Sunday, December 14, 2014

Power Point Presentation Boys and Girls Club

Link to Powerpoint Presentation :











Task 6

            As virtual worlds, such as Second Life, World of Warcraft, and more, become increasingly prominent in our society, it is important that we understand how these virtual worlds affect the “real world.” It’s no wonder these virtual worlds have gained such popularity; in these worlds, users can now look however they want by building their avatar. Users now have powers they could never have in real life and, most importantly, the social hierarchy is clearly mapped – in the real world, you are dealt the cards you are dealt. In these worlds, it is now within your power to level up, get better weapons, nicer clothes. The worlds are large enough that no one can remember who you were three weeks ago, a luxury not so easily afforded at school or work. Any negative implications of virtual worlds come as a result of blurring the lines between the virtual and the real world.
            As pointed out earlier, social hierarchy is not only mapped out but also tends to contrast starkly from real life. This can affect a user in two ways, either a growth of confidence, or a detachment from real world rules and regulations. For many users, these virtual worlds are a place to feel accepted and be around others with common interests. For those lacking a safe space or environment where they feel they can be who they really are without persecution, knowing there are others out there who will accept them can give them the confidence they may not be able to find outside of a virtual reality. This isn’t always so apparent since it is a quiet side effect. What is more obvious is when the user becomes detached from reality.

            This can manifest itself in many ways. At its least harmful, the user can start to forgo social rules and cues for those that are set up in their virtual community, leading to isolation. In more extreme cases, users can start to act out. Isolation can lead to resentment and frustration with real world contacts. Unfortunately, this can lead to violence, which is often the only time our society discusses the real world implications of virtual worlds. Since the positive affects of virtual worlds tend to be more subtle, it isn’t obvious where the connection is or that it is even worth discussing. But the truth is, virtual worlds can be very helpful in establishing a safe space for users to feel included. The positive effects are not always discussed, but are certainly noteworthy. 

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Task 5



The Boys and Girls club of Milwaukee would greatly benefit from the creation of a virtual world. The virtual platform that would be best served for them would be Second Life. Considering the level of maturity needed to handle such an endeavor participants in this virtual world must be over 13 years of age. This will provide them with the necessary maturity in order to learn, grow, and create with the help of a sponsor that will help them get accustomed to Second Life. Considering the difficulty in becoming sufficient in Second Life sponsors will need to be competent at teaching young users the basic around Second Life. This plan will outline why the creation of a virtual team will help the Boys and Girls Club, what influence that members will have on the virtual group, and also any considerations that must be in mind regarding the virtual group. This plan will explain the benefits of this virtual team and how it will help teens to grow and be part of a virtual group, while helping them become more effective users of technology.
            A virtual team is “a group of individuals who work across time, space and organizational boundaries with links strengthened by webs of communication technology.” (Lipnack, 2000 pg. 352) Through the creation of a virtual team it will be possible to foster creativity and learning in the young people that will be using Second Life. In theory over time the use of Second Life could connect not only members from the Milwaukee area, but also from statewide or nationwide members thus allowing members a chance to learn about their peers from varying areas around the country. This formation of a virtual group will be helpful as it will be a rich enough form of media in order to serve the needs of the organization. Being able to communicate synchronously is an important characteristic of Second Life and one that will make it possible for someone to teach a new user in the form of a walkthrough of various functions. Miller describes managers and how they select media forms based on the task ambiguity, “managers will be more effective if they choose a communication medium that is a proper match for the ambiguity of the task at hand.” (Miller, 2015 pg. 240) Thus using Second Life is very worthwhile for it gives users the freedom and autonomy to create and do as they please, something that teens strive for.
            Members of the virtual group will have all of the impact on the group, from the new users to the sponsors and trainers all of the content will be created by the users and thusly create a new world for users to learn and explore. Channel expansion theory is something that will take place over time as users become more and more connected with the technology, “richness perceptions will depend on an individual’s personal experience with a specific medium.” (Miller, 2015 pg. 241) As more and more time is spent with the techonology we can theorize that users will become more and more useful in the techonology and it will provide them with chances to learn new things about Second Life and to bring new things to the table in the virtual group. Considering this Second Life is a great platform for the Boys and Girls club as it will allow for members to continually grow and learn new things about the medium the more they use it.
            Implementing this virtual group or team will require a few distinct steps, as Beverly Geber has written. The first step is to create a mission, and for this virtual group the mission is quite simple. To foster growth in young people, while creating content in Second Life and allowing youths to learn and become a part of a virtual group and help them carry over their knowledge and experience in Second Life to other aspects of their lives. Norms must also be addressed, respectful communication habits, along with the other norms of the boys and girls club must be adhered too while inside of the Second Life. Also it will be necessary to create a team leader that will create and monitor aspects of the virtual group, for example if conflict does arise the team leader will decide how to move forward and solve any issues that may arise throughout the use of the virtual team. While planning the group it is important to select new users carefully as to not open the group up to any trouble making members. This is a very important aspect of this plan as its success hinges greatly on the first wave of new members being able to use and learn the system in order to implement new ideas, creations, and work.
            Using Second Life for the Boys and Girls Club will require a group of dedicated individuals to teach the first users, however once those users are proficient in the medium the idea will be to for older users to help newer users along in order to expand their use of the medium more and more. While the Boys and Girls Club can still meet in person this use of a virtual group will allow for members to meet when it may not be possible to meet face to face and it will let members learn more and more about other members and to strengthen the group as a whole.


