NS2: Niche Social Network Sites

InSITE-Connect: A Model For Dynamic Interdisciplinary Interaction

noreply@blogger.com (Gerry McKiernan) — Wed, 20 May 2009 20:38:00 +0000

Colleagues/

After my return from Ireland, where I will deliver four (4) keynote presentations titled

The Paradigms They Are A-Changin' > The Future Of Research And Scholarship: Open / Semantic / Social / Mobile

[http://scholarship20.blogspot.com/2009/05/paradigms-they-are-changin-open.html],

I will travel to Macon, Georgia to give the keynote at InSite 2009: Informing Science + IT Education Joint Conference on June 13 2009

[http://2009.informingscience.org/].

Proceedings Available At

[http://proceedings.informingscience.org/InSITE2009/ProceedingsByScheduleInSITE2009.html] (06-16-09)

TITLE >

InSITE-Connect: A Model For Dynamic Interdisciplinary Interaction

ABSTRACT >

As prominently stated on its homepage, the Informing Science Institute is “an organization of colleagues helping colleagues … [that] draw[s] together people … who teach, research, and use information technologies to inform clients … [and who] share their knowledge with others,” regardless of [their respective] disciplines [http://informingscience.org/].

While its meetings and publications provide opportunities to communicate, current and emerging online technologies have the potential of facilitating greater collaboration between and among scholars and their publics, regardless of location, time, or academic focus.

In this presentation, we will provide an overview of select online professional and social networks, and describe the features and functionalities that can foster more dynamic interaction within the diverse InSITE communities. The presentation will conclude with a demonstration of a proposed online professional network.

Source

[http://2009.informingscience.org/keynote.htm]

PowerPoint Of Original KeyNote Presentation (91 Slides) Is Now Available At

[http://www.public.iastate.edu/~gerrymck/InSite2009.ppt] (06-20-09)

A Director's Cut Version (117) Slides Is Available At

[http://www.public.iastate.edu/~gerrymck/InSite2009-DC.ppt] (06-20-09)

I Would Like To Thank Eli Cohen, Director and Fellow, Informing Science Institute, and Alex Koohang, Dean and Professor, School of Information Technology, Macon State College, for their kind invitation and support to KeyNote at InSite 2009.

I Am Greatly Interested In Learning Of Exemplar Professional / Organizational /Society Social Networks Sites To Profile In This Presentation.

IMHO One Of The Best Exemplar Professional Online Social Networks Is The Recently Established Ning-Based Conversants Conference/Conversation That Is Devoted To Participatory Librarianship [http://conversants.ning.com/] .

Please submit your recommendation as a Comment on this blog entry.

Thanks!

/Gerry

A Study on the Effective Use of Social Software by Further and Higher Education in the UK

noreply@blogger.com (Gerry McKiernan) — Wed, 13 May 2009 20:44:00 +0000

A Study on the Effective Use of Social Software by Further and Higher Education in the UK to Support Student Learning and Engagement (Final Report) / 115 pp.

Date uploaded > 02 February 2009 > Shailey Minocha

Shailey Minocha / January 2009 / Department of Computing /

The Open University / Walton Hall / Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK

Executive Summary

The term ‘social software’ covers a range of software tools which allow users tointeract and share data with other users, primarily via the web. Blogs, wikis, socialnetworking websites, such as Facebook and Flickr, and social bookmarking sites,such as Delicious, are examples of some of the tools that are being used to shareand collaborate in educational, social, and business contexts. The key aspect of asocial software tool is that it involves wider participation in the creation of informationwhich is shared.

This study examined the use of social software in the UK further and highereducation sectors to collect evidence of the effective use of social software inenhancing student learning and engagement. In this study, data from 26 initiatives,where social software tools have been employed, has been collected, analysed andsynthesised. The cases chosen give a spread of tools, subject areas, contexts (parttime,full-time or distance learning), levels of study, and institutions (higher andfurther education). A case study methodology was followed and both educators andstudents were interviewed to find out what they had done, how well it had worked,and what they had learned from the experiences.

This study provides insights about the: educational goals of using social softwaretools; enablers or drivers within the institution, or from external sources whichpositively influence the adoption of social software; benefits to the students,educators and institutions; challenges that may influence a social software initiative;and issues that need to be considered in a social software initiative.Our investigations have shown that social software tools support a variety of ways oflearning: sharing of resources (eg bookmarks, photographs), collaborative learning,problem-based and inquiry-based learning, reflective learning, and peer-to-peerlearning. Students gain transferable skills of team working, online collaboration,negotiation, and communication, individual and group reflection, and managingdigital identities.

Although these tools enhance a student’s sense of community,sharing and collaboration brings in additional responsibility and workload, whichsome students find inflexible and rather ‘forced’. The study found that students haveconcerns about privacy and the public nature of the tools for their academic activities. The educator’s role is changing from being a provider of information to a facilitator ormoderator, which raises training needs, workload issues, and adjusting to a ‘new’way of teaching.

Institutions face the dilemma of adopting and recommending toolsin the pubic domain over which they have no control. On the other hand, theinstitution’s VLE may not provide tools with as rich a functionality as is available inthe tools which are in the public domain.

