Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
disappointed, particularly since luxury brands are currently operating in an
era of accountability in a challenging economic context. The dark side of the
social web include several challenges:
1. The first challenge is that of moderation and control of the contents of online
social forums. The transparent nature of the social web and its transmission
in real time poses a challenge for controlling overall content, particularly
negative comments that could potentially damage brand image and percep-
tions. Since the participants of social websites have the freedom of expres-
sion, they are well aware that they have a high degree of liberty to show both
positive and negative viewpoints and they don't hesitate to express them-
selves on this basis. When a brand becomes the subject of downbeat conver-
sations on a social platform, it is quite challenging to curb the pattern.
2. The second challenge is linked to the verification of the credibility of the
authors, moderators and participants. Anyone can start a blog or online
social forum and draw thousands of followers irrespective of their motiva-
tion or agenda. In addition, the social web is littered with all manner of
profiles that sometimes call the integrity of the social media into ques-
tion, from teenage diarists to the politically obsessed, celebrity wannabes,
ambitious self-promoters, emotional blackmailers and so on. As a result,
companies are quite cautious before sending off their business develop-
ment people into the social media world to connect with people.
3. In the early days of the Internet and e-retail, one of the major concerns of
online users were issues related to the protection of personal data and the
respect of the privacy of users to avoid unsolicited information and intru-
sion. Although these concerns have been addressed by most e-retailers and
search engines such as Yahoo! and Microsoft, they remain a key issue on
social networks. Since the social web is currently thriving and draws mil-
lions of enthusiastic participants worldwide, the mass of information that is
transmitted through these online platforms and stored on the websites' serv-
ers is enormous. Although the familiarity level that regulars of the social
web or “cyber residents” currently have with the Internet is high, hence the
rampant transfer of the most personal of information on social networks,
online socialites are beginning to call into question the way this mass of
information is stored and used. Recently, Facebook, one of the most popular
online social networks, came under extreme criticism and scrutiny when its
users realized that the website retained a copy of all messages, exchanges,
content, actions, updates and information of both members and previous
members on its server, even after people had left the network. Typically, this
means that social websites own all such information and have the liberty to
use, transfer, sell and store it. Such social websites that maintain an indef-
inite right to retain user information and use this to their advantage have
led cyber residents to be conscious of the level of exposure and control that
social websites have on their users.
