
to
be
a
helpful
tool
for
readers.
The
blog
can
be
accessed
here:
 http://10000words.net.

 7.
Interactive
Media
Tips:
The
blog
of
portage
media
solutions
–
This
site
is
a
blog
 developed
by
interactive
media
professionals
as
a
tool
for
other
content
creators
in
the
 world
of
communications
and
interactive
media.
Each
entry
provides
hyperlinks
to
other
 areas
of
the
blog,
as
well
as
external
resources.
The
content
is
helpful
for
those
looking
 to
build
an
online
presence
or
develop
multimedia
products
in
an
online
atmosphere
 where
gaining
audience
attention
is
crucial.
For
instance,
one
blog
post
discusses
that
at
 times,
too
much
video
can
be
overkill
for
certain
audiences.
Other
posts
document
 interesting
campaigns,
such
as
a
recent
post
about
a
B2B
campaign.
The
full
blog
can
be
 found
here:

http://interactivemediatips.com/online.
 8.
Exceler8ion
–
This
site
is
a
blog
about
social
media,
interactive
marketing
and
 technology.
The
blog
is
written
by
husband
and
wife
team
Shannon
and
Julian
Seery
 Gude.
They
present
their
personal
take
on
the
business
of
interactive
media,
word‐of‐ mouth
marketing
(WOM),
and
social
media
optimization
(SMO),
among
other
topics.
 The
blog
is
inspired
by
the
fact
that
today’s
knowledge
is
centered
on
time
and
people,
 which
combine
to
form
the
most
“precious
resource.”
The
authors’
posts
encompass
 topics
such
as
internal
communications
recruitment,
online
employer
monitoring
and
 social
media
in
the
corporate
world.
The
blog
can
be
accessed
here:
 www.exceler8ion.com.

 9.
Innovative
Interactivity
–
This
site
is
designed
as
a
blog
for
multimedia
enthusiasts
 looking
to
learn
about
new
trends,
innovators,
risk‐takers
and
leaders
in
interactive
 media.
The
blog
has
a
multimedia
focus
and
features
posts
about
individuals
who
have
 produced
effective
multimedia
projects
such
as
Matt
Ford
 (http://www.innovativeinteractivity.com/2009/12/03/innovative‐individuals‐matt‐ ford/),
as
well
as
information
about
multimedia
job
opportunities
and
notable
 multimedia
companies.
The
blog
can
be
found
here:
 http://www.innovativeinteractivity.com/.
 
10.
StumbleUpon
–
StumbleUpon
is
a
great
resource
for
interactive
media
 professionals
because
it
gives
individuals
access
to
valuable
online
tools
that
may
be
 relatively
unknown
by
the
online
community.
The
site
is
well‐organized
and
new
 information
is
posted
daily
and
can
be
accessed
quickly
and
efficiently.
The
site
can
be
 searched
via
different
categories
such
as
advertising,
Internet,
arts,
Web
development
 and
humor.
The
site
can
be
accessed
here:
http://www.stumbleupon.com/.

visualization

research

The
future
of
social
networks
and
privacy

October
28,
2009
 
 Shelley
Russell
 
 COM530:
Theory
and
Audience
Analysis

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ABSTRACT
 
 This
research
paper
focuses
on
the
future
of
social
networks
and
privacy
by
 
 addressing
current
issues
with
privacy
policy
statements
of
networks
such
as
 
 Facebook
and
Twitter,
as
well
as
specific
ways
in
which
data
can
be
obtained.
 
 Cookies,
third‐party
Web
sites
and
external
applications
available
on
many
social
 networking
Web
sites
are
discussed
as
ways
that
personal
information
is
collected
 
 and
used—many
times
without
full
consent
or
knowledge
of
the
user.
Social
 
 networking
concerns
related
to
employer‐employee
relationships
are
addressed,
as
 
 well
as
differing
opinions
about
the
possibility
of
complete
anonymity
online.
 Following
an
in‐depth
look
at
the
history
of
social
networks
and
privacy,
as
well
as
 
 information
about
new
studies
and
findings
related
to
the
topic,
the
paper
looks
at
 
 the
future
by
addressing
future‐centered
studies
from
media
professionals
and
 
 personal
interviews
from
four
experts
in
fields
related
to
social
networking
and
 
 privacy:
Logan
Green,
George
Mahoney,
Mihir
Kshirsagar
and
Marc
Rotenberg.

Ideas
 of
ubiquitous
social
networking
and
integration
of
personal
data
via
the
Semantic
 
 Web
are
emerging
futurist
themes,
as
well
as
the
need
for
the
United
States
to
work
 
 to
strengthen
and
revise
existing
privacy
laws
to
include
concerns
relating
to
the
 availability
of
information
via
social
media
avenues.

2

Part 1: Literature Review Social Networking Sites – A Brief History Social networks have been in existence for more than 10 years, allowing users to easily connect with friends, or others sharing similar interests in particular subjects— including dating, music and shared cultural backgrounds. The first social network, SixDegrees, was launched in 1997 and allowed users to create profiles and friend lists. One year later, members of SixDegrees were able to search for friends online and form additional connections. While this was a simple, basic idea, the value of this Web site came from the fact that it was the first to combine features from multiple platforms (Boyd & Ellison, 2007). Buddy lists were accessible on AOL’s Instant Messenger, and one could easily affiliate with a school or community on Web sites such as Classmates.com. Internet users could also create profiles in the past via community Web sites (Boyd & Ellison, 2007). Millions of users joined SixDegrees, but the site folded in 2000 due to waning interest from users and limitations of the site’s infrastructure. SixDegrees marked the first social network release and was a bellwether for hundreds of social networking sites that would spring up in the coming years. Between 1999 and 2004, nearly 50 popular social networking sites had been launched—including LiveJournal, Friendster, and MySpace. In 2004, Mark Zuckerberg Figure
1
 created Facebook when he was a student at Harvard University. The site was only available to Harvard students but gained more than 1,000 members overnight (Cassidy, 2006). Figure 1 shows the launch dates of major social networking sites in the years before and after the creation of Facebook. Zuckerberg quickly realized that the site could be successful at other universities and added 40 additional schools to the social network. Students Source:
Boyd
&
Ellison,
2007
 were able to view profiles from everyone affiliated with 
 their university, and they could connect with students at other universities only by permission from each student. Although MySpace had been launched in 2003, there was no restriction as to who could sign up. Young children could disguise themselves as adults, or vice versa, because any valid e-mail address would suffice. Facebook emerged as the most popular social networking site—despite numerous others that were in existence prior to, and after its time. Facebook’s popularity came from the intimacy of the site; only college students could interact with one another, and they were given the option of either restricting their

3

personal network to contain only members of their university, or extending their network to connect with others across the country. In 2005, Facebook was the second-fastestgrowing major Web site on the Internet (Cassidy, 2006). In 2006, Zuckerberg, along with roommates Dustin Moskovitz and Andrew McCollum finished working on the new Facebook platform—one that would include hundreds of universities, professionals and anyone with a valid e-mail address. 7.5 million users had profiles on the site by summer of the same year (Cassidy, 2006). As of October 2009, more than 300 million active users are a part of the Facebook community (Facebook Press Room, 2009). Hundreds of popular social networking sites are now in existence—many of them interest-specific, such as art, food, music or dating, and other networks focused on establishing connections with friends across the globe. Facebook remains the most popular. In a 2006 interview for “The New Yorker” magazine, Zuckerberg discussed his opinions about the qualities that contribute to the popularity of Facebook—namely usercontrol: “If your site is open, and you let everyone read everything, then the [content] they put up is going to be less personal. The stuff that people want to share with just their friends is the most important: Photo albums that you only want your friends to see, contact information, that kind of thing… giving people control over who sees what helps to increase over-all information flow” (Cassidy, 2006). The success of a social network may not come from it’s overall size, but more from its capabilities to let users decide how to organize themselves and who they will share and exchange information with. Although Facebook opened its services to include any user with a valid e-mail address in 2006, its privacy policy maintained and expanded upon the same user-control standards that were set in place from the beginning. Privacy and Social Networks While social networks have become popular among teenagers, young adults and professionals, concerns about privacy online have become more prevalent as membership on these networks increases. Users are pushing for more strictly-defined privacy policies so that they can understand who is seeing their personal information, and how it is being used. According to a 2009 study from the Pew Internet & American Life Project, 87 percent of American teenagers are online and 55 percent of them have created a social networking profile (Jones & Fox, 2009). As of 2007, 90 percent of all undergraduates at schools where the site was available were registered on Facebook (Van der Werf, 2007). In a recent poll, about 30 percent of students reported accepting friend requests from people who they had never met (Van der Werf, 2007). Privacy has become an increasingly important issue as more users become members of social networking sites— placing personal information on profiles and sharing it with friends. Privacy expectations on social networks are getting stronger as more members begin to realize possible risks they face by placing their personal information online. Social networking sites Twitter and Facebook have recently tweaked their privacy policies to include new information about how information will be used and which personal information may be collected. Twitter recently updated its terms of service to include new information about privacy and Tweets. According to the privacy policy on the site, Twitter collects each user’s “IP address, full user name, password, email address, city, time zone, telephone number, and other information that [they] decide to provide…or include in [their] public profile” (Twitter Privacy Policy, 2009). A user’s IP address will not be directly linked

4

with their personally identifiable information. Following the change in the site’s privacy policy, Twitter co-founder Biz Stone elaborated about the changes in his blog: “Twitter is allowed to ‘use, copy, reproduce, process, adapt, modify, publish, transmit, display and distribute’ your tweets because that's what we do. However, they are your tweets and they belong to you” (Biz Stone, 2009). This post was met with much opposition from the online community, who questioned the truth of this statement. While many users frequently Tweet, they had not thought about the ways in which Twitter is using their contributions. Biz Stone’s blog post added a sense of reality to the ways in which information is used by social networks on a regular basis. Twitter has also had other privacy issues arise with third-party applications such as GroupTweet. Due to confusing registration procedures, one user reported that her private Twitter messages were being displayed on her live feed. The user, Orli Yakuel, had 650 followers at the time, all who had quick access to her private messages that could not be deleted from Yakuel’s main profile page. Yakuel was forced to delete her account in an attempt to conceal her private messages (Arrington, 2008). Other users reported having similar problems, but only one instance was officially confirmed. GroupTweet stopped all new registrations until the problem could be resolved. While the issue was eventually fixed, personal information was being displayed on the Web, causing some users to lose trust in the social network. Social networking sites must work to build trust with their users. Building welldocumented and detailed privacy policies, as well as communication with network members, is an important step that leads to a better-informed online community. In response to Twitter’s issue concerning the ownership of Tweets, one blogger wrote: “The bigger problem is the blanket claims these social networking sites are making on users’ content. I appreciate that Twitter’s terms of service are brief and readable, but I’d rather the site spell out exactly how and where it intends to use people’s tweets, so we’re all on the same page” (Newman, 2009). Facebook’s terms of service and privacy policy received similar complaints from users who were concerned about how Facebook would use information that was posted to individual users’ profiles. The questionable terms of service update occurred in February 2009. Past terms of service negated any rights that Facebook had claimed to a users’ personal information once the account had been terminated. Noticeably absent from the new terms were the following lines: “You may remove your user content from the site at any time. If you choose to remove your user content, the license granted above will automatically expire, however you acknowledge that the company may retain archived copies of your user content” (Walters, 2009). Facebook users started blogs and signed petitions to persuade the company to re-evaluate the change. One post on “The Consumerist” blog by Chris Walters received 6,460 Diggs and many comments from passionate Facebook users. Following Facebook’s issue regarding their Terms of Service, the company worked to dispel negative rumors about the site. Zuckerberg posted an update on the Facebook blog, clarifying that: “We wouldn't share your information in a way you wouldn't want. The trust you place in us as a safe place to share information is the most important part of what makes Facebook work… Our philosophy that people own their information and control who they share it with has remained constant” (Zuckerberg, 2009).

