Test Drive #4 - Social Networking

Social Networking Services sound great as a means to connect with friends and family no matter where they are.

However, privacy issues come to mind as a potential problem. An article in the Tech Herald highlights some proposed changes to Facebook allowing the use of users' names, likeness' and content for any purpose: http://www.thetechherald.com/article.php/200908/2965/Facebook-TOS-raises-some-privacy-issues. However, due to public outcry, Facebook did a backflip and vowed to change it's terms. Here is the follow up article outlining Facebook's response: http://www.thetechherald.com/article.php/200908/2987/Privacy-complaints-force-Facebook-to-backtrack-on-service-changes. Facebook is being encouraged to consider allowing users to be able to delete all information about themselves from the site, including back-ups, so their personal information is not always there for others to use as they wish. This is a real concern as once information is posted to the internet it is generally there forever and personal information may be used by others without permission of the owner.

It is interesting to note in the article about Facebook backtracking on service changes, that Facebook "faces" strong direct competition from Twitter, another social networking site. What is fascinating and unique about Twitter, is it uses SMS linked with blog technology, to enable users to tell the world, "What they are doing right now". At first this seemed a bit vague to me as I could see no immediate need to know what anyone else is doing right now! However, after reading a very interesting article in the latest Virgin Blue Magazine, Voyeur (May 2009 issue) about a Twitter experiment, it made more sense to me. Twitter is not so much about sharing your daily activity of brushing your teeth for example, but more about promoting your interests/hobbies/business and becoming engaged in other people's activites.

For Libraries, social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter would have a lot to offer in terms of marketing, especially to the computer/internet savvy clients. As a way of promoting the library's current activities and services they would be invaluable and cost effective, due to needing purely staff time. Once again, the problem of keeping the content current and interesting, could be the downfall of social networking for libraries.

As a means of networking for library staff, social networking sites would be of value. To those staff which are isolated from the major cities, keeping up to date with the activities of other libraries would be of great benefit.