Juan Jose Pelaez
41501340
INTRODUCTION
Social computing has become a major part in the life of several people. The social computing spectrum is increasing and getting very popular among expert and non-expert users. I would not know how to describe myself within these two groups, maybe I am an average person who visits regularly these websites or maybe I am a “newbie”; but for sure I am not an expert. However, the purpose of this reflection is based on my experience on using five of the most popular social websites.
Each one of these social tools comprises several features that may take a thorough research to uncover the details behind these capabilities. This is why this article will focus on only one major issue behind these five social websites and that is PRIVACY. At the end of this article the reader will find my personal answer to a common question related to this important matter.
BACKGROUND
Each one of the afore-mentioned websites, are part of the social computing area. For general knowledge I will describe briefly what this websites do.
Blogger: As the name suggests, it is used to post blogs. These blogs were born as online diaries that gave users the possibility to share whatever matter they want.
My previous experience using this tool is related to academic purposes. I used Blogger to post virtual environments information. I do not think that I will use Blogger after I finish my studies because it is not useful for my interests.
My previous experience using this tool is related to academic purposes. I used Blogger to post virtual environments information. I do not think that I will use Blogger after I finish my studies because it is not useful for my interests.
Flickr: The main purpose of this website is to post and share photos. It also gives the possibilities to comment on each photo and to be part of specialized groups.
I found that Facebook is better to share photos because it has an all-in-one interactive interface. However if I would be a professional photographer, maybe Flickr would be the best option since it preserves the original photo quality.
I found that Facebook is better to share photos because it has an all-in-one interactive interface. However if I would be a professional photographer, maybe Flickr would be the best option since it preserves the original photo quality.
Last.fm: This social application gives users the opportunity to share music and video preferences. It also provides information of events related to music.
I have never used this tool before. I don’t have any interest in sharing my musical tastes. However I like that it recommends music according to my preferences. Instead, I prefer Amazon because it recommends similar artists to my likings without logging in or installing an application.
Twitter: The use of this tool is related to awareness. The users have to type in a small text box what they are doing. The explanation shall not be of more than 140 words.
I have never used this tool before. I don’t have any interest in sharing my musical tastes. However I like that it recommends music according to my preferences. Instead, I prefer Amazon because it recommends similar artists to my likings without logging in or installing an application.
Twitter: The use of this tool is related to awareness. The users have to type in a small text box what they are doing. The explanation shall not be of more than 140 words.
Frankly, I find this tool very useless for my needs. I don’t find very interesting in letting other people know what I am doing.
Facebook: This social tool is comprised of several features, but mainly it was created to interact with other people in the sense of awareness. The user can add friends and a share data such as photos, videos, messages, etc.
Facebook: This social tool is comprised of several features, but mainly it was created to interact with other people in the sense of awareness. The user can add friends and a share data such as photos, videos, messages, etc.
In my personal experience, I use Facebook everyday and the main reason is to keep my friends and family aware of my actions during my stay a different country/place. This is why this tool is very useful in keeping others aware with things such as videos, photos, comments, etc.
One common matter within these social websites is PRIVACY. This is related to having absolute control of the information that the user want to share. Also it is reflected by the information that third party users can have access to.
One common matter within these social websites is PRIVACY. This is related to having absolute control of the information that the user want to share. Also it is reflected by the information that third party users can have access to.
REFLECTION
The next citation provides an example of two groups that are more likely to share information.
Difference in user goals is expressed by contrasting China and the US. In the US, SN sites are used primarily to share personal information, either broadcast to the world or to close friends. In China, respondents are much less likely to post personal information (Christopher N. Chapman, 2008)
I define myself as a person that does not like to share personal information. This is linked to an important matter that every social application must have, which is to provide conformity, and certain norms that may allow users to have a customized level of anonymity and restrictions.
Difference in user goals is expressed by contrasting China and the US. In the US, SN sites are used primarily to share personal information, either broadcast to the world or to close friends. In China, respondents are much less likely to post personal information (Christopher N. Chapman, 2008)
I define myself as a person that does not like to share personal information. This is linked to an important matter that every social application must have, which is to provide conformity, and certain norms that may allow users to have a customized level of anonymity and restrictions.