Lipnack, Jessica., (2000). Virtual Teams: People Working Across Boundaries with Technology. John Wiley & Sons. p.352
Miller, K. (2015) Organizational communication: Approaches and processes. Stamford, CT: Cengage.

Sunday, November 23, 2014

Lab 2 Task 4 - Media Characteristics of Second Life

Media Characteristics of Second Life

Second Life is an online virtual community that allows users to simulate a real-life environment.  Users are able to ‘build’ locations, customize appearance, and communicate via voice and text within the tool.

On its surface, Second Life seeks to achieve a higher level of social presence compared to other online communication tools.  The customizable avatars, the ability to ‘see’ one another throughout the tool, and interact using your avatars seems to attempt to simulate face-to-face interaction throughout the virtual tool. 

One area where I don’t see Second Life effectively simulating ‘real life’ interaction is given the consideration of media richness theory.  The avatars in Second Life do not seem to do much to replace nonverbal cues such as gestures.  While you can ‘see’ the avatar you are communicating with, the fact that it isn’t real seeming leaves out a large part of the human element.

While Second Life does not seem to effectively solve the problems addressed by media richness theory, it does relate closely to the social information processing theory.  By using the avatars, almost ‘virtual humans’ in the tool, I can easily see where a relationship formed in Second Life could over time develop many of the same qualities of a face-to-face relationship.  Because users have full control over their appearance, it is also possible to present oneself in a manner that is differently from how the user would appear in ‘real life’.  This could help facilitate relationships that may not otherwise have formed offline.

It’s easy to see how a relationship formed in Second Life could become hyperpersonal.  Because both individuals can present themselves however they choose, their companion could easily become the ‘perfect partner’.  Second Life even has a website dedicated to virtual ‘romance spots’. (Linden Research, 2014)

While the anonymity created by having a virtual persona in Second Life could easily lead individuals to present themselves untruthfully, this same level of anonymity could actually lead others to be more open and forthcoming.  Because it isn’t required to reveal your true identity, a user can be completely open and honest without fear of their real life being affected.  In this way, Second Life creates a level of privacy that can’t easily be duplicated by other social media tools.

Comparison with Other Web 2.0 Technologies

Second Life is extremely unique.  While it does share some similarities with other Web 2.0 technologies, I feel that the differences by far exceed the similarities.

Second Life vs. Facebook

Facebook as a social media tool revolves around personal sharing.  Users share personal images, videos, thoughts and ideas with a network of people who they are generally closely associated with in real life.  Facebook has a high level of media richness on behalf of all of the different methods of sharing it provides.  Interactions on Facebook can easily impact a user’s real life.

This is starkly different from sharing on Second Life.  Users on Second Life can form relationships with others who they have no real-life connection, create whatever persona they want, and generally interact without consideration for how things they share would be perceived by their real-life acquaintances.

Second Life vs. Twitter

Twitter is largely used for one-way sharing.  Users can post thoughts, ideas, articles, pictures and videos to be shared with their followers.  Limited communication can take place back and forth, but for the most part everything is completely public.

