So what is this all about?

Recently, I've awaken to the advent of social networking sites. I haven't decided if i was just being stubborn to change or just simply naive to the fact that Myspace, Facebook, and others we're completely transforming the way we interact with the Internet. For me, it started with signing up for a Digg account. I had began to see the impact that social bookmarking was having because every page i visited had a button following the end of the article giving the user an option to share (i.e.; Blog, Digg, publish, etc.) I decided that I had two options: remain indifferent to the evolving world around me, pretending that it was all a fad the same way text messaging had been with cell phones; or i could jump on board and find out what was the driving force behind people choosing to immerse themselves in this world of social networks, information sharing, and Web 2.0. I will keep a running update of all the discoveries I make so that if you're like me (an infant to all of this), then you will be able to benefit from the knowledge that emerges.

The other part of it for me is that I'm a communication researcher. I find myself so fascinated by the way humans send and receive messages that I plan on completing doctoral studies on the phenomena (so of course, this will make for some great research). So in addition to deconstructing just what makes Myspace and Facebook so effective, I will also be looking at the communication theory that explains it. All you social researchers should have some fun with this too!