Web 2.0 and social networking: technology, culture, and implications

Web 2.0 with a focus on social networking and a little on its privacy issues

Web 2.0

Web 2.0 with a Focus on Social Networking

The second phase of the Web development, commonly known as Web 2.0, has increased in significance and potential with the proliferation of the social networking phenomenon. The reality of Web 2.0 has also become closely linked to new architecture and applications that facilitate increased levels of interactivity and input from Internet users. This includes important aspects which take into account information sharing and creation, as well as interoperability and user-centered design.

This paper will deal not only with the technology and applications involved in the growth and development of Web 2.0 but will also investigate the social, cultural and economic implications of this new development in communications technology. It is becoming increasingly clear that with the enormous popularity of Websites like Facebook and Twitter, among many other social networking sites, there is a concomitant social and cultural impact that is making itself felt in areas such as the media and business praxis. This cultural dimension of Web 2.0 is an area of increasing research interest and will be focused on in this paper and related to technological aspects.

Overview of Web 2.0

In essence, a Web 2.0 online site is one that caters for high levels of interactivity and provides the facility for users to interact with one another as well as to alter web content. The essential difference to the older form of the Internet or Web 1.0 being that the online experience is no longer a passive process of merely viewing static information. Rather, this new advance in technology and interoperability means that the online experience becomes more focused on sharing, interaction and experiencing a multidimensional rather than a two dimensional non-interactive Web encounter.

As will be discussed in detail, a prime example of the contemporary face of Web 2.0 are the social networks that have become such an endemic part of the modern life and which are increasing their interactive potential at an exponential rate. Social networking is not merely an entertaining side-effect of the latest technologies. It is in actuality a new communications platform that holds great potential for different types of individual and collective interaction on many different levels.

Social networks have produced a new approach, for example, to the media and the news; with social networking facilitating news gathering and reporting through Blogs and RSS newsfeeds. It has also opened up new avenues for commerce and business. In fact, as will be discussed in this paper, it has created a new model for business and business marketing and advertising. There are some commentators who also claim that Web 2.0 has in fact created, and is in the process of creating, a new international culture that is fast changing perceptions and views about the world and reality.

The term Web 2.O was reputedly coined by O'Reilly Media in 2003 and was later popularized in a 2004 Web conference. Web 2.0 has been defined as "…a perceived second generation of web-based communities and hosted services -- such as social-networking sites, wikis and folksonomies -- which facilitate collaboration and sharing between users" (New Travel Trend: Travel 2.0 ). Web 2.0 as a term describing the emergence of an extensive social networking community has been widely accepted. It is a term that also has various other implications for online business and communications.

Historical Development

In order to understand the significance of Web 2.0 it is important to understand something of the development of the Internet and Internet technologies. In simple terms the Internet is a large network of computers. The previous incarnation of the Internet or Internet 1.0 did not offer the speed, security and other factors that could be found in controlled networking environments. Internet 2.0 was therefore created to make up for these shortfalls and to provide for a more advanced user base.

At first this advanced and more secure system was only established at and between certain universities. It was initiated in 1996 by thirty- four universities cooperating in order to develop a next-generation Internet. NGI or next- generation Internet was envisaged as a way of dealing with various inconsistencies and delivery problems that were part of the conventional Internet. In its origins, Internet 2.0 was aimed at the research and education community in the United States and was intended to provide the research and academic community with a cost -- effective and hybrid optical and packet network that would meet the aims of a functional NGI. This was later to develop into the interactive platforms and architecture of Web 2.0.

The origins of Web 2.0 become clear in a Webcast entitled, Web Squared: Web 2.0 Five Years on by Tim O'Reilly and John Battelle. O'Reilly and Battelle state the following,

Five years ago, we launched a conference based on a simple idea, and that idea grew into a movement. The original Web 2.0 Conference (now the Web 2.0 Summit ) was designed to restore confidence in an industry that had lost its way after the dotcom bust. The Web was far from done, we argued. In fact, it was on its way to becoming a robust platform for a culture-changing generation of computer applications and services

(O'Reilly and John Battelle).

