I just recently started college
and one of the subjects on my course is "social software" which means at somepoint i will have to study a social networking site and probably have to make a profile.

needless to say this qotw is putting me off a little bit :p

my experience with social networking is limited, there's my friends reunited story below and there was a time when i briefly had a myspace profile that i got bored of and deleted after 2 weeks or so.

still i can always badger the lecturer to let me use steam, but if not i have to ask a favour of b3ta. would anyone object to me quoting their story in an anti myspace/facebook/watever report for college?
(panda_sam, Mon 15 Sep 2008, 12:20, 12 replies)

I give you permission to use any of my stories.
You won't find any better than mine.
Good luck.
( Cawl, Mon 15 Sep 2008, 12:23, closed)

*splutters*
Making a facebook profile counts as getting an education nowardays? Christ.

*scampers up ivory tower*
( Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Mon 15 Sep 2008, 12:30, closed)

yes, it does count
I teach a very similar subject, as it happens :)
( crackhouseceilidhband Fuck off back to Mumsnet, Mon 15 Sep 2008, 12:48, closed)

...
I've often witnessed you testifying to its academic integrity, too...
( Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Mon 15 Sep 2008, 13:58, closed)

just because I described it as
"Web 2.0 bollix" doesn't mean I won't take the £3K grant for course development.
( crackhouseceilidhband Fuck off back to Mumsnet, Mon 15 Sep 2008, 15:01, closed)

I FUCKING HATE THESE NESTED FUCKING REPLIES
that's all
( crackhouseceilidhband Fuck off back to Mumsnet, Mon 15 Sep 2008, 12:49, closed)

It could be worse.
Somehow.
The text could be yellow.
( Cawl, Mon 15 Sep 2008, 12:54, closed)

Hang on
We can reply to a reply as well as the original post? But it only seems to count the replies to the post?

Huh?
(TheWeeWitch hasn't been here much recently .., Mon 15 Sep 2008, 13:42, closed)

Steam as social networking research....
That could be quite an interesting one panda - though I think you might need to compare the behaviour of Steam users to people on Facebook/MySpace. How willing are people to add random people as a friend, how much interaction do they have with the people on their friends list, how big are their friend lists on Steam compared to Facebook etc.? Plenty of possible material there.

Another interesting point is that on Steam profiles there's usually very little personal information, so you're more likely to find out personal stuff about people by actively talking to them (cv_alltalk for the win) rather than passively reading it.

Anyway, I'm on your list of Steam friends, so if you need to send me a questionnaire at some point go right ahead :)
(annexed, Mon 15 Sep 2008, 13:50, closed)

:D
thanks doll, you're a star.

but this is only if i can wing it past my lecturer.

*fingers crossed*
(panda_sam, Mon 15 Sep 2008, 13:58, closed)

Good luck
I'd assume that anyone running a 'social software' course couldn't afford to be stuck in their ways, because the field moves on so quickly at the moment. You couldn't be restrictive when it comes to new networks - who would have thought not long ago Twitter would gain any serious following, but now 10 Downing Street does Twitter...

So just tell the lecturer that he/she can't afford to be behind the times, and make sure you've got some good hypotheses to propose at the time you make your bid.

As it happens a couple of my work colleagues are doing an analysis of how political candidates are using Facebook at the moment - could be quite interesting.
(annexed, Mon 15 Sep 2008, 14:13, closed)

Go one further than a regular social networking site;
do Second Life! I guarantee you, it is hilarious. It doesn't have a seedy underbelly, because it's all seedy and disgusting all-over. Furries and Nazi pedos abound everywhere. You'll be educated and entertained.
(Seance Trumpet has got no beef with a man enjoying a croissant, Tue 16 Sep 2008, 22:00, closed)