5

Facebook recently worked with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada to improve their privacy policy. While the privacy commissioner was satisfied with Facebook’s extensive privacy settings that gave social network members multiple choices and control over who has access to their personal profiles, there was some dissatisfaction regarding the language and depth of the company’s privacy policy. In August of 2009, Facebook’s Press Room announced projected changes to their policies that would occur over a 12-month time period, setting a new standard for social networking sites. The privacy policy will be updated to inform users as to why the company collects date of birth and retains accounts of deceased users, as well as information regarding operation specifics of advertising programs on the site. Information will be available that explicitly documents the difference between account deactivation and deletion (Facebook Press Room, 2009). As per recommendations of the privacy commissioner, Facebook will also be working with third party applications to ensure that they obtain express consent from users before any information is exchanged. Ethan Beard, director of Platform Product Marketing at Facebook, expressed the satisfaction of the company with the upcoming changes: “We strongly believe that the changes to the permission model for third-party applications will give users more confidence in the Platform and will, thus, help ensure the long-term health and vitality of the ecosystem that has grown around Platform” (Facebook Press Room, 2009). In order to compete with MySpace, Facebook has made decisions that have contributed to an overall erosion of privacy on the Web site. The company’s photo tagging system allows anyone to post a photo and tag individual users. Any objectors can “un-tag” themselves, but the photo cannot be removed from the site. Facebook’s page rank has since surpassed MySpace, according to Alexa.com, which places Facebook in the number two top site position, second to Google (Alexa.com, 2009). MySpace ranks in eleventh place, with a 19.84 percent decrease in page views over the past three months (Alexa.com, 2009). In response to growing privacy concerns as Facebook expanded its membership base, the company added the option of limited profiles in 2006 that allowed users to restrict content available on one profile, and control the visibility of personal information for specific friends. Zuckerberg has stated that he looks to maintain choice and control on the Facebook platform, but he is also working to expand the capabilities of the site as more people learn to depend on the Internet as a means of communication and personal branding. During PC Forum in 2006, Zuckerberg stated: “I think that understanding that there might not be any difference between what people are doing online and offline is something really important. People are online because it is a more efficient way of doing things” (Cassidy, 2006). In a North American Technographics Benchmark Survey, American adults were asked about their participation in various online activities over a three-year period. E-mail fell at the top of the list, with social networking sites ranking seventh out of a list of 10. However; the jump in usage of social networking sites between 2008 and 2009 was one of the most significant one-year percentage increases on the chart. Social networking usage rose from 18 percent in 2008 to 30 percent in 2009 (Ostrow, 2009). Many social networking sites may take extensive measures to ensure the safety of others, while struggling about placement of these issues on the site. In order to avoid criticism from non-governmental organizations or concerned users, having privacy

6

information readily accessible from the home page is a logical step that many sites take. However, extensive and clearly-worded privacy policies and terms of service statements may deter users from joining the site—thereby diminishing the popularity of that network. Researchers Joseph Bonneau and Soren Preibusch refer to this dilemma as the privacy communication game (Bonneau & Preibusch, 2009). In a 2009 study, Bonneau and Preibusch evaluated privacy criteria for 45 social networking sites, developing the Privacy Communication Game model, in which the authors assert “a successful site will therefore play a game of minimizing the concerns of the fundamentalists while simultaneously minimizing the awareness of privacy for the non-fundamentalists” (Bonneau & Preibusch, 2009). In looking at privacy policies of each of the social networks, privacy was reportedly used as a selling point in 7 out of 29 general-purpose sites, with only four sites “explicitly mentioning” privacy in their promotion efforts (Bonneau & Preibusch, 2009). The researchers also reported a general trend of “over-collection of demographic data” for each of the sites, stating that gender was required for 20 sites and birth date information was required for 24 site registration forms. One social network, Yonja, required users to declare their sexual orientation upon completing registration (Bonneau & Preibusch, 2009). Understanding privacy settings and the importance of strong communication through social networking sites’ terms of service and privacy policies is one way that protection is possible on these sites. Another crucial step to understanding privacy issues on the Web and working toward a safer online environment is learning how information is obtained off of the sites, and which tools are most useful in preventing information retention by unidentifiable third parties, if prevention is an option. Obtaining Personal Information from Social Networking Profiles: New studies, privacy policies, issues and discussions among media professionals Personally identifiable information (PII) can be defined as “information [that] can be used to distinguish or trace an individual’s identity either alone or when combined with other information that is linkable to a specific individual” (Krishnamurthy & Willis, 2009). When users create profiles on social networking sites, some PII is required to begin registration, such as a valid e-mail address. Other examples of specific PII are outlined above in the discussion of Bonneau and Preibusch’s study. Once the information is entered into the site and available on a user’s profile, the data also becomes available to third-party servers. Uses of third-party servers are social network specific, meaning that each privacy policy addresses the issue differently. Third-party servers provide advertisements and content for social networking sites, such as Facebook’s use of applications that users can add to their profiles and share with friends. Third-party servers can serve as aggregators, tracking user movements and habits with the use of cookies (Krishnamurthy & Willis). Twitter and Facebook, as well as many other social networking sites, use cookies (or small data files transferred onto a user’s computer), to collect data about the site and ultimately improve service to users. Twitter’s privacy policy states that cookies are not used to collect PII, but the company does use both session and persistent cookies to expand their knowledge about user behavior on the site (Twitter Privacy Policy, 2009). Session cookies expire following log-out from the site, whereas persistent cookies remain on the user’s computer—although they can be deleted via adjusting Web browser

7

preferences. Facebook makes use of cookies much like Twitter does, although Facebook is farther along in its advertising plan and therefore has additional uses of cookies and thirdparty servers. Cookies are used by Facebook to collect information regarding one’s personal profile, relationships, groups, scheduled events and applications, among other features (Facebook Privacy Policy, 2009). This information is then used to enhance personalization features on the Web site. Facebook also uses third-party cookies to create user-specific advertisements based off of their interests collected from profiles. While Facebook does share certain information about users with third-party cookies, individual users are not specifically documented in relation to the shared data (Facebook Privacy Policy, 2009). Facebook’s rationale for giving out PII to third parties is that ads will be more effective if they matter to Figure
2:
 the user. Chris Kelly, Facebook’s chief privacy officer, gave an example of a user-specific ad: "If you say you are a U2 fan, you might find an ad for the new album in your profile” (Cassidy, 2006). Using unspecific, personal information about users to create ads and learn about overall audience trends are some of the relatively unobtrusive ways that social networks can share information. In a study about data protection in social networks, Krishnamurthy and Willis noted that use of third-party servers by popular social networking sites had increased from 40 percent in Source:
(Krishnamurthy
&
Willis,
2009).
Highlighted
areas
 October 2005 to 70 percent in show
a
user’s
social
networking
ID
being
given
to
a
third‐ September 2008 (Krishnamurthy party
server
in
(a).
Section
(b)
shows
a
user’s
ID
being
 passed
from
Facebook’s
“iLike”
application
to
a
third‐party
 & Willis, 2009). The authors of aggregator,
Google
Analytics.
The
third
header
shows
PII
 this study sought to examine leakage
via
the
“Kickmania!”
application
to
an
ad
tracker.
 whether PII belonging to users was being leaked through social networks to any third-party servers—implying that third parties, who aren’t often identified in privacy policies, would then be able to place a specific individual with their viewing habits and any other information that had been obtained. According to Krishnamurthy and Willis, leakage of PII via social networks can occur through HTTP header information, as well as cookies that are sent to third-party servers that act as aggregators. Third-party external applications can also obtain and spread user information about individual users found in HTTP headers (see Figure 2). “Most users on online social networks are vulnerable to having their social network identity information linked with tracking cookies” (Krishnamurthy & Willis, 2009).

8

Tracking cookies have a long lifetime, and can therefore retain the identity of an individual, even if the information has only been leaked once. In addition, third-party servers and aggregators can piece together information to identify specific users. For example, 87 percent of Americans can be uniquely identified from a birth date, zip code and gender (Krishnamurthy & Willis). Although aggregators claim that they do not gather or retain PII, the information is still available to them, and they do not have to take additional measures to retrieve the data. Aside from the personal information that individual users voluntarily place online, there are some ways that details about their personal lives could be rapidly spreading around without their consent. Facebook’s photo and video tagging feature is one way that a member’s face could be spread around to users who are not on their ‘friends’ list. While a user can organize privacy settings so that only their friends are able to view tagged photos, an inappropriate picture of that user posted by another member will still be viewable by the friends of the user who posted the original picture—despite any untagging attempts. In a study about photographs on social networking sites and privacy, author David Findlay argues that this feature raises new issues regarding privacy expectations within the fourth amendment. “Contemporary standards for defining privacy should be crafted to reflect an increasingly integrated and interactive world where people often voluntarily engage in situations with fewer barriers protecting their privacy” (Findlay, 2008). The definition of privacy is changing as more people move photographs and personal information online. Findlay believes that both legal and social adjustments are necessary when it comes to privacy issues online. Photos are just one of the ways that a user can be unknowingly monitored without their consent. New laws have been set in place to address concerns about watchdog employers—or those who are using social networking sites to check up on employees and monitor them on a regular basis. The debate continues; should employees have a reasonable expectation of privacy on social networking sites? In California, laws have been set in place to protect employee privacy rights as related to social networking sites. Photo tagging, as well as information that can be indirectly linked to users on social networking sites has been the cause of many job rejections. A recent survey reported that 63 percent of employers visiting online social networking profiles have turned away job candidates due to information found on the sites (Davis, 2006). California’s privacy laws are included within the state constitution, and protect individuals from any exposure on social networking sites that occurred while the user was off-duty from their job (Genova, 2009). California is one of only four states that protect individuals who participate in any form of off-duty lawful behavior—including any images or information found on social networking sites (Genova, 2009). Aside from the argument that it is simply unfair to turn away employees based off of information on a social networking profile, Donald Carrington Davis argues that there are three basic problems with online employment decisions. The problems are as follows: 1. Information on the profiles could be inaccurate or irrelevant; 2. Employers are not held accountable for how they arrive at any employment decisions and could therefore be tempted to make these decisions by viewing online profiles; 3. An employer should not monitor an employee’s online social life, because it violates that individual’s reasonable expectation of privacy (Davis, 2006). The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), ensures that “an individual’s eligibility for employment is based on a consumer report free from