It is then when an important question comes to my mind. Do I have absolute control of my shared information and my profile? I will answer this question using my point of view and my experience with the afore-mentioned social websites.
Blogger
The privacy options that this social website offers are easy to modify and to understand. However, the interaction is limited by checkboxes and provides a poor explanation of what the other users may have access to.
It does not provide a more customizable level of security, since I am not allowed to choose certain elements of my profile to share. What I liked about editing these options was that every section is clearly identified and that the colours used provide a more enjoyable experience.
It does not provide a more customizable level of security, since I am not allowed to choose certain elements of my profile to share. What I liked about editing these options was that every section is clearly identified and that the colours used provide a more enjoyable experience.
Flickr
This is for me the best example of privacy customization. It is very explanatory and easy to understand. The options are represented by questions that use simple language. This provides an exact idea of what the other users may have access to.
It is also comprised of sections and subsections that are shown in one page which facilitates the navigation to the desired option. The user experience would be enhanced by adding more colours to it, to identify better each section.
It is also comprised of sections and subsections that are shown in one page which facilitates the navigation to the desired option. The user experience would be enhanced by adding more colours to it, to identify better each section.
Last.fm
This is by far the worst example of privacy customization. The options are not fully understandable. The term “Real-time data” is not proper to what the user may understand.
In general, it has very few options to edit and the user-interface is not very friendly. I had problems to avoid sharing my favourite music and my tags. This is because the language used is not consistent to the terms used in the software application that I installed.
In general, it has very few options to edit and the user-interface is not very friendly. I had problems to avoid sharing my favourite music and my tags. This is because the language used is not consistent to the terms used in the software application that I installed.
In terms of privacy, this social application does not require a complex level of customization. It is user friendly and the profile can be edited as desired. The basic protection is shown as a checkbox that allows the user to protect the updates. This is the only protection needed and it complies very well with the established norm.
This is a more complex social website that offers several services. This is why the level of protection and privacy that it offers is not as desirable to me as I would wanted it to. The navigation is complicated and to find the desirable option took me a long time. The result of this complex service is explained in the next quote:
Several researchers have studied Facebook, a social networking site that began with a focus on colleges and universities, but now includes high schools and other organizations [23-25]. These studies collected profile information from Facebook through the use of a web crawler, as well as through surveys of members. The results show that Facebook members reveal a lot of information about themselves in their profiles, are not very aware of privacy options, and often do not know who can view their profile [23]. (Catherine Dwyer, 2008)
Several researchers have studied Facebook, a social networking site that began with a focus on colleges and universities, but now includes high schools and other organizations [23-25]. These studies collected profile information from Facebook through the use of a web crawler, as well as through surveys of members. The results show that Facebook members reveal a lot of information about themselves in their profiles, are not very aware of privacy options, and often do not know who can view their profile [23]. (Catherine Dwyer, 2008)
I also had problems with the news feed and who I wanted to give access to comment. It was not a surprise to me that several users had the same problem and the new version does not provide a better user experience.
The news feed example illustrates how quickly members of social networking sites can express their unhappiness, triggering functional changes. The news feed is an example of strong negative feedback that resulted in a change to the site.(Catherine Dwyer, 2008)
The user interface to modify the privacy and profile sections is not consistent and the provided options do not cover the full spectrum that is required to protect my shared information, such as individual blockage.
The news feed example illustrates how quickly members of social networking sites can express their unhappiness, triggering functional changes. The news feed is an example of strong negative feedback that resulted in a change to the site.(Catherine Dwyer, 2008)
The user interface to modify the privacy and profile sections is not consistent and the provided options do not cover the full spectrum that is required to protect my shared information, such as individual blockage.
Studies seem to support my experience with empirical data. The following citations give a better understanding to what is happening to the privacy phenomenon within this social application.
