Good connection. I just wish there was more detail regarding the intervention so that the nuances could be discussed in detail.

There is so much potential in using SNA. In healthcare, organizational learning involves interdependent relationships and this would be a good use of SNA as well.

Very interesting point. Hope being increased within the group leading greater well-being.

Good point Morgan. The attractiveness of the other plays a factor in being selected as a potential friend.

It is sad but true. Overweight people face bias against them sometimes.

Good insight Ashlee. It makes sense, If are more dispersed, it may pose more of an obstacle to reach out. People will still reach out and leverage these connections after they overcome this hurdle I think.

Great insight Courtney. It provides validation for certain types of interventions

That makes sense. It is easier to make superficial connections than more meaningful connections.

This finding seems reasonable as well. People like homophily and associating with other pathological gamblers fills this need.

Very interesting finding. It makes sense, people are following their preferences in addition to their interaction with the network.

Social pressure at it's best.

It's good too see people sticking up for others. Especially when it can do so much good.

Their results makes sense. Just because there are a lot of people next to you does not equal meaningful interaction with them leading to cohesion.

Interesting research question.

Great use of available resources.

Good clear layout of the research question.

Were these surveys given to producers? If so how did they account for self report bias....or am I looking at this the wrong way

In the paper I selected that was an important structural core.

This is similar to what they used in my blog as well. Interesting how we picked similar topics

It makes sense. I think younger children may find it easier to nominate friends because their definition of friend has yet to be further refined.

Great job in clearly laying out what they sought to explore Ashlee.

This study was an interesting application of structural metrics. Did the authors detail in their conclusions what their data showed about how aggression may be predictive of friendship selection? You mentioned a self report, do you think that an individuals own level of aggression may affect their friendship selections? In other words maybe those who are more aggressive group with others if higher aggression, vice versa.

It makes so much sense to use a quantitative method to analyze extant research. Thanks for providing another layer of how k-cores can be used.

That is really interesting Morgan. It provides context for the application of SNA in novel ways.

Looking at many of the keywords from the figure, many of the keywords seem to be common themes in social/behavioral research in general. What explicitly link these terms to creativity research?

Now that I know that a weighed k-core decomposition can be effective in identifying influential information spreaders in a network, I will keep this in mind for my toolbox.

Very interesting. It is good to see people attempting to expand the field of social network analysis.

Do you think that the use of structural methods independently is more reliable and/or appropriate than a mixed methods approach which could include both nodal and structural methods? I think that in the context of criminal justice the preliminary use of structural metrics would be beneficial if dealing with a a large network, but follow up with nodal metrics could also be invaluable.

Great job in describing the study. You logic in explaining is very clear.

This is a very interesting study! I worked in metal health for a while and have seen first hand how important coordination of care is, especially during times of transition from a service provider. Was the purpose of this to track which programs were efficiently providing transitional support in aims to validate the funding they were already receiving or to provide them with additional funding?

What does the researcher plan to do next with these graphical displays? Do they believe that there any immediate applications?

I just wanted to say that using SNA in this manner is pretty cool!

Do you think there is a way that we can distribute this weight more evenly? Should it be distributed evenly?

Agreed. It will take vigilance to ensure that people are not able to exert special interests in the public sphere, but I think decentralization helps with this.

I totally agree with you Ashlee. With the simple fact that people can generate and disseminate knowledge, having the truth out there increases the probability of more people knowing the truth.

Do you think that the consumption of media influences peoples thinking or do people seek information sources that historically align with their ideals?

You make a really good point here. What about the people though who do have a voice but do not use it for prosocial purposes. In our new hyper-connected world do you think that we need to increase protective measure against those who would use these networks as platforms to spread hate, fear, and violence?

Thomas do you believe that this availability of communication counteracts the fears that Habermas had of the formal media? Although sponsors may be able to control to certain extent the news, radio, etc. they can not control the media that is produced and circulated by private citizens.

How do you think we can course correct these issues Patrick? Consumer protests? Litigation and changes in policy?

In the current state of the U.S do you believe that we have achieved that 'idealistic' version of a public sphere?

I really like how you used the term ground zero. It has so much potential and serves as a testing ground for the propagation of thoughts and ideas.

Good point. Hyperconnectivity has to be used in an appropriate to increase benefits.

I agree. You have to police your behavior towards anything that can become too consuming.

I really like your image. It shows the mostly one way communication from the media to perception. If only there were ways to have an arrow going the opposite direction with greater significance.

I really like how online communities are sometimes less status based because an internet user can remain anonymous but still voice their opinion. I think that helps in creating a neutral public sphere.

I really like how you phrased this. Free from outside influence. We definitely need to think for ourselves.

Another very good point. Hyperconnectivity certainly provides new forums where education can take place.

