8 Online Communities

1 Which one of these is used to set the rules for an online community? (1)

A User ratings

B Analytics

C Features that all commenting and sharing

D Acceptable use policies

D Acceptable use policies

2 Describe the use of tags in online communities. (2)

Tags allow members to categories the content they create and post on social networking communities. Other members can then search for content using the tags that were added to the content when it was posted.

3 Describe how social networking services benefit from members sharing content. (4)

Share functionality allows members of a social networking community to repeat other members' posts to the community. This makes the original posts available to more people. Sharing increase the reach of content and encourages members to be more active users of the service. This means that they provide the service with more information, which the service can then use to sell marketing opportunities to advertisers.

4 Explain why some online communities have administrators and moderators. (3)

Different levels of user responsibility can be set so that people can be responsible for quality checking members and their posts to ensure that the policies are being followed, block posts or enforce sanctions such as banning members from the community.

5 State three ways in which a user can personalize their online profile. (3)

a) Biographical details such as name, gender, date of birth, location and language

b) Details about the user's work and education

c) Contact information such as telephone number, email address and website

6 State the function of social bookmarking. (1)

Social bookmarking sites allow users to categories and share web documents and URLs so that other people can access them.

7 Explain why online work spaces could benefit a large international organization. (3)

The workers of a large international organization can be recruited from different countries. As they are from different countries, communication and collaboration on work among them is more difficult. It is very expensive and time consuming to organize them due to differences in time zones and the costs and time associated with travelling. A large international organization could be benefited by using workspaces which have virtual meeting spaces, shared documents and shared online calendars.

8 Describe how social networking sites are able to make suggestions to members about people that they may want to connect with. (2)

Social networking communities suggest other members that users might want to connect with. They often do this by analyzing a user's interests and the interest of people within that user's social network, then matches them to friends of existing connections.

9 Describe how some social networking sites are able to decide which advertisements to show to different members. (2)

Some social networking sites are able to deice which advertisements to show to different members by matching information shared by members.

10 State four ways in which students can use the features of VLEs to support their learning. (4)

a) Students can access resources;

b) Students can interact with teachers;

c) Students can get notifications of assignments and grades;

d) Students can chat with classmates and share ideas and research.

11 State three examples of interactions that social network users can have with a member's post. (3)

a) Rate/Like/Upvote: Social networking communities have features that enable users to show their reactions to posts by other people.

b) Share/Repost: It allows members of a social networking community to repeat other members' posts to the community.

c) Comment/Quote: Social networking communities provide different ways for members to write comments about other members' posts.

12 Discuss the factors that users of social networking sites should consider when sharing personal information. (8)

Social networking is the practice of forming groups in a society. When using social networking sites, it is important to consider the following factors when sharing personal information:

Privacy Settings: Most social networking sites offer privacy settings that allow users to control who can view their profile and information. Users should take the time to review and adjust their privacy settings to ensure that their personal information is only visible to those they trust.

Purpose: Users should consider the purpose of sharing personal information. Is it necessary to share personal information? Will sharing this information be helpful or harmful to oneself or others?

Reputation: Users should be mindful of the reputation they are creating for themselves online. Sharing personal information that may be inappropriate or offensive could negatively impact their reputation.

Security: Users should ensure that they are using strong and unique passwords for their social networking accounts. Additionally, they should be cautious of any suspicious links or messages that may lead to phishing or other cyber attacks.

Future Consequences: Users should consider the potential long-term consequences of sharing personal information. Information shared online can be difficult to remove and could potentially harm one's career or personal life in the future.

Targeted Advertising: Social networking sites use personal information to deliver targeted advertisements to users. Users should be aware that by sharing personal information, they are consenting to receive targeted ads.

In conclusion, social networking sites offer a convenient way to connect with others and share information. However, users should consider the factors outlined above when sharing personal information to ensure their privacy, security, and reputation are protected.