Large-scale analyses of the utilization of Facebook privacy features in college networks indicate a majority (87% on average) of students have default or permissive privacy settings. [5][6]. While the significant majority of users indicate awareness of the Facebook privacy options, less than half report ever altering their default settings [5]. (Katherine Strater, 2007)
Large-scale analyses of the utilization of Facebook privacy features in college networks indicate a majority (87% on average) of students have default or permissive privacy settings. [5][6]. While the significant majority of users indicate awareness of the Facebook privacy options, less than half report ever altering their default settings [5]. (Katherine Strater, 2007)
Participants reported being unaware of the ability to remove tagged photographs and all posts from their profiles, delete or control Newsfeed alerts, or alter their privacy settings in general. The Newsfeed feature was criticized by 42% of participants; however three of these participants reported they had “just gotten used to it” instead of changing their privacy settings. (Katherine Strater, 2007)
CONCLUSION
I can qualify my experience using and editing the privacy settings that each social application has as satisfactory. This is because at the end I could protect my shared data and my profile to third party users. However, I suggest two options that may increase the user experience within this matter.
- Create a deeper level of privacy customization within each section that the social website can offer.
- Provide stricter privacy settings to the default option.
Also a big issue in my analysis is reflected in the consistency shown in the language used within each section and subsection. It was more confusing than explanatory, except for the Flickr social application. This would enhance significantly the user experience and the desired result.
As more and more social interaction moves online, designers are faced with challenges with regard to building systems that encourage positive social interaction. Systems that do this successfully do well; systems that do not usually fail. When tested more completely, we hope this model can provide a clearer explanation of the ways that social interaction can be successfully implemented in social software. (Catherine Dwyer, 2008)
As more and more social interaction moves online, designers are faced with challenges with regard to building systems that encourage positive social interaction. Systems that do this successfully do well; systems that do not usually fail. When tested more completely, we hope this model can provide a clearer explanation of the ways that social interaction can be successfully implemented in social software. (Catherine Dwyer, 2008)
REFERENCES
- Catherine Dwyer, S. R., and George Widmeyer. (2008). Understanding Development and Usage of Social Networking Sites: The Social Software Performance Model. Paper presented at the Proceedings of the 41st Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences.
- Christopher N. Chapman, M. L. (2008). International Ethnographic Observation of Social Networking Sites. CHI 2008 Proceedings · Works In Progress, 6.
- Katherine Strater, H. R. (2007). Examining Privacy and Disclosure in a Social Networking Community. 2.
- Yong-Yeol Ahn, S. H., Haewoon Kwak, Sue Moon, Hawoong Jeong. (2007). Analysis of Topological Characteristics of Huge Online Social Networking Services. WWW 2007 / Track: Semantic Web, 10.
3 comments:
I consider that you bring a big issue in your reflection because, yes, the privacy issue has definitely engaged the social networking community as it grows rapidily. I can understand why you come up with that comparisons X) which, maybe, not all of people using those applications aware of that. That's a good point I think.
However, the different experiences using privacy setting in Blogger and Facebook make me, somehow, disagree with some points above. In Blogger for example, I can freely manage the certain information I want to share with others since it has "Layout" setting which enables us to arrange page element. But aside, I agree with the difficulties understanding the privacy options.
In Facebook, perhaps I am in the minority group since I found it quite clear to manage not only the news feed I want to share but also I want to get, such as limit (or remove) the news feed of a person I don't like (ups :P) Also, I can manage which information should be displayed or not and choose just several people to comment in pictures. Something like that X) Overall, I satisfy with level of privacy given by Facebook.
But overall, this is a considerable reflection. Good!
For my own reflection I focus on Privacy problems as well. I like the way you talk about this problem just like you are teaching people how to adjust the privacy level. It is great to have images~ easier to understand! :-) After I wrote my reflection, I talked about the privacy problems of the social web sites with one of my friends. Surprisingly, she didn't know that there is a way to keep unknown people away from her in facebook. I think it will be great if all the social websites can let user to adjust the security level once they create the account. Just to make sure all users know that there is a way to do so.
Creating a deeper level of privacy customisation within certain sections of a site seems like it would be over complicating matters for users who are largely indifferent or ignorant of privacy/security issues. Providing stricter privacy settings for the entire website as a default option seems like the best option to me, because it simultaneously boosts awareness of security and privacy issues and provides a method of tweaking it, taking matters, responsibility and therefore power into the hands of the user.
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