A number of aspects are significant in the above quotation. The first aspect is that the bursting of the dotcom bubble was seen by innovators as a motivation and an opportunity to develop a form of the Internet that was more accessible, user-friendly and interactive and which provided new opportunities.

Secondly, Internet 2.0 was seen as a platform that would be "culture -- changing." This is a prediction that has been shown to be true to as great extent. There is a strong argument for the fact that Internet 2.0 has changed the way that many people perceive and act in the world and that this can be interpreted as a culture change.

Therefore, the real impetus behind Web 2.0 was not only technological advancement but also a vision of positive cultural and social change. At the same time one should also take note of the fact that Web 2.0 is similar in many respects to Internet 1.0. It provides the same basic functions, such as linking computers together via routers, with servers providing results from data input. However, in recent years there have been a number of far-reaching developments that makes Web 2.0 very different to Web 1.0.

The main difference between the two is that Web 2.0 is more technically advanced, efficient and provides for true interactivity. This means that not only does Internet 2.0 provide new technologies and applications related to these technologies, but it also provides a new environment or platform for communication to take place in a much more interactive and transparent way.

Consequently, in terms of its development, Web 2.0 is seen as much more than an addition to Internet 1.0. It is seen in fact as a new environment that offers a radically new means of communication. This is particularly the case with regard to the business environment. As one pundit notes; "Web 2.0 is the business revolution in the computer industry caused by the move to the Internet as platform, and an attempt to understand the rules for success on that new platform" (O'Reilly, 2006).

Infrastructure and Applications

Web 2.0 is an area that is characterized by new tools and applications that facilitate networking. These applications are also dependent on more advanced online architecture. For example, we can refer to "Quality-of-Service" guarantees. This is a service that allows for the request and allocation of differential amounts of bandwidth according to priority and demand. In practice this means that various bandwidth intensive applications such as video conferencing or virtual classrooms can take place in real-time without being delayed by bandwidth allocation problems and Internet traffic congestion. More effective architecture and infrastructure has resulted in more effective applications that are capable of more sophisticated forms of user input and interaction.

Social Networks

In simple terms, social networks provide for and facilitate interactive communication. They have their origins in older forums and chat rooms. However, social networks in the Web 2.0 environment have become much more interactive and sophisticated, offering a vast array of tools and applications to enhance interaction and sharing. In a typical social networking environment members "…invite their friends and colleagues to join and encourage them to also invite people they know who have similar interests. Introductions are then made between the people that have been invited throughout the various tiers of the process" (Web 2.0, mashups and social networking - what is it all about?).

Social networks have many other functions that extend beyond their social use. They also serve to "… connect businesses to consumers, consumers to consumers and businesses to businesses that otherwise may not have met. It also helps establish a network of credibility" (Web 2.0, mashups and social networking - what is it all about?).

While there are some who still view social networks as a passing fad, the vast majority of critics and commentators view these networks as a dynamic and promising new development that has already become ubiquitous in many ways. The latter view has also been extended to the working and business environment. This is evidenced by the fact that many marketers and advertisers are looking for ways and means of making social networking pay.

Social networking can be said to have evolved rapidly in response to user needs and in relation to the way that new technologies were employed by insightful designers and developers. This was certainly the case with the hugely popular Facebook, which began as a social Web site for Harvard student. "Facebook was created as a way for Mark Zuckerberg and other Harvard students to keep in touch over the Internet and get to know each other better" ( Roeder). However, the popularity of the site was dramatic and it was opened to high schools and then on the general Internet. The structure and facilities offered by the site were soon to make it one of the most popular social networks online.

The phenomenon of social networking has increased and the emergences of sites like Facebook and Twitter have raised the potential for networking and communications among people. One of the benefits of the general acceptance of social networking is the increase in accessibility between professionals and in business marketing expansion possibilities. This means that increased connectivity is made easier and this can translate into business contacts and increased referrals.

