I’ve written about my rules of facebook before, but I just want to reiterate that research has shown that you really don’t have 5,000, 1,000 or even 500 friends on Facebook.  Back in the ‘ 90sRobin Dunbar, professor of Evolutionary Anthropology at Oxford University, came up with the theory that the part of the brain used for conscious thought and language — limits us to managing social circles of around 150 friends, no matter how sociable we are. Basically these are the people that you come in contact with every year and 150 was known as Dunbar’s number.

Now, Dunbar is researching whether larger social networks (like facebook) have allowed people to stretch their Dunbar number. Dunbar told the Times Online, “The interesting thing is that you can have 1,500 friends but when you actually look at traffic on sites, you see people maintain the same inner circle of around 150 people that we observe in the real world.”

An interesting aside on newspapers and Dunbar’s number: One of the concepts behind hyperlocal newspapers and web sites is that you must reach into all of your reader’s social circles– reach into group of 150 friends– and photograph, report on someone to keep your readers. That’s why you see all the photographs of your neighbors pet or cousin’s softball trophy in your small-town newspaper.

Some very informative social media graphics on the Penn Olson blog.

My favorite one follows

In the United States one out of every four pageviews is from Facebook. Amazing! Google only accounts for one in eight page views (15 percent).

The free flow of information “is as vital to the healthy functioning of communities as clean air, safe streets, good schools and public health.” That’s what the Knight Commission on Information Needs of a Democracy concluded in their report on Sustaining Democracy in a Digital Age.  The 145 page report urges the nation to making sure all Americans have broadband access just as the emphasized ground transportation in building an interstate highway system a half-century ago.

The commission also examined issued the media is facing recommending:

• Direct media policy toward innovation, competition, and support for business models that provide marketplace incentives for quality journalism.
• Increase the role of higher education,community and nonprofit institutions as hubs of journalistic activity and other information-sharing for local communities.

I had an interesting conversation the other day with some people that were making fun of social media in general and using social media for marketing/public relations. Eventually I just gave up arguing with them. It wasn’t worth it. I’ll just let them stay backwards. They’re happy that way. They don’t have to think. WWhy ruin their false reality for them?

This morning I ran across this video full of great facts about social media (the facts are great, but the music is not so great). My favorite fact: Social Media is now the #1 activity on the Internet (not porn)!

If you’ve ever studied Mass Communications or Journalism you always discuss the purpose of Mass Communications in your introductory course. One of those purposes is to pass on cultural ideals/norms/values.

We just had sloppy joes for dinner. I had to pass on Adam Sandler’s Lunch Lady Land to my kids. So, here’s me inculcating you.

Robert Scoble has an interesting conversation going on his blog looking at what happens to healthcare privacy as social networking moves into the medical arena (make sure you read the comments).

Scoble’s take on it is that the benefits of social networking and getting the  crowds feedback on your condition, your physician and your prescriptions. I think it comes back to personal choice– if you choose to release your healthcare information, then you are free to accept the benefits and the consequences.

Here’s fourteen social media experts looking at what’s next in 2009. My favorites include

• “Intimacy touches emotion; emotion powers conversation.”
• “There’s a lot of fixing that needs to be done.”
• “Suddenly, being Facebook friends with your mom will seem less ridiculous than following 4,000 strangers on Twitter.”

Full document laying it all out on the jump.

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Shel Israel has written a great case study for his new book Twitterville on how to use twitter to catch a PR disaster before it becomes nightmare and how to put it out quickly using twitter. Israel outlines how Scott Monty, Ford’s head of social media, catches a web site and the Ford legal team in a spat, get the real story out and helps settles the dispute.