Twitter is fast, easy, and efficient.  There’s no extra software to download, no virtual world to log into, and no avatar to create.  With Second Life, the investment is higher, the privacy is greater, and the ability to disconnect from the real-world is much greater.  While there are similarities between the tools in that they can be used for communication, I feel that the differences are so significant that for most use cases they would not be interchangeable.

Second Life vs. Snapchat

Of the three Web 2.0 technologies compared, I feel that Snapchat actually has the closest resemblance to Second Life.  That’s not to say that they’re “the same” or could easily be interchangeable, but I think they both aim to appeal to a similar type of user.

While there are loopholes such as screen captures, Snapchat aims to appeal to those who are concerned with privacy.  Individuals are encouraged to share ‘self-destructing’ photos, with the aim that what they share will disappear and therefore not have a large impact in their other real-life relationships.  This sense of privacy, like with Second Life, can easily encourage users to be more open and forthcoming and share things that they might otherwise be afraid to share.

In spite of the similarities, however, it would still be difficult to use the tools interchangeably.  Second Life again requires much more commitment to set up and use, and provides greater means for a deeper level of sharing.

Pros and Cons

For individuals who are shy or have challenges with personal sharing, I can see the Second Life environment very appealing.  For a member of a virtual team who may be less compelled to ‘open up’ and share using other technologies or even face-to-face, the environment could encourage higher levels of participation and sharing.

While in some ways this encourages a higher level of openness, it’s important however to remember also that it can also lead to deception.  Users are able to present themselves as their ideal view of themselves, and if a virtual relationship ever extends into real life, this could lead to confusion or even disappointment.


I think Second Life could have a place in virtual teams and relationships, but should be used in conjunction with other Web 2.0 technologies, and not in place of.  A balance of the ideas of social information processing needs to be weighed against the importance of media richness and ‘real life sharing’.

Monday, November 17, 2014

Lab 2 Second Life

1. ReginaldKennethDwight is the user name I chose, (my normal online alias).
2. I changed my Avatar to a vampire then did not know how to change it back.
4. I understood decently how to get around and navigate the world, but did not really know what there was to do.
5. My first impression honestly was that second life was a tad bit boring as I did not run into any other users when I was on it.
Kevin Hurst

Sunday, November 16, 2014

Group Lab 2 - Intro to 'Second Life'

Post the following information on your Blog. 
1.) The name of your avatar(s) - User Name is Diversity1a, Display name is 
2.) What you changed about your appearance and why - Only changed the shoes.  it was a bit difficult. I had a hard time figuring out how to do it. 
3.) A screen shot of your avatar(s) in Second Life on UWM’s sim (optional) 
4.) Challenges in getting oriented to Second Life - I didn't know what to do. I watched the video and was still confused. I will get it eventually I will get it after playing with it for a while.
5.) Your first impression of Second Life - I think it's kind of cool. I really want to learn it.. 


Sunday, November 16, 2014

Group Lab 2 - Intro to 'Second Life'

Post the following information on your Blog. 
1.) The name of your avatar(s) - User Name is JaredUWM, Display name is Jared
2.) What you changed about your appearance and why - Only changed the shirt.  No particular reason, just trying to figure out how it all worked.
3.) A screen shot of your avatar(s) in Second Life on UWM’s sim (optional)
4.) Challenges in getting oriented to Second Life - Trying to figure out what I'm 'supposed to do'.
5.) Your first impression of Second Life - The concept seems unique.  At this point, I'm not entirely sure what the goal is or what I'm supposed to do with it.

Sunday, October 19, 2014

Facebook: Social information processing theory

Facebook: Social Information Processing Theory

University of Wisconsin Milwaukee - VY Cannis Majoris

Kevin Hurst, Troy Shaw, Jared Bachman, Erin Van Derven

Introduction

Facebook has over 1 billion visitors per month, and is the 2nd most visited website on earth. (Desilver, 2013)  The social networking site has achieved massive popularity, not only being the 2nd most visited website, but also expanding its sphere of influence into all aspects of daily life for not just most Americans but for the entire world.
Looking at how Facebook builds relationships, and also how it relates to the theory of social information processing, it is important to first:
·         Look into some of the media characteristics of Facebook.
·         Relate it to Social information processing theory, and-
·         Find out more information through the use of interviews.
These three aspects will help to explain why Facebook and its relationship building aspects are important to look at, and will help to show the connection between Facebook the theory of social information processing. Considering the fact of Facebook’s widespread usage for a variety of reasons, it is essential to understand Facebook’s role in computer mediated communication.

