This document outlines Fabio Giglietto's presentation on social systems and social networks at the 12th International Conference of Sociocybernetics. The presentation discusses social systems theory, semantics of social relationships, properties of networked space, the evolution of public spheres, opportunities for social science research using social media data, and case studies of Twitter and Facebook data analysis. It provides an agenda with topics on social theory, different social media platforms, opportunities to observe real social data, and examples of social media research on emergencies and network visualization.

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Fabio [.] Giglietto [@uniurb.it]
Department of Communication Studies and Human Sciences | Università di Urbino Carlo Bo
Workshop on
“Social Systems: from Simulation to Observation”
Merida, Yucatán (México), 24-28 June 2013
12th International Conference of Sociocybernetics
THE SOCIOCYBERNETICS OF SOCIAL SYSTEMS AND SOCIAL NETWORKS

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Outline
• Social Systems Theory;
• Social semantics in Luhmann;
• Permanence, searchability, scalability & replicability;
• The Era of Mass media for the masses;
• Research opportunities for social scientists;
• Differences among platforms: Facebook, Twitter e YouTube;
• Twitter case study;
• Facebook case study.

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Social Systems Theory
Social systems as
(recursive, operationally closed, self-observing)
networks of communication.

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Semantics
In this book Niklas Luhmann analyses the
emergence of ‘love' as the basis of personal
relationships in modern societies. He argues
that, while family systems remained intact in
the transition from traditional to modern
societies, a semantics for love developed to
accommodate extra-marital relationships; this
semantics was then transferred back into
marriage and eventually transformed marriage
itself.
Drawing on a diverse range of historical and
literary sources, Luhmann retraces the
emergence and evolution of the special
semantics of passionate love that has come to
form the basis of modern forms of intimacy
and personal relationships.

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4 properties of Networked Space
•Permanence;
•Replicability;
•Scalibility;
•Searchability.
(boyd 2008)

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The Networked “publics-sphere”
persistence scalability replicability searchability
few Writings Printing press, newspapers Digital media
(pc, video-
cameras)
World Wide Web
+ Google (Google
News/Books, N
Gram Viewer)
many Writings Digital media
(pc, video-
cameras)

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Searchable Semantics
NGRAM VIEWER

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The Networked “publics-sphere”
persistence scalability replicability searchability
few Writings Printing press, newspapers Digital media
(pc, video-
cameras)
World Wide Web
+ Google (Google
News, N Gram
Viewer)
many Writings Personal online publishing / Social
Media (Blogs, Facebook, Twitter,
YouTube)
Digital media
(pc, video-
cameras)
World Wide Web
+ Google (Twitter
Search)

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From simulation to observation (1/2)
Simulation
• Models
Observation
• “Real” data

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From simulation to observation (2/2)
https://www.facebook.com/notes/facebook-engineering/visualizing-friendships/469716398919

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Facebook, Twitter & YouTube
• Gather data trough the platforms Application Programming
Interface (API);
• Twitter Search, Streaming API and the Firehose;
• Facebook Privacy & research App.

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Twitter case study
• [LINK]* (link to the modified YourTwapperKeeper version developed
within a national interest project on social network sites in Italy);
* Link to beta version of the platform has been removed for publication

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Twitter Case Study
http://mappingonlinepublics.net/2012/01/02/taking-
twitter-metrics-to-a-new-level-part-3/

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Twitter case study: earthquake in Italy (21-05-2012)
Tweetscontaining#terremoto
Hours of the day
Earthquake data: INGV

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Twitter case study: earthquake in Italy
2012-05-20 4:00 - 2012-05-20 6:00 2012-05-20 15:00 - 2012-05-20 17:00

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Facebook case study
• https://apps.facebook.com/netvizz/ + Gephi

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Useful references
• Bruns, A., & Burgess, J. E. (2011, August 27). The use of Twitter hashtags in
the formation of ad hoc publics. Retrieved from
http://eprints.qut.edu.au/46515/1/The_Use_of_Twitter_Hashtags_in_the_F
ormation_of_Ad_Hoc_Publics_(final).pdf.
• Luhmann, N. (2013). Introduction to systems theory. Cambridge, UK: Polity.
• boyd, d. (2008). Taken Out of Context: American Teen Sociality in Networked
Publics. University of California, Berkeley. Retrieved from
http://www.danah.org/papers/TakenOutOfContext.pdf.
• Giglietto, F. (2009) Social semantics in a networked space. New perspectives
for social sciences. InTechnology and Social Complexity.
• Giglietto, F., Rossi, L., Bennato, D. (2012) The Open Laboratory: Limits and
Possibilities of Using Facebook, Twitter and YouTube as a Research Data
Source. In Journal of Technology in Human Services 30 (3-4).
• Mazzoli, L., Giglietto, F. (2013) Social Systems: from Simulation to
Observation. In Epistemologia III (1).