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What Is Facebook?

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The LANGUAGE of SOCIAL MEDIA

Words have a deep effect on
how we interpret and interact with the world.
The words we use and how we define them
reveal our interests, concerns, and values.
This series explores the words of social media.

 

facebook

 

Facebook — Has the Small Town Grown Up?

Facebook … is it part college yearbook and part small town? What’s been called the walled garden of Facebook is now a new place since they’ve invited mom and dad to move in. It’s even more changed since they added the dynamic stream of FriendFeed.

Wikipedia says:

Facebook is a social networking website that is operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc.[1] Users can add friends and send them messages, and update their personal profiles to notify friends about themselves. Additionally, users can join networks organized by city, workplace, school, and region. The website’s name stems from the colloquial name of a book given to incoming students at Zuckerberg’s high school alma mater, Phillips Exeter Academy. The book shows the faces and names of the school’s students and faculty.

Still at the core of Facebook seems to be two highly different community ethics going on. A huge population of Facebookers never had a choice about being there — soon as college started they became part when friends uploaded their pictures and invited them to see which ones. The other population joined later. We’re newcommers to Ellis Island. Some of us are setting up business, trying to make a buck. Some of us are trying to find our past loved ones who’ve emigrated there. Some are trying to connect, fit it, make sense of it all.

The first population and the second population will never quite view Facebook the same. It’s kind of like anywhere … it’s different if you grew up there.

Here’s how some folks answered the question, “If twitter is a huge networking room, what is Facebook?”

@OwenGreaves: “If twitter is a huge networking room, what is Facebook? – A Chinese Bath :)”
@jeffw171: “outdated and arcane”
@AmberCadabra: “The same. With a different crowd. And stupid quizzes on the cocktail tables.”
@gurnage: “Facebook is an online reunion. Twitter is new friends, Facebook is old.
@abbebuck: “Liz, FaceBook is a soda fountain with pictures!”
@MargieNewman “high school”
@markramsey: “a network of interconnected microcommunities?”
@netcitizen : “its more about the people,faces,friends.”
@djwaldow: “It’s a huge networking house!”
@judel “I see twitter as a utility to meet people and have conversation before actually meeting in person, and for business leads & rel.”
@jennydecki “Facebook is a huge Frat Party – you can still make great connections but mostly it’s about funny farm animal stories.”
@AlliWorthington “chit chatting with everyone you already know?”
@cheapsuits ” it’s a cafe a bunch of friends show up at.”
@my3boybarians “a huge, creepy networking room?”
@JasonFalls “Lunchroom at most high schools … but now with old people eating there.”
@piero_ “your lounge?”
@ssmirnov “FB is a painfully awkward highschool reunion.”

@cassieaiden “facebook is a very informal resume….I think.”
@blancastella “more to click/type/apply yourself to, perhaps?”
@Cosecha “a huge, creepy networking room?”
@berrybrewer “Twitter is a conference where I pass out business cards; Facebook is a class/family reunion where I show pics of my kid.”
@Gestalt “Facebook is a walled garden. Today’s version of AOL.”

@hehotiron “Chuck E Cheese?!?”
@berrybrewer “Twitter is a conference where I pass out business cards; Facebook is a class/family reunion where I show pics of my kid.”
@Gestalt “Facebook is a walled garden. Today’s version of AOL.”

What is Facebook?

For more information see:
Wiktionary
Wikidpedia
Campus Firewatch
techterms.com

SEE ALSO:
What Is Social Media?
What Is Social Networking?
What IS a Social Community?
What Is Online Social Media Conversation?
What Is a Blog?
What Is Twitter?

If twitter is a huge networking room, what is Facebook?
Got more to add? C’mon let’s talk.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

What Is Twitter?

by Leave a Comment

The LANGUAGE of SOCIAL MEDIA

Words have a deep effect on
how we interpret and interact with the world.
The words we use and how we define them
reveal our interests, concerns, and values.
This series explores the words of social media.

2034452099_634a614e91_large-twitter-bird

Twitter

Twitter.com — it’s a phenomenon. Each person is limited to talking in 140 characters, but quickly we find that we can say almost anything. It has become the world’s largest networking room without walls, a room in which people can tune in or tune out the short statements of millions of Tweeple who write every minute of every day what they’re thinking about.

People on twitter share their lives, share their business, share their incidental thoughts, broadcast noise and whisper secrets that are overheard in a public timeline. Dramas take place friends are made. Deals are done and undone. Humanity is on stage.

It’s the comfort of the hive mind.

