Reflection

Overall, this class was a valuable learning experience because I was able to discover new methods of CMC that are prevalent in our lives. Also, I was able to learn about the effectiveness of social networking and how it can work to our advantage. Lastly, I was able to grasp the concepts of a virtual community and how it can differ from an online group.

Throughout the class it was interesting to realize how much we rely on CMC in our everyday lives and how cell phones in particular have become our main method of communication. This was especially evident in our week long technology fast in which we were not allowed to communicate using computer mediated means. Although it was difficult, it was a great way to understand the importance of face to face communication and reduce our reliance of CMC. However it is important to remember, the majority of communication is now done online and through the means of cell phone rather than face to face.

Most people know Facebook as a social networking site but we experienced other sites including LinkdIn. I felt it was important for college students especially seniors to utilize networks such as this. One of the best ways to get a job is through association with someone you know and its pivotal to apply the advantages of technology and networking. In reference to Facebook, we also conducted a survey that allowed us to analyze if Westminster College had an addiction to this site. Although we did not find statistical evidence that Westminster had an addiction it was an interesting topic to research.

Lastly, following an online group helped to truly understand the important aspects that communities rely on. It was a great for us to apply our readings and online class into our findings within our group.

In conclusion, I was able to learn a vast amount of information that may be useful in my endeavors as a businessman. I am certain I will be exposed to numerous amounts of CMC as well as social networking after I graduate and I am eager to incorporate everything I have learned.

The Koobface Virus

In one of our most recent class assignments every student was assigned a particular social network to explore. It was very interesting to learn about the dozens of social networks we may not be familiar with. After discussing these networks, I thought it would be interesting to check several news affiliated websites to find if there were recent articles concerning social networks. I was able to find this very interesting article concerning one of the most popular social networking sites, Facebook. The article discussed the most current virus related issues Facebook has been exposed to.

Nearly 120 million Facebook users have been targeted by the Koobface virus that uses the messaging system of social networks to infect PCs and gather sensitive information. The virus was developed by hackers to impact the largest number of internet users and what better to achieve that than using social networks. We have learned that social networks are rising in popularity and are some of the most common websites visited. Also, Facebook users receive multiple messages per day and many, including myself, do not take the time to read the sender of every message. It is imperative for college students, the most common users of Facebook, to be cautious of any messages they receive.

The messages are generally encoded with an alluring subject line and ask the user if they would like to update their flash player. Once the individual’s PCs becomes infected they are then taken to contaminated sites when they attempt to use Google, Yahoo and MSN. Facebook has attempted to protect their integrity by requiring that only users with accounts can post messages and they have posted a link to instruct users on how to clean their infected computer. However, this is not the first attack against social networks by hackers. Myspace was infected in August with the same virus but it was later eradicated. McAfee, a leader in security management has not yet identified the perpetrators, but they are looking into the problem. Some users have complained that their computers have actually been destroyed by this virus.

I think cases similar to this will begin to appear more often with the popularity and extensive use of social networks. Also, we have learned that many individuals are becoming addicted to social networks and will continue to use these websites in excess. Apart from addiction, social networks are also being used for professional purposes potentially compromising sensitive business information. The more individuals use social networks the more likely they will be targeted by vicious viruses such as the Koobface.

Social Networking for Professionals

During one of our most recent class discussions we learned about LinkedIn and other social networks businesses are beginning to utilize. Generally our generation thinks of Facebook and Myspace when we hear the term “social network.” However, traditional social networking is displaying more professional qualities because as the old adage states, it’s not about how much you know, it’s about who you know.

After researching the impact of social networking in the business world, I discovered an interesting article focusing on virtual meetings and the professional advantages of services such as LinkedIn and Ryze. Although Facebook and Myspace, have proven to be effective in terms of expanding friendships and relationships they have yet to delve into professional networking. According to the article, online professional networking is becoming an extensive source of information and a method of facilitating communication. Also, the White Paper stated business networking is a perfect way to expand their personal networks and encourage content development through interaction.

LinkedIn helps professionals create an online profile with their professional accreditations and goals. Individuals can then network with other contacts, also allowing the user to see the networks of others. As we discussed in our class discussion of LinkedIn, it eliminates the mundane exchange of business cards and the risk of losing contact information. According to the article, networking sites similar LinkedIn have the potential to eliminate face to face meetings with the growing capabilities of web-based, live communication. Through these applications interviews, introductions and meetings can be conducted through a professional environment from offices throughout the world.