The analysis in this report is presented as answers to questions which educators andpolicy makers may have about social software initiatives. It is hoped that the lessonsand the recommendations, as captured in this report and the case studies willinfluence the learning and teaching strategies in higher and further education –specifically institutions which are considering the use of social software. The resultshighlight the different pedagogical roles of social software: communication, nurturingcreativity and innovation, and collaborative learning.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements 7
Executive Summary 9
1 Introduction 10
1.1 Guide for readers of this report 10
2 Background to the study 12
3 Aims and key deliverables of the study 14
3.1 Key deliverables and outcomes of the study 14
4 Methodology and Implementation 16
4.1 Case study research design 16
4.2 Gathering the case studies 18
4.3 Development of the case studies after the investigations 18
4.4 Data analysis and synthesis 19
5 Outputs: Case Studies 20
6 Findings: Analysis and Synthesis of the Data 23
6.1 Educational goals of social software 24
6.2 Enablers to social software initiatives 26
6.3 Benefits of using social software 28
6.4 Challenges in a social software initiative 34
6.5 Issues that need to be considered for a social software initiative 42
7 Conclusions 46
7.1 Benefits to the organisations 46
7.2 Challenges to the organisations 46
7.3 Benefits to the educators 46
7.4 Challenges to the educators 47
7.5 Benefits to the students 47
7.6 Challenges to the students 48
8 Implications 50
8.1 Comparison of the literature review with the findings of this study 50
8.2 Limitations of our study 51
8.3 Taking the study further 52
9 Recommendations 54
9.1 Be learner-centred 54
9.2 Consider the impact on staff 54
9.3 Identify your key stakeholders 54
9.4 Be convinced yourself 54
9.5 Be prepared to spend time 54
9.6 Do not hesitate to learn from others 54
9.7 Keep a log of the experiences 55
9.8 Be willing to disseminate 55
9.9 Be prepared to monitor and intervene 55
9.10 Evaluate the initiative 55
9.11 Be prepared to adapt and change 55
10 References 56
11 Appendices 58

Source And Full Report Available At

[http://www.jisc.ac.uk/media/documents/projects/effective-use-of-social-software-in-education-finalreport.pdf]

See Also

Effective Use of Social Software in UK Further and Higher Education: Case Studies [125 pp.]

Date uploaded > 02 February 2009 > Shailey Minocha

The case studies or initiatives investigated in this study are consolidated in this document. The 26 initiatives or case studies investigated in this study cover a broad range of social software tools such as discussion forums, wikis, blogs, podcasts, microblogging or Twitter, photo-sharing (Flickr), Google Earth, 3-D virtual worlds, web conferencing, social networking sites such as Facebook, and others based on Elgg and Ning.

The case studies are from a wide range of disciplines, at different levels of study (undergraduate, post-graduate, vocational courses) in part-time and full-time courses in further and higher education. The mode of delivery is diverse: face-toface, blended learning (face-to-face and online learning), and distance-education.

[http://kn.open.ac.uk/public/getfile.cfm?documentfileid=14866]

Table Of Contents

Case Studies 9
1 Computer Gaming and Video Capture in Second Life 12
2 Using Wikis to Support Small Group Work 17
3 Facebook as a Pre-induction Support Tool 22
4 Community@Brighton: Social Networking at University of Brighton 27
5 Using Web 2.0 in Further Education Library Services 31
6 Photo Publishing with Lulu 35
7 Social Networking through Ning on a Distance-learning Programme 40
8 Using a Wiki for Developing a Portfolio and for Communication 44
9 A Blogging Support System for Trainee Teachers 49
10 OpenStudio: An Online Community for Digital Photography Students 54
11 Collaborative Learning in a Wiki on a Software Engineering Course 59
12 Using Wikis and Video-conferencing on Team Engineering Course 64
13 Blogs and Social Bookmarking for Exploration of Historical Sources 68
14 Photo-sharing on Flickr 73
15 Develop Me! Social Networking at University of Bradford 77
16 Using Podcasting to Develop Oral Skills for Physiotherapy Practice 81
17 Blogs, Wikis and Social Bookmarking to Support Web-based Research 86
18 Social Networking and Community-building in Dentistry Courses 90
19 Digital Identity, Communication and Collaboration through Web 2.0 95
20 Social Networking: Connect-ing Students and Staff 99
21 Google Earth: Practical Exercises in Geographic Information Science 104
22 Using Social Bookmarking: Tools for Finding Things Again 108
23 Student Engagement: Discussion Forums and Web Conferencing 111
24 Supporting a Group of Distance-learning Students on Skypecast 116
25 Using Twitter to Support Students and Their Projects 119
26 Using Facebook to Obtain Student Feedback 122

Full Report Available At

[http://kn.open.ac.uk/public/getfile.cfm?documentfileid=14866]

Project Site

[http://kn.open.ac.uk/public/workspace.cfm?wpid=8655]

Thanks to The Caribbean Librarian for The HeadsUp !

ALA Connect: Phase One

noreply@blogger.com (Gerry McKiernan) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 18:31:00 +0000

ALA Connect: Not Just Another Social Network

“It’s like Facebook–but for librarians,” we’ve said, all-too-simply (and inaccurately) in categorizing ALA Connect, ALA’s new centralized virtual space.

