Preface

Generally, social media texts focus on specific aspects only, and do not provide overall guidance as to the issues and related remedies. Furthermore, other texts often deal with mass media issues (such as newspaper, television and radio), but these do not usually address Internet-driven social media.

When Chandos Publishing commissioned a series of books on social media, and its impacts and trends, I saw this as the opportunity for an overall guide to the key components of corporate and academic use, socio-political impact and legality.

I was spurred onward by the chief objective of the publisher in seeking practical - rather than theoretical - information that was easy to digest. This struck me as being ideal as an avenue to deliver current and relevant topics that had a broad, international appeal to people working in the area of social media implementation and usage.

Once the good people at Chandos Publishing agreed with my ideas for this book, I set out to secure the support of key authors who, from their particular perspectives, would give fresh commentary on social media. I was fortunate to receive an excellent response from some wonderful folk who provided me with very interesting contributions that added to my understanding of the social media phenomenon. I hoped that this would also be the reaction of readers who want to learn about social media in terms of planning for proper implementation at the organisational level, whether in the private, not-for-profit or public sectors, plus the ramifications of social media usage socially, cross-industry, locally and internationally, as well as currently and over time.

The intention of this book, therefore, is to capture key aspects of social media that are beyond online marketing, as is common, whether for products and services, and for people who promote themselves privately or professionally. Particularly, there is the issue of social media being a political tool, which has upset a variety of governments who saw it used effectively by common people seeking significant changes in how a country is managed. In addition, social media provides effective vehicles for connecting with larger audiences, as is very necessary in the not-forprofit sector where good causes require strong support.

This book provides thoughtful insight as to the utilisation and impact of social media, with chapters giving support for the title of the collection, being Public Interest and Private Rights in Social Media. As such, the contributing authors make available sound guidance regarding social media issues in various vestiges of society.

Specifically, learned and professional authors share their valuable expertise related to the use of social media in the corporate sector, the not-for-profit domain and academia, as well as highlight the rising influence of social media in garnering public and political opinion worldwide. Also, specific legal implications are addressed. Unique perspectives on social media usage as well as associated challenges for people in developed and developing countries alike are brought together. This edited book, therefore, presents chapters written by selected researchers, academics and practitioners who provide unique perspectives on social media usage, as well as its associated challenges.

The unique features of this book include:

 planning and operational perspectives;

 technological and non-technological perspectives;

 legal perspectives;

 international perspectives; and

 futuristic perspectives.

An added indication as to the fundamental characteristics of this book is provided by way of the target audience. Specifically, it is aimed at practitioners, academics and students in the areas of information science, management and systems, as well as communications and marketing. This book provides thoughtful insight regarding the utilisation, impact and future of social media. Accordingly, the target audience can be summarised by way of the following list:

 chief digital officers;

 chief information officers;

 chief technology officers;

 chief ethical officers;

 communications managers and other professionals;

 marketing managers and other professionals;

 information technology managers and other professionals;

 corporate governance professionals;

 managers and executives in corporate, government and nongovernment organisations; and

 academics and students of information science, information management, information systems, knowledge management and marketing.

As the title of this book indicates, particular attention is paid to public interest and private rights in social media. The collection of contributions from accomplished authors therefore provides guidance for a wide audience that, more and more, needs to be mindful about the proper processes that are necessary when engaged in the use of social media. Whether individuals, or as members of broad organisations, readers will gain considerable benefit from what practitioners and academics have offered in relation to intra-organisational concerns, as well as external factors, such as those generated by emerging laws and rising anxiety of some governments.

Chapter overview

Anyone who is reading this, and most of the people known to us, are an integral part of a large cohort in modern society that can still remember when any social media application had yet to take effect. The future is certain to be one full of excitement and promise, plus more than a few related challenges. This is indicated herein through the research and considered opinions expressed by people who share their perspectives of how social media affects the evolving, modern world, as well as how all of that can have an impact upon the future of people, privacy, politics and the promotion of humanitarian campaigns.

Understandably, there are many aspects of social media that can be intertwined in relation to particular topics upon which contributing authors have focused. The sequence of the following chapters, therefore, was contemplated in relation to interlocking themes, with the resultant sequence bearing no relation to the comparative importance of these contributions. In effect, the eventual progression of chapters arose from the telling of a story, whereby we commenced with an introduction to social media issues provided in the first chapter, which are related to the growth of the user population, what they do online and how this can affect others. Next, we see how legal implications arise, and why these might differ internationally. Then, we ponder what the ramifications might be at a deeper level within society and government. Thereafter, we review social media usage in the not-for-profit, academic and business sectors. This is followed by further guidance as to the proper implementation and management of social media strategies in any organisational environment. Finally, we conclude with a view of what is likely to arise from widespread social media usage in time to come, as is done in terms of future social discourse.

What follows are the chapters, presented in summary form, so as to show the related flow of themes herein.

The first chapter is by the Editor, Cornelis Reiman, entitled 'Social media growth and global change'. This initial part of the collection is introductory in nature, and with focus upon broad topics and effects arising from the phenomenon of social media. There is attention paid to the history of social media, the rising use of social media in relation to social and political activism, plus social media in the workplace, as well as legal implications of social media usage overall. Also, social analytics are introduced, which relies upon the vast amount of data that social media users generate.

It is well known that the United States of America upholds freedom of speech, having enshrined this liberty in the Constitution of that country. Yet there is a necessary history that must be understood for anyone to gain an appreciation of how judicial decisions relate to recent cases involving flash mobs and, more importantly, how such decisions can affect future outcomes of such cases. In this regard, Margot Kaminski, Executive Director of the Information Society Project at Yale Law School, presents a riveting chapter entitled 'Flash rob or protest movement: the First Amendment and regulating online calls to action'. This is a learned work, and one that is instructive, as much as it is educational.

Next, Kurt Ramin and Antje Meyer provide a much more global perspective of legal issues in 'World justice - the rule of law around the world'. This interesting chapter, as the title suggests, discusses the Rule of Law Index in considering the legal impact upon social media. The Index provides an intriguing analysis of what constitutes the rule of law in different countries, with attention paid to Germany, China and the United Arab Emirates. In addition, the authors pose a pertinent question: social media - chance or challenge?

Appropriately, this prospect of challenges leads to the chapter by Florian Hadler and Gabriel Yoran, entitled 'Default metaphysics - social networks and the...