Types of users

Some projects seem to have found it useful to categorise users into a set of types. A project at the BBC that I learned about on Thursday included these types of child user (of a virtual environment): explorer-investigators, self-stampers, social climbers, fighters, collector-consumers, life-system builders, nurturers.

We should consider whether a taxonomy of types of user (or alternatively modes of use) would be useful in your project.

19 Feb 2009

On of those health scares that some scientists love to use to increase their media profile:

"Social networking sites could be harming people's health by reducing levels of face-to-face contact, an expert has claimed.

"Sites such as Facebook set out to enrich social lives, but end up keeping people apart, according to Dr Aric Sigman.

"Lack of "real" social networking, involving face-to-face interaction, may have wide-ranging biological effects, he argues."

http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/science_technology/concern%20over%20networking%20sites/2962767

Old and young use Internet differently (in US)

US survey - includes link to a PDF file of the 5 page report.

Excerpt:
"Compared with teens and Gen Y, older generations use the internet less for socializing and entertainment and more as a tool for information searches, emailing, and buying products. In particular, older internet users are significantly more likely than younger ones to look online for health information. Health questions drive internet users age 73 and older to the internet just as frequently as they drive Gen Y users, outpacing teens by a significant margin. Researching health information is the third most popular online activity with the most senior age group, after email and online search.

"Internet users ages 33-72 are also significantly more likely than younger users to look online for religious information and are more likely to visit government websites to search for information."

http://www.marketingcharts.com/interactive/generations-online-use-internet-differently-8145/

Useful source of data

This looks useful as a source of data:

http://www.itfacts.biz/

Many items don't make clear which territory they refer to, but as a starting point it looks pretty handy.

Disenchantment with Facebook

I see there has been the first fall in Facebook numbers:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7257073.stm

This quote from Nic Howell, deputy editor of industry magazine New Media Age, seems relevant to our interest in users' sense of comfort with a particular style:

"Social networking is as much about who isn't on the site as who is - when Tory MPs and major corporations start profiles on Facebook, its brand is devalued, driving its core user base into the arms of newer and more credible alternatives," he said.

conference

And back so soon!

http://www.cmis.brighton.ac.uk/staff/rng/EuroITV/09_Inclusivity_Workshop/

is worth looking at. One of the contestants is our very own Mark Springett.

Apologies if it's already been posted.

G

Checking in

hello Mike,

it's an interesting article you've sent. "Treat facebook as the British Library of your personal relationships" - I have heard something similar being said about LinkedIn - it would be a way to keep people's current contact details and work positions.

I will check out the "modular man". I believe that this experience can even happen in a small company.

In 'marketing week' I've read how the "Heyday" magzine that targeted over 50's was unsuccessful because it couldn't sustain a large subscription base just on age alone... the article describes how it should have been based on interests of people

I will try to scan that article in.

here is a link to another article (but the same topic)
http://www.marketingmagazine.co.uk/news/879630/Age-Concern-England-close-Heyday/

godly social networking :-)