[http://connect.ala.org/]

That’s a facile comparison to make, but really Connect is more than that. Not just another social network, ALA Connect will help members engage in ALA business and network with others. It’s a single virtual location in which ALA members can collaborate and work on division, round table, and committee projects with an impressive spread of tools: blog-like posts, online documents, group calendars, surveys and polls, chat rooms, discussion forums, and RSS/email alerts to track progress.

[snip] But ALA Connect effectively reins in all the would-be unofficial online channels and tools and puts them under one roof, officiating them under the ALA brand. [snip]

In typical Web 2.0, perpetual-beta style, Connect is being released in what ALA is calling “phase one” and will never be a finished product. Monitoring the site to track how well it meets members’ needs will help inform designers about the potential for new tools, resources, and tweaks. New features and enhancements will be released on a regular basis.

Source

[http://www.al.ala.org/insidescoop/2009/04/06/ala-connect-not-just-another-social-network/]

ALA Connect FAQ

ALA Connect replaces the existing Online Communities service that ALA currently offers as a virtual, collaborative, workspace online. [snip]

[snip]

Every active ALA group already has a space in Connect automatically, because we've pre-populated it with data from our membership database (iMIS), and we synchronize member data nightly, so we'll always know which committees you're on and which other official ALA groups you're part of.

Both ALA groups and communities use the same types of tools. By default, each one has blog posts, online documents (like wiki pages), a calendar, polls, a chat room, a discussion board, and images (logos, pictures, etc.). The group can use whichever of the tools it finds valuable.

Non-members will be able to register in Connect to create a free account, but they will only be able to view and add to public content. [snip]

[snip]

You can read more about the history (and future) of ALA Connect on the ITTS Update blog, particularly in the Roadmap that we posted there.

Also

Learn more about ALA Connect in general

Learn more about what you can do on ALA Connect

Source

[http://connect.ala.org/about]

Connecting: Online Social Networks For Organizations

noreply@blogger.com (Gerry McKiernan) — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 19:52:00 +0000

Conferencia de GERRY McKIERNAN

Iowa State University Library / Ames IA USA

La Importancia de Estar Conectados:

LAS REDES SOCIALES EN LAS ORGANIZACIONES

Fecha: 11 de marzo de 2009

Lugar de celebración: Biblioteca Nacional de España / Paseo de Recoletos, 20

Among many others, these include networks for Academe and Education, People of Color, Boomers, LGBT groups, Religion, and Researchers and Scholars.

This presentation will provide an overview of a variety of niche online networks, and a detailed review of select niche social networks created to better connect and engage clients, customers, patrons, and staff, within and outside of organizations.

Self-Archived PPT [137 Slides] Available At

[http://www.public.iastate.edu/~gerrymck/Madrid-2009.ppt]

Archived MP3 Audio [52:15] Available

[http://www.public.iastate.edu/~gerrymck/Madrid-2009.mp3]

Conference Page With Links Available At

[http://www.sedic.es/actividades_mckiernan-redes-sociales09.asp]

SEDIC Blog Posting

[http://blog.sedic.es/?p=1547]

ABC National [Spain] Daily Newspaper Interview

[http://www.abc.es/hemeroteca/historico-18-03-2009/sevilla/Deportes/gerry-mckiernan-en-diez-a%C3%B1os-no-habra-que-leer-linea-a-linea-bastara-un-sonido-o-imagen_913852681864.html]

While the slides for this presentation are substantially identical to those at The CALSI 2009 Workshop in Valencia, Spain on March 10 2009,

[http://nichesocialnetworksites.blogspot.com/2009/02/connections-online-social-networks-for.html]

the narrative was specific to the overall theme of the Madrid forum.

I am most grateful to Maria-Jesus del Olmo, Director, Information Resource Center U.S. Embassy / Madrid, Spain; SEDIC – Asociación Española de Documentación e Información; and Milagros del Corral Beltrán, Director, Biblioteca Nacional de España, for making my visit and presentation possible.

StudyBlue: The Cure For The University Of Iowa Studying Blues ?

noreply@blogger.com (Gerry McKiernan) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 21:58:00 +0000

Networking Site A Cure For UI ‘Study Blues’

BY MAGGIE PETERS / MARCH 3, 2009 / 7:20 AM

When UI senior Emili Panio had the stomach flu and missed a week of class, she was overwhelmed with makeup work. But she found relief in StudyBlue, which allowed her to scan others’ lecture notes online.

[http://www.studyblue.com/]

“I was able to find a woman in my Leisure in Contemporary Society class on the site, and she ended up giving me all the notes I had missed from lecture,” said Panio, 21.

She is among 1,570 UI members registered on the education-based social networking site. It allows users to upload and share class notes and chapter outlines, study flash cards, join study groups, and use peer tutors.
Gerry McKiernan, a science and technology librarian at Iowa State University, said educational networks such as StudyBlue are reinventing the whole educational experience. He lectures nationally on the topic of social networking, most recently “niche” networking.
“My view is that social networking can create, foster, and facilitate the creation of virtual communities not limited by time or space,” he said. “Communication can now become broader than local communication could [ever] be."
The mixed use of messaging, audio, and video [in such sites as Facebook] all come together to create a more dynamic and advantageous environment, especially when it comes to learning, McKiernan said.

