I am a heavy user of Facebook, I really like using it, getting back in touch with people I once knew, be in touch with family who are far away etc.
But there are a few things I have learnt about this big network we all have. It's a network of:
As design researchers, a few of us tried to leverage our Facebook network as a medium. But the success rate was terrible. Regardless of the frequency visits to your wall, very very few people respond.
We've have had better luck with LinkedIn (sometimes reaching out to people who we do not know personally) to do research. We were not attempting to research strictly professional/ business scenarios. The pilots were all directed at consumer research.
This is not about the tool themselves, rather how they are used. On one hand, they are a seemingly successful medium for social revolutions, on the other they can be very unresponsive to carry out any research - interesting.
But there are a few things I have learnt about this big network we all have. It's a network of:
- Shiny happy people - almost to the extent of being pretentious. It reminds me of the movie"Everybody says I'm fine."
- While you are connected, you are always at arms length...
- Apart from your usual close connections, the rest just exist. Any 'network' oriented collaboration besides the 'comment' or 'like' does not really work.
As design researchers, a few of us tried to leverage our Facebook network as a medium. But the success rate was terrible. Regardless of the frequency visits to your wall, very very few people respond.
We've have had better luck with LinkedIn (sometimes reaching out to people who we do not know personally) to do research. We were not attempting to research strictly professional/ business scenarios. The pilots were all directed at consumer research.
This is not about the tool themselves, rather how they are used. On one hand, they are a seemingly successful medium for social revolutions, on the other they can be very unresponsive to carry out any research - interesting.
Interesting observation there.....
ReplyDeleteOne thing i have noticed with FB is that it rewards being different/quirky/fresh. No matter how silly it may be.
Take for eg Kolavari song........i don't even understand a word but i m humming it for the past week!!!!!!! my Friends are sharing it like anything on FB & no one is South Indian !!!
FB to me is like film industry where we all are new/struggling artists. We have to constantly innovate for others to notice us & respond. It rewards either scandals (gossips/leaks), news (relationship status) or something fresh (again like Kolavari kolavari di....)
I guess FB represents more right brain traits whereas Linkedin is more left brainish.
The best part is how the behavior, tone & the things people respond to change as they switch from FB to Linkedin.
So will right brainers take over the world !!!!
I guess if not the world atleast the behavior is being reflected in the way we expect & communicate even outside these platforms in everyday life.
A while back We also carried out a survey in office which was in formal language & much to our suprise no body responded.
That made me think does formal language work now ?. Or are people loookin for something quirky a warm, authentic approach/something different.
I agree with the being different/quirky to get noticed part.
ReplyDeleteOnce a user I interviewed told me he uses FB only as a dynamic address book - so he do not need to maintain contact info of people he knows. He just goes to FB :)
Of all the uses of FB, I thought this was the most interesting.
The formal/informal language thing I feel is not so black and white. The context has a role to play...