Social Networking and Businesses

The central foundational premise that informs all social networking sites is community building and, from a business perspective, the creation of business -to -business ( B2B ) and business -- to-client (B2C) relationships. Modern marketing and advertizing strategies increasingly have to take cognizance of the new networked world and to adapt their strategies accordingly.

Marketers are using the potential that networking sites offer in a number of different and creative ways. A good example is the way extensive and viable communities like YouTube and Facebook are being made use of by many companies. For example, companies make contact with various demographics on these sites in order to find new markets for their products. Networks are also analyzed and explored for feedback and user reaction to old or new products. A good example is the "Harley Davidson" network on Facebook, which has 155 members and growing and the Facebook Coca-Cola network has over 1,200 members. These networks have been created as a method of enhancing the image of the product and the business. The networks also serve to build brand image. In other words, the advantages of social networks like Facebook have been recognized by business, which has also changed marketing and advertising strategies. As one study notes; "Facebook still reaches the prime 18-24 demographic, which seems to align well with Coke. it's now working to extend its target age to 40. I bet the Harley Davidson network grows a lot over the next year" (Atchison, 2007).

The new business marketing opportunities of sites like Facebook are evident in their ability to build product and service awareness and strengthen customer loyalty to select brands. The potential of social networking sited in a business context can be seen in that large corporations and companies are increasingly buying into the social networking concept. A good example of this is the purchase of MySpace by Rupert Murdoch, News Corp. CEO. This is supported by a report which states that, "Murdoch projected that revenues from MySpace and other Fox Interactive Media sites such as IGN could represent as much as 10% of News Corp's total revenue within the next five years" (Bogatin, 2007).

Therefore, many CEOs and entrepreneurs agree that the advent of Web 2.0 and social networking has resulted in a sea-change for the business culture. While there is still considerable debate about the marketing and economic value of social networking, what is becoming clear with each study and report is that new methods and approaches to marketing and selling online will have to be adopted in order to adapt to this new online environment from a business point-of-view.

The following is are a few indictors of the way in which the culture of business marketing has had to adapt to the new demands of Web 2.0 and social networking.

The old 'hard sell' method is not longer applicable in a networked environment. A more reciprocal and interactive approach to sales is more appropriate to this environment. There is an emphasis on interactive communication as opposed to cold direct selling.

More attention to the cultural rules. This refers to the fact that virtual online communities often have specific cultures or modes of behavior that the marketer has to become aware of.

Quality over quantity. The old marketing method of collecting mass contacts through the exchange of printed business cards and marketing one's reputation on mere face-value has been replaced by a greater emphasis of proven quality and quantity of the product or the services provided. Social networkers are much more aware and critical of inauthentic and pseudo forms of marketing.

Increased need for follow up. The nature of the always -- on networking environment means that the consumers are continually sharing information on services products. It has therefore become vital for the marketer to communicate with customers.

( Miller, 2007)

Other Applications

There are a host of new technologies and applications that have been spawned by the evolution of Web 2.0. These include Weblogs, wikis, and RSS feeds. While it would be beyond the scope of this paper to go into any detail on these applications, the following are briefly noted.

Wikis allow for contribution by users in order to build a body of useful information and data. An important aspect is that this information can be continually updated and peer-reviewed. The aim of a Wiki is explained as follows:

Many people working together towards the goal of editing a body of information harnesses the different aspects of knowledge, analysis and opinions of the individual to create a better product. Their design emphasizes consensus and decision making, without trampling discussion or debate -- both are provided with outlets by simply creating either a discussion or another wiki page.

(History of Web 2.0: Overview)

Another innovation that clearly shows the innovative and interactive nature of Web 2.0 are mashups. This rather awkward term refer to the concept of a collage or collection of diffident elements that are derived from a variety of sources. In Web terms a "mahsup" is "…a web-based application that combines content and functionality from a variety of sources using technologies including RSS and AJAX" (Web 2.0, mashups and social networking - what is it all about?). These applications have the advantage of not needing advanced programming skills to function. An API or Application Programming Interface is released by a company, which allows external requests to be made to whatever content the company is offering. This allows for a large degree of interactivity and opportunities for the developer and user to manipulate the data. this emphasizes the way in which Web 2.0 can be utilized as platform for individualized and personalized communication .