Another benefit of educational networks is their helpfulness to students who are less assertive in class, he said. His research found that shy students feel more comfortable contributing online, and social networks can even facilitate face-to-face communication.

[snip]

UI Associate Professor Scott Robinson, who teaches elementary psychology, said he had never heard of educational networking sites, despite his course being one used by students on StudyBlue.
[snip]

“Sharing notes is no different from what students have been doing for 100 years,” Robinson said. “As long as information is not being misrepresented, I do not view it as cheating.”

Panio said she would like to see more UI students using StudyBlue. She has noticed many classes in her majors — communication studies and theater — don’t have a section on StudyBlue, unlike many of her general-education courses.

“The more students, the better,” she said.

Source

[http://www.dailyiowan.com/2009/03/03/Metro/10364.html]

Social Networks: A New Tool For Learning

noreply@blogger.com (Gerry McKiernan) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 18:26:00 +0000

February 17, 2009 / A New Tool For Students: Educational Networking / GUNNAR OLSON / golson@dmreg.com

Ames, Ia. - Iowa State University sophomore Lauren Egerton can compare notes with fellow education majors or study their flashcards with a few clicks on her computer.She simply goes online to a social networking site geared toward studying, such as StudyBlue or Flashcard Exchange."It's at your convenience. It's on your own time. You don't have to coordinate with anyone else's schedules," said Egerton, 19, of Iowa City. "It's just a smarter way to study."

About Study Sites

Online social networking, made popular across the country and around the globe in recent years by sites such as MySpace and Facebook, is no longer the exclusive territory of teenage romances and family pictures.

"You name it, and it seems as though a niche network has been created, and if it hasn't, it will be in the very near future," said Gerry McKiernan, an ISU librarian who blogs and lectures nationally on the subject.

Educational networking sites are relatively new. There are multiple competitors, and they have their critics. But supporters think the sites are changing higher education.

McKiernan called use of the sites a shift away from the "sage on the stage." "The students themselves are creating a learning community," he said. "In a very real sense, I believe they're reinventing the educational process."More students and faculty in Iowa are using such sites. For example, today there are about 40,000 members of ISU's Facebook group, nearly double the 22,000 members three years ago.

And more of them are using such sites as tools for learning, as evidenced by the recent success of StudyBlue.com.

[snip]

Thanks to angel investors, it is now a growing, for-profit company that gets high school and college students to share notes and flashcards for free while targeting them with ads for online universities and textbooks.

"We really built our tool from the bottom up, with the idea of students growing the tool," company spokesman Ben Jedd said.He said about 5,000 students at Iowa universities use the site. Students at the University of Iowa, one of the company's test locations, are among the site's top 10 users. At Iowa State, the number of users doubled last semester to about 1,000, he said.

There are some troubles.Last year at Ryerson University in Canada, a student was nearly expelled after a professor discovered his online study group and accused him of cheating, according to news articles. StudyBlue said that California bans the dissemination of notes without the lecturer's permission. [snip]

ISU Associate Dean of Students Mary Jo Gonzales said she would not want to see face-to-face classroom time displaced. "We can't rely solely on technology," she said. But she said educational networking sites are a valuable tool for educators, and particularly for quieter students who might express their ideas and engage other students more freely online than in class.

Michael Bugeja, director of ISU's journalism school, said he isn't against social networking sites altogether. He runs one himself. But he warned students to see the for-profit sites for what they are: convenience sleekly bundled with distraction. For serious study, he said, students are better off meeting face to face.

"If you're going to commit to walking to a library or a room, you are going to be focused ever so much more on the task at hand," Bugeja said.

Egerton and her friend, Emily Smart, said students do use such sites to converse

[snip]

"If I didn't get it the first time, chances are I didn't get it right in my notes," said Smart, 19, of Cedar Rapids.

STUDYBLUE: Allows students to connect with classmates, compare notes, use one another's digital flashcards and more. It was created in 2006.

[http://www.studyblue.com/]

FLASHCARD EXCHANGE: Enables students to create their own digital flashcards and share them with the online world. It was founded in 2001.

[http://www.flashcardexchange.com]

Full Text Available [03-02-10] At

[http://www.public.iastate.edu/~nscentral/mr/09/0220/networking.html]

ISU Library Spring Seminar: Not Just Facebook: Niche Social Network Sites

noreply@blogger.com (Gerry McKiernan) — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 18:21:00 +0000

Friends/ Later this month. I will give the first presentation in our Spring Library Seminar series here at Iowa State University:

Not Just Facebook: Niche Social Network Sites

Gerry McKiernan, Associate Professor, Science & Technology Department, ISU Library

Wednesday, February 25, 3:15-4:30, Parks Library 192

"While Facebook and MySpace are among the better-known general online social networks, there are an ever-increasing number of online networks that have emerged for and within a wide variety of groups. Among many others, these include networks for academe and education, people of color, boomers, businesses, LGBT groups, religious communities, and researchers and scholars. This presentation offers an overview of these on other niche online networks and examines the potential benefit they may offer to colleges and universities and their communities."

