What does it mean to network using social media?
How are we motivated to participate in networked publics?
What are the risks & rewards of public communications?
1 To network using social media means that we connect with our friends, families, and colleagues on an online platform. Even strangers that share similar hobbies and values can be connected by using social media.
2 Network publics definitely help people that are too shy to talk in real life. It provides a real-time, but not face-to-face communication environment. For example, I joined a Facebook car club a few years ago, I met people that shared the same hobbies as me. We discuss cars in the group and eventually, we had some offline events.
3 The risk in online environment is that it’s a open environment that everyone is able to talk. It’s easy to get fraud and personal information explode on the internet while the other person sitting in front of a computer from the other side of world. On the other hand, public communication provides a great path to learn some new knowledge. The information is easier to be reached than before, and most of the time it’s free.