The Technology of Facebook

Looking at the media characteristics of Facebook requires looking at the different ways that users communicate on the website.  Firstly, it is important to look at how people use the functionality of their instant-messaging system and private messages.  Additionally, Facebook provides an avenue for self-disclosure using its different systems of posting to their “wall” or “timeline”. The Facebook timeline allows for people to provide information and communicate with not just one person, but groups of people or even all users who can access Facebook.
Significantly more than its predecessor MySpace, Facebook has become its own verb.  This is the one computer meditated communication that has transcended into a completely new world of possibilities, and it has as a result become the birthplace of many imitations.  Instagram, Snapchat, and even Foursquare can be said to have been fostered from Facebook.
While some users will solely post updates over using the private messaging and vice versa, we can assume that those users are not in the majority.  Some of the characteristics that are unique to Facebook compared to other forms of social media include a more personal experience, instant self-disclosure, and status and cue updates.
The first characteristic that Facebook displays is a uniquely personal experience for users. Users update a social profile complete with personal information, pictures, and updates on what they are doing at that moment. Because it uses printed text, without even the texture of paper to lend it individuality, electronic communication tends to seem impersonal.
“Communicators must imagine their audience, for at a terminal it almost seems as though the computer itself is the audience.” (Kiesler, Siegel, & McGuire, 1984)  Facebook seeks to overcome this with its layout and functions, such as the fact that users posting a status update will receive feedback from a variety of people in the form of likes and comments.  This allows for users to look at who is viewing their posts.  Additionally, users who reply are also able to look at the poster’s profile in order to lift the veil from over their eyes and attempt to provide a more personal electronic communication. 

Social information processing theory

Looking at Social information processing theory and its relationship to Facebook first requires an understanding of the theory.  Social information processing theory seeks to explain relationship building over computer mediated communication, and additionally explains how people share information with each other without the luxury of nonverbal communication.  Fulk writes that, “The basic promise of Social information processing theory is that meaning is socially constructed.  Although objective characteristics and constraints in the work environment do influence perceptions and behavior information provided by the social environment is of at least equal importance.” (Fulk, Steinfield, Schmitz, & Power, 1987) 
Facebook lets users provide their own information about their social environment, and that is one of the reasons why Social information processing theory relates so well to Facebook.  The idea behind the theory is simply put that people using computer mediated communication can create relationships that are the same to relationships that are formed using face to face communication, however the length of time required for computer mediated relationships is greater than that of face to face relationships. Walther describes the theory as this:  “This theory asserts that communicators using any medium experience the similar needs for uncertainty reduction and affinity, and to meet these needs CMC users will adapt their linguistic and textual behaviors to the solicitation and presentation of socially revealing, relational behavior.” (Walther & Anderson, 1994)
Walther uses this theory to show that no matter the medium, people will always want to reduce uncertainty and build relationships.  Facebook, as will be shown, strives to ease both of those processes.  Therefore, as it stands, Social information processing theory is a very broad theory that describes the interpersonal relationship building process as it relates to computer mediated communication.
            Upon learning about Facebook and some of its media characteristics, the next step would be to look into how Facebook relates to the Social information processing theory.  Facebook lessens the time required to make relationships as genuine as face to face relationships in a variety of ways.  Users on Facebook can disclose information about themselves as much or as little as they would like.  This allows for a user to disclose a lot of personal information such as likes or dislikes, hobbies, and other interests they have, and also for anyone who is communicating with them to have access to that information.  This allows for people to both learn more about someone they already know, and in the case of a stranger looking at a person’s page for the first time it will allow for them to reduce uncertainty by looking at the interests and photos of that other person.  As a result we can say that Facebook allows for users to lessen the time required to form relationships by making information easy to access, allowing users to disclose their information on their own time, and to take enough time to craft a clear message.
            Facebook also implements the more traditional form of CMC of instant messaging and private messaging.  These functions go hand in hand with the profile portion of the website, thus allowing for users to see information such as relationship statuses and common friends, before or after sending a message.  One of the downsides of an instant messaging application is, as Kielser writes, that “Availability of instantaneous electronic communication, for example, might lead people to expect immediate responses.” (Kiesler, Siegel, & McGuire, 1984)  That can be the cause for some tension in the relationship.  A similar phenomenon happens with the use of text messaging. However, this application allows for a more timely messaging system and can create an environment that will allow for an easier and faster avenue of communication.
                 The absence of cues is something that hinders the development of computer mediated communication, however Facebook employs a variety of methods to address this.  One of the most widely thought of methods are emoticons, which portray a facial expression.  Today, emoticons are programmed to provide a small graphic in the instant messaging application of Facebook.  These simple images allow for senders to convey a simple facial expression, which paired with photos of themselves can allow for the receiver to form a reasonable image of the sender and to enhance some sort of cues. Additionally, the use of language acronyms, an example being “LOL” for laughing out loud, can also portray cues in the conversation in some form.  While these cues are not as pronounced as face to face communications, they do serve some purpose in creating meaningful communication.
“Caution, however, must be exercised with paralinguistic cues in CMC, for they have localized meanings” (Olaniran, Rodriguez, & Williams)  What Olaniran means by this is that cues such as emoticons and acronyms do not have the same meaning to every person who uses CMC, specifically Facebook.  So while the use of those types of cues can be helpful, they can also be harmful and can distort the message.
        The use of nontraditional cues such as emoticons, the use of profiles to reduce uncertainty, and the ability to transfer messages instantaneously all link Facebook with Social information processing theory.  As evidenced, Facebook has employed numerous methods relating to the theory in an effort to make easier the building of relationships using computer mediated communication.