[http://www.lib.iastate.edu/class/worktutor/workshops.html]

In addition to the communities noted above, I am also greatly interested in learning of other communities (with a social network presence) that are or could be of particular interest to colleges or universities (e.g. alumni), along with specific examples, if possible.

I am also interested in learning of specific niche communities that you find of significant professional value.

Please post the names/sites of these Niche Communities and the particular professional benefits that you have gained (or believe can be gained) from membership in Any and All niche social networks as a Comment on this posting.

BTW: This presentation will be an abridged and modified version of my Internet Librarian 2008 pre-conference workshop presentation Not Just Facebook: Online Social Networks For Libraries .

A/V NOW AVAILABLE FOR ISU LIBRARY SEMINAR [05/23/09]

Not Just Facebook: Niche Social Network Sites

Part 1: Introduction [9:08]
Part 2: Web 2.0: Social Networking Services [6:19]
Part 3: Facebook [4:49]
Part 4: Niche Online Social Networks [26:36]
Part 5: NING [12:47]
Part 6: Potential Benefits [9:17]
Part 7: Demonstration of NING [12:01]

Thanks!

/Gerry

Connections: Online Social Networks for Business

noreply@blogger.com (Gerry McKiernan) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 20:08:00 +0000

Connections:

Online Social Networks for Business

Gerry McKiernan / Iowa State University Library / Ames IA USA

CALSI 2009

La Sociedad del Conocimiento: Innovación y Nuevos Retos Globales

[The Knowledge Society: New Challenges and Global Innovation]

March 10 2009 / 11:30-12:30

Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Valencia, Spain

While Facebook and MySpace are among the better-known general online social networks, there are an ever-increasing number of online networks that have emerged for and within a wide variety of communities. Among many others, these include networks for academe and education (e.g., EduSpaces), people of color (e.g., Black Planet), Boomers (e.g., Boomj), LGBT groups (e.g., GLEE), religion (e.g., MyChurch), and researchers and scholars (e.g., Nature Network). Among the fastest growing niche networks are those created by and on behalf of businesses (e.g., LinkedIn).

This presentation will provide an overview of the variety of niche online networks, with a focus on those created to better connect and engage customers, employees, and professionals.

Please Post Any And All Suggestions As A Comment On This Entry

BTW: I am aware of the major business sites listed in Wikipedia

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_social_networking_websites]

The PowerPoint Slides For This Presentation Are Now Available At

[http://www.public.iastate.edu/~gerrymck/CALSI-2009.ppt]

(03-24-09 / 135 slides)

I Wish To Thank:

Nuria Lloret Romero

(Universidad Politécnica de Valencia)

Candela Gimeno Estornel
(Universidad Politécnica de Valencia)

Tomàs Baiget

(Institut d'Estadística de Catalunya (Idescat))

for making my visit and participation possible.

A-Space: A Collaborative Work Environment To Answer Intelligence Questions And Challenges

noreply@blogger.com (Gerry McKiernan) — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 22:50:00 +0000

In today’s dynamic environment, in which emerging threats are often time-critical, old technology is not sufficient to achieve the multi- faceted collaborative analysis and discussion needed to meet the resulting challenges.

A-Space is an ODNI project to develop a common collaboration workspace for all Intelligence Community analysts that is accessible from current workstations and provides unprecedented access to interagency databases, a capability to search classified sources and the Internet simultaneously, web-based email, and collaboration tools accredited to the HUMINT Control System and Gamma Information Handling (HCS/G) level. The Defense Intelligence Agency is the Executive Agent for building the first phase of A-Space.

How can this help us?

A-Space will help individual analysts be more effective in the work of discovery and investigation. It is designed to give analysts access to a large and diverse corpus of intelligence, including text, graphics, and video, spanning multiple classification levels with appropriate controls. Agencies will be able to make internal databases accessible to A-Space, and programs such as the Library of National Intelligence and Catalyst will enhance the ability of analysts to sort through this information to identify the most relevant information

A-Space also will help analysts communicate and collaborate with colleagues across the Community. A-Space will encourage analysts to post their work to a shared space in a way that allows peers to see and comment on research in progress. This peer review will facilitate identification of alternative hypotheses and assumptions, accumulation of additional data and insight, and a focus on issues of source reliability.

Beyond Phase 1, A-Space also will be accessible to collectors, allowing more effective interaction between analysts and collectors and rapid support for tactical operations.

How does A-Space align to the DNI’s top priorities.

A-Space is a signature initiative of Analytic Transformation, which the DNI has identified as a top priority for the Community in FY 2008 and FY 2009.

When is this happening?

