TECHNOLOGY

Social Networking

Table of Contents

Introduction2

Discussion2

Evolution of Social Networking2

Emergence of Social Networking Websites4

Advantages of Social Networking7

Disadvantages of Social Networking8

Conclusion10

Social Networking

Introduction

Social networking sites emerged in the late 1990s as a popular platform for computer-based social interaction and are now used by people of all ages. This phenomenon, however, is part of an ongoing evolution of online computer-mediated communication. Even in the infancy of the Internet, researchers realized that online communication was a powerful tool for connecting people. Social networking sites started out as chat or community sites and evolved through innovative development networks (Smith, Marc & Kollock, 1999). Bulletin boards, multiuser domains, instant messaging, media sharing, and news sites grew from the seeds of these early networks. The most popular representatives of social networking, worth noting are: Facebook (700 million monthly visitors), Twitter (200 million monthly visitors), LinkedIn (100 million monthly visitors), and MySpace (80.5 million monthly visitors).

Discussion

Social Networking systems broaden the internet use to two way communications where individuals contribute to the vast field of internet via their own publishing. Social networking activities can be categorized into areas such as chat, messaging, wikis, forums, and blogging. The list of social networking platforms includes Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, MySpace, Hi5, YouTube, and many more (Boyd, Danah & Ellison, 2008).

Evolution of Social Networking

The development of social networking sites has not been an isolated phenomenon; social networking sites developed out of a long history of online communication. In fact, the technological development of social networking sites can be traced back to the foundation of the Internet; the Advanced Research Projects Agency Network (ARPANET), an early incarnation of the Internet, was used by scientists as a medium for exchanging messages in the early 1970s. Ultimately, new forms began to emerge in open resource spaces where innovators saw opportunities to develop new organization during 1970s. Likewise, multiuser domains (or dungeons, called MUDs) emerged in the late 1970s. MUDs were text-based environments where users congregated to act in role-playing games and participate in online chat.

The growing popularity of MUDs created a base of users seeking reliable Internet access. In competition, CompuServe launched in 1979, offering independent Internet services; as it grew over time, it added real-time chat in 1980. America Online (AOL) launched as online services in 1989, quickly adding a graphic user interface for accessing and sharing information online. Prodigy launched in 1988 and was the first to offer consumer-friendly, dial-up services starting in 1994. In aggregate, these three organizations introduced a new organizational form in the shape of online communication services.

Following the launch of private services such as AOL and Prodigy, the Internet was opened to the development of large-scale commercial interests in 1988, marking acceleration in online technology. Subsequently, access and utilization of the Internet increased rapidly. Text chat was introduced in the late 1980s as a way for users to connect directly with others via text. Internet Relay Chat (IRC) was started in 1988 and served as a precursor to instant messaging, allowing users to send short, direct messages to other IRC ...