Interview Results

Through interviews conducted with three individuals, it became apparent that users placed significant effort into creating an online persona, as Social information processing theory would suggest.  The specific audience of an interviewee’s message was less important than was the effect of maintaining their online persona.
Three people were interviewed:
·         Nancy, a 58 year old mother. (Julich, 2014)
·         Nick, a 26 year old young professional. (Simmons, 2014)
·         Jessica, a 17 year old high school student. (Parnell, 2014)
As expected, their answers for general use information questions varied widely.  Though not particularly noteworthy, I felt this showed the range of backgrounds, making shared answers more significant.  
Interviewees chose Facebook because of its rich sharing capabilities.  They enjoyed the ability to share photos, thoughts, feelings, and information, and the fact that they could control the audience of this information.  All of this combined helps to maintain the image and persona of the online user.  While it can take longer to form a relationship online, the ability to frame the conversation and to better control the back and forth flow of information can help to reduce conflict and grow relationships more deeply.
Younger users appeared to show more concern with their online persona, especially as it related to business contacts.  Nancy, at age 58, has established herself professionally and was complete unconcerned with what business contacts might see.  Nick and Jessica, on the other hand, were concerned with what business contacts might see to the point where they indicated they would discontinue using Facebook if business contacts had access to their posts.
What was interesting was that, despite their friend group or motivation to be on Facebook, all three had a clear idea of how they wanted to present themselves online. It became clear that the motivation behind using different modes of communication on Facebook – private messages, sharing stories, status updates, and wall posts – shared the intent to uphold their online persona.  It also became clear that the way the user interacted with any individual wasn’t based on the other user, but based on the user’s “Facebook audience” as a whole.

Conclusions

            Social information processing theory suggests that while online relationships can take more time to develop than a traditional face-to-face relationship, once established they can demonstrate the same qualities. (Walther & Anderson, 1994)
            As evidenced, Facebook has evolved to become perhaps the largest host of mediated communication in the United States, with global reach as well.  Research has shown that through use of the wall, timeline, private messages, emoticons and other multimedia, members can use Facebook to grow, maintain, and build relationships.
            Through use of the sharing functionality on Facebook, users can create a persona largely of their choosing.  By choosing what pictures, posts, and communications are posted online, they can shape the view of themselves that others will see.  While these relationships may as a result be ‘different’ than what might have formed traditionally face-to-face, there is no doubt that they can share an equal level of richness and quality.  If not for this fact, it’s doubtful that billions of people would continue visiting Facebook every month.

