Editing Social computing (section)

== Social software ==
Social software can be any computational system that supports social interactions among groups of people. The following are examples of such systems.

=== Social media ===
[[Social media]] has become an outlet that is one of the most widely used ways of interacting through computers and mobile phones. Though there are many different platforms that can be used for social media, they all serve the same primary purpose of creating a social interaction through computers, mobile devices, etc. Social media has evolved into not just an interaction through text, but through pictures, videos, [[GIF]]s, and many other forms of [[multimedia]].  This has provided users an enhanced way to interact with other users while being able to more widely express and share during computational interaction.  Within the last couple decades, social media has blown up and created many famous applications within the social computing arena. These sites also serve as digital marketing platforms, which is growing rapidly.

=== Social networking ===
Through social networking, people are able to use platforms to build or enhance social networks/relations among people.  These are people who commonly share similar backgrounds, interests, or participate in the same activities.  For more details see [[social networking service]].

=== Wiki pages ===
A [[wiki]] provides computing users a chance to collaborate to come together with a common goal and provide content to the public; both novice and expert users.  Through the collaboration and efforts of many, a wiki page has no limit for the number of improvements/edits that can be made.

=== Blogs ===
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A [[blog]], in social computing aspects, is more a way for people to follow a particular user, group, or company and comment on the progress toward the particular ideal being covered in the blog. This allows users to interact using the content that is provided by page admin as the main subject.

Five of the best blogging platforms<ref name=Fitzpatrick>Fitzpatrick, Jason. "Five Best Blogging Platforms." Lifehacker. N.p., 20 June 2010. Web. 22 Oct. 2016</ref> include [[Tumblr]], [[WordPress]], [[Squarespace]], [[Blogger]], and [[Posterous]]. These sites enable users, whether it be a person, company, or organization, to express certain ideas, thoughts, and/or opinions on either a single or variety of subjects. There are also a new technology called webloging which are sites that hosts blogs such as Myspace and Xanga. Both blogs and weblogging are very similar in that they act as a form of social computing where they help form social relations through one another such as gaining followers, trending using hashtags, or commenting on a post providing an opinion on a blog.

According to a study conducted by Rachael Kwai Fun IP and Christian Wagner,<ref name=Ip>Ip, Rachael Kwai Fun, and Christian Wagner. "Weblogging: A Study of Social Computing and Its Impact on Organizations." Decision Support Systems45.2 (2008): 242-50. Science Direct. Web</ref> some features of weblogs that attract users and support blogs and weblogs as an important aspect of social computing in forming and strengthening relationships are: content management tools, community building tools, time structuring, search by category, commentary, and the ability to secure closed blogs.

Blogs are also highly used in social computing concepts in order to understand human behaviors amongst online communities through a concept called [[social network analysis]]. Social network analysis (SNA) is "a discipline of social science that seeks to explain social phenomena through a structural interpretation of human interaction both as a theory and a methodology".<ref name=Marlow>Marlow, Cameron. "Audience, Structure and Authority in the Weblog Community." MIT Media Laboratory (2004): 1-9. Web. 26 Oct. 2016</ref> There are certain links that occur in blogs, weblogs in this case, where they have different functions that portray different types of information such as Permalink, Blogrolls, Comments, and Trackbacks.

One recent example of social computing is how platforms like TikTok use community engagement and user feedback to influence content recommendation algorithms, effectively blending algorithmic curation with social behavior.

=== Online gaming ===
Online gaming is the social behavior of using an [[online game]] while interacting with other users.  Online gaming can be done using a multitude of different platforms; common ones include [[personal computers]], [[Xbox]], [[PlayStation]], and many more gaming consoles that can be stationary or mobile. Many of these applications include messaging between users.

=== Online dating ===
[[Online dating]] has created a community of websites like OkCupid, eHarmony, and Match.com.  These platforms provide users with a way to interact with others that have goals relating to creating new relationships.  The interaction between users in sites like these will differ based on the platform but the goal is simple; create relationships through online social interaction. People can meet more possible companions through online dating websites than they could at work or in their neighborhood.