December 2007: Test A-Space design and deploy Phase 1 Pilot
2008: Refine the design and functionality and deploy subsequent pilots

Source

[http://analytic.insaonline.org/atprogram.pdf]

News Coverage

A-Space: Social Network for Spies
[http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Messaging-and-Collaboration/ASpace-Social-Network-for-Spies/]

CIA, FBI push 'Facebook for spies'
[http://edition.cnn.com/2008/TECH/ptech/09/05/facebook.spies/]

US launches ‘MySpace for spies’
[http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/6e2648ea-5014-11dc-a6b0-0000779fd2ac.html]

Wikipedia: US intelligence community A-Space
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_intelligence_community_A-Space]

Not Just Facebook: Online Social Networks For Libraries

noreply@blogger.com (Gerry McKiernan) — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 20:53:00 +0000

Colleagues/
I’m pleased to announce that a corrected / revised / expanded version of my pre-conference workshop presentation for Internet Librarian 2008 (October 18 2008) is now available:

_Not Just Facebook: Online Social Networks For Libraries_

[http://www.public.iastate.edu/~gerrymck/IL2008-DC.ppt]

ABSTRACT

While Bebo, Facebook, hi5, MySpace, and Orkut are among the better-known general online social networks, there is an ever-increasing number of online networks that have emerged for and within a wide variety of communities. Among many others, these include networks for academe and education (e.g., EduSpaces), people of color (e.g., Black Planet), Boomers (e.g., Boomj), business (e.g., Linked-In), LGBT groups (e.g., OUTeverywhere), religion (e.g., MyChurch), and researchers and scholars (e.g., Nature Network).This workshop provides an overview of the more significant niche online social networks, reviews their common and unique features and functionalities, and considers the potential opportunities for wider engaged library outreach to these communities.

OUTLINE

Web 2.0
Social Networking Services
Facebook
Librarian Facebook Presence
Library Facebook Presence
Facebook Library Groups
Facebook Pages
Facebook Applications
Facebook Apps for Libraries
NICHE Online Social Networks
Academe and Education
Books
Boomers
Business
Lesbian / Gay / Bisexual / Transgender
People of Color
Religion
Researchers and Scientists
Second Life
Ning
Mega-Sites
News
Library Outreach

Demonstration (Ning)

This is a LARGE Presentation (204 Slides).

The First Half Is Devoted To Web 2.0/SNS Background and a Review Of Facebook (Slides 1-89);The Second Half Is Devoted To Niche Online Social Networks (NSNS) (Slide 90->).

[http://www.public.iastate.edu/~gerrymck/IL2008-DC.ppt]

BTW: I am greatly interested in learning of Other Niche SNS / Please Nominate Any And All As A Comment On This Blog EntryThanks!

/Gerry

Forrester Report: Social Networks Should Find 'Significant Success' In Enterprise

noreply@blogger.com (Gerry McKiernan) — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 20:46:00 +0000

Wikis, social networks should find 'significant success' in enterprise

Study says other Web 2.0 tools will take longer to be seen as cost effective by IT managers

Heather Havenstein / November 5, 2008 / Computerworld

While enterprises face growing demands from employees for the Web 2.0 tools they use at home, IT managers continue to doubt whether most of them can provide business value to a company, according to a Forrester Research Inc. report released this week. The report suggests that only two of the myriad tools commonly grouped in the Enterprise 2.0 category -- social networks and wikis -- will find significant success in the corporate market over the next few years.

Widgets, mashups, blogs, RSS and forums may find moderate success, while microblogs, prediction markets, social bookmarking and podcasts will have only minimum penetration in the enterprise, the report said.

"Wikis in particular have proven themselves to be successful," noted Gil Yehuda, a Forrester analyst and author of the "Forrester TechRadar for Information and Knowledge Management Pros: Enterprise 2.0" report. "For the most part, they have proven themselves more so than many of the other Web 2.0 tools."

The report predicts that social networks will find corporate success as users seek to find out more about colleagues who create and use the corporate content they are interested in, he added.

[snip]

Source

[http://tinyurl.com/6neyov]

PDF Available / Price: US $379

[http://www.forrester.com/Research/Document/Excerpt/0,7211,46894,00.html]

Not All Social Network Users Alike – Four Types of LinkedIn Users ...

noreply@blogger.com (Gerry McKiernan) — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 20:37:00 +0000

First Ever Public Study Concerning Business Oriented Social Network Giant LinkedIn.com

Stamford, CT – November 5, 2008 – In the real world, different business people conduct business differently with their own strategies and tactics. Online, business people use Social Network Services (SNS), like the highly popular professional networking site LinkedIn, very differently too.

According to Anderson Analytics, the company that conducted the study in partnership with LinkedIn.com, using state of the art predictive analytics software from SPSS Inc., LinkedIn users tend to fall into four major types:

“Savvy Networkers” (est. 9 million) are likely to have started using social networking earlier than others, are more tech savvy, and more likely to be active on other SNS sites like Facebook. Savvy Networkers have the most connections (61 on average) and are more likely than other segments to use LinkedIn for a wide variety of purposes other than job searching. Savvy Networkers have the second highest average personal income ($93,500) and may often have the word

“Consultant” in their job description. “Senior Executives” (est. 8.4 million) are somewhat less tech savvy and is using LinkedIn to connect to their existing corporate networks. They have power jobs which they are quite content with, and are likely to have been invited by a colleague and then realized how many key contacts were on the site and started building connections (32 on average). Senior Executives have the highest average personal income ($104,000) and have titles such as Owner, Partner, Executive, or Associate.

"Late Adopters” (est. 6.6 million) are likely to have received numerous requests from friends and co-workers before deciding to join. They are somewhat less tech savvy and are careful in how they use LinkedIn, tending to connect only to close friends and colleagues and have the fewest number of connections (23 on average). Late Adopters have the lowest average personal income ($88,000) and have titles such as Teacher, Medical Professional, Lawyer, or the word “Account” or “Assistant” in their job description.

