how social networks work: overview of network properties
DESCRIPTION
A brief overview of the network theory principles behind social networking tools.TRANSCRIPT
How Social Networks Work
Dr. Pamela RutledgeDirectorMedia Psychology Research CenterEmail: [email protected]
A Knowledge Society
Make It Simple with a System
• Systems have rules about how information travels
• Understanding is essential to supporting your social media goals
Fundamental PropertiesIt’s the Relationships that MatterIt’s the Relationships that Matter
Collective BehaviorsCollective BehaviorsFundamental Properties
emergeemerge
Fundamental PropertiesComplex systems are self-
organizingComplex systems are self-
organizing
Fundamental PropertiesNetworks are dynamicNetworks are dynamic
Fundamental PropertiesDramatic change at
thresholdsDramatic change at
thresholds
What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you
think about social networks?
What is a network?
•A set of relationships (links) that connect people or objects (nodes)
Node
Link
$
Will the Nodes Be Connected?
The Small World Phenomenon
Wow! What a Small World!
Wow! What a Small World!
I can’t believe you know my
Aunt Betsy in Des Moines!
I can’t believe you know my
Aunt Betsy in Des Moines!
The Small World Studies
Who Do You Know…
Omaha
Boston
Who Do You Know Who Knows…
Omaha
Boston
What a Small World!
Omaha
Boston
Six Degrees of Separation• People are more likely to
be connected if they have common attributes
• Because of overlapping connections, the number of steps separating any two people in the world is six
2 3 4
51
6
2 3
1
First Order ZoneKevin Bacon and Colin Firth were both in the movie: Where the Truth Lies,1995
First Order ZoneKevin Bacon and Colin Firth were both in the movie: Where the Truth Lies,1995
Knowing and Connecting
A Networked World
Your Social Group: Fully Connected Network
The Real World: Network of networks
How Information Spreads
Weak Tie Weak Tie
Weak Connector
Why LinkedIn Works
Weak Tie Weak Tie
Weak Connector
Thresholds and Tipping Points
Number of links
Tipping Point
Saturation
Finding Your Audience
• Growth in a network does not follow the familiar Bell curve
• The Bell Curve measures random events
Power Law Distributions
• 80/20 Rule• The Pareto
principle • The law of
the few Num
ber
of L
inks
Number of Web Pages
Preference Premium
Super NodeSuper Node
• Choice creates the Super Nodes
• Tendency toward agreement
Information Facilitators or Power Law Beneficiaries?
Salesmen
Mavens or Enthusiasts
Connectors
New Rules for CommunicationOld Model: One-to-Many New Model: Many-to-Many
Access is Easy, Strategy is Hard
Potential Audience
Your Organization
In a Nutshell• Accelerated
communication• Continual evolution• Unique properties for
change• Identifiable emergent
behaviors• Weak connectors bridge
networks• Super Nodes emerge as
networks exhibit preferences
Try This• Identify your personal network• Characterize the types of
connections, the demographics
• Where do your most frequent connections happen?
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