Social Software

Aleks Krotoski, who studies the psychology of online social networks, writes about social software in this Guardian piece. He says that it is the internet's latest revolution creating new connections and brings people together:

Whether you know it or not, if you've used the internet recently you have been part of the revolution that will integrate technology more thoroughly into our lives and blur the boundaries between us and machines. But don't panic - this is a stride towards social advancement. This revolution goes under the name of "social software", and it is the element that elevates the internet from a simple tool into an interpersonal phenomenon, connecting people in a meaningful way.

While the names of many of the websites involved - such as del.icio.us, Orkut or Flickr - might be unfamiliar, the concept behind them is simple: to bring together widely-scattered groups to meet on common ground. In doing so they develop relationships, create reputations, generate politics between people who would never have met if it weren't for the connections that emerge from social software. Rather than destroying communities, it creates them. Social software corrects one of the most significant failings of the world wide web...