9

inaccurate or irrelevant information” (Davis, 2006). A growing online presence of employees has led to more personal information being readily accessible online. Davis argues that since the accuracy or relevance of this information cannot be confirmed, it should not be a factor in employment decisions. “Lawmakers and policymakers must begin to reconsider physical conceptions of privacy…in order to meet the demands of the members of this new tech-savvy generation that have proven much more apt to share and communicate in the World Wide Web than their ancestors” (Davis, 2006). Facebook has also been used as a law enforcement tool by universities looking to monitor the behavior of the student body, or find and punish students who have committed campus crimes. At DePauw University, a sculpture of a deer was vandalized. University administrators were able to track down the students responsible by using Facebook (Van der Werf, 2007). Many similar instances have occurred at other campuses and some university administrators are questioning whether or not they should use the social networks to check up on students in an attempt to prevent the release of any potentially offensive material by their students. At a 2007 conference about highereducation law, panelists warned against such monitoring practices. “Colleges on the lookout for lawbreaking or just crude and insensitive behavior could be setting themselves up for a new line of litigation” (Van der Werf, 2007). Users’ personal information can be monitored without their knowledge in several ways described above. Third-party servers and cookies can easily acquire PII and associate individuals with specific data. External applications available on Facebook, which currently has more than 55,000 applications available, can use personal data in ways that Facebook cannot monitor or control (Krishnamurthy & Willis, 2009). The same is true for external applications on other social networking sites. In addition, open social networking profiles can be subject to review and judgment by employers or university administration and could result in discrimination or punishment, without the user being aware that their personal information was ever viewed. Figure
3:

Source:
(Facebook
Data
Team,
2009)

Gender differences in social network usage, network sizes and associated privacy implications Several studies have been completed that attempt to tie in gender differences with privacy concerns as related to social networking sites. A recent study surveyed 1261 users from five cities across the globe to identify opinions and behavioral trends as related to online privacy. Gender was identified as one of the factors that directly influenced online privacy concerns. Researchers reported that more than 70 percent of users were concerned about privacy online (Cho

et al., 2009). Females were reportedly more attuned to privacy concerns than males, who were much more trusting of

10

strangers in social settings and Web sites asking for personal information (Cho et al., 2009). A Facebook study about friend-retention and long-term communication between members of individuals’ social networks analyzed the differences between the ways that males and females build their social networks. The study reported that closest connections occur within smaller groups of friends (Facebook Data Team, 2009). Females, while reportedly more concerned about privacy issues online, tend to communicate more with their Facebook friends than males. The size of a Facebook network decreases as communication increases. Facebook allows users to passively access information about their friends. These “maintained relationships,” described in the study as those not requiring any form of communication, usually contain far more friends than “one-way communication” relationships (Facebook Data Team, 2009). Reciprocal relationships made up the smallest network size. Privacy concerns can be tied in with this study because results show a large number of maintained passive networks. Users with a large social network may only directly communicate with a few of their friends, while silently observing the profiles, pictures and status updates of friends who they no longer speak with. Users rarely update delete friends from their Facebook community, but it is possible that acquaintances that have become strangers over time could be viewing personal information and using it or spreading it to others without consent of the individual who the data belongs to. Feasibility of complete online anonymity In thinking about the future of social networks and privacy, it is evident that online communities are continuing to grow and develop, with more information being stored online. Facebook currently has more than 300 million active users, with 50 percent of those users spending time on the site each day (Facebook Press Room, 2009). Membership on other popular social networking sites is also increasing. Questions are being raised concerning the possibility of anonymity online. Researchers are wondering if it is possible to remain protected and unidentifiable with one’s online presence. In an article about personal protection in online social networks, Patricia Abril argues that users will never be able to completely control information online, or achieve full anonymity (Abril, 2007). “The digital medium [has] erased the possibility of anonymity and concealment from unintended audiences (Abril, 2007). Abril states that many individuals and online content creators view privacy as control, which, according to the author, is not a possibility on- or off-line. While anonymity may not be a possibility, protection of privacy and identity on social networking sites is important because this protection can preserve dignity, reputation, socialization and discourse (Abril, 2007). Aside from the fact that online privacy is defined differently among businesses and individual users, many individuals have misconceptions about what is acceptable online behavior and what behavior may result in the permanent leakage of personal information online. Study results from a survey conducted by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, revealed that the majority of social network users think that it is acceptable to share gossip and personal information online (Lenhart & Madden, 2007). Open sharing of personal information via Facebook or MySpace, or through live feeds on sites like Twitter, can result in third-party servers or external applications gaining access to information and potentially linking it to an individual user (Krishnamurthy & Willis,

11

2009). Marc Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), provided feedback about the need for online privacy and protection from government surveillance in a 2007 article published in the Huffington Post. “My opponents argue that…with advances in new technology, we need to reduce our expectation of privacy and accept the boundless mass surveillance that has characterized this administration’s policies over the last several years. I reject this position” (Rotenberg, 2007). Rotenberg argues that the United States Constitution has historically protected citizens’ privacy prior to the 9/11 attacks, and has merely made several errors post-9/11. Rotenberg’s statements apply to online privacy as well, and raise questions about existing privacy law: “The choice that we are being asked to make is not simply whether to reduce our expectation of privacy, but whether to reduce the rule of law…If we agree to reduce our expectation of privacy, we will erode our Constitutional democracy” (Rotenberg, 2007). Users’ expectations of privacy have been outlined by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), as well as specific tips to help enhance safety online. According to the FTC, parents should talk to children about what information should be kept private. Privacy settings should be set by parents on their children’s’ personal profiles in order to reduce the risk of PII leaking to other users online, and privacy policies of the social networking site should be read thoroughly before registration (FTC, 2009). With increased use of mobile devices to access the Internet, the FTC advises parents to restrict phone settings to potentially limit a child’s unsupervised social network usage (FTC, 2009). Emphasis is being placed on children and pre-teens use of online social networks because this age group has grown up with the presence of social networks from a very young age. Daniel Solove calls the digitally connected youth “Generation Google,” because many pieces of their personal lives will remain on the Internet forever and will likely be searchable on Google (Solove, 2008). Once information is placed online, it has the potential to remain on the Internet forever. Facebook has a deceased members policy in which the accounts are “memorialized.” In this process, Facebook will remove certain information and re-set privacy preferences so that the individual’s account will only be searchable by confirmed friends (Popken, 2009). While this information may not be searchable through Google, it is still permanently available on the Facebook database. While information may be permanent on the Internet, there are positives and negatives to the free and open Web that allows for an unprecedented exchange and sharing of information via social networking sites. Solove discusses the benefits of having freedom, but also outlines the threat to privacy that users face upon joining online communities. “Companies collect and use our personal information at every turn…The government also compromises privacy by assembling vast databases that can be searched for suspicious patterns of behavior” (Solove, 2008). Posting personal information on user profiles is merely another way for corporations and government entities to piece together more information about an individual. Due to the fact that once information is posted on the Web it has the potential to remain there indefinitely, users must consider implications of their online actions and information from the very beginning. “People want to have the option of …reinventing themselves throughout their lives…but with so much information online, it is harder to make these moments forgettable. People must now live with the digital baggage of their

12

pasts” (Solove, 2008). Aside from considering information that one decides to post online, privacy settings (outlined in the “Privacy and Social Networks” section) are also an important component to preventing the spread of personal information to unintended parties. While there has been heated debate about Facebook’s rights to users’ content, most claims about permanent storage and usage of personal information by the company can be negated by strengthening privacy settings for Facebook accounts (Walters, 2009). As outlined above, privacy as related to social networks is a growing issue that will likely remain on the forefront of communications discussion in the future. However, it is probable that these privacy discussions will shift focus as social networks begin to move in new directions.

Part 2: New Data and Futures Information As more people move online and build a presence through social networks and perhaps other social media tools, communications professionals are looking at future trends involving these aspects of the Internet. Trends in futures predictions about social networks include: Ubiquitous social networks, a single online identity for each individual and the possibility of life recorders becoming popular in the future. In terms of privacy issues, one of the biggest concerns that many experts in the field have spoken about involves the need for more rigid social media privacy laws—especially in the United States. With a growing online community, many privacy experts are looking to enact change through Congress in order to protect employees, youth and others involved in social networking from discrimination or invasion of privacy on the Web. At a Graphing Social Figure
4:
 Patterns West conference on the topic, “The Future of 4
components
of
 4
components
of
social
 Social Networks,” Charlene ubiquitous
social
 networking

 Li, vice president of Forrester networks
 Research presented a speech • Pro\iles
 • Universal
identities
 about the issue—synthesizing • Relationships
 • A
single
social
graph
 her ongoing research • Activities
 • Social
context
for
 involving emerging trends in activities
 social networking. According •  S ocial
in\luence
 • Business
models
 to Li, “social networks will be de\ining
marketing
 like air” (Li, 2008). These value
 networks will be accessible to users from almost anywhere, allowing them to continuously build relationships and expand their profiles. Li calls these well-integrated online communities “ubiquitous social networks” (Li, 2008). Figure 4 documents Li’s 2004 research as compared to her 2008 research. The existing four categories of social networks (left column) are predicted to transform into new categories fitting into the context of ubiquitous social networks (right column). Li’s research indicates that these trends will emerge in as little as five years. Others have observed or declared similar predictions about the future. Participants at the 2009 World Wide Web Consortium Workshop on the Future of Social Networking, participants concluded that a decentralized, more distributed social network was a possibility for the future (W3C Final Report, 2009). This prediction is