Implications of Web 2.0 technologies

With applications like Facebook and Twitter have become an endemic part of our lives and vocabulary, there is little doubt that in today's networked online environment that Web 2.0 cannot be considered merely as a spurious social event. Web.2.0 facilitated networking has had a vast impact on social, cultural and economic aspects of modern life. This includes its impact on business models and future marketing planning.

In general terms, the significance of Web 2.0 for society and culture is enormous. The advent of social networks, which began as an experiment in communication, has evolved into a lifestyle for millions of users from different cultures and backgrounds. The success of popular sites like as Twitter is a case in point and should be examined in detail.

Twittering only provides for very short messages that are networked across thousands of user sites and links. Brevity of style and language has therefore become a characteristic of Twittering, as well as other social networks. This fact has certain social and cultural implications. In the first place it is changing how people communicate. It places an emphasis on the direct use of language and an immediacy of communicative interaction that is very different to the more relaxed and extended forms of communications of a few decades ago. This is an important factor in that it is an example of the way that the Web influences and changes the very nature of language and communication.

This has both positive and negative implications, depending on one's point-of-view. For instance, detractors see this form of communication as reductive and negative in that it does not provide time and space for protracted and discursive forms of communication and relaxed free play. Teachers decry the way that language and grammar are distorted and altered in online speech and abbreviations. Realists on the other hand see these changes in forms of communicative behavior as an inevitable response to new technologies. They also point to the plethora of new and creative communications and sharing opportunities that social networking sites have opened up.

The Positive Aspects of Social Networking Sites

It is often stated that the Internet has been a crucial part of the globalization processed and the creation of a new internationalism. The advent of Web 2.0 technologies and applications has increased this sense of breaking down barriers between people and cultures and there are many critics and commentators who speak of the 'global village' and intercultural communications because of the growth of the Internet and social networking sites. The fact that individuals from different cultures, religions and nationalities can establish groups and contact one another in a user-friendly and interactive environment, is seen by many commentators as having significant implications for culture change and advancement.

Another aspect to consider is that social networking is starting to expand in versatility and technology. There is currently a new wave of interest in social networks on mobile platforms and phones, which results in increased interaction and connections possibilities. This also leads to increased possibilities for advertising and new revenue sources. In theory this also means that employee productivity should be increased as well. The underlying principle is that communication and interconnecting can be extremely valuable in business.

However, in the final analysis, the central advantage that Internet 2.0 has is its ability to facilitate easier and more interactive forms of sharing and communication. This refers to the point emphasized above that networking facilitates forms of 'collective intelligence' or the accumulation of ideas and thinking that is unique to networking. In essence, this refers to the possibility of a new form of social thinking and communication, which in the long-term has enormous implications for social culture. The following quotation clearly summarizes this potential.

Many people now understand this idea in the sense of "crowdsourcing," namely that a large group of people can create a collective work whose value far exceeds that provided by any of the individual participants. The Web as a whole is a marvel of crowdsourcing, as are marketplaces such as those on eBay and craigslist, mixed media collections such as YouTube and Flickr, and the vast personal lifestream collections on Twitter, MySpace, and Facebook. ( O'Reilly and Battelle)

What is significant is that the Internet user becomes involved and can contribute in the information, collation and creation process. Applications are constructed in such a way that the user can participate in the building of an online encyclopedia like Wikipedia or annotate an online catalogue, as is the case with Amazon. One can also refer to the way that Web searches are influenced by user input.

In 1998, Larry Page and Sergey Brin had a breakthrough, realizing that links were not merely a way of finding new content, but of ranking it and connecting it to a more sophisticated natural language grammar. In essence, every link became a vote, and votes from knowledgeable people (as measured by the number and quality of people who in turn vote for them) count more than others. (O'Reilly and Battelle, 2006)

This of course refers to the creation of the Google search engine which has become ubiquitous and has revolutionized online searching by paying attention to and harnessing the way that people search online.

