Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
time both the moderators and participants spend on them may be equated
with the time spent on full-time jobs. But when a blogger is passionate and
the readers are likewise, time becomes a secondary issue.
Accessibility
The social web, being a core aspect of cyberspace, is easily accessible to
anyone anywhere, anytime who is connected to the Internet. The beauty of
this accessibility is that there are no geographical, social or income barriers.
Anyone with an interest in the central theme of the online forum is welcome
to participate as long as they have Internet access and something to say (or
in some cases, nothing really to say). Online forums themed around luxury,
fashion or lifestyle are particularly attractive for both clients and non-clients
of luxury. The social forums not only provide access to information on lux-
ury brands but also enable aspiring luxury clients to rub shoulders with those
already accustomed to the world of luxury.
Informality
The social web may be viewed as a series of online social diaries developed
by citizen journalists. Since they involve conversations touching on issues that
people are interested in and passionate about, most of these are presented in
an informal format to demonstrate spontaneity and invite participation. A look
at the Twitter entries of a parade of high-powered celebrities and politicians
will confirm this. Also several people who blog or are involved in social net-
works have no formal training in writing and lack advanced skill in articulate
expressions, therefore the informal nature of the social web enables them to
overcome the intimidation factor and puts everyone on par. This is why it's no
surprise to see rampant text errors in online social forums, which are mostly
forgiven by readers and participants. This, however, is forgiven because most
active participants on social networks are suspicious of the smooth and refined
language that generally accompany official text originating from companies
or the flowing journalistic language from news publications seeking to buy
the attention of the public. When the language is too smooth it is easy to con-
clude that there is some corporate ghost behind the website. Generally, social
network residents seek “agenda-less” independent thoughts and opinions and
not the kind of indirect manipulation and influence that companies employ in
order to sell more products or that magazines use in order to sell more copies
and more advert space. So the more informal, the better.
Interactivity
The social web is built on exchanges and thrives on interactivity. Its nature as a
social medium means that its main element of functioning is community, which
