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	Social Networks (Facebook, Twitter, Ideal) GB819: July 24, 2018

The aim of this post is to show the pros/cons of facebook and twitter and suggest that possible a new social network is needed.

Facebook has these pros:

• Allows posts of any length.
• Allows uploading of videos
• Allows you to set permissions of posts, hide posts.
• Allows discussions group.

Facebook has these cons:

• Forcing the use of the real name.   I guess they are afraid  that if you change your name, people cannot find you and add you to their list.  I may choose to use my real name, but I like the ABILITY to change at will.
• Algorithms are strongly suspected to favor pictures and one line positive posts.  I have not proven this, but strongly suspect it.  On forums like politicsforum.org, one liners were looked down upon.
• Extreme focus on friends from middle school, high school, college etc.  I have no problem with those people reading me, but I want people all around the world to read me.  It is good that there are discussion groups for causes.

Twitter has these pros:

• I suspect that the Algorithm is more “pure” on twitter and am more suspicious that facebook sets back posters who are controversial or “heavy” in their posts.
• Twitter encourages you to add and meet new people.  Facebook discourages this and tells you to only add people you know from offline.  On facebook, I blatantly broke this rule and think I have faced penalties in post advertisement because of this.
• Ability to change name at will.  I may well use my real name at times, but do not want to be told what to do.

Twitter has these cons:

• The dreaded char limit.  In some ways this does encourage you to post images and use the text as a “tag” and to link to blogs, link to youtube videos.  It encourages you to use the entire internet, not just twitter (unlike facebook which tries to keep you in).  However, I still do not like being forced.
• No permission system or ability to hide posts.
• No groups.

The ideal social network would take the pros of both social networks without the cons and encourage posts that are not “one liners.”  You could still write a one liner or post a photo, but the people who write longer, more intellectual, more sideways posts would be rewarded.  Posts that posted philosophy, posted news, would be ranked above posts which showed photos or tell the world that you are at a party.

Media creation of the intellectual type would be encouraged and the network would allow you to “represent” yourself to the rest of the world and people in other countries, as opposed to be represented through a Government.   Musical creation would also be encouraged.  This would be pushed high by the algorithm.

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