13

similar to Li’s indication about universal identities. About half of the papers submitted to the W3C workshop addressed the topic of decentralizing social networks: “Forcing users to create accounts and record their data across many of these networks [is] counterproductive, and prevents the establishment of innovative services” (W3C Final Report, 2009). Many services promoting open platforms are already available. OpenId allows users to create an ID that will let them access sites that support the free tool, although Li argues that OpenId has only touched the surface of decentralized Web capabilities. “Each person already has an identity that can be tied back to e-mail addresses and mobile numbers. These are personal, tied typically to one person, and most importantly, under our control” (Li, 2008). According to Li, the future holds the possibility of there being a few large centers of a “federated identity,” which will likely involve the largest e-mail providers like Google, AOL and Microsoft (Li, 2008). Although OpenId provides a way to log on to multiple accounts with one password, it does not allow for users to pair multiple e-mail addresses or social network profiles. While it may take years for this open platform function to become available and ultimately widespread, the technologies needed to achieve a fully-decentralized social network are already available. Microformats such as Friend of a Friend (FOAF), Resource Description Framework in Attributes (RDFa) and XHTML Friends Network (XFN) are data formats that could produce an open platform, and OpenId, and OAuth are some of the interaction protocols available and able to accommodate this change (W3C Final Report, 2009). Many single sign-on efforts have been established, but these previous unification efforts such as Windows Live ID or more global efforts such as a national ID card, have been met with suspicion from concerned users. In most cases, adoption rates for these services have been low. EPIC reported: “Americans have rejected the idea of a national ID card” (EPIC, 2008). Citizens have been skeptical of committing themselves to one identity, or possessing a card or document that encompasses their identity. While Social Security Cards hold importance in the United States, they do not serve as identifiers on the global scale. Despite resistance from the establishment of a single global identifier offline, developments are underway for one such identity online. In a document compiling conversation about identity online, Kim Cameron synthesizes issues discussed in the blogosphere regarding Web presence. According to Cameron, the heart of the issue regarding a single online identity lies in the fact that “the Internet was built without a way to know who and what you are connecting to” (Cameron, 2005). Adding an identity layer to the Internet is a difficult process—one that has been attempted but never completely successful. According to Cameron, the problem lies less in the technological aspect of adding a standardized layer and more in the face that an agreement cannot be reached on the specifics of the identity layer. “Digital identity is related to context, and the Internet, while being a single technical framework, is experienced through a thousand kinds of content in at least as many different contexts—all of which flourish on top of that underlying framework” (Cameron, 2005). This complexity has made any possibility of an agreement on how the identity layer should function, a large undertaking that has yet to see much success. Various companies are not quick to relinquish control over their customers and do not want there to be much opportunity for crossover between Web sites. According to Li, a sacrifice of control by online businesses is essential for a single identity, or single sign-on open platform to be achieved. “[Yahoo, Microsoft, Google and AOL] will need to be willing to accept and

14

aggregate identities outside of their proprietary systems, for example, I could pair my Gmail address on my Yahoo account” (Li, 2008). Cameron proposes a “unifying identity metasystem” that would function universally without the need for a global consensus on the specifics of purpose and functionality (Cameron, 2005). Aside from the concept of a universal identity, researchers are also looking toward the possibility of more sophisticated communications services on the Web that could lead to an intuitive social graph that would be accessible across multiple platforms online. In five or 10 years, instant messaging, e-mail, mobile calls and text messages will have the capacity to retain information about individuals’ address books and frequent contacts. Li has placed the power in the hands of major e-mail providers—not only to serve as social identity brokers, but also to purpose a single social graph for each user. Social networks fit into the Figure
5:
 equation based off of their basic structuring, if nothing else. Facebook, MySpace and Twitter broadcast high membership rates, and all are in competition to achieve the “most complete social graph” (Li, 2008). Open platform policies will likely allow for users to bring their social graph into new social networks without having to re-send “friend” invitations. There will also be a potential Source:
(Li,
2008)
 for users to eventually integrate already-existing external applications from older social networks into newer ones. Figure 5 displays an example of communications technologies and predictions about their future capabilities in terms of establishing a social graph. The idea of the Semantic Web as related to social networking is an additional trend that is emerging. This relates to the idea of open platforms and sharing of a single identity across a variety of Web sites and social networks. John Breslin and Stefan Decker argue that formalizing language around the Semantic Web will lead to more valuable, object-centered social networks that are based more on common interests than boosting one’s friend list. “By using agreed-upon Semantic Web formats to describe people, content objects and the connections that bind them together, social networking sites can interoperate by appealing to common semantics” (Breslin & Stefan, 2007). Breslin and Stefan also suggest that there is future research potential as related to social networks. Currently, any social network visualizations are built for the purpose of viewing the magnitude of one’s online community. Researchers are looking into the possibility of using social networks to track e-mail rank and filtering (Breslin & Stefan, 2007). In addition, as information overload and competition for user attention online becomes more crucial, content producers will likely look to social networks to examine the popularity of certain issues and the route that information travels on the Web. The

15

above ideas have been focused on the future of social networks, while assuming the fact that these networks will retain their current form as Web sites for online communities. However; the Metaverse Roadmap (MVR) includes components that would suggest otherwise. The MVR is an ongoing project that speculates about future developments regarding virtual and 3D worlds. Researchers have focused on the implications related to the potential for a major social space to emerge on the Web. “The Metaverse is the convergence of 1) Virtually-enhanced physical reality and 2) Physically persistent virtual space” (Smart et al., 2009). The project looks at augmented reality, virtual worlds (VR’s) and lifelogging as new social media trends. According to Alexa.com, Second Life, an online VR community the page ranks 3,667th (Alexa.com, 2009). However, with the MVR predictions, this page rank is likely to climb as VR avatars begin to move into the realm of social networks and users are able to access MySpace, Facebook and numerous other social networking profiles via Second Life and additional VR worlds. Lifelogging, one of the predicted future trends of the MVR, is predicted to quickly rise in popularity, bringing a new meaning to the “always-on” trend of connected Internet users. Currently, social network users choose their friends and actively take, post and tag images on their profile. More intelligent communication devices will likely be able to build social graphs for individuals, and life recorders are emerging as a device that will be able to take photos and automatically identify and tag individuals. Microsoft developed a life-recording device called SenseCam. Computer science legend Gordon Bell has been wearing the camera for 10 years, taking photos of his life every few minutes (Baker & Hesseldahl, 2009). While the SenseCam is not advanced enough to tag or identify specific individuals, a device with such capabilities is not far off. In a recent article in TechCrunch, it was reported that that a lifelogging device could potentially be on the market in 2010, although the biggest challenge lies in the storage, transcription and protection of data online (Arrington, 2009). Success of lifeloggers could mean that the lives of individuals would be entirely documented and searchable on the Web. As social networks become more seamlessly integrated into the lives of users and become available via multiple online platforms including the potential for VR worlds and life recorders, privacy issues are a large concern for the future. The biggest strides in jurisdiction relating to social networks have been in Canada, and in the European Union. “Canada and most European countries have more stringent privacy statues than the United States, which has resisted enacting all-encompassing legislation. Privacy laws elsewhere recognize that revealing information to others does not extinguish one’s right to privacy” (Solove, 2008). As mentioned previously, Facebook recently decided to improve and adjust their privacy policy after recommendations from the Canadian Privacy Commissioner. Canada has taken many measures in order to extend privacy regulations to encompass personal information online—including information available on social networking sites. Whereas pre-Internet, traditional methods of data gathering were slower and costly, technological limitations sustained “practical obscurity” to individuals for generations (Shields, 2000). The Internet has done away with practical obscurity—allowing for most information to be accessible by multiple people, dispersed widely and retained indefinitely. Canada’s privacy laws prevent companies from retaining personal information indefinitely—including situations where accounts had been deactivated or deleted (BBC News, 2009).

16

The European Union (EU) has also made adjustments to previously-existing privacy laws to include social media and personal data online. New laws are being set in place stemming from the European Union Directive on Data Protection of 1995. The Directive prohibits “collection of personal information without consumers’ permission, forbids employers to read workers’ private e-mail, and doesn’t allow companies to share personal information on users without their permission” (Schroeder, 2009). An EU panel was recently established to outline new guidelines for social networks, including allowing users to limit some data transfer to third party applications. Social networking sites must also adhere to the EU guidelines by making the default privacy settings at the highest protection level. The panel also addressed social networking sites’ use of personal information for behavioral targeting purposes, demanding that the sites limit the use of discriminatory or sensitive information such as race or religion in its advertising practices (Schroeder, 2009). While international countries have taken initiative to include social network data and online personal information in their privacy laws, the United States has not extended its privacy laws in the same capacity, although they could be close to enacting change. On October 1, 2009, it was reported that talks were underway in Congress regarding a new privacy bill that would affect the online advertising industry. In a recent article, Rep. Rick Boucher announced that a bill carrying bipartisan support could be established as early as November 2009. The bill has the potential to change the face of privacy online because it would require every Web site to communicate with users about every piece of information collected, and how that information is used (Kaye, 2009). Control will be placed in the hands of the user, who will be able to allow or deny Web sites the access to their personal information. Under the new bill, users’ personal information will not be able to be disclosed to “un-related third parties” without users opting in to this process (Kaye, 2009). If this bill is introduced, it would be a large achievement for the United States, placing the country on more of a level playing field with Canada and many countries in Europe that have already taken action. The Electronic Frontier Foundation, along with various consumer and privacy groups, recently approached Congress to ask for privacy protection from online tracking and behavioral tracking for marketing purposes. “Self-regulation by advertisers is not enough—legislation is needed to protect consumers” (Jeschke, 2009). The coalition recommended that laws be set in place to limit information collected for behavioral tracking, as well as making it a requirement for consumers to opt-in to data collection by Web sites or ad networks (Jeschke, 2009). According to EPIC’s Executive Director Marc Rotenberg, original privacy guidelines set forth by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) are based on the fact that “individuals should have the right to limit the use of the personal information they disclose to others, and businesses should have a duty to safeguard the data they collect” (Rotenberg, 2007). Current issues have arisen because social networking companies are not complying with the standards, and Congress is not moving to establish laws to encompass the issues at hand. EPIC recently filed a complaint involving Google’s proposals on Internet privacy, working to ban Google’s planned merger with Doubleclick, the Internet’s largest advertising company. Following the complaint, Google called for new global privacy standards. Rotenberg disapproved of Google’s seemingly shallow and late proposed

17

standards: “This is an interesting proposal, since countries from America, Europe and Asia announced global privacy standards more than 25 years ago” (Rotenberg, 2007). EPIC had originally been opposed to the acquisition of the two leading Internet companies because of the historic lack of online privacy protection measures taken by both entities, and the fact that combining the companies would “pose a unique and substantial threat to the privacy interests of Internet users around the globe” (Rotenberg, 2007). Privacy was also one of the main issues at the W3C Workshop on the Future of Social Networks. A consensus was made that “social networking technologies needed to preserve the possibility for a user to fragment its identity across various profiles, and, in an increasingly context-sensitive setting, to hide, blur or lie about the user’s current context, as a minimal option to protect privacy” (W3C Final Report, 2009). Aside from technical aspects involving the establishment of privacy standards across various social network platforms, issues were also raised about the difficulty in increasing userawareness regarding the importance of privacy standards. One of the suggestions at the workshop involved the idea of developing a code of ethics or privacy best practices for social network operators, but this would likely be impossible given differences in global legislations. While legislation concerning online privacy is currently dispersed and underdeveloped in some circumstances, privacy issues associated with the future of social networks may have the potential to change the face of Internet law—transforming it from a segmented, inconsistent set of regulations to a centralized, globally-accepted working document that would ensure a widespread adoption of privacy standards. There is currently a working document available as a blog post entitled “A Bill of Rights for Users of the Social Web” (Smarr et al., 2007). The authors propose the idea of an open social Web, asserting that every Web user should be entitled to the rights of ownership of their own personal information, control over how their personal information is shared and freedom to allow certain external Web sites access to their information (Smarr et al., 2007). The document encourages readers to sign the post and propose any changes or additions to the wording. In terms of an all-encompassing bill of rights for the Web, there is no indication of how far off any materialization of such a document would be, or if a global consensus could ever be achieved. However many researchers have come to a consensus that there are too many loopholes in existing privacy laws for no change to be enacted. In a report about privacy and social networks, John S. Wilson focuses on the ways that social networks are changing the face of traditional law. With the advent of e-mail and widely-shared personal profiles via social networking sites, Wilson asserts that “America has lost control of its electronic data” (Wilson, 2007). In 2007, the Advisory Committee on Civil Rules came to a consensus that the traditional Rules of Civil Procedure were not sufficient in that they were not detailed enough to include issues of information discovery via new technologies (i.e. social networking and other publicly available data online). While the Rules were evaluated and updated, Wilson argues that the changes were not momentous enough: “Although the new Rules represent a good effort to regulate e-discovery, their language is still general enough that many remaining questions of interpretation and application will be resolved only through litigation” (Wilson, 2007). The Supreme Court has also stated that privacy law has not kept up with technological advances. More than a century ago, Justice Brandeis said that “the progress

18

of science, especially in the area of communication technology, requires that the focus shift from the letter to the spirit of the law to protect the individual from privacy invasions” (Wilson, 2007). This statement is still true today—perhaps now more than ever. Technology is advancing rapidly, allowing for more information to be stored online and accessed rapidly via the advent of sophisticated search engines, large social networks and hyperconnected individuals.

