Social networking is a fundamental feature of all social software. From blogrolls
to Buddylists, people have learned to negotiate implicit networks in everyday
digital interaction. Yet, in a re-popularization of a 1997 fad, social networking
has achieved popular and technological prominence in its explicit form. Dozens
of sites have emerged to address how social networks can help people connect
to have sex, find jobs, sell cars, and waste inordinate amounts of time.
Embedded in the culture of social networks is an increasing tension between
the creators and the users as each are unaware of the expectations and motivations
of the other. In what ways are these sites intended to model offline behavior?
How do the technological shifts create a shift in social behavior? Does current
social theory properly explain the emerging behaviors or must new theories
be developed that challenge the current?
Drawing from ethnographic research on Friendster and other social networking
sites, this talk will address the tensions that have emerged between creators
and users as both work to understand the emerging social and technological
boundaries. Although technological solutions are often proposed to solve unexpected
social behavior, it is precisely this behavior that teaches us the most about
our social and technical frameworks.