Nils Diewald

Diewald (2012)

Diewald, Nils (2012): Decentralized Online Social Networks
In: Mehler, Alexander/Romary, Laurent (Eds.), Handbook of Technical Communication, Handbook of Applied Linguistics, 8. Mouton de Gruyter, Berlin/Boston, pp. 461–505. [Images]

BibTeX

Images

The historically evolved three layers of linked data: The internet (III), representing a network of computers, the web (WWW), representing hyperlinked documents, and the social-semantic web (GGG), representing interlinked data of objects. The social web is an application of the semantic web
The historically evolved three layers of linked data: The internet (III), representing a network of computers, the web (WWW), representing hyperlinked documents, and the social-semantic web (GGG), representing interlinked data of objects. The social web is an application of the semantic web

Symmetric and asymmetric relations in SNSs
Symmetric and asymmetric relations in SNSs

Prototypical elements of SNS profile pages
Prototypical elements of SNS profile pages

Illustration of a small social network with three cliques connected via bridges. There are strong ties between the individuals Alice and Bob, and Alice and Carol. Based on the definition by Granovetter (1973), there is at least a weak tie between Bob and Carol
Illustration of a small social network with three cliques connected via bridges. There are strong ties between the individuals Alice and Bob, and Alice and Carol. Based on the definition by Granovetter (1973), there is at least a weak tie between Bob and Carol

The architecture of centralized and decentralized OSNs. While in both scenarios two SNSs exist, the underlying OSNs in the centralized scenario are separated, while there is an interconnected OSN in the decentralized scenario
The architecture of centralized and decentralized OSNs. While in both scenarios two SNSs exist, the underlying OSNs in the centralized scenario are separated, while there is an interconnected OSN in the decentralized scenario

The topologies of centralized, decentralized, distributed, and decentralized-distributed-hybrid SNSs (cf. Baran 1964: 2). Circles are representations of participants in the social network, boxes are SNS providers. In the distributed and hybrid scenarios, white boxes indicate no distinction between users and providers
The topologies of centralized, decentralized, distributed, and decentralized-distributed-hybrid SNSs (cf. Baran 1964: 2). Circles are representations of participants in the social network, boxes are SNS providers. In the distributed and hybrid scenarios, white boxes indicate no distinction between users and providers

A user in the social web needs mechanisms for authentication and authorization (Section 4.1), tools for presenting profile information and social relations (Section 4.2), and protocols for real-time publishing and interactions (Section 4.3)
A user in the social web needs mechanisms for authentication and authorization (Section 4.1), tools for presenting profile information and social relations (Section 4.2), and protocols for real-time publishing and interactions (Section 4.3)

Four basic steps in a (simplified) OpenID authentification: 1) the user types her OpenID into the login form of a relying party site, 2) the relying party site redirects the user to the associated OpenID provider, 3) the user authentifies herself to the provider by inserting, for example, a password, then 4) after authentifying successfully, the OpenID provider tells the relying party that the user is rightfully associated to the given OpenID
Four basic steps in a (simplified) OpenID authentification: 1) the user types her OpenID into the login form of a relying party site, 2) the relying party site redirects the user to the associated OpenID provider, 3) the user authentifies herself to the provider by inserting, for example, a password, then 4) after authentifying successfully, the OpenID provider tells the relying party that the user is rightfully associated to the given OpenID

Regular request mechanism and PubSubHubbub
Regular request mechanism and PubSubHubbub

License

These images are licensed under the Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License. The font used is TeX Gyre Pagella, licensed under the terms of the GUST Font License. Some elements were inspired by the Crystal Interaction Design Project, licensed under the terms of the GNU General Public License. All images were created using Inkscape.

References

Baran, Paul (Aug. 1964): On Distributed Communications
Tech. rep. Memorandum, RM-3420-PR. Santa Monica, California: The RAND Corporation
Granovetter, Mark S. (May 1973): The Strength of Weak Ties
In: American Journal of Sociology 78.6: 1360 - 1380