2 ms·

what you describe is not the definition of social media which I see commonly used, especially in a legal context technical details like weather it uses threads

what you describe is not the definition of social media which I see commonly used, especially in a legal context technical details like weather it uses threads in the end IMHO doesn't matter for weather is social medi social media is internet media used is used for socializing which means that while classical forums are most times not social media but they can be discord is not a form, it gained forum functionality somewhat recently, but the most common use case people have for discord is to socialize, hangout and chat in small communities. Does't mean it doesn't also get used as a forum, still it's more used for social interactions then anything else. Reddit on the other hand is in between a classical forum and social media, though increasingly more social media in recent years and saying it's not social media just IMHO isn't right.

philipov 3y ago
So you think that even IRC and text messages on your phone are social media? Can't agree. Being a chat room is not enough. The social in "social media" stands for social network, not just any kind of social interaction at all. The key innovation with social media is using technology to leverage your social network for discovery and recommendation systems. You can't have social media without a social network platform through which it gets distributed. EDIT: On reflection, the key point is that social media is an alternative to traditional media, like newspapers and magazines. The term refers to a way of publishing and distributing content. So I change my position that Reddit is indeed part of social media, not because you socialize on it, but because it is a platform primarily used for publishing/distributing content. Places where you just hang out with your friends on the internet are not content distribution platforms, however. (Unless the only interaction you have with your friends is sharing and discussing internet media.) I propose this definition: Social Media is the practice of leveraging social network and community platforms to publish and distribute media. While communication platforms like Discord might get roped into the social media ecosystem, sharing liking and subscribing is not its primary purpose. For something like Reddit and HN, it's easier to say that media distribution is the primary purpose, but not 100%. Going a step further, platforms like Youtube and Twitter are used for both publishing and distribution, so they're not just communication platforms, they're the end-to-end social media platforms.

philipov 3y ago

So you think that even IRC and text messages on your phone are social media? Can't agree. Being a chat room is not enough. The social in "social media" stands for social network, not just any kind of social interaction at all. The key innovation with social media is using technology to leverage your social network for discovery and recommendation systems. You can't have social media without a social network platform through which it gets distributed. EDIT: On reflection, the key point is that social media is an alternative to traditional media, like newspapers and magazines. The term refers to a way of publishing and distributing content. So I change my position that Reddit is indeed part of social media, not because you socialize on it, but because it is a platform primarily used for publishing/distributing content. Places where you just hang out with your friends on the internet are not content distribution platforms, however. (Unless the only interaction you have with your friends is sharing and discussing internet media.) I propose this definition: Social Media is the practice of leveraging social network and community platforms to publish and distribute media. While communication platforms like Discord might get roped into the social media ecosystem, sharing liking and subscribing is not its primary purpose. For something like Reddit and HN, it's easier to say that media distribution is the primary purpose, but not 100%. Going a step further, platforms like Youtube and Twitter are used for both publishing and distribution, so they're not just communication platforms, they're the end-to-end social media platforms.