Uppsala University/The Lounge Company 7/3/2008 1 Uppsala universitet Institutionen för informationsvetenskap Enheten för medier och kommunikation C-uppsats i medie- och kommunikationsvetenskap Framlagd HT (VT) 2008 Web 2.0 and Network Society -PR and Communication: The Challenge of Online Social Networks. Author: Max Tandefelt Tutor: Else Nygren Uppsala University/The Lounge Company 7/3/2008 2 Foreword For inspiration and thoughtful insights I owe Mr. James Nunn and Basile Hurioglu of “The Lounge Company” many thanks. Uppsala University/The Lounge Company 7/3/2008 3 Abstract As online social network services are becoming one of the dominant media channels the importance of disseminating messages through them is of high importance for governments, organizations, companies etc. The online social network services are several and changes rapidly as they grow and evolve. Being networks, the services give the user the tools to send, as well as receive text and information. This proposes us with yet another obstacle in communication via online social network services since sender and receiver merges together. Online social network services and the Blogosphere, which essentially also is a network, exist in the context of Web 2.0. The crucial feature of Web 2.0 is to a large degree the harnessing of collective intelligence i.e. the collection of individual knowledge and information. Many of the tools and sites within Web 2.0 are therefore of a network structure, hence further stressing the importance to communicate via networks in general. Network Analysis is the discipline through which we can see and understand the larger patterns of networks. In this thesis I have looked into three key concepts of Network Analysis; Weak Links, Growth and Preferential Attachment. I have found that we can use the knowledge of Network Analysis to disseminate messages via online social network services since it provides us with the raw structures of how networks tend to grow, and how messages tend to disseminate. Uppsala University/The Lounge Company 7/3/2008 4 Title: Web 2.0 and Network Society – PR and Communication: The Challenge of Online Social Networks Number of pages: 34 Author: Max Tandefelt Tutor: Else Nygren Course: Media and Communication Studies C Period: HT 07 University: Division of Media and Communication, Department of Information Science, Uppsala University. Purpose/Aim: Facilitate message dissemination through online social network services, as they are becoming one of the dominant media channels Material/Method: Network Analysis Main results: I have presented crucial concepts of Network Analysis that can be used for message dissemination via online social network services Keywords: Online Social Network Services, Network Analysis, Web 2.0, Message Dissemination Uppsala University/The Lounge Company 7/3/2008 5 Table of Contents 1.0 Introduction, 6 1.1 Aim, 6 1.2 Method, 7 1.2.1 Material, 7 1.2.2 Demarcation, 7 1.3 Theoretical Frame, 8 2.0 Background - Network Society, 9 2.1 The Structure of Netcast and Broadcast, 10 3.0 Network Analysis – the Logic behind Online Social Network? 11 3.1 Social Networks, 11 3.2 The Power Law Distribution, 11 3.3 Bridges and Ties, 12 3.4 Strong and Weak Ties, 14 3.5 Growth and Preferential Attachment, 17 4.0 Online Social Networks and The Blogosphere, 19 4.1 The Blogosphere,19 4.2 Technical Features of Blogs, 19 4.3 Impact of the Blogosphere, 20 5.0 Online Social Network Services, 23 5.1 Organization of Communication and Meaning, 23 5.2 The Challenge of Communication via Online Social Networks, 24 5.2.1 What is Different from Communication with Traditional Media? 25 5.2.2 Risks, 26 5.2.3 Opportunities, 26 6.0 Understanding Dissemination in Online Social Networks, 27 7.0 Web 2.0 – What is the Fuss About? 28 7.1 Definition, 28 7.1.1 The Web as a Platform, 28 7.2 Harnessing Collective Intelligence, 28 7.3 Folksonomy, 30 7.4 The Context of Web 2.0, 31 8.0 Conclusion, 32 8.1 How can Network Analysis be Useful? 32 8.2 Populating the Web, 33 9.0 Summary, 34 10.0 Literature, 35 10.1 Web Sources, 36 Uppsala University/The Lounge Company 7/3/2008 6 1.0 Introduction As we have moved further into the world of the wide Web, communication and organization has changed drastically. The web is becoming the dominant communication channel, allowing quick and low cost access to information. The Web was initially and to some degree even today, highly un-organized, following no general standard. We now see a more standardized web semantic and understanding through, amongst other services, network services. The entire media range is becoming available through one medium, viz. the network services, where we to a large degree create, share and combine our own information instead of reading