Professional networking can also be used to effectively create business events and group development. Groups can communicate instantaneously and continuously via networking applications. Constant communication is an important way to evolve group efficiency and establish goal congruency among the members. Also, the White Paper stated that two-way communication is vital among professionals as well as customers. According to the article, LinkedIn helps professionals not only search within contacts but also search within various industries. Both the contact and industry search make it relatively simple for a professional to develop a target audience for their business events.

In the future, many professionals believe that business networking will become a primary method of meeting other businesspeople and exchanging information. New applications and increased popularity will force networking sites to develop subscription and membership fees if they have not already done so. However, cost is a small factor because professionals are realizing the benefits of network expansion in a virtual sense.

Negativity is Everywhere

With one of the most negative elections occurring less than a week ago it was it was ironic that I came across this article that focused on negativity and its online impact. Several websites such as justrage.com and mybiggestcomplaint.com are solely devoted to the concept of venting negative feelings and are often inappropriate. Before observing these websites I never realized the amount of negative perceptions and feelings flowing through the internet, for example the first item displayed on justrage.com is “Angry? Tell us about it.”

We have learned throughout our class discussions that the Internet can be used negatively for purposes such as flaming and bullying. Within this article it alluded to the important point that individuals can remain anonymous online, thus saying things they would not have normally said in person. Many people find it difficult to be aggressive in face to face communication because you have to live up to your remarks and people can be judged by their moods and facial movements. The article also stated that people attempt to convey power and voice their opinions through their internet rants.

Negativity is also present in celebrity websites and blogs. For example self-proclaimed gossip columnist Perez Hilton has grown in popularity for his famous rants and raves of celebrities. We have also seen internet negativity displayed in such movies Mean Girls. This movie involves teenagers starting rumors about other students and which is done very easily via the Internet. Comments by teenagers can travel instantly and theoretically have worldwide ramifications. This type of cyber bullying is an easy method individuals utilize to convey negativity through rumors and intimidation.

Sadly teenagers such as Megan Meier, have lost their lives to rumors or hoaxes through cyber bullying and online vitriol. In order to prevent more devastating moments, many websites have become accustom to flagging. In our Metasecurity article, we learned that several websites such as the WELL and craigslist are self policing themselves by flagging inappropriate content.

In an earlier class reading we discovered that online negativity and anger has led many people to misinterpret online messages because of egocentrism. People often have difficulty detaching themselves from their own perspective and can not identify with others perspectives. The spread of egocentrism has also led to the influx of online negativity.

CMC has made it easy to promote violence in many different ways and the ramifications are often large. The only way to prevent this negativity from spreading is for parents to monitor their children’s online activity. It is impossible to prevent these types of incidents from happening in the real world and online, however websites must be held accountable for user activity on their sites.

The Virtual Economy of Second Life

Following our Second Life experience I decided to research a little deeper into the virtual economy within this online community. Being a Business Administration, I guess you could say I was curious learn about the monies exchanged, Linden Dollars, and the idea of businesses being established within Second Life. Also, I was curious to see if the characteristics of the virtual economy differed from our current economic struggles. Much of Second Life’s economy is directed towards socializing which is a characteristic we learned through our Literature Review reading. The more members want to socialize, the more money they are likely to spend in the virtual attempting to fit in with the online society. The article I discovered has many different interesting perspectives from CEO Matt Kingdon on the future and maturity of Second Life.

Similar to other products, Second Life’s hype is beginning to settle down and many of the members are beginning to look at the long term success of this virtual community. From a business standpoint this is completely normal for a product to be highly anticipated and then begin to mature. Although Second Life has followed this pattern, their software and products must remain innovative to expand their target audience.

Second Life is remaining innovative because businesses such as Best Buy are purchasing real estate to advertise and creating informational kiosks that can be utilized in this virtual world. Surprisingly the influence of businesses does not stop here. According to the article, businesses are also using this virtual community as method of recruiting, product demonstrations and training sessions. It appears that the line between the real world and virtual world is blurred with the expanding capabilities of Second Life.

