The Structure of Online Networks Mirrors those in the Offline
Summary
This article is the usage of data on frequencies of bi-directional relationship in two Facebook datasets and a Twitter dataset use to use to create ego-centric social networks. The online datasets, the scaling ratio for the various layers identified by the analyzes the online datasets confirm the layered structure which found in offline face-to-face social networks.
In Facebook dataset 1, the dataset has been widely used for social network analysis. The dataset represents only subsample of the original Facebook regional network. The analysis which is consider only egos with an average of more than 10 interactions per month, thus selecting “socially active people” since they are particularly relevant for our analysis, and dis-card inactive profiles.
Facebook dataset #2, similarly to Facebook dataset #1, was downloaded in 2009 exploiting the Facebook regional network feature. Also in this case, we select “socially relevant users”, taking into consideration only users who had at least 10 interactions per month. After this pre-processing the dataset contains 5,761 egos and 107,029 social relationships.
Twitter dataset follows links between users to build a network of connected profiles. Twitter followers can interact with each other through the mention and reply functions that allow direct communication between users. Besides direct communication, all the tweets are automatically broadcast to all the users’ followers. Tweets can be retweeted or forwarded by users to all their followers.
Thus, these networks to determine whether they have the same kind of layered structure as has been found in offline face-to-face networks (which have a distinctively scaled structure with successively inclusive layers at 5, 15, 50 and 150 alters). The two Facebook datasets are best described by a four-layer structure and the Twitter dataset by a five-layer structure. The absolute sizes of these layers and the mean frequencies of contact with alters within each layer match very closely the observed values from offline networks. In addition, all three datasets reveal the existence of an innermost network layer at ∼1.5 alters.
Online Social Networks Sites and the Concept of Social Capital
Summary
This article is the connection between Social Networking Sites and the economy. For the past decade years of social network sites Has grown effectively, SNSs have been created, but today, Facebook is by far the largest in terms of number of users. SNS, meaning that connections that might have otherwise faded away over time can remain vital.
Of course, not all SNS use is positive. People can say hurtful things about others, predators
can stalk unwitting users, individuals can lose their jobs or face other penalties when they
post inappropriate content, and companies can invade users privacy in their efforts to
market products and services using data from SNSs. Yet, our review has demonstrated the
potential for positive outcomes, and suggested usage strategies that may yield benefits.
SNS use was related to bridging and bonding social capital. However, there is these “connection strategies”
• Maintaining reflected use of the SNS to connect with existing close ties. It was
measured by a series of items asking to what extent respondents were browsing
their close friends’ profiles, contacting them through Facebook, “friending” them,
and meeting them face‐to‐face.
• Information seeking reflected use of Facebook to learn more about and connect with
people who were not close friends, but with whom respondents had some form of
offline connection.
• Initiating reflected an online to offline pattern of connection, involving use of
Facebook to connect with strangers or meet new people.
SNSs are different from other types of online communities, in that, in most
SNSs, users are asked to reveal personal identities and disclose considerable information
about themselves. However, this disclosure, while raising concerns about privacy, also
appears to be essential for the functioning of the site and for enabling the kinds of
relationship developments that result in bridging and bonding social capital benefits.
SNS use is associated with increases in users’ perceptions of both their bridging
and bonding social capital, with generally greater increases in bridging social capital.
Users appear to be primarily connecting with people they already know or have some form
of offline connection on social network sites, and this pattern of use is more likely to result
in higher perceived social capital than if users rely on SNSs to initiate contacts with new
people.
Reflection on Both Articles
Imagine not using your SNS through a week, which is you don’t know if you could possibly do. If I had describe the lifw without social media before was silent. You communicate by the person you want to talk to only face-to-face, or if it’s far away you could only communicate with him/her via sending letters which is slow form of communication, and even sending messages via fax, also, pricy and not everyone can afford.
Social Networking Sites are scattered nowadays which is growing until it was created especially the famous sites Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, etc…
Social media is one of the common ways of communication. It is growing very rapidly, changes and affects each person in a different way, or ways. Some may argue that social media has a bad influence on children and young adults, and that it negatively effects their brains, character, or personalities, while most people see that the social media has a more positive effect on them than a negative one.
Social media has helped many people around the world to connect, or re-connect, with each other, easily. Social media is basically the new way of keeping in touch with everything and everyone, and of even strengthening bonds between each and everyone.
Social media platforms have revolutionized the way we communicate. Before, the rise of the Internet, we can see evidence of the drive to shape both private communications and mass media into platforms for social connection.
CMC or Computer Mediated Communication can simply be put as a transaction between two or more network computer like chartroom, emails, SNS (Social Networking Sites), text messages and more. The role played by the new media has increased and is always on the rise, transforming every single life that it touches effecting the individual, but sometimes it has positive and negative effects.
Thus, the connection of this two articles which is both based on communication through online by using Social Media Network Sites or with a use of computer, devices and even the Internet itself. Sometimes, society builds the connection in social networks between and among people is a reflection of the reality. Social Networking Sites can be a great way to make connections to other people with related interests and goals in other words, Social networking can provide opportunities for new relationships as well as strengthening existing relationships
Communication Theory 