Modern search engines now use complex algorithms and hundreds of different ranking criteria to produce their results. Among the data sources is the feedback loop generated by the frequency of search terms, the number of user clicks on search results, and our own personal search and browsing history. (O'Reilly and Battelle, 2006)

This again shows the way that user input and interaction is fed back into the system so as to create a more dynamic and interactive process.

A few examples of the way that networking and Web 2.0 have impacted contemporary culture serve to illustrate the above points. A good example is the election of Barrack Obama; where networking and the Internet were used to great effect to put across a political message and network with supporters. This indicated how networking can in fact play a role in the actual practice of government.

There are also expert who suggest that Web 2.0 networking should be used to help in the solving of critical social and cultural issues. For instance, " Twitter is being used to report news of disasters, and to coordinate emergency response" and " Instedd (Innovative Support to Emergencies, Diseases, and Disasters) uses collective intelligence techniques to mine sources like SMS messages (e.g., Geochat), RSS feeds, email lists & #8230;for signals of emerging diseases" (O'Reilly and Battelle, 2006). There are many other examples of the application of networking; for example,

Companies like 23 andMe and PatientsLikeMe are applying crowdsourcing to build databases of use to the personalized medicine community. 23 andMe provides genetic testing for personal use, but their long-term goal is to provide a database of genetic information that members could voluntarily provide to researchers.. (O'Reilly and Battelle, 2006)

Security

In the enthusiastic rush to be part of Web 2.0 networking technologies and applications there has been a relative lack of concern for security and privacy issues. As one pundit puts it, "Web 2.0 is causing a splash as it stretches the boundaries of what Web sites can do. But in the rush to add features, security has become an afterthought…" (Evers, 2006). This is a sentiment that is echoed by other experts. For example, Billy Hoffman, lead engineer at Web security specialist SPI Dynamics, states that,

We're continuing to make the same mistakes by putting security last…People are buying into this hype and throwing together ideas for Web applications, but they are not thinking about security, and they are not realizing how badly they are exposing their users.

(Evers, 2006)

This cautionary note is not without substance as there have in recent years been a number of hacking and virus attacks on social networking sites; for example the Yamanner worm which targeted Yahoo Mail and the

2005-10-17T11:40:00Z"

Samy

and

2006-07-18T12:42:00Z"

Spaceflash

worms on MySpace, which changed profiles on this site (Evers, 2006).

It is common knowledge that new technologies provide new avenues and possibilities that hackers and virus creators can abuse. A more recent example of this is the advantage has been taken with vulnerabilities in RSS newsfeeds. RSS has become a very useful and common way of sharing information on Web sites and applications. The problem is that JavaScripts can be inserted into these RSS feeds, which can result in attacks on the client browser. As one expert explains;

An end user visits this particular Web site loads the page with the RSS feed and the malicious script -- a script that can install software or steal cookies -- gets executed. This is a lethal client-side attack. Worse, it can be mutated. With RSS and ATOM feeds becoming integral part of Web applications, it is important to filter out certain characters on the server-side before pushing the data out to the end user. ( Shah, 2006)

Possibly even of more concern and significance in a networking environment is the increase in forms of identity theft, which is found in phishing attacks. Phishing has many different forms and has become a pervasive threat on the Internet. In essence, phishing and spear phishing, as well as variants such as pharming, are all forms of identity theft, which is becoming the most pernicious form of security threat to privacy today.

Phishing takes place when "…someone acquires your personal information and uses it without your knowledge to & #8230; make unauthorized purchases, gain access to your bank accounts or apply for credit and obtain loans in your name" (Identity Theft). In recent years, as online commerce and networking have become more common, this form of crime has also become more frequent and sophisticated. A recent report by the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) states that "…4.7% of the U.S. population, or 10 million people were victims of identity theft in the last year, with total losses of U.S.$53 billion, U.S.$5 billion of this were losses by victims, the remaining losses were picked up by businesses" (Identity Theft).