Here’s how some folks define a Twitter …

@mincedmedia: “Group text messaging with your friends and fans. ”
@sizzler_chetan: “microblogging and social networking tool…”
@maxineappleby: “therapy”
@mcb927: “Twitter is defined by the ‘small world’ networks using it.–an abbreviated WWW (txt length) w/ self-propogating hubs & nodes.”
@Brainmaker: “The pia mater. You know.”
@DrKathleenYoung: “free association?”
@spin: “Turn-based chat for those not skillful enough for real-time chat ;)”
@ajinnashville “Twitter is that friend in the room that doesn’t mind just sitting there and listen to you ramble…but that also doesn’t mind telling you ur full of crap when you’re finished blabbing (in a positive way, of course) :)”
@Infinite_Ray “I see twitter as a utility to meet people and have conversation before actually meeting in person, and for business leads & rel.”
@charnellpugsley “Engagement. Relationship builder. Real-time connecting.”
@sizzler_chetan “A place where you can update your status, promote your stuff, read news in the fastest way and enjoy networking.”
@jnswanson “what people used to say passing in the hallway. Only the hallway’s huge.”
@joetorma
“Twitter is what now was before it was then”
@hummingbird604 Definitely. I call on my twitter friends to help me and comfort me (as I often do the same)
@PAWeissenstein Also to share articles, points of view and opinions (mine and others) with people. The penultimate soapbox!

What is twitter?

For more information see:
Princeton WorNet
Wiktionary
Wikidpedia
edigorami

SEE ALSO:
What Is Social Media?
What Is Social Networking?
What IS a Social Community?
What Is Online Social Media Conversation?
What Is a Blog?

What Is Twitter?
Got more to add? C’mon let’s talk.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

What Is a Blog?

by Leave a Comment

The LANGUAGE of SOCIAL MEDIA

Words have a deep effect on
how we interpret and interact with the world.
The words we use and how we define them
reveal our interests, concerns, and values.
This series explores the words of social media.

 

 

social media conversation

A blog, or weblog, is a certain type of website that includes regular entries of text, graphics, or video, commonly organized by date in reverse chronological order. To blog means to add content to such a site. Blogs are considered non-traditional publication media or participatory journalism, because of the user-generated nature of the content. Bloggers often write blogs that are read by other bloggers who comment on their blogs.

Blogs are different from traditional websites in that the software allows for content to be added and updated easily and frequently by someone with the experience it might take to send an email.

Blogs are, by definition, on the Internet. They help form the weblike and socially networked structure of information through comments, blogrolls, linkbacks, and backlinks. The linking of one blog to another to cite articles or recommend a good blogger has become both part of the human culture bloggers share and part of the algorithm used by search engines to determine quality content in this user-generated content venue.

Originally blogs were thought of as online journals in that the entries or blog posts added to form a growing collection. The subjects blogs cover — personal thoughts, business advice, political commentary, news, science, education, crafts — are as varied as the people who write them. Wikipedia says this about the types of blogs:

There are many different types of blogs, differing not only in the type of content, but also in the way that content is delivered or written.:

  • Personal blogs
    The personal blog, an ongoing diary or commentary by an individual, is the traditional, most common blog. Personal bloggers usually take pride in their blog posts, even if their blog is never read by anyone but them. Blogs often become more than a way to just communicate; they become a way to reflect on life or works of art. Blogging can have a sentimental quality. Few personal blogs rise to fame and the mainstream, but some personal blogs quickly garner an extensive following. …
  • Corporate blogs
    A blog can be private, as in most cases, or it can be for business purposes. Blogs, either used internally to enhance the communication and culture in a corporation or externally for marketing, branding or public relations purposes are called corporate blogs.
  • By genre
    Some blogs focus on a particular subject … Two common types of genre blogs are art blogs and music blogs. A blog feaurting [sic] discussions especially about home and family is not uncommonly called a mom blog. While not a legitimate type of blog, one used for the sole purpose of spamming is known as a Splog.
  • By media type
    A blog comprising videos is called a vlog, one comprising links is called a linklog, a site containing a portfolio of sketches is called a sketchblog or one comprising photos is called a photoblog. Blogs with shorter posts and mixed media types are called tumblelogs. Blogs that are written on typewriters and then scanned are called typecast or typecast blogs; see typecasting (blogging).

As blogging software becomes more versatile and complex, possibly only certain truth one can rely on is that every blog is a website, but not every website is a blog.

