Comments on: Trust and Impersonation in social networks http://artofconv.wordpress.com/2009/05/20/trust-and-impersonation-in-social-networks/ Talking about Purposeful Online Conversation in Communities Mon, 07 Dec 2009 20:26:32 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Monica http://artofconv.wordpress.com/2009/05/20/trust-and-impersonation-in-social-networks/#comment-147 Monica Fri, 22 May 2009 14:14:36 +0000 http://artofconv.wordpress.com/?p=166#comment-147 I don't use Facebook, so I can't compare it to LJ, but on LJ I never post "friends-only". Rather, I have a custom filter that is almost everybody, but people I'm not yet sure about don't get onto it. If someone who appears to be an old friend appears on my radar and what he writes is interesting, I'll add him to my reading list and contemplate giving him access. If what he writes isn't interesting, I don't care if he's an old friend -- I'm unlikely to add him, because to me the "friends list" is first and foremost about aggregating content. I have given access to a couple people who never post, but they're people I already know IRL and who independently confirmed their LJ identities. I wouldn't give such access to someon out of the blue. I should probably mention one thing about myself that I gather is unusual: I do not give any special status to someone just because he's a relative or we were in 7th grade together. A lot of the point of Facebook seems to be reconnecting, but past connection is not a predictor of current common interest, so I don't care. Statistically, I am more likely to find interesting people to get to know via friends of friends than via past involuntary associations. I've gotten enough cross-eyed looks when trying to explain this that I know I'm some sort of mutant. I don’t use Facebook, so I can’t compare it to LJ, but on LJ I never post “friends-only”. Rather, I have a custom filter that is almost everybody, but people I’m not yet sure about don’t get onto it. If someone who appears to be an old friend appears on my radar and what he writes is interesting, I’ll add him to my reading list and contemplate giving him access. If what he writes isn’t interesting, I don’t care if he’s an old friend — I’m unlikely to add him, because to me the “friends list” is first and foremost about aggregating content. I have given access to a couple people who never post, but they’re people I already know IRL and who independently confirmed their LJ identities. I wouldn’t give such access to someon out of the blue.

I should probably mention one thing about myself that I gather is unusual: I do not give any special status to someone just because he’s a relative or we were in 7th grade together. A lot of the point of Facebook seems to be reconnecting, but past connection is not a predictor of current common interest, so I don’t care. Statistically, I am more likely to find interesting people to get to know via friends of friends than via past involuntary associations. I’ve gotten enough cross-eyed looks when trying to explain this that I know I’m some sort of mutant.

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