Reading Notes
Giuseppe Riva,
Social networks , Il Mulino, Bologna 2010
Chapter 1 What is a social network
resumes and widely used definition of Boyd and Ellison that the constituent elements of a social network are: 1. profile, 2. the network of users, 3. opportunity to explore the networks of other users (p.17). [The article can be found online: DM Boyd and NB Ellison (2007),
Social Network Sites: Definition, History and Scholarship , "Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication ', URL:
http://jcmc.indiana. edu/vol13/issue1/boyd.ellison.html . Boyd is a character on the topic of interest: Ito has worked with the MacArthur Foundation to research published by MIT.]
Two particularly interesting aspects. The first concerns the different uses of narrative in the Web 2.0, different use of the narrative that marks the transition from blogs to social networks: "If at first the stories were mostly descriptive in nature, progressively users have used them creatively to define their social identity" (p. 15). The second concerns the concept of "interrealtà ," that social space created by the union of real life to cyberspace (p. 16, p. 27). It would be important to deepen such a vision by comparing it with other theories of the virtual.
Also of note: The various ways
report on social networking sites (such as equal in Facebook, a star, that is asymmetrical, in Twitter) (p. 18).
The concept of impression management
on "how to present the people who make up the network "(p. 19).
The description of the stages of adoption of new technology, referring to Everett Rogers (p. 21).
The analysis of the needs addressed by social networks (pp. 22 et seq.)
The issue of emotions in a virtual context: the issue of emotional literacy (p. 31-32).
Chapter 2 History of Social Network
The chapter focuses on the birth and evolution of social networks (pp. 78 et seq.) Important approach to avoid flattening the present.
Another central aspect is the indication given of any developments. Three lines are identified: 1. the cross-media relationship with a more more closely with the mobile phone and television (pp. 88-90), 2. growing importance of the avatar with the prospect of a merger between social networks and the MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playng games) (pp. 90 et seq.) [This playful intrigues me very much], 3. redefinition of friendship that will be on different levels (pp. 92 et seq)
A reference to the blog: "In practice we can consider the blog as the" fathers "of social networks" (p. 73).
More pages are devoted to Twitter (pp. 85 et seq.)
Chapter 3 Social networks as social spaces
hybrids are presented a series of observations on virtual communities. Significant reference to educational use of virtual communities (pp. 120-121), which refers to Cacciamani [the great Stephen!] Calvani 2005 [but did not find mentioned in the Bibliography] and Mazzoni.
Chapter 4 The social networking opportunities
deserves to be taken up and developed the relationship between the notion of a gift and that of social networks (p. 141) [the extent to which social networks intersect with the discourse of Latouche and Pallante Luigino Bruni on one side and the other?]
Chapter 5 The dark side of social networks [the title is rhetorically effective ... a quote from Star Wars?]
considerations especially interesting in the educational dimension. Two aspects to note: 1. the risks of identity fluid (p. 149) and 2. The emotional illiteracy (p. 149).
