Topic 10 Exercise 1

Exercise 1 Social networks case study

1. Who is following who?
a. D is following S, V & B
b. S is following D
c. V is following no-one
d. B is following D, V & S

2. Mapping POD as a matrix of connections
* D S V B
D 0 1 1 1
S 1 0 0 0
V 0 0 0 0
B 1 1 1 0

In the assignment the class was given the option to use another set of data that could be used. It is as follows:

1 follows 3 and 4
2 follows 1, 2 and 3
3 follows no-one
4 follows 2 only

The supplied data does differ to the data found in plotting the “following” of users of another social network (my POD group). In the Violet POD two participants were following everyone in the group. One was only following D and at the time V was not participating. This result is different to that of the data supplied. A point to note that in the supplied data is that not one person is following everyone in the group, compared to the POD group with two of its members following the work of all of its members.

I am of the option that the trend of followers does change. What prompts these changes could include a range of issues such as relevance, content, creativity, language used and adaptability of information. I see these issues as the guidelines for success of a social network, if the application used in the network is not user friendly then it won’t be successful (maybe this is what user V and 3 found). Perhaps the users 4 and S thought that the content, creativity and expression of only one person in their group related to their own needs. B and D may have found all facets that made up the network useful and that is why they followed all of the members.