INTRODUCTION

● Social networks are the most common means of communication used by a large number of
people, especially the youth. Nowadays, no one can live without having an account on twitter or
on facebook or on any other kinds of social network, in order to be connected to the whole
environment.

● A Social network is a social structure made of nodes (which are generally individuals or
organizations) that are tied by one or more specific types of interdependency, such as values,
visions, ideas, financial exchange, friendship, kinship, dislike, conflict or trade.

Introduction Social Networking refers to grouping of individuals and organizations together via
some medium, in order to share thoughts, interests, and activities.

There are several web based social network services are available such as facebook, twitter,
linkedin, Google+ etc. which offer easy to use and interactive interface to connect with people
with in the country an overseas as well. There are also several mobile based social networking
services in for of apps such as Whatsapp, hike, Line etc.

Available Social networking Services The following table describes some of the famous social
networking services provided over web and mobile:

S. Service Description

Facebook- Allows to share text, photos, video etc. It also offers interesting online games.

Google+- It is pronounced as Google Plus. It is owned and operated by Google.

Twitter- Twitter allows the user to send and reply messages in form of tweets. These tweets are
the small messages, generally include 140+ characters.

Faceparty- Faceparty is a UK based social networking site. It allows the users to create profiles
and interact with each other using forums messages.

Linkedin- Linkedin is a business and professional networking site.

Flickr- Flickr offers image hosting and video hosting.

Ibibo- Ibibo is a talent based social networking site. It allows the users to promote one’s self
and also discover new talent.

Whatsapp- It is a mobile based messaging app. It allows to send text, video, and audio
messages

Line- It is same as whatsapp. Allows to make free calls and messages.

Hike- It is also mobile based messager allows to send messages and exciting emoticons.

Where Social Networking Helps

Following are the areas where social networking has become most popular:

Online Marketing- Website like facebook allows us to create a page for specific product,
community or firm and promiting over the web.

Online Jobs- Website like linkedin allows us to create connection with professionals and helps
to find the suitable job based on one’s specific skills set.

Online News- On social networking sites, people also post daily news which helps us to keep us
updated.

Chatting- Social networking allows us to keep in contact with friends and family. We can
communicate with them via messages.

Share Picture, Audio and video- One can share picture, audio and video using social networking
sites.

Social Networking and Social Integration

Social Networking, it is built on the idea that there is a determinable structure to how people
know each other, whether directly or indirectly. Notions such as “six degrees of separation” —
that everyone on Earth is separated from every-one else by no more than six intermediate
personal relationships — have popularized the idea that people can be (however unknowingly)
connected through common associates. This issue’s theme includes three articles on research
activities that have drawn on ideas from social networking to drive innovative designs. The
focus stays close to our own intellectual home — the design, development, and study of social
technologies at the level of individuals, groups, and organizations — although we refer to the
broader issue of business, community, and societal impact in this short introduction (Churchill
and Halverson, 2005).

This work set the agenda for debates that would follow about how social support networks are
changing (Hennig, 2007), and how new technology affects communities (Hampton, 2007).
Meanwhile. Churchill and Halverson (2005) presented some common network characterizations
and these are as follows:

● Centralized, decentralized (that is, multicentered), or distributed (centerless); Hierarchical or

horizontal;
● Bounded or boundless;

● Finite (with fixed limits on the number of nodes and ties);

● Accessible or inaccessible; Inclusive or exclusive;

● Intensive (that is, few nodes linked by a multiplicity of dense, strong ties) or expansive (many
nodes enabling reciprocal, multidirectional flows); or Non-interactive (enabling only
unidirectional flows) To better understand network, we follow Borgatti et al’s (2009)
classification of network arguments into four (4) categories, transmission, adaptation, binding,
and exclusion.

Transmission, network-based theories frequently treat network ties as pipelines through which
many things flow: information about jobs (Granovetter, 1973, 1974), social support (Wellman
and Wortley, 1990), norms (Coleman, 1988), workspace identities (Podolny and Baron, 1997),
disease (Morris, 1993), immunity disease (S. Cohen et al, 1997, 2001), material aid (Stack, 1974)
or knowledge of culture (Erickson, 1996). Researchers taking this approach study the kinds of
networks that result in the most widespread distribution, the network positions most likely to
receive flows, and the ways in which different network structures create different patterns of
flow under different circumstances. For example networks leading to people who are neither
connected to one another nor connected to the same others provide the best access to new,
non-redundant information and ideas (Burt, 1992, 2004, 2005; Hargadon and Sutton, 1997;
Granovetter, 1973).