Part 3: Interviews Four experts were interviewed about the future of social networks and privacy. Two of the individuals worked at companies more closely related to social networking, while the other two work with privacy law. Interviewees: Logan Green – CEO and co-creator of Zimride, a social network focused on organizing carpools across the country. Zimride is also a Facebook verified application. George Mahoney – Vice president of Media General, a communications company that works across many media platforms including social networking to provide news and information to users. Media General operates 18 network-affiliated television stations along with the papers’ Web sites, as well as 21 daily newspapers and Web sites. The staff frequently uses social networks to interact with consumers and spread information on the Internet. Mihir Kshirsagar – former fellow at EPIC who has done significant amounts of research involving privacy and government surveillance programs that were developed just after 9/11. Kshirsagar is currently a lawyer at a firm in New York. Marc Rotenberg – Executive director at EPIC who can be considered a privacy advocate. Rotenberg teaches information privacy law at Georgetown University Law Center and has testified before the Congress on many issues including access to information, consumer protection, and computer security and information privacy. The following responses were transcribed from interviews with the above individuals. 1. How do you foresee ubiquitous computing and the idea of ubiquitous social networks playing a role in privacy issues in the future? Green – Ubiquitous social networking is still to be seen. There are some big players and it is still being worked out. Whatever it is, Facebook will probably win. People are fighting for who controls that identity, but their fight requires them to be open and interoperate in a major way to make that possible. In the future we are going to see a high level of interoperability, but Facebook will hold the largest and most true-to-life representation of your real life online. I don’t think anyone else has come close to touching that. A few companies are trying to own the identity: MySpace Connect, Google Friend Connect and Facebook Connect. All of these flopped except Facebook. All of these services allow you to maintain one login credential… but Facebook does the most to let you bring all of your connections and Facebook features into that other application.

19

It’s there and working, but it is far from totally ubiquitous and I think there is a huge amount of value and a lot of people are going to compete and try to be the broker of your online identity. Mahoney – The idea about having a broker for social identity sort of runs counter to people saying: I have a specific audience that I use. But I know what my demographics look like so I can find a way to monetize the information that I have about my database of users. So I think that is the kind of commercial use that is going to keep people from trying to blend and throw all their stuff in one pot. They way I see it, someone has to make money off of these things. Kshirsagar – I would take a step back and look at it from two perspectives. 1) Collection of information. People are collecting information, processing information and then making decisions on the basis of that information. And right now, the main area of emphasis is on the collection. A lot of people are concerned about cookies, or about various ways which information is collected. 2) The processing part of it. Once you collect this information, what do you do with it? How do you make decisions based on the information you collected? And what mechanisms do you use to come up with algorithms, for example. Say you are on a social networking web site as a teenager and you are uncertain about your sexuality and you go to a number of different Web sites trying to figure that out. Well somebody now has a trail and awareness about your very personal question. They will use that information to sell you products and to try and understand you. Today we are still in the collection mode. People are still trying to understand what are they ways that information is collected. In the future it is going to be about how that information is processed and what decisions are being made based on how it is processed. 2. Where do you see social networks moving in the future? Green – I think trusted identities are going to be incredibly important. Facebook is beating MySpace. It’s no contest. MySpace is dying fast and is nothing more then a music site at this point. I think that it goes two ways: You have to give up more anonymity to gain the trust of others. People are much less interested in engaging in anonymous communities. There is a clear preference for sharing very real information to prove one’s identity and interact as real-life selves online. This communication is a lot more meaningful then having avatars and fake profiles and anonymous interactions online. That is kind of the old Internet. The new one is: “This is me.” There is a major trend away from the old sign up process where you create a username and password and the username says nothing about you. Now there is e-mail instead. There is a lot more accountability that goes along with that and a lot more transparency into your own life, and that is almost expected of other people—that you are going to be that transparent about who you are. Mahoney – We do communicate with social networking sites. I wouldn’t say privacy policies have become more prevalent, but there is a general discussion at the legislative level on Capitol Hill where people are talking about this more. I see a lot of people in

20

Washington now have too much time on their hands so they try to figure out how to legislate issues regarding privacy. Google is pushing back really hard, but I haven’t gotten more complaints—it just isn’t a big deal. People don’t have problems with the kinds of things we are doing because nothing is a surprise to people. The only service we have where we use people-specific information is a net-Informer concept that we can rebrand for all sorts of people—and that is an opt-in. Kshirsagar – The social networking area is particularly interesting because what it involves is people voluntarily giving up information. You hope you are giving it up to your friends, but people are pretty free and loose with the information on such Web sites, and they talk a lot about personal decisions and personal issues. The big question is, who has access to that information and how can they use that information? In the real world, information is collected for one use for one purpose, such as to complete a transaction. But on the Internet it is used in many other contexts, many that you don’t know. There will be ads over time that will predict that you are a college student, for instance, and maybe there will be ads based off of this information regarding certain credit card companies or loan options. Rotenberg – Already in the United States there are serious problems about identity theft and security breaches, but these are kind of isolated. What we are going to see with social networking sites as more personal information is consolidated is that who you are will be stored online. This is going to have enormous implications when other people get access to those profiles if it is misused. We will see some new laws, new types of crime. It is going to get very interesting. 3. Do Web applications need all of the personal information that they obtain? Kshirsagar – My understanding is that external applications take anything they can get. The third-party ones do this by definition, but they just have no reason to have your information. Cookies are also used by and large—you go to the New York Times and sign in and you get a cookie. But did you need to sign in? There is a very limited use for these cookies, which is fine, but third party cookies are just getting the information because they are marketing you. It is very difficult to regulate this information and some of these can’t be deleted – your trail is still with the company that collected the information. Rotenberg – I think there is a huge problem with third parties because practically
 speaking
they
don’t
need
all
of
the
information
that
they
obtain.
If
I
want
to
go
to
 movies
in
a
neighborhood,
[the
application]
just
needs
my
zip
code,
not
everything
 else.
Collecting
the
additional
information
has
created
a
bit
of
a
security
risk.
Who
is
 going
to
have
access
to
that
information
and
how
is
it
going
to
be
used?
 4. How do you use personal data from users of your Web site? Mahoney – Increasingly, we will use behavioral targeting to connect advertisers to people who come to Richmond.com. We won’t use specific identifying features, but will

21

look at their interests. It’s more about where they are going, not who they are. We do not give them the information about our users and they won’t ever send anyone e-mails. We have an opt-in service for e-mails, but on the pure Internet side of things, behavioral targeting is woven into our privacy policy. 5. How can individuals best protect themselves through the use of privacy settings online? Green – Zimride started off as just a Facebook application, but when we started developing the business last year, the schools we were selling to all wanted their staff and faculty to use the service and you had 95 percent of students on Facebook but staff and faculty percentages were much lower. We have re-created some of the most basic social networking functionalities outside of Facebook. Zimride’s privacy settings are specific within each school system. People at Asheville [University] can choose to post their rides and make them available only to other people in their system, or they can choose to make those rides public to the whole Zimride community. Anyone can use the site, but if users are just on the public service, they do not have the option of restricting their posting and can only see other public posts. Rotenberg – Some privacy settings can be useful. People are of course making a lot of decisions about what their privacy settings are. A few tricks: Are the privacy settings being changed by the company? If you opt out of something, do they opt you back in? If you are told one reason to do something and there is another reason that you weren’t told about, that is another problem. Privacy settings are helpful but not the be all and end all. You may have privacy settings that may have nothing to do with the information application that developers have access to. Facebook said that it is going to try to allow people to create some privacy settings for third-party developers, but even that is really not enough. I think we need stronger, clearer, enforceable standards. I don’t think people should spend their lives clicking through digital fine print. 6. Do you believe that privacy is becoming obsolete? Or will there always be a need for privacy online? How do you foresee these privacy issues playing out in the future? Mahoney – Privacy is not dead at all. At the end of the day I think we will probably have some legislation in D.C. that will say that you have to go look at privacy policies. That is what we want. We don’t want people crossing lines and using that personal information about people. That will be a federal law. I don’t think that it really changes the conversation that is occurring in the real world. Kshirsagar – There is a split view when it comes to privacy issues online: 1) The highly technological approach—which suggests that everything be anonymized in the future. You browse through an anonymous browser; you take self-help mechanisms to try to limit the trail of information. 2) The other way is to say “its not the job of the consumer to limit the trail, its really the task of the companies, and what we need is to regulate the companies—requiring that the companies disclose their actions, allow you to decide

22

whether information should be deleted or stored, and explain what they hope to do with that information. Rotenberg – It is not that privacy is dead; it is that people are getting a lot less and companies are getting a lot more. People have been talking about death of privacy for a very long time. The book “The Death of Privacy” was written in 1964. I think that increasingly privacy is becoming more and more of an important issue because we become so dependent on personal data. For example, there was a protest by Facebook users over the change in terms of service. A lot of people got very upset about it. People didn’t like the thought that they were losing control over information they were posting on pages, or that they couldn’t delete accounts, or that Facebook may take their picture. It is all about control over your data. Privacy isn’t so much about secrecy. It is really about the idea that you can control information when it is held by others. When people sense that the data they have given away for one purpose is now being used for another purpose. That is a privacy concern. Conclusion: It seems probable that social networks will continue to move towards a state of augmentation—integrating themselves into the Semantic Web and allowing for users to cross between multiple open platforms. As online communication technologies become more advanced, users’ social graphs will likely build themselves. The Metaverse Roadmap creators have speculated about the potential for social networks to become fully-integrated with 3D, VR worlds in the next 20 years. For most of these potential future scenarios, the technology already exists. The challenge lies more in the cooperation of corporations and online businesses that may have to relinquish some of their power and control to allow for a more complete and flexible open Web platform. However, privacy issues must advance as well. The United States, although currently working to enact new privacy laws, has fallen behind the advances of Canada and the European Union in terms of its lack of action to significantly extend existing privacy legislation to protect users’ personal data online. This is imperative as technology moves forward and more data becomes available to third parties and external applications on social networks.

