2024年1月18日发(作者：)

Social networking service

A social networking service is an online service, platform, or site that focuses on facilitating the building of social

networks or social relations among people who, for example, share interests, activities, backgrounds, or real-life

connections. A social network service consists of a representation of each user (often a profile), his/her social links,

and a variety of additional services. Most social network services are web-based and provide means for users to

interact over the Internet, such as e-mail and instant messaging. Online community services are sometimes considered

as a social network service, though in a broader sense, social network service usually means an individual-centered

service whereas online community services are group-centered. Social networking sites allow users to share ideas,

activities, events, and interests within their individual networks.

History

The potential for computer networking to facilitate newly improved forms of computer-mediated social interaction

was suggested early on. Efforts to support social networks via computer-mediated communication were made in

many early online services, including Usenet, ARPANET, LISTSERV, and bulletin board services (BBS). Many

prototypical features of social networking sites were also present in online services such as America Online, Prodigy,

CompuServe, and The WELL. Early social networking on the World Wide Web began in the form of generalized

online communities such as , Geocities (1994) and (1995). Many of these early

communities focused on bringing people together to interact with each other through chat rooms, and encouraged

users to share personal information and ideas via personal webpages by providing easy-to-use publishing tools and

free or inexpensive webspace. Some communities - such as - took a different approach by simply

having people link to each other via email addresses. In the late 1990s, user profiles became a central feature of social

networking sites, allowing users to compile lists of "friends" and search for other users with similar interests. New

social networking methods were developed by the end of the 1990s, and many sites began to develop more advanced

features for users to find and manage friends.[12] This newer generation of social networking sites began to flourish

with the emergence of in 1997,[13] followed by Makeoutclub in 2000, Hub Culture and Friendster

in 2002, and soon became part of the Internet mainstream. Friendster was followed by MySpace and LinkedIn a year

later, and eventually Bebo. Attesting to the rapid increase in social networking sites' popularity, by 2005, it was

reported that MySpace was getting more page views than Google. Facebook, launched in 2004, became the largest

social networking site in the world in early 2009.

Social networks and science

One other use that is being discussed is the use of social networks in the science communities. Julia Porter have

published a study on how new biotechnology firms are using social networking sites to share exchanges in scientific

knowledge.[33] They state in their study that by sharing information and knowledge with one another, they are able

to "increase both their learning and their flexibility in ways that would not be possible within a self-contained

hierarchical organization." Social networking is allowing scientific groups to expand their knowledge base and share

ideas, and without these new means of communicating their theories might become "isolated and irrelevant".

Social networks and education

Social networks are also being used by teachers and students as a communication tool. Because many students are

already using a wide range of social networking sites, teachers have begun to familiarize themselves with this trend

and are now using it to their advantage. Teachers and professors are doing everything from creating chat-room

forums and groups to extend classroom discussion to posting assignments, tests and quizzes, to assisting with

homework outside of the classroom setting. Social networks are also being used to foster teacher-parent

communication. These sites make it possible and more convenient for parents to ask questions and voice concerns

without having to meet face-to-face. The advent of social networking platforms may also be impacting the way(s) in

which learners engage with technology in general.

The use of online social networks by libraries is also an increasingly prevalent and growing tool that is being used to

communicate with more potential library users, as well as extending the services provided by individual libraries.

Social Interaction

Put simply, social networking is a way for one person to meet up with other people on the net. People use social

networking sites for meeting new friends, finding old friends, or locating people who have the same problems or

interests they have, called niche networking.

More and more relationships and friendships are being formed online and then carried to an offline setting.

Psychologist and University of Hamburg professor Erich H. Witte says that relationships which start online are much

more likely to succeed. Witte has said that in less than 10 years, online dating will be the predominant way for people

to start a relationship.[39] One online dating site claims that 2% of all marriages begin at its site, the equivalent of

236 marriages a day. Other sites claim 1 in 5 relationships begin online.

Social networking sites play a vital role in this area as well. Being able to meet someone as a "friend" and see what

common interests you share and how you have built up your friend base and "likes" you can truly see a fuller picture

of the person you are talking with. Most sites are free instead of being pay based which allows younger people with

stricter budgets to enjoy some of the same features as those of adults who are more likely to be able to afford pay

based sites. While not the intended or original use for these social sites, a large area of their current function has

stemmed from people wanting to meet other people in person and with the extremely busy schedules of most people,

it is a fast, reliable and easy way in which to do so that costs you little time and money (if any).

According to ComScore, up to end of November 2011:Worldwide Unique Visitors Percentage

792,999,000 55.1 %

167,903,000 11.7 %

94,823,000 6.6 %

Google+ 66,756,000 4.6 %

MySpace 61,037,000 4.2 %

Others 255,539,000 17.8 %

Total 1,438,877,000 100 %

World Usage

According to ComScore, as of December 2011, Israel leads the world in the time spent in social networks online,

followed closely by Argentina.

In the media

In December 2010, Time Magazine named Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg as person of the year.

Released in 2010, The Social Network is a film dramatizing the origin of Facebook.