Pharming and Spear Phishing are variation on this theme. Spear phishing is a type of ID fraud that is defined as follows;"Spear phishing is an e-mail spoofing fraud attempt that targets a specific organization, seeking unauthorized access to confidential data. As with the e-mail messages used in regular phishing expeditions, spear phishing messages appear to come from a trusted source" ( Spear Phishing).

On the other hand here is also a growing realization of the danger to privacy that can be encountered on social networking sites and there are also reports of improved security implementations in various areas.

The issue of, privacy has also been improved when compared to email. Social sites have become more sophisticate and usually go to great lengths to protect privacy and stop fraud and identity theft. In most cases the user has the facility to block access to his or her site and profile information. As one pundit writes; "Nearly every social network has ways of ensuring that your profile data is only viewable to those you have invited to see it. (Swearingen)

There is little doubt however that as social networking has become more popular, so have the number of attacks and intrusions. There are also many reports which indicate that this problem is being taken more seriously. As one article states, "Nearly every social network implements safeguards to keep spam at a minimum…" (Swearingen). However, the same report also indicates that there is still an unacceptable degree of failure in providing full security to these sites.

Conclusion: Web 2.0 Developments and the Future

The sophistication and versatility of Web 2.0 and social networking continues to grow at a pace, with many new sites and applications being developed. This bodes well for the future of Web 2.0 as new sites applications offering new ways of user interaction and methods of user contribution are being developed.

As has been briefly referred to above, the growth of mobile networking adds another dimension to the way in which Web 2.0 is becoming more user-friendly and interactive. The extensive use of sites like Twitter by mobile users has shown that this technology is fast becoming an integral part of life. This can be seen in the way that the latest CNN news reports also take into account the various Twitterings on the Internet. It is also true to say that the news media and the way that news is collected and reported has been changed forever by the power in millions of people using social networks like Twitter. This view is added to by research which predicts that, "…people accessing social networks on their mobile phones world-wide will grow ten-fold in the next five years, from 82 million in 2007 to over 800 million people in 2012" (Why Combination of Social Networking & Mobile Platforms Will Be Big, 2008).

As O'Reilly and Battelle (2006) state, the extent of the way that social networking has become an intrinsic and creative part of our daily lives is only beginning to be understood. This also must include the integration of various media and technologies into the mix. He makes the following insightful comments:

The smartphone revolution has moved the Web from our desks to our pockets. Collective intelligence applications are no longer being driven solely by humans typing on keyboards but, increasingly, by sensors. Our phones and cameras are being turned into eyes and ears for applications; motion and location sensors tell where we are, what we're looking at, and how fast we're moving. Data is being collected, presented, and acted upon in real time. The scale of participation has increased by orders of magnitude. (O'Reilly and Battelle, 2006)

The important phrase to focus on in the above quotation is "the scale of participation." The increase in the amount and degree of participation that is facilitated by the technology and immediacy of Web 2.0 applications is an aspect that is only beginning to be researched and understood. There are many implications to this fast moving technology. These include cultural, social and even psychological aspects that need to be researched in greater depth. Some commentators even look forward to more advanced technological development and the possibility of Web 3.0, which might include a combination of the semantic Web, social networking Web and the mobile Web.

Implementation Project

The above discussion and analysis of Web 2.0 will be implemented by the creation of a small social network website. This website is intended to be similar in many respects and in construction to social networks like Facebook. The intention of this website is to illustrate and test the various aspects of social networking that have been referred to above. The site will therefore contain a number of aspects that pertain to the central points and aspects that have been emphasized in the above discussion.

In the first instance, the site will be as interoperable and user-friendly and user-friendly as possible. It will also cater for user input and for changes in the site as a result of this input. Communication will be the core concerto that will inform the site and this will be facilitated by the normal social networking protocols and the facility to invite others to join site. The site will also provide for different categories of interaction and subject - as well as the facility for feedback on the functioning of the site itself.

Central to the construction of this Website will be the implementation of the central core pointers that have been referred to in the section on core characteristics of social networking. This refers to the ability of the user to manipulate data, as well as adherence to the principle of the Web as a platform that focuses on participation