Shelley Russell October 28, 2009

Annotated Bibliography (2009).Workshop report. Proceedings of the W3C workshop on the future of social networking, http://www.w3.org/2008/09/msnws/report.pdf This final report from a recent W3C workshop outlines issues about online social networks (OSNs) as defined by stakeholders and the content from 72 papers submitted to the workshop regarding the future of social networks. Five topics are discussed in the report: The possibility of a decentralized social network, issues associated with contextual information available on OSNs, privacy issues as related to social networks and the current difficulty with accessing these sites via mobile devices. Making OSNs available to those with disabilities is also a topic of discussion in the final report. The most prominent topic from the report involves the idea of decentralizing social networks—a topic that was the focus of half of the papers submitted to the workshop. The report documents the presentation of social data aggregation services, as well as a discussion about already-existing decentralized social networking systems. (2009, August 27). Facebook announces privacy improvements in response to recommendations by Canadian privacy commissioner. Retrieved from http://www.facebook.com/press/releases.php?p=118816 This press release from Facebook’s Press Room documents the recent decision of the OSN to update its privacy policy. The changes are occurring as a result of Facebook’s work with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada. After more than a year reviewing the site’s privacy policies and user-controlled settings, Facebook has decided to make its policy more descriptive so that users will understand why and how their personal information is being collected. The press release mentions that Facebook will work to encourage users to change their privacy settings, as well as increase user-control over these decisions. The document also discusses the other aspect of Facebook’s adjustments, which involves working with third-party applications to specify which types of information they are accessing, and requiring that these applications obtain express consent from users before doing so. Abril, P.S. (2007). A (My)Space of one's own: On privacy and online social networks. Northwestern Journal of Technology and Intellectual Property, 6(1), 73-88. Abril focuses on the relationship between privacy and OSNs and negates the idea that complete anonymity and control are possible online. The article first discusses OSNs from a user standpoint, presenting statistics and looking at the

ways that users present content on social networks. The next section looks at the debate about digital privacy, posing the question about whether or not it is reasonable for Web users to expect complete privacy online. Abril outlines the current interpretation of privacy by digital immigrants, as having total control over any content that is posted online. This is then compared with the digital natives’ conception of privacy, in which they expect full anonymity. Abril then presents four arguments for the protection of privacy and identity online: Identity, dignity, intimacy and socialization, and discourse. The article closes with a discussion about user expectation and the need to spread awareness about the reality of the spread of digital information and the importance of privacy controls. Alexa.com (2009). Alexa top 500 global sites. Retrieved from http://www.alexa.com/topsites Alexa.com is a resource that provides information about page rank and demographics for Web pages. On this site, the top 500 global sites are listed in terms of their ranking. Each site can be searched individually from the site’s home page. Information is provided about traffic rank, site reviews, click streams, demographics and key words associated with various Web pages. Arrington, M. (2008, April 23). Privacy disaster at Twitter: Direct messages exposed (update: GroupTweet is likely culprit). Retrieved from http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/04/23/privacy-disaster-at-twitter-directmessages-exposed/ This news story was found on TechCrunch.com, and it discusses issues with Twitter’s system that ultimately left some users’ private messages on their public news feeds for the entire Twitter community to view. As outlined in the story, the problem was related to a GroupTweet application that was causing the errors on live feeds when users registered. The story documents one user’s experience with the error and how Twitter handled the situation. Baker, S,, & Hesseldahl, A. (2009). This is your lifelog. Business Week, Retrieved from http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/09_37/b4146051036364.htm Baker and Hesseldahl discuss an ongoing project by Gordon Bell, a computer science legend. Wearing a custom-made life logger, Bell wears a camera, audio recorder and health monitors in order to record every moment of his life. The project has been in existence for 10 years. The article discusses Bell’s ideas about the future of information. Bell speculates that most information and records will be completely digital in the future. According to Bell, this will change the face of credibility because most information will be backed up with video, audio or photos documenting the event. Baker and Hesseldahl also discuss the book “Total Recall,” which Bell co-authored with Jim Gemmell.

BBC News (2009). Facebook 'breaches Canadian law'. Retrieved from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8155367.st This article discusses the ways that Facebook is in violation of Canadian privacy law. The social network retains a users’ personal information indefinitely, but this is not acceptable according to the Canadian Privacy Commissioner, Jennifer Stoddart. BBC News reports about the issue in this article. Stoddart is interviewed for the article and a timeline is presented that includes information about the steps that Facebook will take to alleviate the situation. The law violation is significant given that 12 million Facebook users are Canadian (more than one in three of the country’s population). Biz Stone (2009, September 10). Twitter's new terms of service. Retrieved from http://blog.twitter.com/2009_09_01_archive.html This source is a blog post written by Biz Stone regarding changes to Twitter’s terms of service. The post reflects on the meaning behind the changes to the terms—namely the fact that Twitter users technically own their Tweets. the author clarifies issues regarding advertising, ownership, API’s and spam. Issues discussed in this blog post were widely discussed in the communications world. Users were concerned about their rights and control of data on Twitter. As quoted in the blog post from Twitter’s new terms, the company can “use, copy, reproduce, process, adapt, modify, publish, transmit, display and distribute" Tweets. Bonneau, J., & Preibusch S. (2009). The privacy jungle: On the market for data protection in social networks. In WEIS ’09: The Eighth Workshop on the Economics of Information Security, pages 1-45. Retrieved from http://preibusch.de/publications/Bonneau_Preibusch_Privacy_Jungle_2009-0526.pdf This report is made available through the Electronic Privacy Information Center’s resource section regarding social networks. Bonneau and Preibusch present an extensive study in which they became members of 45 OSNs and used 260 criteria to evaluate the social networks. The authors analyze how privacy is marketing in each of the OSNs in the study. Charts and statistics indicate how much personal data is collected from each site upon registration. The report then includes information about privacy controls, defaults, and user interface issues, which the authors deem an impediment to intelligent and safe privacy practices from Web users. The next section of the study documents positive and negative aspects of online privacy policies, emphasizing the importance of an honest, accessible and detailed policy. Bonneau and Preibusch then present a data analysis in which privacy is compared to functionality, Web site age, size and growth rate. The report closes with a proposal of a new model: The Privacy Communication Game, which suggests that successful sites must play a game of satisfying privacy

fundamentalists (a minority), while minimizing privacy awareness for the nonfundamentalists. Cameron, K. (2005). The laws of identity. Microsoft Corporation, Retrieved from http://www.identityblog.com/stories/2005/05/13/TheLawsOfIdentity.pdf This document is compiled from conversation about privacy and the Internet on the Blogosphere, and on www.identityblog.com. According to Cameron, “the Internet was built without a way to know who and what you are connecting to. This limits what we can do with it and exposes us to growing dangers.” Cameron’s paper serves as a means to inform individuals about how they can continue to use the Web to cater to their own interests while maintaining privacy, safety and knowledge of who they are communicating with on the Internet. Cameron discusses the need for an identity layer on the Internet and outlines difficulties associated with adding this layer to the Internet. Seven Laws of Identity are presented, in which Cameron attempts to explain the pros and cons of identity systems on the Internet. Cassidy, J (2006, May 15). Me Media; How hanging out on the Internet became big business. The New Yorker, 82, Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=20853331&sit e=ehost-live This article provides an in-depth look at the creation of Facebook from the perspective of Mark Zuckerberg, the social networking site’s creator. Cassidy includes statistics about online social networking sites, comparing the growth and success of Facebook to other popular social networking sites such as MySpace. Following the discussion about the back-story of Facebook, the author goes on to discuss privacy settings and security issues associated with the site. Quotes from Zuckerberg and Facebook’s Chief Privacy Officer Chris Kelly are featured throughout this section as they discuss the site’s development and new additions, such as the decision to merge Facebook’s high-school and college networks, and how this changed privacy on the social network. The author goes on to mention the importance of a user-controlled, user-generated social network. The article ends with a brief discussion about online advertisements and Facebook’s unobtrusive and user-appropriate banners. Cho, H., Rivera-Sanchez, M., & Lim, S.S. (2009). A multinational study on online privacy: Global concerns and local responses. New Media & Society, 11(3), Retrieved from http://nms.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/11/3/395.pdf Five cities were selected for the study: Bangalore, Seoul, Singapore, Sydney and New York. 1261 Internet users were surveyed about privacy and online behavior. The study provides a look at the way that individual factors (such as demographics and experience), and macro-level factors (such as nationality)

influence views about online privacy. The study includes a literature review that outlines differences in the way that females and males perceive privacy issues, as well as the ways that more experienced users handle privacy over those with little experience. Cultural values were proven to influence individual users’ responses to privacy online. A detailed methodology and results are presented in the report, followed by a discussion, which concludes that more than 70 percent of those surveyed were concerned about privacy. The authors observed a multidimensional response to online privacy, in that many different factors play a unique role for individuals in determining their outlook on Internet security. Davis, D.C. (2006). MySpace isn't your space: Expanding the Fair Credit Reporting Act to ensure accountability and fairness in employer searches of online social networking services. The Kansas Journal of Law & Public Policy, 16. Retrieved from http://www.lexisnexis.com/us/lnacademic/results/docview/docview.do?risb=21_T 7382170125&treeMax=false&sort=&docNo=1&format=GNBFULL&startDocNo =0&treeWidth=0&nodeDisplayName=&cisb=&reloadPage=false This journal article addresses arising issues with employment decisions and social networking profiles. Davis gives attention to the fact that many employers are basing hiring decisions or job terminations off of prospective or current employees social network profiles, many of which are not an accurate representation of those individuals’ professional persona. The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), was originally set in place as a way for Congress to alleviate the problem of inaccurate credit reports in the 1970s. Davis argues that amending the FCRA could be a feasible solution to protecting job seekers and employees from job rejection based on irrelevant and inaccurate information. The article begins with a summary of basic issues with online social networking profiles and employment, followed by a discussion about employees’ expectation of privacy during off-duty hours. Davis closes with a description of the FCRA and suggests ways to amend the act to include protection in online social networking venues. EPIC (2008). National ID and the Real ID Act. EPIC.org, Retrieved from http://epic.org/privacy/id-cards/#hist This document on the Electronic Privacy Information Center’s Web site discusses the idea of National ID cards. While social security cards have successfully served their purpose as identification of American citizens, there is no global identification card in existence. According to EPIC’s report, Americans have rejected the of an international identification measure. The Web site provides detailed information about the history of the National ID and Real ID Act, as well as links to latest press releases involving these acts.

