Facebook and Philosophy: What's on Your Mind? (Popular Culture and Philosophy)

Facebook and Philosophy is an entertaining, multi-faceted exploration of what Facebook means for us and for our relationships. With discussions ranging from the nature of friendship and its relationship to "friending," to the (debatable) efficacy of "online activism," this book is the most extensive and systematic attempt to understand Facebook yet. And with plenty of new perspectives on Twitter and Web 2.0 along the way, this fun, thought-provoking book is a serious and significant contribution for anyone working with social media, whether in academia, journalism, public relations, activism, or business. Exploring far-reaching questions — Can our interactions on Facebook help us care about each other more? Does Facebook signal the death of privacy, or (perhaps worse yet) the death of our desire for privacy? — Facebook and Philosophy is vital reading for anyone involved in social networks today.

"Luciano Floridi likes Facebook and Philosophy" "This is a brilliant book: don't miss it. Facebook and Philosophy is funny and intelligent, conceptually deep and enlightening. The world is being radically changed by information and communication technologies and the chapters in this volume help to make sense of some of the new intellectual challenges facing humanity."-Luciano Floridi, author of The Philosophy of Information" "John Suler likes Facebook and Philosophy" "A fascinating and insightful exploration into the many facets of Facebook. It reveals the day-to-day experiences of social networking, as well as the profound philosophical ideas and questions underlying those experiences. A must-read for the newbie and the savvy user alike."-John Suler, author of The Psychology of Cyberspace" "Victor J. Vitanza likes Facebook and Philosophy" "@Readers, get your Face back into a Book! Buy your notebook a facebook book. This one Facebook and Philosophy, a perfect match for your notebook-is fun to read. The book is filled with status lines as well as what's on my mind lines. The two books are ideal for co-habitation. A marriage in the making. Be the first to type your favorite passages from this book to your 'friends' on Facebook and ask them to type theirs. In no time, Facebook and Philosophy will be, piece by piece, cut by cut, on Facebook itself. So buy the book. Steal it if necessary. Liberate the book on Facebook! Mashup the book. Turn it into a smashbook!"-Victor J. Vitanza, Editor, CyberReader" "danah boyd likes Facebook and Philosophy" "Facebook has evolved into a significant cultural platform, home to everything from folks hanging out to serious political movements. Facebook and Philosophy offers an insightful examination of our mediated lives. This book is a must-read for anyone who doubts the social importance of Facebook (and a sheer delight for those obsessed with updating their status)."-Danah Boyd, co-author of Hanging Out, Messing Around, and Geeking Out" "Joseph Pitt likes Facebook and Philosophy" "Facebook and Philosophy is an entertaining yet serious look at a confusing and (to some) frustrating contemporary phenomenon. The ways one technological development has influenced our daily lives are explored in depth, providing insights, some even profound. A must read!"-Joseph Pitt, author of Thinking about Technology" "Cheryl E. Ball likes Facebook and Philosophy" "Cheryl E. Ball encourages fans of Facebook to read Facebook and Philosophy. Provocative and fun, this book delves into every crevice of Facebook through scholarly treatments of privacy, Mafia Wars, gossip, identity, playboy, and about 23 others. For FB lovers, skeptics, scholars, and students alike, this book is a great starting point for examining all kinds of social networking sites."-Cheryl E. Ball, editor of Kays: A Journal of Rhetoric, Technology, and Pedagogy" D.E. Wittkower is the editor of iPod and Philosophy: iCon of an ePoch (2008) and Mr. Monk and Philosophy: The Curious Case of the Defective Detective (2010). He fully acknowledges he has had serious issues with FarmVille, Bejeweled Slit, Word Challenge, Pet Society, Treasure Madness, and PackRat, but wishes to make it absolutely clear that he has now been clean for several weeks. He teaches philosophy at Coastal Carolina University.

A reply to facebook critics -- D. E. Wittkower Who uses facebook and why? -- Homero Gil de Zúñiga and Sebastián Valenzuela The privacy virus -- James Grimmelmann It's like talking to a wall -- Graham Meikle Ian became a fan of Marshal McLuhan on facebook and suggested you become a fan too -- Ian Bogost With friends like these, who needs enemies? -- Elizabeth Losh Profile picture, right here, right now -- Jeremy Sarachan You can't front on facebook -- Mimi Marinucci Why I am not a friend -- Mariam Thalos Playing around with identity -- Tamara Wandel and Anthony Beavers Spectacle 2.0? -- Rune Vejby and D. E. Wittkower Why can't we be virtual friends? -- Craig Condella The friendship that makes no demands -- Matthew Tedesco Care ethics, friendship, and facebook -- Maurice Hamington What are friends for? -- Chris Bloor Dear facebook -- Adam Briggle Gossip and the evolution of facebook -- Margaret A. Cuonzo Facebook as an excess of seeing -- M. Deanya Lattimore Do status updates have any value? -- Abrol Fairweather and Jodi Halpern Gatekeeper, moderator, synthesizer -- Michael V. Butera Facebook, surveillance, and power -- Waddick Doyle and Matthew Fraser Wall to wall or face to face -- Asaf Bar-Tura Facebook as playground and factory -- Trebor Scholz The proles and cons of facebook -- Richard Morgan and John Clulow Faking it on facebook -- Sara Louise Muhr and Michael Pedersen. This volume is an entertaining, multi-faceted exploration of what Facebook means for us and for our relationships. Facebook is a social networking service and website that launched in 2004. Users may create a personal profile, add other users as friends, and exchange messages, including automatic notifications when they update their profile. Additionally, users may join common interest user groups, organized by workplace, school or college, or other characteristics. With discussions ranging from the nature of friendship and its relationship to "friending," to the (debatable) efficacy of "online activism," this book is a systematic attempt to understand Facebook, also offering perspectives on Twitter and Web 2.0 Explores what Facebook means for us and for our relationships. This title discusses issues ranging from the nature of friendship and its relationship to 'friending', to the efficacy of 'online activism'.