Here’s how some folks define a blog …

@Crubalo : “It’s a platform for sharing info, knowledge and experiences with others. ”
@auburnelle : “Using Common Craft: http://www.commoncraft.com/blogs .” [see link]
@gassho : “bright liquid oogling goo … crowdsourcing this ain’t :).”
@AdamKingStudio “An open, yet personal platform for sharing, informing, and interacting.”
@donovantalk : “One thing a blog can be is a series of (300-400 word) mini-editorials. It can also be a rolling river of links and posts.”
@DaveMurr : “B – Begining a community, L – Letting the conversation happen, O – leaving the welcome sign On, G – Giving more than you take.”
@carole_hicks: “An online diary. Random thoughts. A place to pour out your heart and reveal yourself. A place to promote others.”
@MindofZ: “There are so many kinds. A blog is someone showing the world who they are. Or a part of themselves anyway.”
@TimboReid “Online sharing = A Blog.”
@DavePollard “blog (1): diary/journal chronicling its author’s stories, thoughts, or learnings, available for others to ‘subscribe’ to. blog (2): social s/w tool that enables blogging but can also be used to ‘publish’ e-newsletters, or as online learning tool etc.”

How do you define a blog?

For more information see:
Princeton WorNet
Wiktionary
Wikidpedia
gender It

SEE ALSO:
What Is Social Media?
What Is Social Networking?
What IS a Social Community?
What Is Online Social Media Conversation?

What Is a Blog?

Got more to add? C’mon let’s talk.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

What Is an Online Social Media Conversation?

by 8 Comments

The LANGUAGE of SOCIAL MEDIA

Words have a deep effect on
how we interpret and interact with the world.
The words we use and how we define them
reveal our interests, concerns, and values.
This series explores the words of social media.

social media conversation

When two or more people talking communicate ideas, we call that a conversation. The dynamic of a conversation works most successfully when the people sharing their thoughts reach a balance of contributing and exchanging ideas. It’s been said that conversation, “dialogue,” is the highest form of learning because it allows immediate response and clarification as questions are answered and messages are sent and received. Great conversations connect people on point of knowledge, values, and feeling.

Wikipedia suggests that conversation takes four major forms:

The Majority of conversations can be divided into four categories according to their major subject content:

  • Conversations about subjective ideas, which often serve to extend understanding and awareness.
  • Conversations about objective facts, which may serve to consolidate a widely-held view.
  • Conversations about other people (usually absent), which may be either critical, competitive, or supportive. This includes gossip.
  • Conversations about oneself, which sometimes indicate attention-seeking behaviour.

In the real world, few conversations fall exclusively into one category. Nevertheless, the proportional distribution of any given conversation between the categories can offer useful psychological insights into the mind set of the participants.

In a fluid, flexible conversation no one is in constantly in control. Control passes as the conversation moves from speaker to speaker. Ideas and thoughts attach and change the direction of the conversational thread to take in a direction the the speaker wants to go.

In online social media experiences, conversation is often input via keyboard within the context of a blog comment box, a Twitterstream or a social networking site thread. Not all such social media inputs really qualify as conversations. Individual comments that stand alone are better defined as remarks than as conversations.

Here’s how some folks define their online social media conversation.

@hdbbstephen: “To start with it doesn’t work like this http://bit.ly/AlTEr”
@nanpalmero: “a two way conversation begun on some type social media platform”
@storyseeker: “A conversation with everyone but only the intelligent and good looking reply.”
@gerlaineTalk: “Social Media Conversation definition? Good question. Hmmmm…. A talk of interest and creation of buzz.”
@Thandelike “SM conversation: starts publicly,@lizstrauss, at any point new interlocutors feel free to join in, embellish, pursue with their own ppl.”
@Matthew_T_Grant : ” its a combo of eavesdropping, broadcasting, and direct address (narrow-casting) – public intimacy”
@bethbeck : “Social media: Some call it noise, chatter. 4 me: enlightening, informative, eye-opening, boundary-less. World @ my fingertips!”
@storyseeker: “A conversation with everyone but only the intelligent and good looking reply.”
@tomaplomb: “Listening to a stream of voices, inserting yours into that stream, and watching the ripples.”
@BranislavPeric “There is no such things as “social media conversation”. Conversations, using digital tools, are social media.”
@Matthew_T_Grant : ” its a combo of eavesdropping, broadcasting, and direct address (narrow-casting) – public intimacy”
@lindsaydavies: “Social media conversation is a bit like morse code, short & useful but you really need to be involved to understand it.”

How do you define online social media conversation?

For more information see:
Princeton WorNet
Wiktionary
Wikidpedia
Discussion on Conversation (powerpoint)
Etymology and definition of the term “conversation”

SEE ALSO:
What Is Social Media?
What Is Social Networking?
What IS a Social Community?