“Exploring Options” (est. 6.1 million) may be working, but are open and looking for other job options often on CareerBuilder.com, perhaps in part because they have the lowest average personal income ($87,500). They are fairly tech savvy and use SNS for both corporate and personal interests.

To find out which type you are most like, you may use the predictive tool available at Anderson Analytics

[http://www.andersonanalytics.com/litype]

[snip]

Some of the findings include:

Most users connect to people they know, including those they’ve met only over the phone

Users like the professional and business oriented look and feel of LinkedIn compared to other SNS

Users tend to be more senior (56% are “individual contributors”, 16% are management level, and 28% are director/VP level or above) The majority (66%) are decision makers or have influence in the purchase decisions at their companies (decision makers also tend to be more active on LinkedIn)

And perhaps most interestingly, the greater the number of connections the greater the likelihood of higher personal income - those with personal incomes between $200K-$350K were seven times more likely than others to have over 150 connections!

[snip]

Study Methodology

Total sample size of the study consisted of 65,873 records and provides statistics with an accuracy of +/-0.39%. Supplemental survey results represent +/-3.48% at the 95% confidence interval.

About Anderson Analytics

More than market research, Anderson Analytics is the first Next Generation marketing consultancy to combine new technologies, such as data and text mining with traditional market research.

[snip]

For more information, please visit http://www.andersonanalytics.com

Source

[http://tinyurl.com/57hyar]

PDF Version Of Press Release Available At

[http://tinyurl.com/66fpuh]

AMI Partners Study: Small Businesses Embrace Social Networking In The U.S.

noreply@blogger.com (Gerry McKiernan) — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 20:30:00 +0000

The number of small businesses using such services will double in the next 12 months, says AMI.

New York, New York—November 3, 2008—More than 600,000 small businesses (SBs, or companies with up to 99 employees) in the United States will deploy integrated social networking services in the next 12 months—up from about 300,000 currently, according to the latest study by New York-based Access Markets International (AMI) Partners, Inc.

In percentage terms, 300,000 represents about 5% of the total number of SBs in the U.S. "As social networking evolves, we can see the emergence of targeted offerings for business users," says Nikki Lamba, New York-based analyst at AMI Partners. "In order to attract a greater share of SBs, social networking services must provide customized services that SBs can leverage in order to realize their business goals."

[snip]

The study also points out that over the next 12 months about 500,000 SBs will use social networking as a resource for advertising and promotional activities. As the number of social networking sites continues to multiply, particularly those aimed at SBs, the prospects of targeted advertising continue to remain positive. SBs can also tailor their social networking to create a stronger brand for their business and allow for communities to form around their product or service offering.

"As SBs struggle with the current economic downturn, business-focused social networking offers an effective, relatively inexpensive and lucrative opportunity to keep steady communication with existing partners and clients as well as incubating new relationships," says Ms. Lamba. "A growing number of businesses are already riding the wave and stand to gain from continued usage of social networking for business purposes. Those businesses not currently using social networking services will find that the resources available will be especially useful in competing under current market conditions."

[snip]

About the Study

AMI’s US Small Business Overview and Comprehensive Market Opportunity Assessment study highlights these and other major trends in the context of current/planned IT, Internet and communications usage and spending. Products and services covered include established and emerging hardware, software, applications and business process solutions.

Based on AMI’s annual survey of SMBs in the U.S., the studies track a broad spectrum of issues pertaining to budgets, purchase behaviors, decision influencers, channel preferences, outsourcing, service and support. Also covered are detailed firmographics and critically important technology attitudes and strategic planning priorities. This data points to key opportunities and messaging hot buttons for vendors and service providers seeking to match their offerings to SB market requirements.

For more information about this study, AMI-Partners, or our global SMB research, call 212-944-5100, e-mail ask_ami@ami-partners.com, or visit us at http://www.ami-partners.com.

Source

[http://www.ami-partners.com/ami/sections/Press/11-03-08_Social_Networking_USSB_w-slide.pdf]

Harnessing the Power and Potential of Social Networks

noreply@blogger.com (Gerry McKiernan) — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 18:35:00 +0000

Harnessing the Power and Potential of Social Networks Research and Markets / Guinness Centre, Taylors Lane, Dublin 8, Ireland / October 31 2008.

Todays corporations are keen to invest in promising social network technologies and services. IT departments are being called upon to help their organizations embrace this emerging trend. However, in order to harness the opportunities social networks present, you must first gain a deeper knowledge of social networks, including an understanding of how they work and their inherent power.

Harnessing the Power and Potential of Social Networks examines how social networks are evolving and discusses their power and potential -- things you need to know before you define your corporate social networking strategy. This report takes a comprehensive look at social networks and reviews some of their major applications. It then explores what social networks have to offer IT professionals, enterprises, and entrepreneurs. Finally, it discusses some of the limitations and risks involved with social networks, such as harnessing social networks for advertising.