Very good point Courtney. Control over the generation and spread of information is so important. It allows people to think about and question the world around them.

Good point. Power over the generation of information is so important. Look at what the printing press did. Once people had direct access to the information, in this case the Bible, they could form their own thoughts without relying on someone to interpret it for them.

The media can be biased, but many members still attempt to report the facts. Sometimes the information that generates the most interest can be relevant and honest for people.

Yes even our media is plagued by special interests.

I really like your use of the word neutral. It has to be free of governmental and organizational special interests. Just an open discussion.

Which SNA methods did you use primarily when working with your data?

The time periods studied help to explain much of the lack of effect across hospitals in more recent analysis of the hospital value based purchasing program.

Significant findings include the political mobilization of the American Hospital Association Political Action Committee in response to the hospital value based purchasing program. This indirectly indicates that hospitals started preparing for the hospital value based purchasing program much earlier that previously thought.

Which metric (in degree or out degree) do you think would be most important as it relates to your research question?

What were your results? i'm interested to find out.

Are you operationalizing connectedness in the context of a students engagement to class material ( i.e. participation in class discussion, completing assignments, etc.) or are you interested in overall social behavior (all conversations, pro/anti social behavior, etc.)?

After previously working in the public school systems I can definitely agree that this is an issue. Though, admittedly, I was one of these kids....thankfully my high-school habits did not become a direct reflection of my adulthood.

Ashlee what did you find? I studied education a little, undergraduate minor in education, and from my fieldwork, have a sense of how difficult it can be to manage engagement. I'm interested to know the effects of classroom social networks.

Hey there, what was the primary premise of your study..that either positive or negative responses would get more attention or something along those lines?

What were your results? Please post. I'm interested to see the long-term consequences of your friend being sober.

Very interesting! Did you find any differences?

This may be a stupid question Patrick but were you more interested with the demographics of the actual actor or the character they play?

Patrick what were your findings? I'm interested to know how everything worked out?

HI Morgan, how did the research go? What were your findings?

What did you find out and how do you think it will affect your larger paper?

Hi Sean, I'm curious what you found. Please share.

I'm interested in group dynamics and how influence spreads across networks. I look forward to reading further into the work of Liu, Chen, and Tai.

Hi Ashlee, in your own research project which centrality measure do you think will be most useful in describing your network.

This seems like a pretty interesting way to study a network! I wish that I had the time to do something like this with one of my projects. I may put this in my toolbox later for when it's time to start organizing my practicum project.

In your own research which measure of centrality do you think will be the most impactful when describing the relationships within your network?

This is an interesting direction to take your project! Is there a specfic type of community service organization that you're interested in (i.e. youth advocacy, health, etc.)? Also, how do you plan to choose participants?

I have thought of looking at SNA from this perspective. Now I can see how imperative SNA can be to the Public Health field.

The internet has definitely helped us connect with many more people. Your example of the metoo movement is good because a lot of people on Facebook were posting about it. The movement was able to reach all over the Country, even in other countries because of our connections all over the world. By using those connections, the movement was able to spread and more people became aware of the movement. Another example is the Women's March that is taking place in January. Even though it is still months away, I have already seen some of my friends on Facebook say they are going or are interested in the March in D.C. There will be thousands of people who show up that day, and I think a large part of it is because of the use of social media and our connections and relationships with people. It shows that even while in person connections are important, that online ones can be just as important.

•What kind of interventions do you think could be implemented to combat these kinds of inequity?

I agree with you. While I think less in person connections are made today than years ago, I don't think we are bowling alone. We are still making connections and forming relationships with people, just in a different way. Technology has evolved over the years, and will continue to do so. Even though our connections are more online, it doesn't make them any less important. I also think we are still bowling because we still have groups of people we connect with.

•How do you think these metrics would be best used when measuring an individual’s social capital? Do you think that they would also be effective with tracing the flow of social capital throughout a network?

That is a great point. When we think about cyber bullying, I think this is especially true. I think when people use technology and hide behind a computer screen, they may think that what they are saying doesn't affect people and they don't think anything of it because they aren't in person. They might feel like what they are saying is acceptable because it isn't to someone's face. I think this is one way which social media isn't always a good thing. It does help us reach out to many people, but it also has some disadvantages. Cyber bullying and hiding behind social media could be one.

-Do you think that this would be true across all forms of crime or would this be applied more to a certain level (i.e. misdemeanor vs felony, robbery vs murder, etc.)? Also it would interesting to see if leaders of organizations that engage in criminal activity possess similar levels of social capital to their counterparts on the other side of the law.