Got more to add? C’mon let’s talk.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

What Is a Social Media Friend?

by 18 Comments

The LANGUAGE of SOCIAL MEDIA

Words have a deep effect on
how we interpret and interact with the world.
The words we use and how we define them
reveal our interests, concerns, and values.
This series explores the words of social media.

social media friend

Traditionally friend denotes a co-operative relationship that includes supportive action usually based in knowledge, respect, loyalty, and some availability in times of stress or crisis. Friendship can grow from participating in common activities, spending time in common work or study spaces, and usually involves discovering common values. A friend protects and looks out for a friend. Honesty and some degree of intimacy are hallmarks of friendship.

In any situation, the quality of “friend” depends on the reason for connecting, the situation, the longevity of the existing relationship, and the sophistication of the people in the relationship.

Linking up on a social networking site is is often called “friending,” as in Liz wants to be your friend. Those we connect with instantly become our “friends” in that network database. These can be non-personal friends, such as when two countries enter into an agreement for political purposes and international relations. Connections made to extend a network’s reach might be seen in this light.

Relationships online also rise to the level of personal friendship. The values of the social web — authenticity, honesty, transparency of purpose, and trust — make it natural for like-minded people to become friends in a real sense. Many people in social media overlook the term and hold friend to a higher meaning than a non-personal connection.

A growing number of meetings in person has added to this complex situation. In a simple, nonscientific social survey Twitter users answered this question this way. We seem to be drawn to meeting those we friend online.

What percent of all your friends are online friends only
— you’ve never met in person?

less than 20% 28 responses(43.75%)
20-40% 7 responses (10.94%)
40-60% 11 responses (17.19%)
60-80% 9 responses (14.06%)
more than 80% 9 responses (14.06%)

A totally equal distribution would be 20% in each response section.
In this 64 person group, it seems that once we cross the middle we quickly continue converting online friends into people we know in person.

Here’s how some folks define their online social media friends.

@deeped: “that X-factor in conversations – that makes you feels comfortable and interested”
@johnprew: “Perhaps its’ one who you’ve never met face to face but share your souls in what you share online and enjoy the mutual exchange.”
@sra_nelson: “I’ll usually just say they are my real friends I haven’t met in person yet.”
@debrasnider “Just as IRL, someone interesting who tells you the truth, listens to you, supports you & for whom you gladly do the same.”
@miraclady: “I have not met 90% of my commentors on my blog -less on Twitter. Still, there is such a connection. We know each other.”
@timbursch ” I think the tough part is trust. Trust that this person is who they say they are…”
@workhappynow: ” I define a friend in social media as someone who will offer help when I struggle. If he is a fair weather friend then he is cut.”

For more information see:
Princeton WorNet
Wiktionary
Friend / Friendship
Non-personal friendships
Etymology and definition of the term “community”
Friendship Network
Non-personal friendships

SEE ALSO:
What Is Social Media?
What Is Social Networking?
What IS a Social Community?

Got more to add? C’mon let’s talk.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

What Is a Social Community?

by 30 Comments

(Updated in 2020)

The LANGUAGE of SOCIAL MEDIA

Words have a deep effect on how we interpret and interact with the world. The words we use and how we define them reveal our interests, concerns, and values. This series explores the words of social media.

Social Community

From families to friendships, we share experiences and interactions with groups. Our attachments to those groups strong or weak weave the fabric of association and community. A community is a social structure that shares personal values, cultural values, business goals, attitudes, or a world view. What binds it is a community culture of social rules and group dynamics that identify members.

An online community isn’t built or befriended, it’s connected by offering and accepting. Community is affinity, identity, and kinship that make room for ideas, thoughts, and solutions. Wherever a community gathers, we aspire and inspire each other intentionally . . . And our words shine with authenticity. Many social networking sites also offer platforms for discussion of topics that a community or network finds mutually interesting or beneficial.

In the most concise terms, an online social community is a group of like-minded individuals connected by interactions.

@smallaxe: “Community is the family you get to choose”
@KohliConsulting: “We are community.”
@sherrymain “This* is. We are. The ability to ask “what is community” and get a response from a stranger quickly!”
@ettarose “community is the force of people sharing, good or bad”
@peace_: “Community is anywhere where a group of people learn from, interact & care for each other”
@elenakostovska “respect and belonging”

For more information see:
Princeton WorNet
Wiktionary
Community
Etymology and definition of the term “community

SEE ALSO:
What Is Social Media?
What Is Social Networking?

Got more to add? C’mon let’s talk.

Be irresistible.
–ME “Liz” Strauss