Stewardship of personal data on social networking sites

The extant Information Management literature highlights the asymmetric distribution of power between users and online platforms, while the issues related to the stewardship of personal data on such platforms remain problematic and largely unresolved. To address that lacuna, we propose a conceptual design that can help to overcome many of the challenges related to storage, analysis, and integrity associated with the stewardship of personal data on online platforms. We adopt a systemic perspective and propose a shift from the current user-platform relationship to one in which users control the level of access to their data, organisations are relieved from the burden of maintaining personal data, and the data are not decoupled from information about their provenance and context of origin. We apply our conceptual design to the context of social networking sites, where we specifically address issues related to privacy, and identity and pave the path to a broader set of possible applications. We discuss the significance and timeliness of our proposed conceptual design for the stewardship of personal data, and the importance of our findings for future research, as well as for the design of online platforms.     

Voluntary sharing and mandatory provision: Private information disclosure on social networking sites

Private information disclosure on social networking sites (SNS) is one of the most important and active issues in the information management arena. The growing phenomenon of platforms requiring users to disclose personal information exposes the limitations of previous studies that only focus on users’ voluntary disclosure. In this study, we define two modes of users’ private information disclosure behavior: voluntary sharing and mandatory provision. Using the Communication Privacy Management theory, we built a framework to explain the impact of individual characteristics, context, motivation, and benefit–risk ratio on the user's willingness to disclose voluntarily or mandatorily. Our research shows that voluntary sharing is more likely to be driven by positive factors, such as perceived benefits, social network size, and personalization, while mandatory provision is affected by individual characteristics such as age, privacy policy, and perceived risks. One of our interesting findings is that perceived risk has less impact on voluntary sharing than previous studies suggested. When encouraging users to share information voluntarily, platforms do not need to pay as much attention to reducing perceived risk as in the mandatory providing mode, but should focus on improving perceived benefits. Being the first to classify and compare the private information disclosure modes of SNS users, our research enriches the existing literature and opens up new avenues for researchers and social networking platforms.     

PAPA knows best: Principles for the ethical sharing of information on social networking sites

The advent of social networking sites has changed the face of the information society Mason wrote of 23 years ago necessitating a reevaluation of the social contracts designed to protect the members of the society. Despite the technological and societal changes that have happened over the years, the information society is still based on the exchange of information. This paper examines various historical events involving social networking sites through the lens of the PAPA framework (Mason 1986) to highlight select ethical issues regarding the sharing of information in the social-networking age. Four preliminary principles are developed to guide the ethical use of social networking sites (SNS).     

The effects of personalization on user continuance in social networking sites

Social networking sites (SNSs) enable user to personalize their contents and functions. This feature has been assumed as causing positive effects on the use of online information services through enhancing user satisfaction. However, unlike other online information services (non-participatory information services), due to the results of personalization in a certain situation, SNS users cannot help using the SNS even though they feel dissatisfaction on using it. SNSs are different from other information services in the sense that they create and sustain their own value based on the number of participating members. In SNSs, personalization, reflected by updates and maintenance of profile pages, results in such participation. This study hypothesizes that personalization influences on the continued use of SNSs through two factors: switching cost (extrinsic factor) and satisfaction (intrinsic factor). Web-based survey was conducted with the samples of 677 SNS users from six universities in the US. In-person interviews were conducted with 25 university students to elicit their thoughts on the SNSs. Quantitative analysis employed by testing the proposed model with five hypotheses through a structural equation modeling (SEM) technique. The transcribed interview data was analyzed following the constant comparative technique. The main findings indicate that, as expected, the personalization increases its switching cost as well as satisfaction, which results in further use of SNSs. These findings suggest that it is necessary to consider both extrinsic and intrinsic factors of user perceptions when adding personalization features on SNSs.     

Moral luck and computer ethics: Gauguin in cyberspace

I argue that the problem of ‘moral luck’ is an unjustly neglected topic within Computer Ethics. This is unfortunate given that the very nature of computer technology, its ‘logical malleability’, leads to ever greater levels of complexity, unreliability and uncertainty. The ever widening contexts of application in turn lead to greater scope for the operation of chance and the phenomenon of moral luck. Moral luck bears down most heavily on notions of professional responsibility, the identification and attribution of responsibility. It is immunity from luck that conventionally marks out moral value from other kinds of values such as instrumental, technical, and use value. The paper describes the nature of moral luck and its erosion of the scope of responsibility and agency. Moral luck poses a challenge to the kinds of theoretical approaches often deployed in Computer Ethics when analyzing moral questions arising from the design and implementation of information and communication technologies. The paper considers the impact on consequentialism; virtue ethics; and duty ethics. In addressing cases of moral luck within Computer Ethics, I argue that it is important to recognise the ways in which different types of moral systems are vulnerable, or resistant, to moral luck. Different resolutions are possible depending on the moral framework adopted. Equally, resolution of cases will depend on fundamental moral assumptions. The problem of moral luck in Computer Ethics should prompt us to new ways of looking at risk, accountability and responsibility.     

