computer science

Social network aggregation

Social network aggregation is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Social network aggregation rather than just read about it. In short: Social network aggregation is the process of collecting content from multiple social network services into a unified presentation. Examples of social network aggregators include Hootsuite or FriendFeed, which may pull together information into a single location or help a user consolidate multiple social networking profiles into a single profile.

Key takeaways

Social network aggregation belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Social network aggregation to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Social network aggregation from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Social network aggregation is the process of collecting content from multiple social network services into a unified presentation. Examples of social network aggregators include Hootsuite or FriendFeed, which may pull together information into a single location or help a user consolidate multiple social networking profiles into a single profile. Various aggregation services provide tools or widgets to allow users to consolidate messages, track friends, combine bookmarks, search across multiple social networking sites, read RSS feeds for numerous social networks, see when their name is mentioned on various sites, access their profiles from a single interface, and provide "live streams", among other things. Social network aggregation services attempt to organize or simplify a user's social networking experience, although the concept of a "social network aggregator aggregator" satirizes this idea. Some aggregators perform other duties; for example, some aim to help companies and individuals improve engagement with their brands. Creating aggregated social streams that can be embedded into an existing website and customized to look visually intrinsic to the site allows potential customers to interact with all the social media posts maintained by the brand without moving between websites, which can keep customers loyal to the brand for longer.

Function Social network aggregation platforms allow members to share social network activity on their accounts with major platforms, including Twitter, YouTube, StumbleUpon, Digg, and Delicious. Content appears in real-time to other members who subscribe to a particular community, eliminating the need to jump from one social media network to another and streamlining the process of updating multiple social media platforms. Social network aggregation systems can rely on initiation by publishers or engagement through their readers. In publisher-initiated aggregation systems, publishers combine identities, allowing their readers to see all aggregated content once they subscribe. In reader-initiated systems, such as Windows Phone 7 People Hub and Linked Internet UI, readers combine identities without impacting publishers or other readers; publishers can retain separate identities for different readers. Technically, APIs provided by social networks enable aggregation. For the API to access a user's actions from another platform, the user must permit the social-aggregation platform by specifying the user ID and password of the social media account to be syndicated. In March 2008, The Economist reported that social networking services are beginning to move away from "walled gardens" towards more open architecture. Some sites work together on a "data portability work group," while others focus on a single sign-on system called OpenID to allow users to log on across multiple sites. Historically, the trend from private services to more open ones is evident across many Internet services, including email and instant messaging. This trend is also apparent in the change from online service providers to websites. The OpenSocial initiative aims to bridge the member overlap between various online social network services. Social network aggregators such as FriendFeed represent connections between people with directed graphs. They adopt a following approach, rather than a friending one, where "A follows B" does not imply "B follows A"; in other words, following is not reciprocal. In this scenario, nodes represent each account, and edges illustrate the following relationship. The relationships between these nodes are linked to their age and sphere of influence; that is, nodes that have joined the network more recently receive less influence than older ones. Therefore, on social network aggregators, new nodes tend to connect to nodes with high degrees.

History Media aggregators predate social media. For example, journalists summarize numerous pieces of information and try to synthesize relevant content from many sources. This practice serves a dual purpose: it provides understandable information about complex topics and eliminates the time requirement for readers to find and analyze news from multiple sources. Moreover, job listings and other advertisements have also used aggregators.

Data collection Performing social network aggregation requires a large range of data, including content related to a topic and information about profiles reached by the content. Social network aggregators then analyze this data, correlating the audience profiles and the type of content. However, collecting such data may be difficult, as databases of social networks vary and may change during some updates.

Applications in marketing Social network aggregators are a powerful tool in marketing as an efficient way to view content and better understand the market. A study provided by eMarketer noted that 43% of marketers complain about a significant lack of time to find relevant content for their business. Social network aggregators contain features to share content on social media platforms and reach as many people as possible, acting as a productivity enhancement tool.

Overlap between multiple social network services The attraction of social network aggregation comes from the fact that some users have accounts on several social networking sites. In November 2007, Alex Patriquin of Compete.com reported on the member overlap between various online social network services:

A study conducted in 2009 of 11,000 users reported that the majority of MySpace, LinkedIn, and Twitter users also have Facebook accounts.

See also Content moderation Crowdmapping List of social networking services Social media Social network Social network consolidator Social networking service Web 2.0 Social bookmarking

Notes and references

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Social network aggregation

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Social network aggregation claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Social network aggregation before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Social network aggregation ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Social network aggregation

In research: Social network aggregation appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Social network aggregation in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Social network aggregation is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics News aggregators, Self-organization, Social bookmarking, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Social network aggregation outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Social network aggregation in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Social network aggregation means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Social network aggregation out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Social network aggregation in simple terms?

Why does Social network aggregation matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Social network aggregation?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Social network aggregation.