Introduction
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Social networking environments gain their strength through the semantic power of connections amongst groups of people. If I am a member of a certain group, I can gain access to their knowledge and their preferences. Group membership derives from either direct linking or joining (e.g., Facebook or Flickr streams) or from semantic filtering (e.g., when I am steered toward certain information or spaces that a certain group of others is also steered toward). Social networks are a rapidly emerging area of software and online community application.
Social networking sites contain a significant amount of personal information and many people leave them open for the world to view. People inadvertently may be providing bits and pieces of personal information such as dates of birth, addresses, employer's name that criminals can use to create new identities. These sites are also sources of information for law enforcement and private investigators as well as participants' employers looking to vet employees for promotions or pre-employment screening. This can be a more serious risk for younger users such as high school students who may become targets for predators. Education about the risks of using any technology should be mandatory.
Pedagogical Goals and Approaches
Resources
Knowledge Media within this theme
Social Networking Environments Tools
Implementations
Design Ideas
Design Ideas with a Social Networking Component