Understanding the adoption of location-based recommendation agents among active users of social networking sites

Nowadays, using increasingly granular data, from real-time location information and detailed demographics to consumers-generated content on the social networking sites (SNSs), businesses are starting to offer precise location-based product recommendation services through mobile devices. Based on the technology acceptance model (TAM), this paper develops a theoretical model to examine the adoption intention of active SNS users toward location-based recommendation agents (LBRAs). The research model was tested by using the Partial Least Squares (PLS) technique. The results show that perceived usefulness, perceived control, and perceived institutional assurance are important in developing adoption intention. Perceived effort saving, special treatment, and social benefit have influences on the adoption intention through the mediating effect of perceived usefulness. Perceived accuracy has direct influence on adoption intention.     

Applying uses and gratifications theory and social influence processes to understand students' pervasive adoption of social networking sites: Perspectives from the Americas

This study provides nascent information on university students' needs to adopt social networking sites (SNSs) pervasively. The study drew from the uses and gratifications theory (UGT) and social influence (SI) processes framework. Relevant hypotheses were formulated to test the proposed research model. Data was collected in a survey of university undergraduates in four countries in the Americas (i.e., United States, Canada, Mexico, and Argentina). Data analysis using partial least squares (PLS) supported 8 out of the 10 hypotheses formulated. The SI process of internalization and identification, as well as UGT categories of self-discovery, entertainment value, social enhancement, and the need to maintain interpersonal connectivity through the construct of behavioral intentions, were found to have positive impacts on students' pervasive adoption of SNSs. The results also revealed that the cultural factor of individualism–collectivism had a positive impact on the pervasive adoption of SNSs, such that greater levels of engagement were observed for students from more individualistic cultures.     

studiVZ: social networking in the surveillance society

This paper presents some results of a case study of the usage of the social networking platform studiVZ by students in Salzburg, Austria. The topic is framed by the context of electronic surveillance. An online survey that was based on questionnaire that consisted of 35 (single and multiple) choice questions, 3 open-ended questions, and 5 interval-scaled questions, was carried out (N = 674). The knowledge that students have in general was assessed with by calculating a surveillance knowledge index, the critical awareness towards surveillance by calculating a surveillance critique index. Knowledge about studiVZ as well as information behaviour on the platform were analyzed and related to the surveillance parameters. The results show that public information and discussion about surveillance and social networking platforms is important for activating critical information behaviour. In the case of studiVZ, a change of the terms of use in 2008 that brought about the possibility of targeted personalized advertising, was the subject of public discussions that influenced students’ knowledge and information behaviour.     

A socio-technical approach to knowledge contribution behavior: An empirical investigation of social networking sites users

Online social networking has received increasing attention as a new phenomenon among online users. As Internet users utilize online social networking websites as a useful communication tool to maintain their social networks, this study explorers online social networking websites users’ knowledge sharing in particular. This study investigated the factors which influence knowledge contribution behaviors of social networking website users by sharing through user created contents with one another. By employing a socio-technical approach, this study discussed the roles of social system factors such as ethical culture, social tie, and a sense of belonging in online social network. Additionally, this study examined technical systems factors such as structural assurance of service providers and structural assurance of the Internet. The survey method was utilized in order to empirically test the research model. The research findings and contributions are discussed as well.     

Simulating rational social normative trust, predictive trust, and predictive reliance between agents

A program for the simulation of rational social normative trust, predictive `trust,' and predictive reliance between agents will be introduced. It offers a tool for social scientists or a trust component for multi-agent simulations/multi-agent systems, which need to include trust between agents to guide the decisions about the course of action. It is based on an analysis of rational social normative trust (RSNTR) (revised version of M. Tuomela 2002), which is presented and briefly argued. For collective agents, belief conditions for collective agency should be added. For the various forms of trust agents must have (at least) subjectively rational reasons to believe that the conditions of the trust account are fulfilled. A list of such reasons (of varied weights), e.g., given by empirical research, can manually be built into a parameter file or be generated by a calling program in a fixed format. From this list of reasons the program randomly generates a belief base for the agents of the artificial society. Reasons can be chained together so that one set of reasons satisfies several belief conditions. The program checks if the conditions are fulfilled for the artificial agents' social normative trust/predictive `trust'/`predictive reliance' in another agent that he will perform an action X. Each outcome is logged to a result file. In conclusion we discuss various aspects of the application of a trust component of the suggested kind in empirical research, social simulation, and multi-agent systems. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