On one hand, networks has been defined as leading to people who are connected directly to one
another transmit consistent expectations and clear norms (Coser, 1975; Coleman, 1988;
Podolny and Baron, 1997). The effects of network structure on the ways in which resources flow
through networks may not always be uniform. For example, Bian (1997) finds that where
institutional factors make the exercise of influence risky, job opportunities are more likely to
flow through strong ties. Gibson (2005) uses computer simulations to show that having a small
number of highly connected nodes can slow the early stages of diffusion when compared to
random networks. However, once central actors have been infected, diffusion rates are
comparable.

Adaptation, adaptation occurs when two people make the same choices because they have
simian have similar network positions and are thus exposed to similar constraints and
opportunities. Maintaining ties to customers require that they maintain ties with viticultural
regions (Podolny, 2005).

Binding, this occurs when a network binds together to act as one unit. The actions or outcomes
of that action are influences by the internal structure of the network. For example, Granovetter
(1973), argues that communities fighting urban renewal in their neighbourhoods are better able
to organize their resistance when their internal networks are less fragmented. When community
networks are internally disconnected, information cannot diffuse fully through the network and
trust in leaders that is facilitated by indirect connections may never develp. With an internally
fragmented structure, the community is less effective, less coordinated and more defeated in
its attempts at collective action than a community with more integrated network.

Exclusion, this occurs when the presence of one tie precludes the existence of another tie,
which in turn affects the excluded node’s relations with other nodes. This mechanism is most
visible in market or exchange networks where the availability of alternative partners improve a
node’s bargaining power. A manufacturing firm with two potential suppliers can negotiate a
good price by creating a competition between them. When one of the suppliers enters an
exclusive contract with another manufacturer, this not only prevents our protagonist firm from
buying from the supplier but is also greatly increases the remaining supplier’s power to name its
own price. Similarly, a person with two potential romantic partners loses access to a potential
partner who marries someone else. In addition, the person loses bargaining power with the
remaining love interest due to the absene of (immediately visible) alternatives.

Why people use social networking?

● Socializing – Make friends – Create groups, communities.

● Sharing information – files, MUSIC, VIDEO, pictures

● Create blogs

● Time utility

● Lower cost ( via – internet, mobile phone GPRS etc)

● Builds credibility.

● Matchmaking.

● Business Discussions. Take advices. Advertising at a cheap cost particularly to already-

popular existing node.

Based on this simulations, Barabasi and Albert showed that this form of preferential attachment
creates a Matthew Effect (Matthew 25:29, Merton, 1968), magnifying popularity gaps and
creating networks with power-law distributions. That is this process of tie formation creates
networks where a small number of nodes have huge number of ties, while the vast majority of
nodes have only a few.

In the recent years, formalist –based research has received popular exposure in trade books
such as Six Degrees (Watts, 2003), Linked (Barabasim 2002), and Nexus (Buchanan, 2002),
partly because the approach has interesting real-world applications. For example, the concept
of preferential attachment is based on the empirical reality that people meet people through
other people. The more people you know, the more people can introduce you to others. Small-
world networks also resonate ell with the public imagination. The most well-known example of a
small-world network is a network formed by co-appearances in movies and television shows.
This is a clustered network with clusters created both by career timing and actors’
specialization within genres.

Structuralists, they are concerned with how patterns of relations can shed light on substantive
topics within their disciplines. Structuralists study such as health and community.

Social media etiquette refers to the guidelines that companies and individuals use to preserve
their reputation online. As social media channels have evolved to become one of the primary
ways people communicate in the modern world on a daily basis, typical social rules are finding
their way into digital environments. Just as social etiquette dictates how people behave around
others in the real world, social media etiquette revolves around online guidelines to follow. The
basics of social media etiquette. The demands of social media etiquette differ from one
platform to the next. For example, reposting someone’s content on Instagram requires much
more care than retweeting someone on Twitter. On the flip side, there are some basic dos and
don’ts that essentially apply to all platforms:

● Don’t be overly promotional. Try not to message all your customers asking them to buy your
products and avoid sharing constant advertisements on your page. Make your social profiles a
blend of promotional and valuable content.

● Avoid over-automation. While scheduling your posts in advance and automating analytics is
helpful, don’t automate everything. Some things still need a human touch.

● Handle your hashtags carefully. Avoid using too many hashtags at once. Even on Instagram,
where you can use 30 hashtags in a single caption, it’s important not to overdo it.

● Don’t bad-mouth your competition. Don’t be petty. Saying negative things about your
competitors online will harm your reputation more than it hurts theirs.

● Be authentic and genuine. Don’t try to be something you’re not. Remember that your
customers can learn whatever they need to know about your brand online today and things like
authenticity can definitely go a long way.

Why is social media etiquette important?

Organizations can’t just delete messages that generate poor reactions anymore. A single
mistake can make or break a business.