This report will help you:

- Make use of social networks in your own organization for internal and customer-facing applications

- Explore the key characteristics of successful social networking sites

- Determine which approach to take when creating your social network

- Consider new value-added features and services that will be competitive differentiators for your social network

- Gain an understanding of the staggering valuation of sites such as Facebook

- Create a trusted social network environment- Identify some of the privacy and security problems encountered by users

- Appreciate the draw of social networks for the individual, including the desire to develop ones own social capital for personal and professional goals

- Leverage social network analysis and the 'social graph'

- Identify how IT can help address the risks and challenges of social networks

Youll explore 7 key requirements to building and maintaining a powerful social network. Youll gain an overview of related 'social' terms that harness the collective contribution of users, such as social bookmarking, social citations, social computing, and more. And youll learn how to build the infrastructure needed for searching and mining information scattered in social networks.
Plus, youll discover how to avoid online manipulation, misrepresentation, and anonymous sock puppeting in social networks. And youll explore the dark side of social networks, including dangers, risks, and privacy and security issues.

Finally, this report looks at the future of social networks, identifying and discussing several yet-to-be explored trends and potential opportunities. It considers the emergence of A-list, invitation-only social networks and it explores various business and professional social networks, such as Doostang, LinkedIn, SiliconIndia, and others.

Table Of Contents

Chapter 1. Your Guide to Understanding the Evolution, Power, and Potential of Online Social Networks

- What Is Social Networking- Platforms and Tools for Developing Online Social Networks

- Enriching Networks with Value-Added Features and Competitive Differentiators

- Features of an Effective Social Network

- Analyzing Your Social Network

- Application of Social Networks

- Understanding the Basics

- The Dark Side of Social Networks

- The Future of Social Networks

- Emerging Trends and Opportunities

- Social Networking and the Business

- IT Opportunities in Social Networks

Chapter 2. Can User-Generated Online Content Sell Your Product?

- Eric K. Clemons

- Rob Austin

- Tom DeMarco

- Ron Blitstein

- Lou Mazzucchelli

- Lynne Ellyn

- Tim Lister

- Christine Davis

- Ken Orr

Chapter 3. How Social Computing Is Redefining Content

- Documents

- Memes

- The Web as a Platform

Chapter 4. Mining Blogs for Business Benefits

- The Social Connection in Blogs

- Some Benefits of Corporate Blogging

- A Suggestive Approach for Blog Mining

- Vendor Scan

Sources

[http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reportinfo.asp?report_id=660386&t=d&cat_id=]

[http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reportinfo.asp?report_id=660386&t=t&cat_id=]

Prices

Electronic: EURO €261.00
Hard Copy: €261.00 + € 50.00 Shipping/Handling

Brochure/Order Form

[http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/660386/harnessing_the_power_and_potential_of_social.pdf]

Network Citizens: Power And Responsibility At Work

noreply@blogger.com (Gerry McKiernan) — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 18:29:00 +0000

Network Citizens: Power And Responsibility At Work

Peter Bradwell & Richard Reeves / London: Demos / October 2008 / 92 pages / ISBN 978-1-906693-04-6 / Open Access ; £10.00

At Work Humans are social animals, spinning intricate webs of relationships with friends, colleagues, neighbours and enemies. These networks have always been with us, but the advance of networking technologies, changes to our interconnected economy and an altering job market have super-charged the power of networking, catapulting it to the heart of organisational thinking.

Social networks are providing tremendous opportunities for people to collaborate. But until now, thinking has focused only on how organisations can respond to and capitalise on networks. This report argues that we have to look equally at how networks use organisations for their own ends. That is where the new contours of inequality and power lie that will shape the network world. We have to face networks’ dark side, as well as their very real potential.

Bringing together in-depth case studies of six organisations, Network Citizens maps the key fault-lines that people and organisations will have to address in the future world of work. Not doing so puts at risk the very qualities we had invested in them: openness, innovation, collaboration and meritocracy. Since networks can act for good or ill, incubating the talents and ideas of the many, or promoting the interests of the few, the need for a new set of responsibilities is growing. If we are network members, we must be network citizens, too.

[http://www.demos.co.uk/publications//networkcitizens]

Full Text Available At

[http://www.demos.co.uk/files/Network%20citizens%20-%20web.pdf]

News Coverage

BBC: Bosses 'Should Embrace Facebook'

[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7695716.stm]

NS2 Global Facebook Group Launched

noreply@blogger.com (Gerry McKiernan) — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 22:21:00 +0000

The NS2 Global Facebook Group is devoted to discussing the variety of online social network sites and services established to facilitate networking among communities with focused interests or purpose.

The Group is located at

[http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=33724644068]

It is a companion to the NS2 blog

[http://nichesocialnetworksites.blogspot.com/]

The NS2: Niche Social Network Sites Global Facebook Group was formally launched on November 6 2008.

NS2: Niche Social Network Sites Blog Launched

noreply@blogger.com (Gerry McKiernan) — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 17:02:00 +0000

NS2: Niche Social Network Sites Blog was formally launched on November 6 2008.

NS2 is devoted to documenting the variety of online social network sites and services established to facilitate networking among communities with focused interests or purpose.

NS2 will profile ***non-Library and non-Educational*** online social network sites/news/publications/etc.

NS2 is a companion blog to Friends: Social Networking Sites for Engaged Library Services and SciTechNet(sm):Science and Technology Networks.

NS2 will profile ***non-Library and non-Educational*** online socialnetworks sites/news/publications/etc.