African youths and the dangers of social networking: a culture-centered approach to using social media

With rising numbers of Facebook, Twitter and MXit users, Africa is increasingly gaining prominence in the sphere of social networking. Social media is increasingly becoming main stream; serving as important tools for facilitating interpersonal communication, business and educational activities. Qualitative analyses of relevant secondary data show that children and youths aged between 13 and 30 constitute Africa’s heaviest users of social media. Media reports have revealed cases of abuse on social media by youths. Social networks have severally been used as tools for perpetuating crimes such as; cyberbullying and violence against girls and women. This study proposes a ‘Culture-centered Approach’ to the use of social media in a bid to minimize these cybercrimes and encourage the responsible use of social media amongst African youths. The Culture-centered Approach, which incorporates the tenets of Information Ethics, stresses the need for the respect of the dignity and rights of other online users as well the application of good cultural values and ethical behavior while on social media platforms.     

社会网络、创新行为、企业信任间的关系研究

 社会网络和信任在理论和实践上被认为对创新具有促进作用，然而鲜见实证验证。本文从企业的层面探讨社会网络、创新、信任三者之间的关系，并给予实证检验。论文首先回顾了社会网络、创新和信任的相关理论，在已有理论基础上提出了三个假设；然后,以2001年世界银行对中国998家制造业企业的调查数据来分析验证上述假设；最后，根据实证分析的结论，结合国内实际情况为企业提出相关建议。     

Developing a platform-specific framework for web credibility assessment: A case of social Q&A sites

Social question-and-answer (Q&A) sites have the potential to serve as a useful source of online information based on their content-focused and collaborative nature. Although previous research has examined various attributes of high-quality information on social Q&A sites (e.g., best answers), relatively less attention has been paid to what affects users’ credibility assessments of information in the social Q&A context. The present study developed a social Q&A platform-specific framework for web credibility assessment, including 21 criteria under six types of web credibility, based on a literature analysis and case study of two online Q&A communities, Stack Exchange and Wikipedia Reference Desk. Using the selected sites’ policies and guidelines (n = 46) as the source of evidence, the case study revealed that content-related attributes (e.g., evidence-based, pertinence) were most frequently identified (12 of 21 criteria) as potential cues and heuristics for web credibility assessments of social Q&A sites, followed by author-related (five of 21; e.g., reputation) and design-related (four of 21; e.g., engaging design) factors. Design-related criteria were rarely included in previous models of web credibility on social Q&A or similar peer-knowledge production platforms. However, our findings showing that both Stack Exchange and Wikipedia Reference Desk have policies regarding all four design-related criteria in our framework—engaging design, moderation, design appropriateness, and ease of use—indicate the potential influences of design features on users’ web credibility assessment on social Q&A sites. Some differences emerged between the two cases, such as policies regarding the answerer's credentials or semantic accuracy that are present on Wikipedia Reference Desk but absent on Stack Exchange. Such differences in the sites’ policies reflect how they position themselves as social Q&A communities—Wikipedia, of which Wikipedia Reference Desk is a part, as an encyclopedia, and Stack Exchange as a community-based platform for learning, sharing knowledge, and building careers of users.     

社交网络服务用户参与研究综述

社交网络服务经过将近20年的发展已经成为互联网时代最普及、用户参与度最高的网络应用之一.学者们对社交网络服务的理论和实证研究也取得丰硕成果,社交网络的快速发展对学者们的研究也提出了新的挑战.通过对学者关于社交网络含义、社交网络用户参与动机、用户社会资本获得3个方面研究的梳理和总结,分析社交网络服务用户参与理论研究的成果和不足,以期有助于社交网络用户参与理论研究的发展.     

Effects of various characteristics of social commerce (s-commerce) on consumers’ trust and trust performance

The development of social networking sites (SNSs) has given rise to a new e-commerce paradigm called social commerce (s-commerce). S-commerce is a subset of e-commerce and uses SNSs for social interactions and user contributions to facilitate the online buying and selling of various products and services. Recent years have witnessed the rapid growth of s-commerce in Korea, but this growth has involved a number of transaction-related issues such as no delivery and the delivery of wrong items. In particular, consumers’ trust has become a crucial factor in the success of s-commerce firms, requiring these firms to make more effort to gain this trust. In this regard, this study identifies the key factors in s-commerce [reputation, size, information quality, transaction safety, communication, economic feasibility, and word-of-mouth (WOM) referrals], that is, the characteristics of s-commerce influencing Korean consumers’ trust in s-commerce. In addition, the study assesses the effects of trust on trust performance (purchase intentions and WOM intentions). The results of an empirical analysis based on a sample of 371 s-commerce users indicate that all the characteristics of s-commerce (except for economic feasibility) had significant effects on trust and that trust had significant effects on purchase and WOM intentions. The results have important implications for s-commerce firms wishing to develop a successful business model for providing their customers with trustworthy services.     