Facebook Data Team (2009, March 9). Maintained relationships on Facebook. Retrieved from http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=55257228858&ref=mf This report involves a study done by Facebook’s data team in which male and female users were compared to see how each gender maintained relationships in their social network. Females were found to stay in touch with more of their friends than males. The study broke down statistics into maintained relationships, one-way communication and mutual communication. For both genders, the amount of friends falling into the mutual communication category was low compared to the large amounts of maintained Facebook friends that can be compared to mere acquaintances. The study also reported that while many Facebook members are concerned about the amount of “friends” they have on the site, the average amount of friends for an individual is 120. Facebook Press Room (2009). Press room. Retrieved from http://www.facebook.com/press/info.php?statistics This site serves as a resource for media professionals, researchers and interested members of the social network looking to find out specific facts about Facebook. The site provides numerous statistics, including their current membership numbers (more than 300 million users), applications (more than 2 billion photos uploaded to the site each month), and international growth (roughly 70 percent of Facebook users are outside of the United States). Additional information is also available regarding user engagement, mobile devices and the Facebook platform. The Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Protection. (2009). Social networking sites: A parent's guide Retrieved from http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/tech/tec13.shtm This informational document provides recommendations to parents and OSN users from the FTC. The FTC encourages users to think about which information should be kept private, restrict access to personal information through privacy settings, and read Web sites’ privacy policies. The document also discusses the right for parents to delete the profiles of children if they are younger than 13. The second half of the document lists resources for parents to access regarding safety of children online and the importance of maintaining, and checking one’s privacy settings on a regular basis. Findlay, D. (2008). Tag! Now you're really "It." What photographs on social networking sites mean for the Fourth Amendment. North Carolina Journal of Law & Technology, 171. Retrieved from http://www.lexisnexis.com/us/lnacademic/results/docview/docview.do?risb=21_T 7379611859&treeMax=false&sort=&docNo=1&format=GNBFULL&startDocNo =0&treeWidth=0&nodeDisplayName=&cisb=&reloadPage=false

Findlay’s article looks at the new privacy implications in cyberspace, specifically related to OSNs. This report focuses on photographs on social networking sites, in terms of photo tagging and controlling who is seeing photos that are posted online. The first part of the document discusses the need for a contemporary definition of privacy. This is followed by several case studies that illustrate privacy issues relating to the Fourth Amendment, such as criminal cases where individuals are being arrested for content in photos on OSNs that they did not know existed. The article then looks at privacy implications associated with posting and tagging photos online. This is followed by a section about the Fourth Amendment, which protects citizens from unreasonable searches and seizures. Findlay concludes with a discussion about what should be considered a “reasonable expectation of privacy” online. With any user being allowed to post pictures online, and the online community continuing to grow and expand, privacy issues will continue to arise and become more prominent. Findlay compares objective and subjective privacy expectations, and emphasizes the importance of an evolving law to match the rapidly-changing social dynamics in society. Genova, G.L. (2009). No place to play: Current employee privacy rights in social networking sites. Business Communication Quarterly, Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=buh&AN=36366007&sit e=ehost-live By making personal information available on social networking sites, one may face issues when looking for a new job if any of the photos or personal information portrays the individual in a negative or unprofessional light. Genova’s article looks at the tendency for employers to visit OSNs to obtain information about potential job candidates. The article begins with an analysis of survey results regarding the influence of OSNs on hiring procedures. This is followed by a look at the way that California is protecting its citizens from job termination due to OSN exposure. Genova looks at the state’s constitution, which allows employees to claim a reasonable expectation of privacy for OSN content that was created independent of the work environment. The article closes with a discussion about appropriate employer OSN policies and ways in which employees can maintain an OSN presence in a professional manner, while still reaping the benefits of control and freedom online. Jeschke, R. (2009, September 1). Privacy in online behavioral tracking and targeting It's time to protect consumers. Retrieved from http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2009/08/behavioral-tracking The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) issued this press release, and it discusses the efforts of EFF to enact change in Congress with regards to online behavioral monitoring. The article begins by presenting the statement that was

sent to the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Tracking one’s online behavior without their consent is a clear invasion of privacy, according to the report. EFF’s article also discusses ways that third-party Web sites such as Omniture and AdBrite, can combine information and work to compile user profiles in order to better tailor their ads to specific users. The report also raises the issue of data collection by the government, arguing that with many different ways for third-party Web sites to collect personal information unbeknownst to the user, the power of legislation is essential in order to fully protect consumers’ privacy. Jones, S., & Fox, S. (2009). Generations online in 2009. Pew Internet & American Life Project, Retrieved from http://www.pewinternet.org/~/media//Files/Reports/2009/PIP_Generations_2009. pdf This document outlines research findings and analysis regarding differing use of varying communications tools on the Internet. Researchers define and compare Internet usage by Generation Y, Generation X, young boomers, older boomers, silent generation and G.I. generation. The authors discuss Internet use for e-mail, versus the growing use of the Internet to join and expand social networks. It was reported that older generations spend less time with these tools and more time shopping, banking and conducting research on the Web. Kaye, K. (2009, October 1). Web privacy bill could come by November. Retrieved from http://www.clickz.com/3635153 In this article, Kaye writes about a new privacy bill that Congress is discussing. According to Rep. Rick Boucher who leads the House Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet, the bill could be established as early as November. The new bill would place control over personal data back in the hands of the user. Web sites would be required to inform users about every piece of information used, and how that information is being used on the Web. In addition, online advertisers would face new regulations: Social networks could no longer exchange personally-identifiable information to advertising companies without users opting in to this process. The article also discusses deep packet inspection, a technology allowing Internet Service Providers to monitor user behavior on the Web in order to develop user-specific ads. Kaye also discusses actions taken by the Network Advertising Initiative, the Federal Trade Commission and the Interactive Advertising Bureau to “encourage more transparency in online data collection and usage.” Krishnamurthy, B., & Wills, C. E. (2009). On the leakage of personally identifiable information via online social networks. In WOSN '09: Proceedings of the 2nd ACM workshop on online social networks, pages 7-12. Retrieved from http://conferences.sigcomm.org/sigcomm/2009/workshops/wosn/papers/p7.pdf

Krishnamurthy and Wills present a study in which they explore the possibilities of personally identifiable information (PII) on social networking sites leaking to third-party Web sites. The study provides background information regarding the increase in the use and purpose of third-party servers, as well as consequences of this information leaking to external parties online. Cookies and HTTP header information are the two main focuses of the study, but there is some discussion about specific privacy policies available for online social networks (OSNs). Krishnamurthy and Wills conduct a leakage study and present a section about protection from PII leakage. The study results conclude with the message that indirect leakage of PII through OSNs is occurring and this will become more of an issue in the future as more members join social networking sites and more features become available within these communities. Lenhart, A.,& Madden M. (2007). Teens, privacy and online social networks. Pew Internet & American Life Project, Retrieved from http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP_Teens_Privacy_SNS_Report_Final.pdf This report focuses on the ways that teenaged OSN users manage online profiles. Surveys and focus groups conducted by the Pew Internet & American Life Project involving the ways that teens understand privacy are referenced in the report. The first section of the report presents an overview of survey findings, followed by statistics involving the use and management of OSN privacy settings. The authors then discuss which information teenagers most commonly put on their profiles, as well as the most common privacy pre-cautions taken online. Lenhart and Madden then compare the different mindsets of boys and girls—analyzing the behavior of each gender and documenting the contrasting concerns online. A comparison is also conducted within each gender, between younger and older teens. The study progresses to discuss household rules about Internet use, and the frequency of the use of this medium over a six-year period. The authors indicate that no relationship or pattern was established in terms of how often or in what manner teenagers disclose personal information online. The report closes with a discussion about how teenagers feel in terms of being accessible or vulnerable to communication with strangers online. Li, Charlene (2008, March 6). The future of social networks: Social networks will be like air. Retrieved from Groundswell: Winning in a world transformed by social technologies Web site: http://blogs.forrester.com/groundswell/2008/03/the-futureof-s.html Charlene Li, author of “Groundswell” and Vice President and Principal Analyst at Forrester Research, authors a blog post in which she presents an ongoing research project involving the future of social networks. Li discusses her thoughts on the future timeline for social networks. According to Li, social networks are moving towards a seamless, integrated existence into the lives of humans. Li addresses four components of current social networks: Profiles, relationships, activities and business models. She argues that with the instatement of ubiquitous social

networks in the next five or 10 years, these components will shift to: “Universal identities, a single social graph, social context for activities and social influence defining marketing value.” Li also writes about personal cost per impression (CPM), which she ties into the fourth component of her research. Lomas, Natasha (2007, October 19). Analyst: Social Networking faces uncertain future. Retrieved from CNET news Web site: http://news.cnet.com/Analyst-Socialnetworking-faces-uncertain-future/2100-1025_3-6214355.html This article targets the future of social networking from the standpoint that OSNs have an uncertain future. Lomas begins by discussing doubts that investors have regarding social networks. These doubts are based on the fact that despite millions of active members on OSNs, long-term growth is not certain. Lomas references a 2007 Datamonitor report, which indicates that membership on social networking services will plateau by 2012. The article also looks at marketplace consolidation and the possibility that more special-interest OSNs may emerge as a result of this consolidation. Newman, J. (2009, September 11). You own your tweets...but so does Twitter?. Retrieved from http://technologizer.com/2009/09/11/you-own-your-tweets-but-so-doestwitter In this article, Newman debates about the meaning behind Twitter’s new privacy statements and terms of service updates. While Twitter has said that users technically own their own Tweets, Newman speculates about the control that Twitter could still maintain over content produced on the Web site. The author references Biz Stone’s blog post about the updates and asserts that Twitter’s justifications for their privacy policy changes are not adequate. “I appreciate that Twitter’s terms of service are brief and readable, but I’d rather the site spell out exactly how and where it intends to use people’s tweets, so we’re all on the same page.” Ostrow, A. (2009, July 28). Number of social networking users has doubled since 2007 . Retrieved from http://mashable.com/2009/07/28/social-networking-users-us/ In this article found on Mashable.com, Ostrow presents information from a new study conducted by the North American Technographic Benchmark Survey. Ostrow compares survey data sets from 2007 and 2009, concluding that the number of social network users has doubled in the past two years. “ 55.6 million adults – or just less than 1/3rd of the population – in the US now visit social networks at least monthly.” Ostrow sites additional specifics from the Forrester Research report, and several visualizations are used to compliment the data presented.

