Title: Social networks on the internet: a practical investigation about file sharing on Facebook

Authors: Sidnei Bergamaschi; João Pedro Albino; João Manoel Palmeira Tripoloni; Marcus Vinycius Flores Barizon; Renato Slobodticov

Addresses: Computer Science Department, School of Science, UNESP – São Paulo State University, Av. Luis Edmundo Carrijo Coube, 14-01, Bauru (SP), 17033-360, Brazil. ' Computer Science Department, School of Science, UNESP – São Paulo State University, Av. Luis Edmundo Carrijo Coube, 14-01, Bauru (SP), 17033-360, Brazil. ' LTIA/Laboratory of Applied Information Technology, Computer Science Department, School of Science, UNESP – São Paulo State University, Av. Luis Edmundo Carrijo Coube, 14-01, Bauru (SP), 17033-360, Brazil. ' LTIA/Laboratory of Applied Information Technology, Computer Science Department, School of Science, UNESP – São Paulo State University, Av. Luis Edmundo Carrijo Coube, 14-01, Bauru (SP), 17033-360, Brazil. ' Computer Science Department, School of Science, UNESP – São Paulo State University, Av. Luis Edmundo Carrijo Coube, 14-01, Bauru (SP), 17033-360, Brazil

Abstract: The social networks on the internet have experienced rapid growth and joined millions of users in Brazil and throughout the world. Such networks allow groups of people to communicate and exchange information. Sharing information in files is also a growing activity on the internet and is done in various ways. However, applications are not yet available to enable file sharing on Facebook, the premier social network today. This study aims to investigate how users use Facebook, and their practices for file sharing. Due to the experimental nature of this research, we opted for a data collection survey, applied over the web. From the data analysis, we have found a frequent use of file sharing, but no interest in paid services. As for Facebook, there was an extensive use of applications. The set of results shows a favourable scenario for applications that allow file sharing on Facebook.

Keywords: social networks; social networking services; social software; internet file sharing; file sharing applications; information sharing; Facebook file sharing; Facebook applications; file sharing practices; internet; information technology.

DOI: 10.1504/IJAOM.2012.049918

International Journal of Advanced Operations Management, 2012 Vol.4 No.4, pp.297 - 310

Published online: 11 Aug 2014 *

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