Facebook: the early days

Since we've been discussing social networking sites in class, and since "The Social Network" is opening this weekend, I thought I'd share this interesting story I found on Slate.com. It's about the early days of Facebook, and a similar site at Columbia that was started around the same time. I think it provides an interesting look at the business-side of these sites and the competition that went on. It's easy to think that Facebook has always been ubiquitous but that's definitely not the case. You can link to the story here:
http://www.slate.com/id/2269131/

There's also some interesting discussion about why Facebook might have been more appealing for users than CU Community (the competing site). Although Facebook in the beginning had fewer ways for users to interact with one another, the site was easier to use and less confusing, apparently.

I'm hoping to see the movie this weekend. Anyone else?

What do we do when facebook is down? We complain on Twitter!

I wasn't aware of the "Facebook outage" until I read this article. I later caught a segment on ABC news about the "panic" and mayhem that it caused. Then I went to ask my roommates if they knew and they both spoke of those 3 hours like the darkest time they've faced recently (One of them is VERY serious about getting to Facebook stalk "hot guys from class"). They were forced to actually talk and entertain themselves. Shocking. I think it's crazy how much Facebook has wiggled its way into our lives. So much so that we don't even notice when we reference "wallposts" and statuses in face-to-face conversation. Technology that didn't even exist 10 years ago is now so common and in your face that my grandmother knows about it and Facebook even gets mentioned on the news. I just thought I'd share this funny article about how people may have been spending there time when they couldn't get on the website. I particularlly liked the lines about the baby boom and work productivity! As a possible research proposal, I'd like to see how a self-proclaimed Facebook addict would handle giving it up for a week, 3 weeks, maybe even a couple of months. Then to see how their life has changed because of it-better face-to-face communication, better grades, increase in communication and commitment to your romantic relationship(s) or feeling less connected and out of the loop. I might try this personally. I just can't commit to deactivating my profile and having to re-tag pictures when (or if!) I decide to rejoin the world of Facebook....

What do you guys think? Bad idea? Not worth it? Not interesting enough?

Freedom of expression vs. Security issues

So I was poking around on the internet and saw this article. I'm conflicted because I cannot decide if I feel bad for this man or if I support the decision made by this court in the UK. Maybe it's both. We've all said things in frustration we didn't really mean. Maybe we even posted it as our status on Facebook or tweeted it on twitter (I am now guilty of that too. It's so easy to just type it while you're still angry.) But you never really think about who will see that outside of our own little bubble or "network of friends". This guy, Paul Chambers, was upset about his plans being delayed because the Robin Hood airport was closed. He "threatened" to blow up the airport. Threatened, in anger, via twitter, to his friends/followers probably trying to vent his frustration to people so they would know how he felt. Which is what Twitter is all about! Sharing your feels, thoughts, and experiences with your own personal "adoring public." It makes people feel better to get it out there, almost like a form therapy. After using Twitter for a couple of weeks, I feel like it's time to really look at the definition of what it is.

"Twitter is a real-time information network powered by people all around the world that lets you share and discover what’s happening now.

Twitter asks “what’s happening” and makes the answer spread across the globe to millions, immediately."

From Twitter's About section.

Spread across the globe to millions, immediately. Kinda scary. I would like to know if people were out there tweeting about blowing up the Richmond International Airport...I fly out of there usually and am usually nervous enough to begin with so I'd appreciate if airport security was on top of that but where is the line? Private thoughts and immediate reactions are no longer private because we send them out over the WORLD WIDE WEB at the speed of light. I appreciate my freedom on the internet but I'd rather be safe than sorry when it comes to airport security. But I do feel horrible for this Paul Chambers guy. Even though airport security officials and police don't see him as a threat, he has lost jobs and is now nearly bankrupt. Unless he can get the guilty verdict appealed, he will have a hard time getting a job because he now has a criminal record. All because of a tweet.

misinterpretation

I think texting is a great invention and is extremely convenient, however, I also think it takes away from the value of standing in front of another human being and actually getting to see their emotional response and their reaction to what you are saying. Today for instance, I got into an actual "fight" via text messaging because my guy friend misinterpreted what I wrote and thought I was mad at him. We literally were yelling (bold and using all caps) at each other! I realize if you know someone pretty well you can gauge how they would normally react, but sometimes it's hard. I just think that texting has spread like a virus and is slowing infecting everyone. I realize we probably will not stop talking to one another, I just hate how hard it is to read and interpret a message through text. Sure you can add a winky emoticon or in parenthesis write that you are being sarcastic or whatever emotion you want to convey. I just think it is not personal and a somewhat "cheap" way of communicating with another person.