Popken, B. (2009, February 20). Facebook won't let you remove dead relative's page, per "policy". Retrieved from http://consumerist.com/5157481/facebook-wont-let-youremove-dead-relatives-page-per-policy This blog post documents a user’s experience and difficulty with trying to remove a deceased family member’s Facebook page from the site. The dilemma with Facebook occurred because the user was not yet an accepted friend of the deceased family member. Facebook’s policy on deceased members reads as follows: “Per our policy for deceased users, we have memorialized this person's account. This removes certain more sensitive information and sets privacy so that only confirmed friends can see the profile or find the person in search. The Wall remains so that friends and family can leave posts in remembrance.” The member’s page was eventually removed and Facebook cooperated with the individual. However Popken’s story raises some questions about privacy and protection of deceased family members’ personal information being left visible on social networking sites. Preibusch, S., Hoser, B., Gurses, S., & Berendt, B. (2007). Ubiquitous social networks' opportunities and challenges for privacy-aware user modeling. In proceedings of the Workshop on Knowledge Discovery for Ubiquitous User Modeling, 2007, Retrieved from http://vasarely.wiwi.hu-berlin.de/DM.UM07/Proceedings/05Preibusch.pdf This report focuses on the implications of ubiquitous computing, and how this will transfer into the realm of social networking. The paper briefly outlines the importance of social networks, but the bulk of the document discusses privacy issues or challenges within OSNs and the importance of identifying these privacy conflicts. In order to enhance privacy in OSNs as they become more prevalent in the lives of connected individuals, the authors suggest the use of the Platform for Privacy Preferences (P3P); a protocol that informs users about how various Web sites collect and use personal information. The authors emphasize the importance of allowing Web users to comprehend the ways in which sites they visit are using their information. Opt-out or opt-in preferences are also discussed in the paper. The authors also discuss the ways that privacy policies can be “integrated seamlessly into the interaction among users.” Currently, users choose who they communicate with in OSNs, but communication patterns and personal information can be picked up from distant connections that are gaining access to the information because it is visible on the profiles of direct connections. The authors look at the ways that privacy policies can be improved to better accommodate ubiquitous social networking. Rotenberg, M. (2007, September 24). Google's proposals on Internet privacy do not go far enough. Retrieved from http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/764c5338-6a32-11dca571-0000779fd2ac.html?nclick_check=1

Marc Rotenberg reports about the decision of the Electronic Privacy Information Center to oppose Google’s planned merger with top Internet advertiser Doubleclick. The article includes information about past EPIC complaints involving breaches in privacy protection in Microsoft’s Passport identity management system, as well as data broker Choicepoint. The Federal Trade Commission received EPIC’s complaint and launched an investigation. According to Rotenberg, Google’s recent decision to establish global privacy standards due to EPIC’s complaint is too little too late, since countries in America, Europe and Asia finalized global privacy standards more than 25 years ago. Rotenberg suggests that accessible and strict privacy policies are essential. He also argues against the point that cookies and IP addresses cannot be traced to a specific user; an IP address is linked to a specific computer and Google specifically creates cookies as unique user identifiers. Rotenberg, M. (2007, November 9). Privacy vs. security? Privacy. The Huffington Post, Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-rotenberg/privacy-vssecurity-priva_b_71806.html In this article, Marc Rotenberg, executive director at the Electronic Privacy Information Center, argues against the idea that it is acceptable for Americans to reduce their expectation of privacy because of recent technological advances. Rotenberg begins by providing examples about the way that the United States government has historically acted to protect citizens’ privacy—despite the actions of other governments worldwide that did the opposite. Congress rejected wiretapping and worked to create laws related to intelligence surveillance. Rotenberg’s argument moves to a discussion about the events of Sept. 11, and outlines decisions made by the government that did not uphold previous privacy laws. Instead of sacrificing freedom to enhance one’s security, Rotenberg argues that the correct balance is “between the powers of government and the means of oversight that are established.” According to Rotenberg, Americans should understand and act upon the Constitutional democracy of the country, thereby maintaining a strong expectation of privacy despite a more technologicallyadvanced world. Schroeder, S. (2009, June 24). EU wants tighter privacy on social networks. Retrieved from http://mashable.com/2009/06/24/eu-privacy-social-networks/ This article from Mashable.com discusses new privacy regulations from an EU panel. The suggested laws are related to the European Union Directive on Data Protection of 1995. The directive “prohibits collection of personal information without consumers’ permission, forbids employers to read workers’ private e-mail and doesn’t allow companies to share personal information on users without their permission.” Schroeder looks at implications of the new guidelines set by the panel, suggesting that basic privacy settings on social networks may not be enough to fully abide by the new laws. According to Schroeder, one of the main

issues lies in the fact that the panel called for social networks to delete inactive accounts—a practice that Facebook does not follow. The article also includes a link to the full set of new guidelines. Shields, R. (2000). Publicly available personal information and Canada's personal information protection and electronic documents act. McCarthy Tretault, 2, Retrieved from http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/epic/internet/inecicceac.nsf/vwapj/Researchpaper_privacy_en.pdf/$FILE/Researchpaper_privacy_en. pdf Shields’ report provides an analysis of measures taken in Canada to strengthen privacy laws as related to personal information online, including information available on social networking sites. The report begins with a section that defines different forms of publicly available personal information, followed by explanations of Canadian federal court decisions involving privacy online. Shields mentions specific court cases to illustrate issues surrounding publically available information, such as Terry v. Canada (Minister of Defense). The impact of technology is on the spread and accessibility of personal information is one of the main issues in Shields’ report. Information can be obtained instantaneously, and stored indefinitely. The report includes a discussion about how other countries are responding to the dilemma regarding personal information online and privacy issues. Shield’s provides details about legal measures taken in Europe, The United States, New Zealand and Australia. The report then outlines commentaries from the British Columbia privacy commissioner, privacy expert Roger Clark and other experts involved in online privacy issues. Shields closes with a discussion about policy approaches that could be taken in the future—asserting that technological developments are re-defining and perhaps permanently changing the notion of a truly private life. Smarr, J., Canter, M., Scoble, R., & Arrington, M. (2007, September 5). A Bill of Rights for users of the Social Web. Retrieved from http://opensocialweb.org/2007/09/05/bill-of-rights/ This resource is a blog post compiled by multiple authors as a proposed Bill of Rights for the Web. The document is tailored to protect individuals who participate on social networking sites. The authors state that every individual is entitled to control, freedom and ownership of their own personal data. The document is brief but presents a charge to readers to suggest changes or add new articles to the document. The post also includes information about what Web sites can do to adequately support the rights presented in the document, including taking steps to: “Allow their users to syndicate their own stream of activity outside the site, and allow their users to link from their profile pages to external identifiers in a public way.”

Smart, J., Cascio, J., & Paffendorf, J. (2007). The Metaverse Roadmap: pathways to the 3d Web. Retrieved from http://www.metaverseroadmap.org/overview/ The Metaverse Roadmap (MVR) is a project conducted by the Acceleration Studies Foundation (ASF) that makes short-term and long-term predictions about the future of virtual and 3D worlds on the Web. Creators of the MVR “envision a future broadly reshaped by virtual and 3D technologies.” This Web site includes information about the ways that virtual worlds such as Second Life may be tied into social media communications in the future. Information is included about specific trends in the MVR, as well as survey results and visualizations. According to information compiled in the MVR, four trends will emerge in the future as related to communications online: Augmented reality, lifelogging, mirror worlds and virtual worlds. Solove, D.J. (2008, August 18). Do social networks bring the end of privacy? Young people share the most intimate details of personal life on social-networking Web sites, such as MySpace and Facebook, portending a realignment of the public and the private. Scientific American, Retrieved from http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=do-social-networks-bring Solove discusses the issues related with privacy and social networking. The article uses a brief anecdote regarding the spread of “The Star Wars Kid,” to illustrate that the spread of information on the Web is rapid, widespread and permanent. The author refers to young people using social networking sites as “Generation Google,” because most information about their lives will eventually be accessible through a simple Google search. Solove discusses the positive and negative aspects related to the openness of the Web. Freedom online allows anyone to be expressive and find a voice, but many privacy issues are associated with this freedom. Solove presents the idea that OSNs are allowing communities worldwide to “revert to the close-knit culture of preindustrial society.” The article includes a discussion about reputation protection in a transparent world. Issues involving Facebook’s news feed, as well as its launch of a new advertising system in 2007 are used to illustrate ongoing issues with privacy and OSNs. Solove negates the idea that privacy is obsolete and suggests that the U.S. should follow suit of Canada and European countries that have updated privacy laws to protect Web users’ personal information online. Van Der Werf, M. (2007). Beware of using social-networking sites to monitor students, lawyers say. Chronicle of Higher Education, 53(26), Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=3&hid=9&sid=eb7be667-821e-46ae86e609b60bc1d3fe%40sessionmgr10&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d #db=aph&AN=24281109

This article addresses the use of Facebook and other popular social networking sites as law-enforcement tools. The author begins with a brief case study in which Facebook was used to identify students at DePauw University who had vandalized a sculpture. According to the article, many college students are likely to “friend” strangers on OSNs. Van Der Werf briefly mentions the ongoing debate among colleges about whether or not they should monitor OSN profiles of students to prevent institutional embarrassment or offensive content within the university community. The second half of the article discusses laws related to privacy and social networking, and features interviews with law professors who are looking to resolve the debate. These interviewees pose questions about the legal aspects of monitoring postings or photos online and how they should take action, if at all. Walters, C. (2009, February 15). Facebook's new terms of service: "we can do anything we want with your content. forever." Retrieved from http://consumerist.com/5150175/facebooks-new-terms-of-service-we-can-doanything-we-want-with-your-content-forever In this blog post, Walters discusses the changes to Facebook’s privacy policy. One of the primary components discussed in the post involves the fact that Facebook removed several lines from its original policy statement. Previous documents had indicated that upon terminating a Facebook account, any rights that the company had to your personal information were relinquished. Now that is not the case, as the social network’s policy writers removed those lines from the privacy statement. Comments on this blog post include thoughts from concerned Facebook members, as well as additional clarifications from the Facebook team. Wilson, J.S. (2007). MySpace, your space, or our space? New frontiers in electronic evidence. Oregon Law Review, 86, Retrieved from www.law.uoregon.edu/org/olr/archives/86/Wilson.pdf Wilson’s report raises questions about the law, as it is related digital information. Wilson focuses on social networks and the ways that they are changing the face of traditional law, including trial preparation and investigation. Wilson ties the constitution into the discussion and looks at the possibility of the Fourth Amendment providing protection of personal information being “unreasonably searched” online. The article outlines specific court cases in which these issues were a factor, such as McPeek v. Ashcroft. Referring to OSNs as “soda fountains” for the 21st century, Wilson discusses the fundamentals of online communities as customizable networks featuring user-generated content. The article also discusses the debate about the admissibility of evidence taken from OSNs. Wilson closes with a more in-depth discussion about the Fourth Amendment, citing Justice Brandeis, who argued “the progress of science, especially in the area of communication technology, requires that the focus shift from the letter to the spirit of the law to protect the individual from privacy invasions.” Wilson’s research suggests that reasonable expectation of privacy online may not be

feasible in all cases, but courts and rule makers should develop ways to define admissible evidence in a world where most information and personal identity is quickly becoming digital. Zuckerberg, M. (2009, February 16). On Facebook, people own and control their information. Retrieved from http://blog.facebook.com/blog.php?post=54434097130 In this blog post, Zuckerberg writes to concerned Facebook members about the social network’s new terms of service. Zuckerberg reassures users that the company still rests on its core values of protecting the privacy of users while allowing for controlled sharing among networks. “In reality, we wouldn't share your information in a way you wouldn't want. The trust you place in us as a safe place to share information is the most important part of what makes Facebook work.” Zuckerberg looks to dispel any negativity surrounding the new terms of service by clarifying the fact that Facebook will not retain one’s personal data indefinitely, although any wall posts or messages sent by that user will be available on the wall or in the inbox of that user’s friends.

Copyright Š 2009 Shelley Russell

Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.