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Research draft

social networking service

vr.tr.social-networking-service · SOC.ORG

Let an agent explain social networking services and their types, describe privacy, safety and moderation with reference to law and platform policies, support choosing and using services responsibly, and present debates about platforms with attribution.

Thing Registry Society, people and institutions

Research draft, second pass

A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.

written by Claude from model knowledge without web access - no source was read, every claim is a lead to verify

Researched by: Claude

Purpose and description

Let an agent explain social networking services and their types, describe privacy, safety and moderation with reference to law and platform policies, support choosing and using services responsibly, and present debates about platforms with attribution.

An online service that lets users create profiles, connect with others and share content, forming virtual communities, including general social networks, professional and dating services, interest and hobby communities, federated services such as Lemmy and Mastodon instances, and subscription platforms for creators; social networking services are governed by terms of service, content moderation and privacy and platform law, and raise questions of safety, data protection and public discourse.

What it is for: Online services for connecting and sharing.

It can be explain types; describe privacy and safety; support responsible use; present debates.

Distinguishing features

User profiles

Social graph

User-generated content

Moderation and terms

What it looks like

Websites and apps with profiles, feeds and messaging.

How it is recognised

Profiles, connections and shared content

Virtual community

Messaging apps and forums overlap; media sites without profiles are not social networks

Related models

is a kind of - category

social media

is a kind of - category

virtual community

is related to - the people using the service

user

is related to - security threats to accounts

cyberattack

In practice

Families and kinds

general social networks

professional and dating services

interest and community platforms

federated and decentralised services

creator subscription platforms

Standards and regulation

Data protection and privacy law

Platform regulation such as content and age rules

Terms of service and community guidelines

Failure modes and hazards

Privacy breaches and data misuse

Harassment, misinformation and harmful content

Agents recommending services unsuitable for minors

Also called

modding websiteadult content subscription serviceonline dating serviceLemmy instanceonline marriage servicecasting networking servicedecentralized social networkpast classmates social networkhospitality serviceLiveLeakgeosocial networkingprofessional social networking serviceLGBT social networking servicesocial network aggregationsocial cataloging applicationserving pilgrims

Where this came from

wikidata · CC0 1.0

Drafted structure

Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions.

Understand What social networking services are.

Definitions.

Types

Types.

Types

Types.

  1. What types of social networking service exist, and how do centralised and federated services differ? definition
  2. Which entry fits a specific service? action

Model

Business and design.

Model

Model.

  1. How do social networking services make money and design feeds and recommendations? provenance
  2. Which entry fits recommender systems? action
Use Using services responsibly.

Practice.

Privacy

Privacy and security.

Privacy

Privacy.

  1. How can users protect privacy and accounts on social networking services, according to security guidance? action
  2. Is an account compromised now, needing recovery steps? boundary

Safety

Safety and wellbeing.

Safety

Safety.

  1. How can harassment, scams and harmful content be reported and managed, and what age rules apply? provenance
  2. Is someone at risk, needing emergency or support services? boundary
Govern Regulation and moderation.

Law.

Law

Platform law.

Law

Law.

  1. How do data protection and platform laws regulate social networking services in different jurisdictions? provenance
  2. Is legal advice needed from a professional? boundary

Moderation

Content moderation.

Moderation

Moderation.

  1. How do services moderate content, and what debates surround moderation and free expression, with positions attributed? provenance
  2. Is the presentation neutral? boundary
Learn History and research.

Education.

History

History.

History

History.

  1. How did social networking services develop from early online communities to today? provenance
  2. Which references are standard? provenance

Research

Research on effects.

Research

Research.

  1. What does research say about effects on wellbeing, discourse and society, and which findings are contested? provenance
  2. Which misconceptions arise? provenance

What the second pass must settle

  • Should each service be a separate entry?
  • How should platform law be linked by jurisdiction?
  • How should safety resources be linked?