W1.1 What is a Social Network?

 What is a Social Network?

A social network describes the relationships (the edges) between individuals or groups (the nodes) and social media is the technology that might be leveraged to connect them, be it digital or other. We've had social networks and social media for a long time.

For a quick overview of social networking, watch Social Networking in Plain English Links to an external site., by @CommonCraft Links to an external site. (have a little giggle over the MySpace reference ... it was 2007, after all). It may help, up front, to understand how Social Media is different, so also watch Social Media in Plain English Links to an external site..

Below are two examples of social network maps visually illustrating the concepts of nodes and edges. You can (and should) generate your own social network maps for Facebook and LinkedIn by following the directions on the Assignment: Map a Social Network.

Example of a Facebook Social Network Map	Example of a LinkedIn Social Network Map

		Read Social Network Sites: Definition, History and Scholarship Links to an external site. (PDF) by Danah M. Boyd and Nicole B. Elliso, Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication
		Read Mark Suster's TechCrunch Series: Social Networking: The Past Links to an external site. Social Networking: The Present Links to an external site. Social Networks: Future Links to an external site.