Social computing
Social computing encompasses digital devices and applications that facilitate social interaction among individuals. This concept includes various platforms such as instant messaging, video sharing services, forums, and social media, all of which enable users to communicate, share content, and create communities online. Instant messaging allows for real-time text communication across the globe, while video sharing platforms facilitate the distribution of user-generated videos to wide audiences. Forums serve as virtual spaces for public discussions on shared interests, allowing for the preservation and searchability of conversations.
Social media represents a prominent segment of social computing, enabling users to upload and share life events, photos, and videos, while also connecting with friends and family or meeting new people. Many social networking services integrate instant messaging features, enhancing connectivity. Additionally, some platforms cater to professional networking, allowing users to share resumes and connect with industry peers, while others focus on matchmaking for dating. Overall, social computing reflects humanity's intrinsic need for social connection and collaboration, adapting to technological advancements over time to foster community and communication.
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Subject Terms
Social computing
Social computing services allow people to communicate, share media, and form groups online by using digital devices such as computers, tablets, and smartphones. Common forms of social computing include instant messaging, video services, forums, and social media services. Instant messaging allows people across the world to communicate with one another. Video services allow users to upload videos, which can be shared with people across the world. Forums allow users to have public conversations about specific topics, which are indexed and searched by other users.
One of the most prominent types of social computing is social media. Social media allows users to upload pictures, videos, and life events. It also allows users to network with other people they may know. Social media services share user uploads with others on behalf of the user, helping to keep friends up to date on the users’ lives. Many people utilize social media to keep in touch with distant friends and family. Others use it to meet new people and to share media they produce. Many social media services also come bundled with an integrated instant messaging service, allowing users to immediately strike up a conversation with others.
Background
Social computing first developed in the 1950s. During this time, early “hackers” broke into telephone networks, using the networks to make free calls. Though this illegal practice carries little resemblance to modern social computing, it was one of the first occasions where regular people were utilizing computer technology to communicate. Additionally, some of these hackers used the service to develop the precursors to blogs and podcasts.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the first electronic Bulletin Board Systems (BBS) were developed and put into use. These systems fostered the first true online communities. Users were able to utilize a dial-up connection that ran on phone lines to access the systems. The BBS included message boards and community files, which users could download to their own devices. Many users developed communities based around common interests.
After the development of BBS, commercial internet services entered the market. These services made it easier for the average person to access the internet, including social services like BBS. Early commercial internet services included CompuServe and Prodigy. They were commonly used by both individuals and corporations. The appeal of such services was significantly broadened in 1991, when the World Wide Web was released. With the World Wide Web, users could easily set up internet connections in their homes.
As the internet became more accessible to the average person, many more companies began to invest in specialized computer applications that could be mass-marketed. Instant messaging services, in which users could rapidly send messages to anyone else connected to the internet, quickly grew in popularity. File-sharing applications allowed users to easily share music, videos, and other media. The first social networking websites allowed users to share videos, pictures, and life events with one another more easily than ever before. Eventually, the invention of smartphones allowed users to update their social media whenever they wished.
Overview
Social computing refers to any digital device, application, or program that facilitates social interaction between two people. Humans are social organisms, and evolved to seek a sense of belonging in a social group. Social computing allows people to simulate social gatherings at a distance. It also allows people to share information with one another more rapidly than ever before.
Instant messaging is a commonly-utilized social computing service. Instant messaging platforms digitally transmit text messages from one device to another. These devices may be desktop computers, tablets, or cellular phones. They allow people anywhere in the world to instantaneously communicate with one another.
Other services include internet forums, also called message boards. These services are similar to the BBS of the past. They allow users that share a common interest to come together and discuss that interest. In most cases, conversations on message boards are public and are saved indefinitely. This allows users to search previous conversations, making forums convenient for research.
Video sharing services, such as YouTube and Twitch, also serve as a form of social computing. These services take video recorded by users—including tutorials, video blogs, and commentary—and then publish those videos on behalf of the user. They allow an individual internet user to reach an extremely large audience.
Social networking services have become one of the most popular forms of social computing. These services, such as Facebook and Twitter, allow a user to build a digital profile of themselves. The service then allows the user to network with people who have similar interests, or people who the user knows in their daily or professional life. Users share statuses, pictures, and media that they enjoy with one another. Most services allow users to pick who sees specific content, allowing them to tailor their own audience. Additionally, many social media services come coupled with an instant messenger. This allows users to get to know new people online, or to easily strike up conversations with friends and family.
Some social computing services, such as LinkedIn, are geared towards the professional world. They allow users to upload resumes filled with their work experience, and easily share that information with potential employers. These services also tend to allow users to connect with coworkers or other members of the same industry, helping users to build a strong professional network.
Other social computing services are targeted towards people looking to date. These services have users fill out surveys detailing their preferences for potential partners. The service then analyzes users’ responses before attempting to match users that gave compatible responses.
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