#9 - MySpace and social networks
Way back when we were looking at Flickr (okay, that was only two weeks ago), we talked some about social networking sites. This week we'll expand the conversation and you'll get to see them in action.
Today we focus on the basics.
Social networking sites are websites that offer connections between users based on shared interests, backgrounds, and other associations. In most cases you have to create a profile to fully participate - these note basic details about yourself (screen name, etc.) and offer an opportunity to get more detailed (more about you - your favorite music, your background, photos of yourself, etc). It's truly a mix - some users keep it simple whilst others go all out, detailing their interests, their hopes and their dreams. And are some users less than honest than others in their self-assessments? Absolutely...
Friends, Connections
What really makes these sites tick is the connection between users. This is very similar to the connecting concept behind Flickr tags - you can find people based on shared interests and traits. But there's more - you also get to approach other users and invite them to declare an association with you. Some sites call your associations 'friends,' others call them 'contacts.' We'll talk more about this on Wednesday...
Popular Social Networking Sites
The first was Friendster, way back in 2003. Friendster developed a small following (and its still in use) but never caught on widely. The big problem was their restrictive participation policy - it was limited to individuals.
Next came MySpace which, for all intents and purposes, copied the best parts of Friendster and then upped the ante - they opened participation to non-individuals. Bands, clubs, community groups and, yes, even libraries were encouraged to create profiles that would improve the richness of the MySpace online community. And that was key - with the inclusion of these group entities, MySpace became a real life community where users logged in to do more than just connect with their friends. To this day MySpace remains the most popular social networking site out there.
But, of course, there's an increasingly popular competitor out there - Facebook. Facebook started as a college-oriented network but has since opened its doors to everyone else. And it's catching on - I've heard many stories from teens who have left MySpace because it's gotten "too popular" and have moved to FaceBook.
And then there's Second Life. Second Life is a very different type of online community - users download software to their computers, create avatars (online versions of themselves), and interact with whomever they meet.
But why should libraries care?
It's all about relevance. Libraries need to be where our patrons are. If a library has a presence on MySpace or Facebook they have a better chance of finding patrons who don't often come into their buildings or go to their websites (especially teens) and promoting their fabulous services. And KCLS is getting there - our first MySpace page launched in late 2006 and we expect to see branch/cluster level MySpace pages as well as a Facebook profile up in the coming year.
And it's not just KCLS - look at this list of libraries on MySpace from YALSA.
But even with these examples, are you really buying this? Let's try convincing you with some real life happenings - in this week's podcast David talks to Dawn Rutherford and Rick Orsillo about their experiences using MySpace to connect with their teen patrons.
Click the Play button above
to hear this week's Podcast (3:06)
And now to today's low-stress Discovery Exercise.
- Read some of the articles linked below (we're being vague here on purpose - try to read at least one from each category - most of these are fairly short blog postings).
- What do you think about libraries taking part in social networking sites? Create a blog posting with your thoughts.
- Libraryman w/ a great answer to 'why?'
- David Lee King writes about libraries on Myspace
- Librarian In Black polls librarians - read the comments...
- Stephen Abram writes about the library context (this one is longer)
- It's really popular: Facebook's Astounding Stats
Second Life
- An interesting take from the Infoblog
- Stephen Abram on businesses in second life
That's lots to think about, so we'll stop there for today.
Next up: Create your own MySpace page...