Businesses are enhancing their CMC through Second Life. They are beginning to conduct virtual meetings and workshops in order to develop prototype products. Virtual conferencing does provide several advantages and disadvantages. One advantage is the possibility of synchronous communication that we discussed in Successful Strategies in Online Education, because conversations occur from various locations simultaneously. However it is difficult for businesses to adhere to their core values, ethics and quality through the method of Second Life virtual conferencing.

Our business world and more specifically our economy is under intense scrutiny and if businesses are not careful they can tarnish their reputation if they neglect to monitor their online activity. Overall it will be interesting to see what the future holds for Second Life and their developing economy.

Online Alter Egos

MTV’s True Life documentaries are known for their shocking, real and often emotional moments. The women featured in this episode found a battle within themselves and their alter ego on the web. The episode, I Live Another Life on the Web, and this article I discovered are both very pertinent to many of our class discussions. Not surprisingly, these issues occur frequently and affect many individuals throughout their lives.

During our various class discussions, we have agreed that many individuals use the web as a convenient method to hide their insecurities. Also, in one of our most recent handouts we discussed different terms that we use to define ourselves. Among these terms we discussed that, many of these women had an unrealistic self-concept and unhealthy methods of developing their self-esteem.

It is very simple for an individual, such as the women in the episode and the article, to discover hidden confidences through their online identities. However, the results can be positive because various users such as Keiko, a Second Life user from True Life, were able to build their confidence online and slowly direct their energy to everyday life. On the subject of Second Life, the article discussed the lack of physical barriers when an individual uses this 3-D virtual world. This is a valid point because an individual who is not physically capable can meet other people from around the world, without being judged on their differences.

Second Life users are able to configure their “avatar” to be something or someone they have always desired. To be fair, I am sure many users model the avatar after themselves, but it is still difficult to convey an accurate portrayal of individual’s personality. In addition, online alter egos allow individuals to delay their problems, such as social anxiety in the case of Judy from True Life. It is simple to use an alter ego as a quick fix, but generally the solutions are not long term.

However, there are many problems with users becoming dependent on their online alter ego. People are not being themselves and potentially giving others a false sense of relationship. Are relationships developed online focused more on a user’s real world persona or their alter ego? This is a difficult question to answer and it may be subjective depending upon the individual and their online participation.

The individuals featured in the article and documentary, have expressed various reasons for their online participation, but the results are similar. They are living another life losing sight of valuable face-to-face communication and their desire to evolve themselves into the person they want to be.

The Evolution of Social Networking Sites

We often think of social networking sites such as Facebook and Myspace as a method to keep in touch with friends, share photos and develop relationships. However, this article takes a slightly different approach to social sites. According to the article, social networks are going corporate in order to enhance the communication among works and increase their productivity.

As I was reading this article, I was thinking back to our most recent class discussion on the distinctions between a group, community and social network. Most of our class, including myself, agreed that social networks generally are used for self-gain and they can be somewhat vague. However, after reading the article, it appears that social networks are evolving beyond self-gain into an effective communication method to combat the unstable economy.

It is important to note that these social networking sites are not your traditional Facebook and Myspace. While they carry the same concept, their specifics are very different. Most of the corporate social networks are private for employee use only and they have been proven to reduce the amount of unnecessary material generally associated with e-mail. Another major advantage is the wealth of information that is spread quickly on an international level improving business operations for both companies and consumers. Among the noticeable improvements is worker productivity because workers can ask company related questions and develop a unique corporate culture.

As I re-read the article, several of the characteristics of these sites are very similar to the list of attributes we compiled in our class discussion about online communities. In our class discussion, we listed the important aspects of a community including: regularity among multiple members, discussions, shared/directed information, shared interest and expanded knowledge. Many of the preceding terms are also used when describing corporate social networks. During our online class unit, we read a literature review, which stated the reason why most people choose to join a virtual community is to access information (Furlong, 1989; S.G. Jones, 1995; Wellman et al., 1996). Information exchange is also one of the foremost reasons companies are shifting to social networks, displaying another important similarity.

As corporate social sites are becoming more common and effective, I believe we will see an evolution from social networks into online communities. Online communities will allow companies to develop international connections and disseminate information efficiently.