Beyond the Hashtag: Exploring the World of Social Computing

# Definition

• Social computing refers to the intersection of social behavior and computational systems.
• It involves technology that allows people to communicate and interact with each other online irrespective of physical distance.
• It is very similar to personal computing but focusses more on building social connections and collaborations online.
• Social networking is a fundamental aspect of social computing.
• AI plays an important role in social computing by enabling personalized experiences, moderating content, and automating tasks, ultimately enhancing user engagement and satisfaction.
• Ex: Instagram, Uber, Zomato, Amazon, etc.

# Categories

1. Social media: This category includes platforms that allow users to create and share content, as well as connect and communicate with others. Examples include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.
2. Social bookmarking: This category includes platforms that allow users to save, organize, and share links to web pages or online resources. Examples include Instapaper, Pocket and Delicious.
3. Social network: This category includes platforms that allow users to create profiles and connect with others who share similar interests, hobbies, or backgrounds. Examples include LinkedIn, MySpace, and Friendster.
4. Social communication: This category includes platforms that allow users to communicate with others in real-time, either one-on-one or in groups. Examples include instant messaging apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, as well as video conferencing platforms like Zoom and Skype.

# Social Computing in everyday life

• Online sports/ E-sports - Global games market had $159.3 billion in revenue for 2020, Gaming is bigger than Hollywood and the Music industry combined.
• Figma as a collaborative tool - Edit in Real time, Audio chat, @mentions.
• Knowledge Management tools like CMS - Submit Content, Subscription (Keyword subscription), Feed (curated knowledge based on subscription, profile and frequently searched), Bookmark content, Responsive Design.
• Friction Point Management in tools like GitHub- collects feedback from everyone for getting friction points and ppl can comment, upvote and most pressing issues can be resolved.

# Benefits

• Improves performance and efficiency.
• Disseminate information to user segments.
• Access to specialists for particular needs.
• Improve Employee relations and engagement.
• Lower cost of travel.
• Enhanced Innovation.

# Future Social Computing Trends

• Ephemeral Content - "Here-Today-Gone-Tomorrow"
• Privacy and Security: Governance
• AI & ML
• AR/VR/MR
• Niche Social Networks

# Challenges

• Invasion of Privacy
• Information Security Concerns
• Information overload
• Data leakage
• Poor or biased content
• Cuber-bullying

# Takeaways

• Social Computing is on the rise and it can be used for good/bad purposes easily.

• Above is a clip that is an extension of "The Social Dilemma" (available on Netflix) which talks about how social computing can be used to manipulate people without them realizing it.
• We have to realize that there is a fine line between persuasion and manipulation.
• "With Great Power comes Great Responsibility" - We all know who said this, and we have to own up to our responsibility while building/using such highly powerful tools that can make an impact at scale.