Bibliography

Desilver, D. (2013, October 4). Chart of the Week: The world’s most popular web sites. Retrieved from Pew Research Center: http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2013/10/04/chart-of-the-week-the-worlds-most-popular-web-sites/
Fulk, J., Steinfield, C., Schmitz, J., & Power, J. (1987). A social information processing model of media use in organizations. Communication Research, 14(5), 529-552.
Julich, N. (2014, October). Interview on Facebook Use. (E. Van Derven, Interviewer)
Kiesler, S., Siegel, J., & McGuire, T. (1984). Social psychological aspects of computer-mediated communication. American Psychologist, 39(10), 1123.
Olaniran, B., Rodriguez, N., & Williams, I. (n.d.). Social Information Processing Theory (SIPT): A Cultural Perspective for International Online Communication Environments.
Parnell, J. (2014, October). Interview on Facebook Use. (E. Van Derven, Interviewer)
Simmons, N. (2014, October). Interview on Facebook Use. (E. Van Derven, Interviewer)
Walther, J., & Anderson, J. (1994). Interpersonal Effects in Computer-Mediated Interaction. Communication Research, 21(4), 448-60.

 

Appendix A- Interview Schedule

       I.            Opening
A.    (Establish Rapport) [shake hands] My name is Erin, and I am doing some research on technology and relationships for my communications course.
B.     (Purpose) I would like to ask you some questions about your experience using Facebook to establish and maintain relationships both socially and professionally.
C.     (Motivation) I hope to use this information to better understand how different people utilize Facebook 
D.    (Time Line) The interview should take about 10 minutes. Are you available to respond to some questions at this time?
(Transition: Let me begin by asking you some questions on how you get interested in Facebook)
    II.            Body
A.    (Topic) General Use Information
1.How long have you used Facebook?
(Question 1. Interviewees were selected based on the fact that they use Facebook)
a.       What was your motivation to sign up?
2.How often do you log in?
a.       How much time do you spend logged in on average?
b.      What do you like to do on Facebook?
(Transition to the next topic: Many people have been using Facebook to keep in touch or get back in touch with old friends…)
B.     (Topic) Relationship building/maintaining
1. Is your contact group on Facebook mainly friends, family or business contacts?
a.       Is this different than when you originally signed up. If so, why?
2. How do you interact with others on Facebook (wall posts, private messages, comments)?
a.       Does your message or tone change depending on the medium?
3. Do you have any business contacts as friends on Facebook? (Note answer for topic C)
4. How do you use Facebook to maintain to influence relationships?
 (Transition to the next topic: (react to last answer) I think it’s fair to say that online relationships allow the user a lot of power in how they are perceived…)
C.     (Topic) Online Persona
1. How do you think others perceive you based solely on your profile?
a.       Do you make a conscious effort to appear a certain way?
2. What influences your “online persona?”
a.       When interacting on Facebook, which has a greater influence to you, the task you are trying to achieve, or who you are interacting with?
b.      Can you elaborate on that?
3. Lastly, (choose a or b)
a.       (If the interviewee has business contacts as friends) how do you think your persona is affected by having business associates as friends on Facebook?
b.      (If the interviewee does not have business contacts as friends) How would you change your approach to Facebook if you knew that business associates were looking at your profile?
 (Transition: Well, it has been a pleasure speaking with you today. To make sure I recorded your answers properly, let me briefly summarize the information that I have recorded during our interview.)
 III.            Closing
A.    (Summarize) The way you use Facebook is mainly by ________ and your friends group largely consists of _________.   You consider your online persona to be ________ and this is influenced by _________.
B.     (Maintain Rapport) I appreciate the time you took for this interview. Is there anything else you think would be helpful for me to know?
C.     (Action to be taken) I should have all the information I need. Would it be alright to call you at home if I have any more questions? Thanks again!



