Students reach out in online communities

By Andrea Ragni

Growing up with technology is something that college students today are familiar with. Technological advances are often acknowledged, if not demanded by this generation. Now, by utilizing technology in new ways, it is easier for college-aged young adults to share their lives with others. Here at Santa Clara, many students create web journals through sites such as LiveJournal.com or Xanga.com. And now with the addition of the Dogears Facebook on campus, students are guaranteed a new form of connection.

Most would agree that AOL Instant Messenger has invaded every college campus. But now another growing trend is emerging, one that engages not just a form of communication, but also a networking system that helps college students get in touch with people that hold similar interests.

A new technology that has just come to our campus is the Facebook feature on Dogears. With this new Facebook, members of Dogears are able to make up a profile with a list of their favorites and post pictures of themselves and their friends. Through what is filled out in the profile, the Facebook will direct members to other students with similar interests, majors and even hometowns. This allows like-minded people to network with each other and stay in contact in a fun and new way.

Since Facebook came to Santa Clara a few weeks ago, many students have posted their profiles and pictures, allowing other students to search for them. Members can search for students at other schools such as Stanford, Boston College, Villanova and Columbia.

Over 300 people are already members of the Santa Clara Facebook. The younger the class, the more members, leading many to recognize this as a growing trend with younger students.

Senior Bill Blackburn, who helped set up Santa Clara's connection with Dogears, thinks that the student Facebook is a good way to get students to link with each other. "Hopefully people will spread the word so most students are a part of it," Blackburn said.

He says that he thinks posting pictures and seeing who is friends with whom is among the best benefits of the Facebook. Blackburn enjoys sharing his pictures and seeing the pictures of his friends.

Sophomore Ross Nelson shares this same idea. "The Facebook seems like a great way to learn more about other people. I enjoy looking at the crazy pictures my friends post," he said.

Another by-product of the Facebook is the ability of students to link with others who share similar interests. Personal profiles can illuminate common ties between students.

"It brings people from all walks of life together that normally wouldn't come together," freshman Nate Bourque said. "It's a good source for social networking."

The Facebook is a new feature that many students are beginning to become interested in. Other schools have had access to it for quite some time, and students here are quickly catching on.

This new technology is great for students to stay connected with each other in a way that is fun and entertaining. For anyone who is looking to put off that dreaded history paper or those hours of reading, the Facebook seems to be the perfect thing to pass the time. Between Facebook, and the numerous web log sites available, young adults are rapidly taking advantage of these time-wasting opportunities.

The web-log site Xanga, which boasts 2.5 million members, was started in 1999. It originated as a site for sharing book and music reviews. Eventually this site grew into what it is today, incorporating features such as "blogrings," in which people with similar interests can join. There are categories for an almost infinite number of interests, including television shows, sports, and colleges. Santa Clara has its very own blogring, consisting of 115 web logs to date.

Freshman Jessica Muh, who has been a Xanga member since her sophomore year of high school, says that she started her web journal while she was at work simply to give herself something to do when she was bored. "It was just the entertainment I needed to get through a boring desk job," Muh said. "It's definitely a good way to procrastinate."

Once signed up, users have the capability to search for and read others' web journals. While reading the journals of others may seem very interesting, some worry that it can cause problems with privacy and misunderstandings.

"Don't write anything too personal online because it can lead to miscommunications between friends," Muh said.

This seems to be the most important potential problem when it comes to web journals. But once a balance is achieved between knowing what should and shouldn't be said, these online journals are a good way to communicate with old friends and develop new ones.

Freshman Katie Omura says that she uses her Xanga journal to help her stay in contact with her friends from home that she otherwise wouldn't talk to. "Instead of sending emails, I can post information and stories in my journal, which I think is more convenient," Omura said.

Omura thinks that the communities are an innovative thing. This seems to be the consensus of the Xanga users. It's much easier to post a message that many people can see at once. But this raises the issue of the journals being impersonal. "Even though it may be more impersonal, it is much easier to do which is key for college students," Le said.

Another popular online site that boasts a Santa Clara Community is LiveJournal.com. Like Xanga, LiveJournal has over 2.9 million members, and the peak user age is about 16-20. To date, there are 60 registered users in the Santa Clara community on LiveJournal. Features on LiveJournal include the community element like Xanga, as well as a "Newbies" group focused at helping new members get into the swing of their new web journals.

Freshman Mary Rose Jensen has been "web journaling" on LiveJournal for about a year, and says that it was the influence of her friends who had them that made her join.

"It's the easiest way for me to post things that I want my friends to know about me," Jensen says. "I'm also a part of the SCU community, and I have talked with people in that community through AOL Instant Messenger."

But even though this form of communication is fun and convenient, Jensen says, " don't say anything too personal or that you don't want people to know, because I have definitely seen drama ensue from what people have posted online."

û Contact Andrea Ragni at (408) 554-4546 aragni@scu.edu.