Functions & Features of Online Communities (Edexcel IGCSE ICT)

Profiles

• A collection of information about a person

Friends, follow and connect

• Ability to add friends to your network

• Can be followed to keep up to date with events

• Profiles can be limited for certain friends/groups

Stream, wall and timeline

• Messages from friends and groups appear here

• Usually the first thing a user sees when logged in

• Chronologically ordered

Status updates and posts

• Users can write messages to friends, groups or to everyone

• Messages appear on their stream

• Messages can be directed at groups of users

• Content of status updates is stored by social network providers and can be used for targeted advertising

Groups, lists and circles

• Users can belong to specific groups created for common interests or likes

• Members can be added/removed

Tags

• Allows content to be categorised

• Users can search for tags to find content

User suggestions

• Users with similar interests or shared personal/professional experiences can be suggested for users to connect with

Reactions, ratings, likes, upvotes and downvotes

• Users can rate content

• Letting other users know what they like or find funny

• Users can also downvote content

• Feedback can feed in to targeted advertising

Share

• Users can share other peoples posts/comment

• Opening users comments/posts to a wider audience can lead to them going viral

Comments and quotes

• Allows users to mention specific posts/comments in their messages

• Can start a dialogue between users

Third-party integration

• Allows users to easily share content across other platforms (Facebook & Instagram for example)

Notifications

• Tells users about new activities

• Keeps users up to date

Private or direct messages

• Allows users to be able to send private messages directly to other users without posting publicly

Links to social media

• Share gaming experience and connect with friends

Users profiles

• Personalise online identity and showcase achievements

How-to's

• In-game tutorials and guides to completing games

Experience points/trophies

• Rewards for in-game achievements to motivate users to continue to play

Discussion boards/forums

• Somewhere for users to share tips, tricks and general game talk

Notifications

• Keep you informed about updates, friend activity and events

Cloud storage

• Provides access to data to all users

Commenting

• Users can provide feedback directly in documents and tasks

Messaging system

• Quick and easy communication between users

Shared calendars

• Allows users to see availability of other users and for scheduling

Contacts list

• Central location to find and connect with users

Chat rooms

• Real-time discussion spaces for specific topics or projects

Virtual meeting spaces

• Conduct video conferences and presentations online

Wall or timeline

• Allows teachers/students to keep up to date with latest posts/events

Notice boards

• Allows teachers to give announcements to students or classes

Multimedia sharing

• Allows users to share audio, video, web links or files

Quizzes or multiple choice tests

• Self marking tests that are graded automatically

Communication tools

• Moderated by a teacher

Log-in system

• Linked to a school or colleges management system to auto enrol students/teachers

Gradebooks

• Allow teachers and students to monitor progress through a course