Back in 2008, the researchers of the MacArthur Foundation-funded Digital Youth Project reported that there are two kinds of social networking: the friendship-driven kind we're all very familiar with and interest-driven. The latter kind is self-explanatory too, but worth zooming in on. Because it's not only online socializing around interests (as in a writer's community, the Harry Potter Alliance, … [Read more...] about Microsoft’s ‘So.cl’ networking for students
Archives for December 2011
Facebook’s ‘Timeline’: More than a new look
If Facebook's newly fashioned user profile, Timeline, says anything, it says that what you post on the social Web is forever (but it does say more – keep reading). In many ways, Timeline is a safety- and privacy-education tool right in your face (on your screen), as you go. Because "Timeline collects and chronicles everything you’ve ever posted to Facebook," Slate reports. It used to be that all … [Read more...] about Facebook’s ‘Timeline’: More than a new look
Facebook passes Irish privacy commissioner’s test
"Facebook's handling of its user data in Ireland is legitimate," The Register cites the just-released report of the Irish data protection commissioner's office as saying. So basically, FB passed Europe's privacy test (Ireland is Facebook's international headquarters, responsible for all non-US and Canadian data since last year). "The reality was that Facebook isn't breaching European law," The … [Read more...] about Facebook passes Irish privacy commissioner’s test
Declines in 2 online risks for youth: Study
Good news for online kids on two fronts this week. We're seeing a continuing decline in online sexual solicitations of young people. The widely misrepresented 2000 figure from the Crimes Against Children Research Center was "1 in 5" (more in a minute on the misrepresentation); the 2005 one was "1 in 7" (13%), and the CCRC has just announced that it's now 9% in 2010, which was when the CCRC … [Read more...] about Declines in 2 online risks for youth: Study
How/what media we share (by 1 measure)
If Web users' use of "AddThis" is a measure of how people share media – and Ad Age thinks it is – then Facebook accounts for more than half (52%) of our media-sharing, but "Twitter was up 577% this year" overall (13.5% of sharing) and accounted for 52% of media-sharing in Japan, interestingly. Tumblr came in third overall, at 1,299.5% growth (fastest-growing). Google's +1 button has plateaued, Ad … [Read more...] about How/what media we share (by 1 measure)