The Human Element in Social Networking

I hate to spoil anyone’s field of dreams—but nevertheless, just because you built it doesn’t mean they will come. Social networking sites—and the energy, enthusiasm, and creativity that they can help unleash for all sorts of goals—are increasingly ubiquitous. Moreover, such sites and their volunteer communities are becoming such an embedded part of our lives that in many cases we simply take it for granted. But for all the successful social networks that we rely on, many others never get off the ground—and many that seem promising never reach Success often has more to do with people issues than technology. the critical mass that provides a meaningful experience for their members. Software can provide a critical part of the equation. It’s software, after all, that provides the infrastructure for members to come together, that supports or frustrates various ways for them to interact, and that limits the amount and type of information they can share. But it’s still only one part of the social network. Elsewhere in this issue, you’ll find articles discussing technical aspects of creating and supporting social networks for software development. But I was curious about what lessons have been learned more generally, especially about what differentiates successful from not-so-successful networks—and how software developers can support social networks more effectively. For that, I turned to two experts who have been building and studying ambitious systems that rely on social networks here at the University of Maryland (UMD), which is becoming a leading institution in this field