We’re not techno-hermits

Contrary to popular belief, technology is not leading to social isolation and people who use the internet and mobile phones have larger and more diverse social networks, according to a new study. Keith Hampton, lead author of the report by the Pew Internet and American Life Project and assistant professor of communication at the University of Pennsylvania said, "People's social worlds are enhanced by new communication technologies. It is a mistake to believe that internet use and mobile phones plunge people into a spiral of isolation."

The authors said key findings of the study - "Social Isolation and New Technology" - "challenge previous research and commonplace fears about the harmful social impact of new technology. There is a tendency by critics to blame technology first when social change occurs. 
  
This is the first research that actually explores the connection between technology use and social isolation and we find the opposite. It turns out that those who use the internet and mobile phones have notable social advantages. People use the technology to stay in touch and share information in ways that keep them socially active and connected to their communities."

  
The study found that six per cent of Americans can be described as socially isolated - a figure that has hardly changed since 1985. People's discussion networks (those with whom they discuss important matters) and core networks (their closest and most significant confidants), are larger among technology users. At the same time, the study found that Americans' discussion networks have shrunk by about one-third since 1985.

The study involved telephone interviews with 2,512 adults between July 9, 2008 and August 10, 2008 and has a sampling error of 2.1 per cent. Source: AFP, in Sydney Morning Herald, 5 November 2009. tinyurl.com/ydhy8sg

http://www.flickr.com/photos/luc/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

Facebook lite goes back to basics

A sleeker, trimmer, cleaner version of Facebook is now available. Facebook lite, initially developed for those with slow connections, is faster and simpler, offering fewer services than the classic site. The options are limited to letting users write on their wall, post photos and videos, view events and browse other user's profiles. There are no apps or special boxes.

"It appears, at a quick glance, to be a better site for Facebook newbies or for anyone who finds the current site overwhelming and noisy," said Rafe Needleman at technology website Cnet. Terence O'Brien at Switched.com said "The simple site loads noticeably faster, is easier to navigate, and is much easier on the eyes thanks to the lack of people sending you 'virtual booze' or asking you to join their 'vampire fraternity'".

Many industry watchers said they believed that even users with good internet connections might well flock to Facebook Lite because of its new look and ease of use. "It's good to see Facebook listening to their users," wrote one user. Source: BBC, 11 September 2009. tinyurl.com/krz7js

Do social netwoking sites deliberately exploit poor privacy usability?

Bruce Schneier, BT's chief security technology officer, discusses "privacy salience" in The Guardian. Leslie John, Alessandro Acquisti, and George Loewenstein at Carnegie Mellon University demonstrated in a series of experiments that reassuring people about privacy makes them more, not less, concerned. In experimental online surveys, when privacy issues were made salient, people reacted negatively to the subsequent confidentiality assurance and were less likely to reveal personal information.

Schneier argues that this phenomenon does a lot to explain how social networking sites think about privacy. "From a business perspective, social networking sites don't want their members to exercise their privacy rights very much. They want members to be comfortable disclosing a lot of data about themselves."

Joseph Bonneau and Soeren Preibusch of Cambridge University have studied privacy on 45 social networking sites and found that privacy settings were often confusing and hard to access. Facebook was the worst. Privacy tends to increase with the age and popularity of a site. General-use sites tend to have more privacy features than niche sites. The researchers found that sites consistently hide privacy details, while promoting promote the benefits of disclosing personal data.

A two-track marketing strategy seems to obscure privacy issues from the general user, but reassure 'privacy fundamentalists'. "The marketing need to reduce privacy salience will frustrate market solutions to improve privacy; sites would much rather obfuscate the issue than compete on it as a feature", says Schneier. Source: Guardian, 15 July 2009. tinyurl.com/ml7kv4

Facebook sorts out privacy mess

Following many privacy bungles, Facebook is overhauling its complicated privacy controls to simplify its users' ability to control which information they share with their friends, family, colleagues and strangers. Facebook is consolidating its existing six privacy pages and more than 30 settings onto a single privacy page with standardised privacy options for various pieces of content. Previously, users had to navigate page after page to exclude bosses or co-workers from seeing their photo albums, status updates or shared links. One of Facebook's most notable privacy mishaps was a tracking tool called "Beacon," which broadcast information about their activities at other Web sites. "They are learning how to listen carefully to their users," said Jules Polonetsky, co-chairman and director of the Washington-based Future of Privacy Forum and former chief privacy officer at AOL. He added that Facebook has learned from the past that suddenly making big changes, whatever they are, has not been the most effective approach. The site is also getting rid of its regional networks, which have led to users inadvertently sharing information with network members in an entire city or country. Source: Sydney Morning Herald, 2 July 2009. tinyurl.com/nxyazl