Current Topics in Information Systems Management Class Exercise Social Networking Anas Hardan Introduction Since their introduction, social network sites (SNSs) such as MySpace, Facebook, Cyworld, and Bebo have attracted millions of users, many of whom have integrated these sites into their daily practices. As of this writing, there are hundreds of SNSs, with various technological affordances, supporting a wide range of interests and practices. While their key technological features are fairly consistent, the cultures that emerge around SNSs are varied. Most sites support the maintenance of pre-existing social networks, but others help strangers connect based on shared interests, political views, or activities. Some sites cater to diverse audiences, while others attract people based on common language or shared racial, sexual, religious, or nationality-based identities. Sites also vary in the extent to which they incorporate new information and communication tools, such as mobile connectivity, blogging, and photo/video-sharing. I think Social networking these days are popular more than any time before, there are many reasons. 1- The technology social networking site now using technology and strategy in web design that’s make the people more interesting , from other side they give the user more control to build and change the pages and upload music and develop the applications ,group , images ,games ,chat . 2 - Online Identity Not everyone has a personal website. It may come as a shock to most of my readers but, for some people, social networks personal pages are the only place where people maintain an identity. Some, like MySpace, have capitalized on that effect by providing tools that allow to enhance those profiles in ways that make them indistinct from personal sites, beyond the fact that the URL is on the service instead of being a personal one. 3 - Enhanced Knowledge When used properly, social networks can be a great way to enhance knowledge. Tapping into one’s social network can allow for people to fill an information gap if members of their extended social network have deep subject matter expertise in a certain area. At the current time, few social networking sites have used that capability but, I believe this is one of the most useful aspects of social networking sites. 4- “Killing the time” Actually these applications are good tools to kill the time. Its like news paper form some people they like to see only the pictures in that’s news paper with out pay any attention to the title or the text. 5- Its free service No one needs to pay for these services. 4 – Interesting advertising and applications and tools That’s make the user curies to see what’s going on, like the application for voting 2008 in the USA. 5- Groups This reason is very important for many reasons. All of us looking for friends have same interest. Social networking makes it easy for many people. Save time using these sites using advance research. 6- Easy to use You don’t need any thing to register else the email and some information about you. 9 - Basic human need to share The proliferation of blogs has shown that people love to share their opinion. The proliferation of the open source movement shows that some people love to share their expertise. I think there is a deeply rooted need among human beings to share, whether it is information or opinions. Social networks appeal to the altruistic side of people by allowing them to share their connection and introduce friends to other friends. From my experience using social networking, its really hard to say theses sites are bad or good , lets think from different side ,if we are talking about the benefits actually there are a benefits from these site ,as I mention that’s in the beginning . It depends in the user and the website, users like teenagers they can use these site for bad things, and its really hard for the website administrator watch a thousand of transaction every day to make sure all the transactions good. Whether this is good or bad depends upon what kind of society you value. It may become necessary for firms to restrict access to social networking sites at the workplace if quality time is not to be wasted on the web. No doubt, self-regulation is the best bet. But there's hardly any incentive to make that possible. At the cost of some unpopularity, workplaces will have to restrict access to social networking sites if they are to get the best out of employees at work. Depends in last class discussions, we was talking about the advertisement and how some advertisement company can use the users pictures in advertisement , and what will happened if some body hacked you’re account and start chatting and sending for your friends and put you in trouble . The last thing what will happen if people like these applications and start be something you should have it like the phone.