中国社会信任与社会风险透视——基于知识图谱的视角

在逻辑理路上澄清社会风险与社会信任之间存在的互为因果性的关联机制,并在充分阐释采用知识图谱研究范式解析中国社会风险与社会信任的正当性基础之上,使用SPSS与Ucinet对超过2000篇以“社会风险”和“社会信任”为篇名或关键词的中文文献进行“多维尺度分析”和“社会网络分析”,从而透视到了当代中国在现实中所面临的社会风险与社会信任问题的主要来源、发生领域、主要类型等方面的特征;也在一定程度上明确了中国社会中的社会风险与社会信任在类型、特征和性质等方面与西方社会的差异.据此提出,中国政府应优先建立“制度的信任”,才可能有效化解以整个社会系统不断增加的复杂性所意味着的持续增加的社会风险,从而保持未来中国社会的长期和谐稳定.     

网络、信任和规范对知识创造的影响：知识共享的中介作用

组织的知识创造能力是组织竞争优势的重要来源,为探讨知识创造的影响因素,建立了网络、信任、规范、知识共享与知识创造之间的理论模型。通过分层回归分析,以178个样本为对象进行实证研究,研究结果证明：网络、信任和规范对知识创造有正向作用,知识共享在信任与知识创造之间起到了中介作用。本研究结论为组织通过提高社会资本和知识共享提升知识创造能力提供理论和实践基础。     

Cookies, web bugs, webcams and cue cats: Patterns of surveillance on the world wide web

This article addresses the question of whetherpersonal surveillance on the world wide web isdifferent in nature and intensity from that inthe offline world. The article presents aprofile of the ways in which privacy problemswere framed and addressed in the 1970s and1990s. Based on an analysis of privacy newsstories from 1999–2000, it then presents atypology of the kinds of surveillance practicesthat have emerged as a result of Internetcommunications. Five practices are discussedand illustrated: surveillance by glitch,surveillance by default, surveillance bydesign, surveillance by possession, andsurveillance by subject. The article offerssome tentative conclusions about theprogressive latency of tracking devices, aboutthe complexity created by multi-sourcing, aboutthe robustness of clickstream data, and aboutthe erosion of the distinction between themonitor and the monitored. These trendsemphasize the need to reject analysis thatframes our understanding of Internetsurveillance in terms of its impact onsociety. Rather the Internet should beregarded as a form of life whose evolvingstructure becomes embedded in humanconsciousness and social practice, and whosearchitecture embodies an inherent valence thatis gradually shifting away from the assumptionsof anonymity upon which the Internet wasoriginally designed.     

Information avoidance behavior on social network sites: Information irrelevance,overload, and the moderating role of time pressure

Drawing on the stressor-strain-outcome framework, this study investigates how information irrelevance and overload induce social network fatigue, and the relationship of these variables to users’ information avoidance behavior. It also examines the conditions under which social network fatigue is more likely to be translated into information avoidance behavior. The analysis of data collected from 341 users of WeChat Moments suggests that information irrelevance directly leads to information avoidance behavior, and social media fatigue as a mediator partially mediates the impact of information overload on information avoidance behavior and fully mediates the impact of social overload on information avoidance behavior. Furthermore, time pressure strengthens the effect of social network fatigue on information avoidance behavior. This study fulfills the identified need for an in-depth investigation of actual discontinuous behavior in social network services (SNSs) by investigating information avoidance behavior and its antecedents. The findings provide SNSs providers with guidelines on how to manage users’ behavior so that they remain active users of the SNSs.     

Audience management,online turbulence and lurking in social networking services: A transactional process of stress perspective

In social networking services (SNSs), users’ unclear understanding of the large and invisible audience increases the chances of online turbulence, which is a key source of SNS-induced stress. This growing phenomenon has gained increasing attention in academia and industry due to the undesirable consequences for users and SNS platforms. In this study, we draw from the transactional model of stress to examine how audience management strategies impact online turbulence and lead to neglected unintended audience concern and lurking. We also investigate the role of self-monitoring as a stress inhibitor. We test our model with data collected from 301 SNS users. The results show that the four types of audience management strategies have different effects on online turbulence, which significantly impacts neglected unintended audience concern especially when users have high self-monitoring skills. We believe that this work contributes, both from scientific and practical standpoints, to the understanding of the interventions and stressful responses of online turbulence in SNSs.