Being able to realize the relationships between people and/or organizations and understand what those relationships are, if those relationships are mutual or just social or business networking, who the main influencers in the group are, and so much more highlights the potential of using social networking tools like NodeXL. This tool seems to hold much potential and makes me curious about what information can be extracted and read for pleasure or for possible gain. To effectively use this tool and to see what it can do demands attention.

Facebook Network

The social network graph below is from my personal Facebook page. The central red node is me. As I began to research and attempt several different formulations and manipulations of my Facebook data, I found my earlier premonition that this would be challenging and intriguing was true. Manipulating data containing information on myself and seeing how I influence the other nodes or groups in my network is fascinating. The network of my interactions with others is miniscule compared with the possibilities of what could be done with records of corporations or other major networks in society. This brief description gives only a simple insight of what is possible with data manipulation and how this information can supply insight on possibilities of how social networks are affected by people or groups of people.

Manipulating data containing information on yourself is intriguing. It makes examination of data and how it might be manipulated, a real possibility and enlightens one with a sense of power. Manipulating or examining large networks of data is fulfilling because of the useful information gain that you can realize. This manipulation of the social network data could likely be used to better your situation, whatever that might be. This social network data could have been from a business, marketing department, social network, or numerous other networks. Using NodeXL with various social networks is a subtle way to gain insights into vital information. Due to my formative school years spent gaining information by researching in the stacks of the library, network information and how to gain from it with a computer seems unfair. However, since it is out there and considered public information and since we all believe in freedom of information, it is there to be used by information professionals to generate insights.

I am still gaining the knowledge and skills to gain access to the many networks that pique my curiosity. Learning to access networks, examine their nature and how to read or manipulate information from them will be an asset to possible gainful employment. Familiarity with NodeXL and how it can be used presents opportunities to examine and manipulate information while at the same time saving considerable amounts of time in research and marketing. It is a powerful tool which should be kept in the arsenal of information technologists.

How Can You Generate Your Facebook Network

Step 1: Install NodeXL and the Facebook importers

• Go to http://nodexl.codeplex.com/ and download/install NodeXL

• Go to http://facebookimporter.codeplex.com/ and follow the instructions to download and login with your Facebook credentials

Step 2: Use NodeXL to import the data you want to analyze

• Open NodeXL by typing "NodeXL" into the Start Menu search box and selecting it

• Display the NodeXL Ribbon (i.e., the NodeXL tab at the top of the Excel file)

• On the left-hand side of the Ribbon is an Import dropdown from which you can choose the appropriate import form (i.e., Facebook)

• Fill in the form to capture the data you want

Step 3: Create metrics and calculate clusters

• Calculate groups by going to the Groups dropdown and choosing "Group by Cluster Algorithm"

• Calculate graph metrics using the Graph Metrics button on the NodeXL ribbon (make sure you calculate all of the metrics by checking all of the boxes)

• Go to the Vertexes worksheet and sort based on the different network metrics columns to see who shows up at the "top" (i.e., is the most important)

Step 4: Visualize Your Network

• Click on the Show Graph

• Try some different network layouts from the dropdown (e.g., Fruchterman-Reingold, Harel Koren Fast Multiscale, Circle)

Is this what you expect? Note that some people in the Facebook network are important according to one metric (e.g., Betweenness Centrality), while others are important according to another metric (e.g., Degree).

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[1] Facebook Importers, http://facebookimporter.codeplex.com/

[2] NodeXL: Network Overview, Discovery and Exploration for Excel, http://nodexl.codeplex.com/

[3] NodeXL: http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/projects/nodexl/

[4] Derek L. Hansen, Ben Shneiderman, Marc A. Smith (2011) Analyzing Social Media Networks with NodeXL: Insights from a Connected World, 304. Available at Amazon.com