I would definitely say that the internet has altered social capital in a big way. Social capital refers to our relationships in our social networks. The internet has changed over the years and made personal relationships a lot different than they used to be. Even when I was younger, we didn't have Facebook and ways to reach out to many people with social networking sites. The internet has made our relationships less personal because now they are more based on technology. People usually don't have telephone calls anymore, because they text each other, or tweet, or use Facebook messenger.

Patrick I completely agree with you, we are constantly exploring new avenues for social interaction. The game may have changed but people are still playing and finding ways to connect with others.

•What do you think is the biggest road block to social capitol for individuals of SES?

•In regards to your own research, in what ways do you think that you will be using/analyzing social capital?

-Social pressures that are created through the transaction of capital can have various impacts on an individual. I believe that it is these pressures that reinforce cultural norms but I wonder if this is always healthy.

In your own social network would you that you have a higher number of weak or strong connections? Do you personally believe that one has more of an influence on you than the other?

From a business perspective, once to organizations begin engaging in a partnership would you still consider them to be weak ties? Or would their relationship transform into a strong one? How do you think we most appropriately measure the strength of these ties?

I know the reading states specifically that weak ties are the ones that provide us with variety in our networks. Do you however believe that is possible our strong ties to also provide us with the noted opportunities for enrichment?

Every time I read something about the six degrees of separation I think of these individuals you're speaking of. These are the disconnected nodes that we've seen in some of the networks that we've observed thus far.

Do you think that everyone truly has both forms of ties? What about individuals who choose to seclude themselves? They may have been born into vast social networks but would you still say that they are connected if they choose to metaphorically burn all their bridges?

You mentioned that there were dangers associated with the presence of weak ties. What do you think are some possible disadvantages to these weak ties?

Do you believe that this is true in ever network? Or are weaker ties more influential in some contexts than in others?

When it comes to our political system, it seems like most people tend to agree with their own party. It isn't very often that different parties have the same ideas. I do agree with you when you say that homophily makes it difficult to cross party lines, the visual you included helps to show that. I am not sure that this will ever change. Do you think it will be possible for parties to cross lines or do you think this will continue to be a problem?

This is a great point. We definitely tend to become friends with people who are most like us. Whether this be similar likes and dislikes, the same thoughts about politics, etc. It is good in terms of compatibility with someone also. If people aren't compatible it doesn't usually work out between them.

Do you think that there are advantages to homophilly in today’s society?

Hi Thomas, you stated that the information that passes through the network is what sets and reinforces norms. What do you think are the primary change agents? Do you subscribe to the nature vs. nurture argument? Or do you think that the tendency to “fall in line” is a survival mechanism?

Predictive analysis is important when it comes to many different fields. By using previous data, we are able to look at what future outcomes might look like. In some cases, it might not help, but in others it will. If I want to look at recidivism rates in the criminal justice field, I could look at previous data about what leads people to recidivism. I have looked at that before when writing a paper for another class. At the time I didn't realize I was using predictive analysis. This just shows that social network analysis is all over!

Do you think that SNA is more beneficial when conducting descriptive or predictive

Hey Ndaesha, how does your work group differ from your outside of work group? Are you actively engaged in the decision making process or does it just kind of happen? One more question, what are some key factors that go into your decision making process of who makes it in to each kind of group? Does the not work group have drastically different attributes than the work?

Hey Patrick, what do you think is the future of SNA?

Hi Courtney, how do you think we as SN analyzers can best combat this challenge?

How do you think we can combat this major limitation?

Courtney,

What do you think are some possible implications of this kind of norming?

What process do you think one would have to go through to increase the volume of their voice on the internet? Do you think that increased presence would lead to increased risk?

Do you think that there is a formative moment when working with a set of people that the network which once had a weak connection becomes one that is strong. How do you think we operationalize the strength of a connection? Would have to be defined by the group or would it be based on the perspective of each individual group member?

Thomas,

Now that you're aware this 3 degree of separation theory are you able to look back and think of anytime when you may have personal been influenced by some other than those in your two immediate degrees of social interaction?

Hi Ashlee! Educational psychology sounds like an interesting course of study. What are your plans for when you finish up your program?

Congrats on being so close to the completion of your program! Do you plan to continue in research or take on a more applied position?

I'm super excited to be making my first annotation here! I look forward to making many more in the near future.

Annotating this page will help me to understand the process of annotating.

A computer scientist and a sociologist are the perfect pair for our class because they complement one another in teaching social network analysis. The two disciplines combine to not only allow us to understand the sociological information, but also to model interactions using computer science. It is an ideal application of translations education because expertise gained from both fields is combined to create a greater level of understanding.

I am really glad that I was able to attend this meeting. When I first reviewed the course syllabus, I was really overwhelmed. The class meeting really helped to lessen by anxiety about the course, and it really made me look forward to the assignments that we will be completing.