Eons is open to any person, as long as he is over the age of 50. This feature gives members the pleasure of being in an environment where they (at least) know the minimum age of another member. While this aspect can be manipulated with, the age requirement represents the “uniqueness” of the network’s structure.

In order to evaluate this social network to a greater degree, we will use the readings that were covered in JOMC 490 as references. If any questions occur in reference to this analysis, feel free to contact me.

As for now, let’s begin the journey…

Currently, Eons is overseen by three chief officers and several department vice presidents. Each of these leaders brings a significant amount of experience to the Eons community.

Jeff Taylor, Chief Executive Officer- Taylor is recognized as an innovator in both the Internet and career industries. He left Monster in August 2005 to pursue a new unprecedented venture targeting people 50+ and now serves as Eons’ CEO and founder.

W. Lee Goss, Chief Operating Officer- Goss is responsible for translating Eons’ strategy into action, overseeing the day-to-day activities of the company, and directing product and service fulfillment, sales, marketing, business and corporate development and finance. In the past, Goss has led companies through change and has assisted with structuring business practices to achieve operational excellence.

Reed Sturtevant, Chief Technology Officer- Sturtevant is responsible for designing, developing and building Eons’ technology platform and products. He has worked 25 years in the software industry, maintaining technology strategy, software development, etc.

Department Vice Presidents- Eons has five department vice presidents. Four of these leaders are senior vice presidents. Their previous jobs, in a collective sense, range from building online communities to serving as business executives. They all contribute to Eons’ diverse information pool.

To this date, Eons has almost 90,000 registered users. The website is offering its members many possibilities through the services it provides.

Martin Buber, the author of Paths to Utopia, states,

“A real community need not consist of people who are perpetually together; but it must consist of people, who precisely because they are comrades, have mutual access to one another and are ready for one another.”

If Buber were to examine Eons, he may agree that the network includes some aspects of a community. The network is structured in a manner that allows members to post messages to their own blogs, as well as respond to the blogs of their fellow Eons members. Members also have the advantage of joining specific groups with other members and discussing certain issues. These aspects appear to fall in line with Buber’s idea of “people having mutual access to one another.”

Thomas Bender, the author of Community and Social Change in America, states,

“Community is best defined as a network of social relations marked by mutuality and emotional bonds.”

Bender may also find Eons to represent a community. Eons is made up of a select group of individuals who represent the Baby Boomer’s generation or an earlier age. These individuals have the potential to carry some commonalities simply because they are apart of the same age bracket.

While these definitions of community appear to include Eons as one, we must take it a step further to see if this network represents a virtual community.

From Into the Blogosphere, it was discussed that in order for a virtual community to exist, a virtual settlement must be present. Quentin Jones states that a virtual settlement exists when there are a) a minimal number of b) public interactions c) with a variety of communicators in which d) there is a minimal level of sustained membership over a period of time.

Evaluating Eons from this stance, we see that members are interacting with each other, and they each help make up a diverse atmosphere. All of the members’ individual blogs are aggregated to create Eons’ community blog, which receives posts on a daily basis. Members can comment on each other’s blog, and they can post comments on the message boards of the various groups that they are apart of. Since the community is new, the only issue that we cannot fully examine is if Eons maintains a minimal level of sustained membership over a period of time. Yet, basing our conclusion off the aspects we have available, it appears that Eons is a virtual settlement.

Into the Blogosphere further reports that a virtual community must have a sense of community (SOC). McMillan and Chavis define SOC as consisting of the following four characteristics, and through these, we shall see if Eons contains a sense of community:

• Feelings of membership: Feelings of belonging to, and identifying with, the community;
o The members of Eons have expressed the belief that they have found a place where they belong and that they are able to identify themselves with others of the network.
- Good

• Feelings of influence: Feelings of having influence on, and being influenced by, the community;
o By examining the posted comments, we can agree that members are having an influence on the thoughts and decisions of their fellow members.
- Good

• Integration and fulfillment of needs: Feelings of being supported by others in the community while also supporting them;
o The Eons community is all for inter-support. A comment from Eons member Jim Hannah is proof of this characteristic, “I like to learn, I like to teach, and I like to be of assistance to anyone I can.”
- Good

• Shared emotional connection: Feelings of relationships, shared history, and a “spirit” of community.
o The members of Eons have a connection, and they share information with each other when certain topics interest them. However, some members may only be users of the site to gain individual knowledge.
- Good to a certain degree

From this analysis, we can say that Eons is a virtual community. Now, let’s see if this community offers any trust.