published material from established mass media sources. Online social networks services such as Myspace and Facebook are all about a shift from vertical to horizontal communication. Everyone now has a voice and the possibility to spread news, rumors, photos and links at tremendous speed to large crowds. Essentially, this means that anyone with an Internet connection shares the public sphere. We are now a couple of years into the Web 2.0 era, the era of social networks, wikis and blogging - the era of collective intelligence. As the online social network services are becoming a common substitute for television and other traditional media, governmental institutes, organizations and companies have to look into new ways of disseminating messages via social network services. The Online social network services are culturally drained with dynamic clusters of acquaintances; a new way of communicating where several media can be used in one channel. There is no easy or straight forward way as to how messages can be disseminated via the services. Network Analysis, an intuitive, mathematical and logic discipline focuses on how networks tend to grow and how messages spread within them; A discipline used in a vast number of sciences ranging from biology to sociology. Can Network Analysis be useful in disseminating messages via online social network services? 1.1 Aim The web has to a large degree become the most important medium for many of us to gain information about news, company facts, organizational goals, product costs etc. we also use the web to keep in touch and find new as well as old friends or business partners. For any information campaign or message dissemination, whether it be for anti smoking, governmental changes or product information, the web is important since we can not trust that everyone will watch television, listen to the radio or read the news papers. My general aim is to see whether Network Analysis can facilitate message dissemination, and if that is the case – how? Online social network services have a seemingly deep impact on our society and I want to establish and explain important features of networks per se and the most common features of the social networks services such as Myspace, Facebook, flickr, YouTube and del.icio.us in order to understand what they are and can be as communication tools. An underlying aim is to explain the importance of online networks as perhaps the most important tool of today’s communication. Uppsala University/The Lounge Company 7/3/2008 7 1.2 Method Online social network services and the Blogosphere exist and take place in what has been called Web 2.0. Since Web 2.0 constitutes the context in which the online social network services and the Blogosphere exist, I find it necessary to explain the important features and aspects of Web 2.0. Further, Web 2.0 in itself also has its place in a larger context. I will to some degree give web 2.0 its context by looking at Elias Norberts’ Civilization Process (see below). This is one part of my method in order to examine if Network Analysis can be useful for message dissemination via online social network services. The other part is actual Network Analysis. I will look into three common concepts that have been important for the development of Network Analysis, Weak Ties, Growth and Preferential Pattern. Through combining Network Analysis with the most common features of the online networks services, Web 2.0 and the larger social context in which online social network services act, I will outline if and in what way Network Analysis can be useful. 1.2.1 Material Apart from literature within the subject area, I will analyze and contemplate over the most important features of online social network services in order to fully describe what they actually are. I have chosen to conduct my thesis, mainly out of the online social network services MySpace, Face book, (which make up 72% of the market1) Flickr, del.icio.us and YouTube. There are many more services but my choice is made through the large amount of people using these networks and the different focuses that the various networks cover. Myspace focus is on music, Flickr is on photo, Youtube on video and del.icio.us on bookmarks. Facebook seem to have no special focus apart from connecting with friends. Focusing on these various services with their different areas will, I believe, cover most of the different focus areas that online social network services offer, and a vast amount of users. 1.2.2 Demarcation I will not go into detail of each service but rather exemplify with the different services and use them as background material. As of now, all the online social network services are growing and combining their function with other media channels.