Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
This data also addresses a primary concern of social networking research by
providing a ground truth to compare other connection annotation algorithms
against. Given an algorithm, this data could be used to judge that algorithm's
effectiveness at reproducing user reports regarding the intensity of their
connections to others. If an effective algorithm were found, the graph could be
annotated automatically, providing significant insight in the examples cited above.
Understanding how information enters the human brain is crucial to
comprehending how we act. Fields like economics assume that we are actors who
have access to a complete understanding of the world and all its information and
act on that information rationally. This research gives insight into how online
connections increase the information flowing to us, how we filter the information
presented to us, and how we select which information to pay attention to. Much
research has suggested that we respond to suggestions from our close friends very
positively. By understanding when, where, and why we interact with those friends,
we can better understand ourselves, and better refine Adam Smith's “rational
actor.”
This research highlights the capabilities of the human brain with respect to
understanding social connections, indicating a flexible and accurate system for
understanding those networks. Introducing the online world appears to enhance
the quantity of these connections without reducing our perceptual accuracy, a
crucial result that further supports hypotheses placing our understanding of those
around us as a key element of what cognitively makes us human.
References
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Boyd, D.M., Ellison, N.B.: Social network sites: Definition, history, and scholarship.
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2.
Golder, S.A., Wilkinson, D., Huberman, B.A.: Rhythms of social interaction:
Messaging within a massive online network. In: Steinfield, C., et al. (eds.) Proceedings
of Third International Conference on Communities and Technologies, pp. 41-66.
Springer, London (2007)
3.
Feld, S.: The Focused Organization of Social Ties. The American Journal of
Sociology 86, 1015-1035 (1981)
4.
Lewis, K., et al.: Tastes, ties, and time: A new social network dataset using
Facebook.com. Social Networks 30, 330-342 (2008)
5.
Ellison, N., Steinfield, C., Lampe, C.: The benefits of Facebook 'friends': Exploring
the relationship between college students' use of online social networks and social
capital. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication 12, 1 (2007)
6.
Stone, B.: Is Facebook Growing Up Too Fast?” The New York Times March 29
(2009),
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/29/technology/internet/
29face.html?ref=technology
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Wellman, B., Haase, A., Witte, J., Hampton, K.: Does the Internet Increase, Decrease,
or Supplement Social Capital? American Behavioral Scientist 45, 436-455 (2001)
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Donath, J., Boyd, D.M.: Public displays of connection. BT Technology Journal 22(4),
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