Editing Social software (section)

{{Short description|Type of software}}
{{For|the field of study|Social software (social procedure)}}
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'''Social software''', also known as '''social apps''' or '''social platform''' includes communications and interactive tools that are often based on the [[Internet]]. Communication tools typically handle capturing, storing and presenting communication, usually written but increasingly including audio and video as well. Interactive tools handle mediated interactions between a pair or group of users. They focus on establishing and maintaining a connection among users, facilitating the mechanics of conversation and talk.<ref name = "Allen">{{cite web|url=http://www.lifewithalacrity.com/2004/10/tracing_the_evo.html|title=Tracing the Evolution of Social Software|last=Allen|first=Christopher|date=13 October 2004|access-date=19 June 2011}}</ref> ''Social software'' generally refers to software that makes collaborative behaviour, the organisation and moulding of communities, self-expression, social interaction and feedback possible for individuals. Another element of the existing definition of ''social software'' is that it allows for the structured mediation of opinion between people, in a centralized or self-regulating manner. The most improved area for social software is that [[Web 2.0]] [[application software|applications]] can all promote co-operation between people and the creation of online communities more than ever before. The opportunities offered by social software are instant connections and opportunities to learn.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last1=Anderson |first1=Terry |title=Teaching Crowds: Learning and Social Media |last2=Dron |first2=Jon |date=2014-09-18 |publisher=Athabasca University Press |doi=10.15215/aupress/9781927356807.01 |isbn=978-1-927356-81-4 |doi-access=free }}</ref> An additional defining feature of social software is that apart from interaction and collaboration, it aggregates the collective behaviour of its users, allowing not only crowds to learn from an individual but individuals to learn from the crowds as well.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Mejías |first=Ulises |date=2005 |title=A Nomad's Guide to Learning and Social Software |url=https://ictlogy.net/bibliography/reports/projects.php?idp=1692&lang=es |journal=The Knowledge Tree}}</ref> Hence, the interactions enabled by social software can be one-to-one, one-to-many, or many-to-many.<ref name=":0" />