The dynamics of Web-based social networks: Membership, relationships, and change

Authors

  • Jennifer Golbeck

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5210/fm.v12i11.2023

Abstract

Social networks on the Web are growing dramatically in size and number. The huge popularity of sites like MySpace, Facebook, and others has drawn in hundreds of millions of users, and the attention of scientists and the media. The public accessibility of Web–based social networks offers great promise for researchers interested in studying the behavior of users and how to integrate social information into applications. However, to do that effectively, it is necessary to understand how networks grow and change. Over a two–year period we have collected data on every social network we could identify, and we also gathered daily information on thirteen networks over a 47–day period. In this article, we present the first comprehensive survey of Web–based social networks, followed by an analysis of membership and relationship dynamics within them. From our analysis of these data, we present several conclusions on how users behave in social networks, and what network features correlate with that behavior.

Author Biography

Jennifer Golbeck

Jennifer Golbeck is an Assistant Professor in the College of Information Studies at the University of Maryland, College Park. She completed her Ph.D. in computer science at the same institution, and her research addresses issues in Web?based social networks, trust, intelligent interfaces, and information access.

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Published

2007-10-28

How to Cite

Golbeck, J. (2007). The dynamics of Web-based social networks: Membership, relationships, and change. First Monday, 12(11). https://doi.org/10.5210/fm.v12i11.2023