Information sharing goes virtual

摘要

Online social network sites are changing the way in which people use the internet. A dynamic forum for the sharing of information with people who have similar interests such as MySpace, a typical social networking site, enables users to: create a profile; add files (eg, photos and audio clips) and weblinks; create a blog; contribute to group discussions; invite friends to participate; connect to other registered users; and send instant messages or emails to individual users or groups. At first, teenagers and young adults used these sites to create and maintain friendships. Now, professionals, including scientific researchers and health-care professionals, are realising that these sites offer prompt access to the latest information, usually for free (PLoS Biol 2006; 4: e199 and New Scientist 2006; 191: 44-66). The sites contain a substantial pool of knowledge: in August, 2006, MySpace registered its 100 millionth user. According to Duncan Watts (Department of Sociology, University of Columbia, NY, USA),people join online networks for the same reasons they join other communities: as a means of bonding, information gathering, comparison, and maintenance of identity. However, for health-care professionals, he adds, "word-of-mouth advice, recommendations, and referrals are extremely important sources of trusted information".