Appendix B- Interview Notes

Interview with Nancy Julich

       I.            Body
A.    (Topic) General Use Information
1.How long have you used Facebook?
5 Years
a.       What was your motivation to sign up?
To keep in touch with family, and my sons.
2.How often do you log in?
Every few days.
a.       How much time do you spend logged in on average?
About 30 minutes.
b.      What do you like to do on Facebook?
Look at pictures and posts. I send messages with my siblings.
B.      (Topic) Relationship building/maintaining
1. Is your contact group on Facebook mainly friends, family or business contacts?
Family.
a.       Is this different than when you originally signed up. If so, why?
No.
2. How do you interact with others on Facebook?
I mostly comment on other posts or send private messages
a.       Does your message or tone change depending on the medium?
Private messages are more personal than other more public content.
3. Do you have any business contacts as friends on Facebook?
Yes
4. How do you use Facebook to maintain to influence relationships?
I like to look at pictures and send messages. Sometimes will use what’s seen on Facebook in phone conversations.
C.      (Topic) Online Persona
1. How do you think others perceive you based solely on your profile?
They probably think I don’t know what I’m doing!
a.       Do you make a conscious effort to appear a certain way?
Not too much.
2. What influences your “online persona?”
I honestly don’t think about it.
a.       When interacting on Facebook, which has a greater influence to you, the task you are trying to achieve, or who you are interacting with?
Who I’m interacting with.
b.      Can you elaborate on that?
Well, if I know someone really well I might be more casual but otherwise I just kind of say what I want.
3. How do you think your persona is affected by having business associates as friends on Facebook?
Not too affected. At this age, there’s not too much coworkers can’t know about me.

Interview with Nick Simmons

       I.            Body
A.    (Topic) General Use Information
1. How long have you used Facebook?
Since 2007, 7 years.
a.       What was your motivation to sign up?
My older brother introduced it to me, some of my friends in high school started using it.
2. How often do you log in?
Daily until I finished college, now only about twice per week.
a.       How much time do you spend logged in on average?
No longer than 30 minutes.
b.      What do you like to do on Facebook?
Look at what my distant friends are up to, and check in on family.
B.      (Topic) Relationship building/maintaining
1. Is your contact group on Facebook mainly friends, family or business contacts?
Friends, but mainly family.
a.       Is this different than when you originally signed up. If so, why?
When I originally signed up, only friends were on Facebook.  Now my family is the bigger user group of Facebook.
2. How do you interact with others on Facebook?
I generally only comment on other people’s posts.
a.       Does your message or tone change depending on the medium?
It changes more based on the person I’m contacting.
3. Do you have any business contacts as friends on Facebook?
I have no business contacts on Facebook, only on LinkedIn.
4. How do you use Facebook to maintain to influence relationships?
I usually comment on my old friend’s walls or pictures to keep a line of communication going.
C.      (Topic) Online Persona
1. How do you think others perceive you based solely on your profile?
I haven’t thought of that really, probably, “He doesn’t care about Facebook.”
a.       Do you make a conscious effort to appear a certain way?
I try to appear funny instead of political or sad when I post.
2. What influences your “online persona?”
My family, friends or wife, things they think are funny.
a.       When interacting on Facebook, which has a greater influence to you, the task you are trying to achieve, or who you are interacting with?
The people I am interacting with.
b.      Can you elaborate on that?
I’m not trying to achieve anything on Facebook, so I just like have a conversation with my friends or family with my posts/comments.
3. How would you change your approach to Facebook if you knew that business associates were looking at your profile?
I would probably stop using Facebook altogether.  I think business interactions are much more effective in person.

Interview with Jessica Parnell

       I.            Body
A.    (Topic) General Use Information
1. How long have you used Facebook?
5 years.
a.       What was your motivation to sign up?
Friends had accounts.
2. How often do you log in?
Daily.
a.       How much time do you spend logged in on average?
30 minutes.
b.      What do you like to do on Facebook?
Look at other peoples’ pictures, and watch videos.
B.      (Topic) Relationship building/maintaining
1. Is your contact group on Facebook mainly friends, family or business contacts?
Friends.
a.       Is this different than when you originally signed up. If so, why?
No.
2. How do you interact with others on Facebook?
Comments and ‘Likes’.
a.       Does your message or tone change depending on the medium?
No.
3. Do you have any business contacts as friends on Facebook?
No.
4. How do you use Facebook to maintain to influence relationships?
Posts on walls and statuses, mainly with cousins.
C.      (Topic) Online Persona
1. How do you think others perceive you based solely on your profile?
Fun and active.
a.       Do you make a conscious effort to appear a certain way?
I like people to think I’m always having fun.
2. What influences your “online persona?”
Knowing that everyone at school can see it.
a.       When interacting on Facebook, which has a greater influence to you, the task you are trying to achieve, or who you are interacting with?
The people I am interacting with.
b.      Can you elaborate on that?
If it’s a close friend I might comment but if I don’t know them as well, maybe just a like
3. How would you change your approach to Facebook if you knew that business associates were looking at your profile?
I would probably get off Facebook. I don’t use it that much and it just seems too stressful to keep up appearance for work.