I'm trying to compile the book "Social Media - An Introduction" (published Oct 2010). During the writing do I like short chapters here on the blog - hoping to get feedback so that the book gets even better. Depending on what you think about the text, I will change the content more or less to the finished book - below is thus only a first draft. Even after the release are interesting comments, for future updates to the book.
What is social media?
Social media now cover much of the activity on the Internet that the very definition of the term is becoming less important. Even now occupied nearly a quarter of our total online time of social media. These are becoming Internet.
Brit Stakston defines social media as a "digital forms of communication through which we share experiences, experiences, opinions and content with each other" (1). Facebook, blogs, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Wikipedia - all are examples of how the network user to control content and distribution. Not only to acquire information, but also himself be involved in designing and communicating it. Sharing of links to things they like, for example, by clicking on the Facebook thumbs-up symbol, which begins to show an increasing number of sites outside of Facebook. And perhaps most of all to simply hang out and create relationships with other people.
In most cases, these are free services, where the basic functions are easy to master and whose only investment required is the time you spend.
Social media has an impact on much of the rest of the network. On numerous sites given the visitors a simple opportunity to share their site's content via eg Facebook or Twitter. Or to provide feedback directly on the site.
The lines between social media and the rest of the network blurred. Why does not the definition of matter that much anymore. More important is rather to know how to avail themselves of the opportunities offered by the network as a whole offers. And even more basic, why to do it.
Footnotes:
(1) Brit Stakston: Politics 2.0. The art of using social media. (Beijbom Books, 2010)
See also draft of the book's Regulation
kommentarer… läs dem nedan eller lägg till en } {5 comments ... read them below or add one }
Simple and clear! Think it is right to move away from the idea that social media is somewhat limited in use by some people / companies / agencies or whatever it may be and instead see social interaction as one of the great opportunities and benefits of the network.
In addition to Facebook, blogs, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn & Wikipedia, the comment engine Disqus sailed up to become a small part of social media. Here are links to blah. Facebook and Twitter and the comments themselves are becoming more vivid communication instead of static text from top to bottom.
Anna: Nice to hear from other sources too! The thing is that I could write to any length what social media is all about, but I think frankly it does not give so much to the reader. Better to move on to the fun chapter.
Recep Tomatoes: Good that you mention Disqus! I had not thought of. I will probably not play it in this chapter - I stick to the most famous examples here - but it will definitely have its own short chapter later in this book. Thank you!
Hello Mattias
Fun to sneak read a bit here. However, I would define social media a little tighter, as a medium without a given framework in which the participating govern the content and target the other participants. Twitter is the best example, where the frame is 140 characters and then nothing more. Facebook is also a good example where the objective is to be social.
Though the definition complicates the matter a bit, for a particular blog then is no social media, but blogs that group is a social media. Wikipedia is then no social media, it's very controlled what and how to write about. Forums are also no social media in the definition, most forums have given scope and topics you have to stay within.
But really, I would not lock up and define media in this way, for as long as you can write a text can be social, even on Wikipedia and forums. So really it's not the medium that is socially, there are people who use it. It is quite often encountered anti-social users even in the most social medium like Twitter. And then there are always people who are social in all circumstances, even when they fill out forms for Social Insurance, the most anti-social and impersonal I know.
Johan: Thanks for the comments! It is extremely rewarding to get feedback - especially when the thoughts and ideas on leadership. It feels like how one defines social media as it becomes either a too wide or too narrow description. I'll think about how I can incorporate your thoughts into text. Probably, I will jump back to this particular chapter and reformulate it when the rest of the book is finished.
trackbacks } {2 trackbacks}