On another side note: Today in class I found it interesting when we were discussing about visualization. The concept is interesting to me. If you visualize something what do you get out of it? I was once told to visualize getting a perfect score on the GRE's and it would improve how I took the exam (I have not taken it yet, but plan to and have been visualizing a perfect score). I think the power behind the process is extremely strong and can actually help achieve a goal. What are your personal thoughts on this? Do you guys think visualization works?

Also visualization in the way others perceive one another and also how you want to be perceived is an interesting topic to me as well. Why do we choose the best photo of us, or the best way to say something, or the outfit we're going to ware. Does that really matter? YES! It 100 percent matters! I believe that we do it to be seen in a "certain light" if you will. Everyone wants to be seen in a certain way whether it be perfect or unique...and it makes me wonder why is individuality so important to us, when we insist on being the "same." I discussed this in my public sphere's writing class the other day and thought it would be good to share it with everyone. Why do we insist on making our facebook profiles unique and different yet we try to also are conforming to the norm by even having a facebook. Thoughts?

Virtual Reality Games and Health

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytX5r__jzdw

This YouTube clip shows a scene from Criminal Minds that got me thinking when I saw it last night...
The quote that particularly interested me was at the very end of the clip
Reid says: "Did you know that stroke victims who play virtual reality games show significant advances in recovery than those who don't?


Now, I'm unsure exactly what research he was citing there. Most of the things Reid says in the show are based on facts though, so I decided to go to my trusty friend Google to find out more!


http://www.ti.rutgers.edu/publications/papers/2001_ieee_tnsre.pdf
This article that I found on Google Scholar showed promising results in three stroke patients using a virtual reality system which backs up what Reid was saying in Criminal Minds.

I'm just wondering how many different ways virtual reality games can be used to help people. Clearly it can help with actual physical ailments such as stroke. What behavioral problems could it help? Today, in class we talked about how smokers who virtually crushed a pack of cigarettes showed more motivation to quit smoking than those who didn't have the image of crushing a pack of cigarettes. We also talked about how therapy in virtual worlds could lead to more disclosure because the patients feel more comfortable in that anonymous environment rather than in a tiny office talking to a stranger.

Clearly there are many ways that virtual reality can be used to help people. I think this is an extremely interesting topic that deserves much more research. I feel like the opportunities here are endless.

Another interesting point is that playing video games can lead to increases of dopamine in the brain. Dopamine has affects on many things such as pain processing. It's also involved in behavioral disorders such as ADHD. I'm just wondering if we could use that knowledge to manipulate things in behavioral studies. Dopamine can often function as a type of reinforcement, so it could be interesting to see how this natural reinforcement in the brain (stemming from video games) can affect behavior.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dopamine

This topic of video games and health has always been interesting to me because my grandmother died of a brain tumor a few years ago. She was always playing World of Warcraft and seemed to be doing best when she was at the computer. At the time, we didn't know that she had a brain tumor so we didn't understand why she would feel sick and have a headache at work and then come home and be able to be perfectly fine playing her game. I'm wondering if dopamine or other things from the game caused reactions in her brain that led to less pain and dampened the symptoms of the tumor. Once she was unable to play the game anymore she deteriorated very rapidly. This obviously could just be because of the type of brain tumor she had, but I've always wondered if there were other factors at play and if this knowledge could be used to help people.

Those are just some ideas that I thought of on this topic. What do you guys think? What other ways can playing video games be used to change behavior? What other functions could be responsible for these changes (besides dopamine)?

Welcome to the Blog!

This blog is constructed by the members of Psychology 497, Cyberpsychology, Fall 2010, at James Madison University. We'll be using this blog to share our ideas about computers and online social interaction as we explore these topics during our senior seminar class. Feel free to follow us and share your ideas and comments!