Impact of new and digital media on COMMUNICATION case study

TEXTS :
- Facebook (Founders: Mark Zuckerberg, Eduardo Saverin, Dustin Moskovitz, Chris Hughes)
- Skype (Founders: Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis)
- iPhone
- Blackberry

http://www.insidefacebook.com/2009/06/08/will-facebook-and-twitter-become-communication-tools-or-identity-platforms/

Conclusion: Today, Twitter is a Communication Platform, but Facebook is an Identity Platform
People who are concerned about the security of their identity are obviously less likely to share personal information in a public forum. Thus, because Twitter is largely public and Facebook is largely private, the degree of disclosed identity on Twitter is likely to always be lower than that on Facebook. That means significant things for the future of Facebook and Twitter as products, and also as businesses:

When viewed this way, Facebook and Twitter actually look like pretty different products and businesses today. Twitter is a hybrid broadcast/conversation communication platform, while Facebook is an identity platform with communication, content distribution, and financial applications built on top of it. Unless Twitter gives users more Facebook-like control over different parts of their identity, Twitter is going to have a hard time serving those users who are more sensitive to security in addition to those aiming for more visibility. But Twitter may not be worried about that right now anyway.

http://www.suite101.com/content/facebook-good-or-bad-for-communication-a121387

"Social networking can enrich social lives for those separated from family and friends by long distances, bringing them together despite the physical separation. This has recently come to light in the number of people in the armed forces using YouTube, FaceBook and Twitter to stay in touch."

"provide those isolated by disability or environment with a rich and fulfilling social life. For anyone who is unable to leave their own house, social networking has provided a great way to get in touch with people who have similar issues, as well as allowing them to stay in touch with existing networks of friends."

"Mass electronic communication may lead to a lower quality of social interaction due to the sheer number of participants; the background level of gossip is likely to be higher than in face to face interactions. There's also the inference that online information has less value somehow than real world information, although the same could be said of water cooler office gossip."

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/1513112.stm
http://www.better-trades.com/analyst-exchange/tech-comparisons/google-vs-apple-vs-microsoft.asp
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11199786

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