aesthetics in social networking sites
Monday, August 24, 2009 by display name
This blog entry is a reflection of the attention that is paid to the aesthetics of social networking sites (presented in class today), and why it is that people choose to sign up to a particular social networking site.
Today I was surprised by the number of people who chose to sign up to select social networking sites for reasons other than their chosen site being where their friends happen to hang out (just 12%). For me and almost all of the people I know, being signed up to a social networking site is strictly about connecting with actual friends. To me the features (applications and customisations) that come with the site are of little relevance or importance. I am signed up to facebook solely because my friends who I like to keep in touch with are also signed up to facebook. My only interest is in writing to my friends and sharing and viewing photographs. I have zero interest whatsoever in customising my page, using applications, taking quizzes, or attempting to befriend strangers who I have never met. This is probably why I am content with my facebook account as a single means to keeping in contact primarily with friends who are away, or for me to keep in touch while I am away. That is rather than myspace and bebo that have customized page options.
Based on the online ‘vox pop’ of 100 reasons for choosing a particular social networking site it would seem that a greater number choose to sign up to particular social networking sites primarily to engage with people they haven’t met before . I’ve based this conclusion on the selection criteria that these people have rated as being of highest importance in selecting which specific social networking site they will sign up to. I am very surprised by this finding, because I assumed that most people used social networking sites for reasons similar to my own. I was very wrong.
Today I was surprised by the number of people who chose to sign up to select social networking sites for reasons other than their chosen site being where their friends happen to hang out (just 12%). For me and almost all of the people I know, being signed up to a social networking site is strictly about connecting with actual friends. To me the features (applications and customisations) that come with the site are of little relevance or importance. I am signed up to facebook solely because my friends who I like to keep in touch with are also signed up to facebook. My only interest is in writing to my friends and sharing and viewing photographs. I have zero interest whatsoever in customising my page, using applications, taking quizzes, or attempting to befriend strangers who I have never met. This is probably why I am content with my facebook account as a single means to keeping in contact primarily with friends who are away, or for me to keep in touch while I am away. That is rather than myspace and bebo that have customized page options.
Based on the online ‘vox pop’ of 100 reasons for choosing a particular social networking site it would seem that a greater number choose to sign up to particular social networking sites primarily to engage with people they haven’t met before . I’ve based this conclusion on the selection criteria that these people have rated as being of highest importance in selecting which specific social networking site they will sign up to. I am very surprised by this finding, because I assumed that most people used social networking sites for reasons similar to my own. I was very wrong.