A Discussion On Social Media

Sarah Demers

15 November 2012

Web Development

Online Networking: The Promoters of Social Interaction

            Facebook and MySpace are excellent sources for social interaction. These sites are social networking tools; they provide access for people to connect with others whom they would not normally be able to communicate with. Not only are Facebook and MySpace tools for networking, they encourage people to connect with others. As according to Vincenzo Cosenza, author of The World Map of Social Network, “Facebook is the leading social network in 111 out of 131 countries.” Whether it is to re-connect with old high school friends, bring businesses together, or sell a product, social networking sites, like Facebook, are an excellent promoter of social interaction.

            We are now able to talk with people who live halfway around the world because of sites like Facebook. This promotes global business, in addition to connecting us across different cultures. If we did not have access to a social media site like Facebook, many people would be deterred from communicating with those who live far away. Social networking provides us with an outlet to reach out and connect with others whom we would otherwise never get to know.

            While sites like Facebook and MySpace provide a social network for us to utilize, there also lies the danger of people becoming too invested in spending all their time using these websites. This is not an issue with the social networking sites themselves, however, but an issue with how people use them. If someone spends so much time on Facebook that they stop interacting with those around him, it becomes a problem. Their direct communication skills can weaken so that they do not feel comfortable communicating with people on a face-to-face basis. Spending too much time on social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace can be dangerous. It is up to us to become educated on this issue, and keep our usage of social media sites balanced with our personal interaction with those around us.

            Our world has become much more connected because of the explosion of networking sites. We are now able to communicate with people virtually anywhere in the world. Businesses have taken off because of social media sites like Facebook, allowing them to promote their products and get word out to the public. Although it is a potential problem for people to become too invested in social networking sites, leading them to shy away from personal connection with those around them, this issue lies with the person, not the networking sites. As long as people are aware of how much time they are spending on social networks, then they are likely going to lead a healthy social life involved with those around them. All in all, websites like Facebook and MySpace are wonderful and helpful promoters of social interaction, because they act as outlets for us to connect with one another, no matter the distance that lies between. 

Journal Week 11

Journal Week 11

           I found Digg.com after searching through several social media sites on the web -- I found Digg.com particularly interesting and spent a good amount of time poking around on it. Digg is a web site devoted to the most interesting stories being currently talked about online. In a sense, it's a shortcut to getting the "hot topics" that are circulating the web. This is a very smart use of a social media site. With the immense amount of information we have to sift through on a daily basis to find what we are looking for, Digg does a nice job of providing important stories right up front, no searching required (or no 'digging' required). Not only is this nice for people with busy schedules who do not have time to look up current news everyday, it is a reliable way to get updated on current stories.

          So what does Digg.com do well with their social media site? The first thing I noticed and valued when I visited the site was the "main" story, and how it was enlarged to catch the viewer's eye. In this case, it was a story about the presidential election and voting, with a large picture of President Obama and Michele Obama in an embrace. Right away, my attention was peaked, and I was intrigued enough to click on the article. Digg does an excellent job in hooking their audience member, which will thereby cause more people to stay on the web site. Another thing I thought they did well was their organization. Although it is very simple, a plain table style layout separating each story, I think this simplicity is very well done. It keeps the vast amount of information being offered from being overwhelming to the viewer. Instead, it is easy to scroll down the page and look at each story individually. Lastly, I really like how if you hover over a story, options pop up: You can "like it," "share it," or "share it." This is a nice touch by Digg, as it really makes them a true social media web site. Viewers who find an interesting story can easily save it for later or so they can look into it more at another time, and the share option allows someone to forward the article on to others who they think may also like to read it.

           Digg.com is all about what is current in the media and news. They do a great job finding topics that are being widely discussed by the public, and promote these stories on their site. So in this sense, Digg is all about the public, and what people are talking about. Just to give an example of a topic they have right at the top of their site --"Why Gamers Shoot" -- focusing on gamers and the worlds of Xbox and PlayStations. Gaming and the wide use of technology has been a very hot topic as of lately, and Digg appropriately has this story right at the front to promote it. This is a great way to spread information and educate people about current topics circulating the public. If I were to change anything to Digg.com, I would suggest they include their "about" tab at the top of the page, versus at the very bottom. For a new viewer to the page, it would be helpful to easily be able to find out what the site is about. I would definitely encourage people to check out this social media site. I really like it because it is engaging and interesting at the same time. If you are interested in finding out what's being talked about on the web, or just like to find out interesting tidbits, see what you think of Digg. Your curisosity will most likely be peaked!

http://www.digg.com

Journal Week 10

Journal Week 10

          This week I decided to review a social web site that my Dad uses: Yelp.com. I have heard him talk about the site many times, but I never really understood what it was until I took a look recently. It turns out, Yelp is a great web site (And not just for restaurant reviews, which is what I thought it was from listening to my Dad). Yelp is a web site for people to write business reviews, as well as search and read reviews. As according to their mission statement: "Our purpose is to connect people with great local businesses." I think Yelp does a very good job in this bringing together of people and small, lesser known companies. How are they able to do this so well? They have a well designed web site! Firstly, their top banner with the site logo is very neat and organized; right next to the Yelp sign is a search bar. You can even refine your search by adding a place in the "Near" search bar. This makes it very convenient for a person visiting the site. They are not left browsing around the web site to find a review or specific location -- instead they can simply type in a search and quickly have results.

           In addition to this helpful search bar, there is a nice menu with clear options of where to go from the Home page. Whether you want to write a review, find friends, or talk with others, these options make it very easy to do so. Another aspect of Yelp that I am a fan of, is the "Review of the Day" section. This is a good way for someone who is new to the site to get an idea of what it is about by quickly reading a review. It is also an interesting way for reviewers to get recognized! (I think it would be exciting to see your picture on the Home page of the web site under "Review of the Day.")
            The next part of the web site I like is the "Best of Yelp" section they have designed. A social media site like this should be nicely organized and easy to navigate. This "Best of Yelp," which is sorted by city, is a fantastic way to get a lot of information about the site into a neat layout that is not too overwhelming. I think it's nice how you can click on different types of businesses under the "Best of Yelp." The options include, Restaurants, Food, Nightlife, Shopping, Bars, Coffee & Tea, Breakfast & Brunch, etc. For a social media site which has an immense amount of information, this "Best of" heading is a fantastic way to organize.
          Yelp.com does a wonderful job using the trending topics in their web site, which is partly why I think this makes for such a strong social media site. Under the Popular Events they have postings about festivals, concerts, and other events occurring at locations near the viewer (adjusting to your current location). There is also "Today in Talk" where current "hot" discussions are posted. This is a really smart way to keep the web site updated with other social media. All in all, I think Yelp.com is a well designed web site, and a smartly put together social media site. I would definitely recommend others go here, especially if they are interested in reading or writing reviews. The target audience is definitely for middle aged adults, as well as younger adults who are new to the area and looking to find good places to eat, shop, go to the doctors, etc. Yelp is also in work with Facebook, which makes it convenient to link these two social media sites up and share reviews and network even further. Very smart Yelp! Well done!