Facebook has a focus of having the ability to meet friends and keep up with what they are doing. The reader has the ability to do this by reading their blog, looking at their profile, photos and sending them messages.
Facebook provides many different services including being able to share personal information, photos as well email privately and post public messages onto their wall. When posting messages on their wall all of their friends can see and read it whereas id it is privately sent only the person whos blog it is can read it. Facebook also offers the ability to connect to different groups for example I am a member of the group called 'L'Arche Cape Breton' in this group I can connect to others that have been there as people join groups which they have been part of or are passionate about. Facebook also provides live chat with other friends that are online, a space where you can write what is on your mind, games that you can play and challenge friends in and to bet each others scores and it also has a range quizes.
People may choose to contribute to this community because it is sense of community and they may get increased recognition. They also what to connect up with lost friends from previous work places, school or if they have friends overseas it is a free easy way to stay in contact by email, chat, reading their blog and by looking at their pictures.
Topics discussed mainly resolve around what is happening in the person's personal life - keeping up to date with what they have been up to as well as if people move it gives their friends the ability to keep up to date with recieving their new phone number and address.
- Ethical issues that need to be considered include:
uploading of photos of other people without their concent is not allowed. The content in the photos may be inappropriate or the people who are in the photos may not want to have their photos all over facebook. - Users are give out personal information that anyone can see and use espically if the person's profile is not private - private being only friends can view the profile.
- Anyone can add you which means people may accept people they do not know and this could result in a serious threat to the individual who added the person espically if they are younger users.
- They can compliment real life communities
- They can provide connections over long distances instantly
- They often dont have monetary cost
- Ability to monitor and regulate users
- Ability to connect with people with similar interests/needs/concern
Issues that online communities have that traditional communities don't include things such as:
- Misuse
- Rapid growth which may result in unwanted changes
- A lot of people have access - sometimes can not be controlled and people maybe hacking, being abusive or inappropriate.
- Delusional reliance on virtual communities.
Reference:
personal web pages. (n.d.). retrieved May 28, 2009 from http://personalweb.about.com/od/
makefriendsonfacebook/a/whatisfacebook.html
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