Vizster: Visualizing Online Social Networks

I want to mention two themes as conclusion, the meaning of this sort of social network and the practical use of this System.

For the first theme, the meaning of the social network, we have to distinguish sharply between the two terms, the social network and the personal network. I think the social network covers the personal network and is more formal and non-individual than the other one. The personal network literally means something individual and therefore you can expect an individual and emotional help from people from it. For example, you want to be comforted by a person from the personal network not from the social network. And you can’t frankly tell your mental pain or emotional thing in your mind to someone from other Labs with whom you haven’t spoken seriously about something before. Of course you can make a new personal relationship from the social but it takes time, energy and the will.

In my opinion, in the real world is the quantity of the relationship not important but the quality. It doesn’t matter, how many people do you know or how wide your social network expands in the world. I think the quantity is the goal of the social networking such as Friendster of the visualization from it, the Vizster.

The second theme is that where can find the system the most practical use.
There are two opposing aspect on it: positive and negative.

The positive aspect, as we already have heard, is that I can easily fill my curiosity from the system. To find out private information about your friends or friends of your friends seems here as an exploratory, funny play for me. For example I can find out about yourself and with whom you're hanging around. I'm very interested in your high school community, your church friends and your company friends. My curiosity is totally filled and I'm very satisfied but what is your advantage? Perhaps you can do it what I did. You find out the information of my relationships. Ok it's not problem between us or between the people to whom I have individual relationship but this is a problem for me when a person, whom I've never met, will know my social network. I don't want to let him know, even if he will just see my data and do anything badly with it.


The negative aspect, about which I'm deeply concerned, is the false use of the private information. Someone deliberately get the information for a sale of insurances or some other merchandise.


I think this system is seriously good for profile and control of a group such as organization of a surprise parties or control criminals.

Games as art: the Aesthetics of play

Today, I got the first class in "advanced media aesthetics". The lecturer, Dr. Yoon introduced us the whole process and schedule. We are expected to take a paper from three categories, social computing & information visualization, experimental game & new media culture and media art & media aesthetics. The one, who will take a paper, will be the chair and has to present it's summary and lead a discussion about the theme. He have to invite three panels who can join or argue him in the discussion. And he has also the all responsibilities for the nice flow of the discussion.
Oh, my god! Bless me!

I'd love to pick the theme, "Games as Art, The Aesthetics of Play".