Tut Six

Tutorial Six: The internet and online communities

Either search online for a community which interest you or choose one of the provided online communities to investigate. Make sure your selected a community that comprises some form of online forum, discussion page or chat room. You may also wish to see if your community has a Wikipedia entry.

Provide the web address and the name of the community you are investigating www.facebook.com

What is the brief or focus of this community Facebook is a social networking website launched on February 4, 2004. The free-access website is privately owned and operated by Facebook, Inc. Users can join networks organized by city, workplace, school, and region to connect and interact with other people. People can also add friends and send them messages, and update their personal profile to notify friends about themselves. Facebook users can choose to join one or more networks, organized by city, workplace, school, and region.[27] These networks help users connect with members of the same network. Users can also connect with friends, giving them access to their friends' profiles.[28] The website is free to users, but generates revenue from advertising, including banner ads.[29] Users create profiles that often contain photos and lists of personal interests, exchange private or public messages, and join groups of friends.[30] The viewing of detailed profile data is restricted to users from the same network or confirmed friends. Taken 5th June from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facebook

What services are provided? How interactive is this site? How can people contribute? Facebook is a very socially interactive site. People have the chance to post photos, videos, events, become part of groups and chat with each others that are on the same network. There are no other providers which are based with facebook as I am aware of.

Consider material presented during the lecture and make comment on why people choose to contribute to this community. What is it they are seeking? People contribute to facebook as it’s another way in which to communicate with other people through the internet. Some people find facebook is for the more mature audience who enjoy using the internet as a way to communicate over things like Bebo. People are usually wanting to have another way in which they can connect with others and/or keep in touch with the ones who are not so easily accessiable in a normal day.

Cut and paste an example of the type of topics being discussed (you may have to provide a context to your excerpt).

Considering material presented during the course and make comment on the potential ethical issues that may arise in this community e.g. lack of identity and accountability. Everything that is posted onto facebook is at the user’s risk. Anything can be copied and seen by other users therefore being aware of your own privacy and not making anything visible which is seen as person and confidential to you as the user.

Consider material presented during the lecture and make comment on the benefits this community holds over traditional notions of community e.g. communities reliant on geographic proximity Provides people with a way that they can keep in contact with friends/ family/colleagues from all around the globe. In some ways it can be easier, quicker and cheaper to keep in touch with someone.

Consider material presented during the lecture and make comment what this community lacks or can not provide which traditional communities can. A community like this is very open to the world and lets anyone see what you are up to- unlike a letter being posted in the mail. I personally feel this is the lazier option to take when keeping in touch with a person as its not as personal and appropriate as a telephone call.