My first entry to social network was somehow kind of compromise. I had to get familiar with this new platform because most of my schoolmates tend to put important notice on it. At that time, I didn't recognise that it would lead to a new way of communication.
Social network has helped me a lot in making friends with new schoolmates since I'm shy to start the first word with someone face to face. I can be free to have a talk only when I'm certain that we are familiar enough with each other. But you see, without the courage to start the first word, nothing will happen next. However, leaving a word on someone's page seems to be more easy for me. By this way, I can get familiar(maybe only psychologically, but that's OK) with many new friends before we finally met, and can be more free to have a talk face to face.
After that first word, friends become friends and then, we come to each other's life through social network. Here social network gives us more opportunity to communicate, no longer limited by time and places. It's really a good chance to keep friends in good touch. In addition, for social network's non-time-limiting, I prefer to leave a message on one's page to sending a short message by cell-phone or making a phone call. Because I can't make sure the one I'm calling is free to answer my message or can make a reply to my message within a short time. And we know, for most of us, checking social network is somehow a sign of being free. Of course, that kind of message is certainly not urgent.
On this platform, I can get information about what my friends are concentrated with, not so intendedly and more freely. Most probably, such information can open a new window for my life. That can be linked with a topic mentioned on 18th, Sep's class. Concerning user-based filtering and item-based filtering, I'll prefer the first one since we need to discover new items that are likely to interest us, not repeat some topics again and again. And friends' interests are most likely to have the potential to be ours.
I think I have got accustomed to this new way of communication and found it really brings convenient to my life.
Hey Cathy, I saw ur comment in my blog so I'll just type whatever I wanna say here =v=~
回复删除Same as you, the very first intention to join social network wasn't spontaneous at all. Renren, fb, weibo, any website I can tell.
I agree with you on the idea that these social websites opens a door for us to meet colleagues and schoolmates, however just from what I've been through, ppl tend to pretend they don't "know" each other even though they are "friends" on renren, which I have absolutely no clue whether is particularly happening on me or not. Passing by on the street, waiting in the same line, ppl won't talk to others just because they might have saw each other on renren, or sometimes even after they have greeted through social websites. And this makes me frustrated because it seems friends are just farther apart.
By all means, social networks just serve as a gate. What's left humane still has to be achieved by genuine love. You really can't tell the person simply from his/her actions and updates on it until you've met the person, exchanged thoughts, etc., because things on websites are likely to have been sugared up hundreds of times after serious consideration. (It seems I'm jibarjabering my own stuff... =__= plz dun mind...)