Dan Gillmor stated in his book We The Media: Grassroots Journalism For the People, by the People that he believes “all parties should, with few exceptions, either be willing to verify who they are, or risk having their contributions be questioned and, in some cases, ignored.” While this is a very important aspect that virtual communities should be concerned about, this certainly does not imply that Eons is not a trustworthy network.

Gillmor also makes the following comment about identity that fits with Eons use of discussion boards:

People reading comments on discussion boards would be wise to question the veracity of a commenter whenever they aren’t absolutely sure where the posting is coming from.

In this sense, Gillmor may think that in order for Eons to be listed as a trustworthy network, users must reveal their identity. Even though Eons members do not have to supply their real name when posting comments, for the most part, they make others aware of who they really are. In this manner, they state information such as where they are from, their age, and a lot of details about their personal life.

Jenny Preece makes reference to this subject, as well, in her book, Online Communities. She states:

“For online communities , specifically, trust is essential because it’s the glue that holds together not only your relationship with your members, but the members’ relationships with each other. Trust is at the core of any community and any lasting customer relationship.”

We definitely can understand why this statement is true. As the main entities of virtual communities, members mainly communicate with others online, rather than having face-to-face interactions. Therefore, with situations as this, it is very important that trust exists. If it does, members are more likely to share information with people who they have never seen before.

Preece also speaks of Ben Shneiderman’s model for facilitating trust. The three components that have to exist in order for this structure to properly work include:

1. Clarifing the context in which negotiations or interactions are to occur.
2. Making clear and truthful commitments.
3. Recognizing that trust involves a risk.

Under its terms of use (TOU), Eons expresses that it expects its members to uphold the regulations established and be honest about their actions. The company believes the TOU are necessary to create a Web atmosphere in which Eons users, content providers, and service providers may feel safe and respected. In order to reach this safe mode, some level of trust has to be implemented. Therefore, it appears that Eons has included the three components of Shneiderman’s model in its operation.

Now, let’s see how Eons’ operation relates to the topics discussed in The Internet in Everyday Life.

Under any context, social capital is all about connections. We experience it within our interactions especially when a set of values or norms are shared among members. Within virtual communities, social capita’s value extends from the associations that one creates in social networks. As the Internet rapidly becomes vital to our everyday actions, it remains difficult for researchers to determine if the medium’s use is increasing or decreasing social capital.

Barry Wellman states in The Internet in Everyday Life:

The Internet adds a new layer of communication opportunities and competencies to pre-existing communication environments, shaping our social lives through reinforcement rather than through displacement (421).

Eons members are using this virtual community has an enhancement to their daily lives. In agreement with Wellman, Eons is shaping its members’ social lives through reinforcement. In a press release, Jeff Taylor provides an explanation for Eons rapid growth, which is direct accordance with Wellman’s statement:

‘The Eons Generation is looking to connect meaningfully to the world around them. The Internet is quickly turning into the logical next meeting ground. Users are flocking to the People section of our site to build their profiles, create groups, blog and populate message boards. It’s loud and clear that they want to make connections, grow friendships and share their experiences online.”

Registered users can find their social capital expanding as members of Eons. They have the opportunity to connect and find people who share similar values and norms. Eons provides this connection through various services such as:

• Member-to-Member Searching: Search tools enable members to instantly search out new acquaintances based on geography, age, hobbies and interests.
• Groups Directory: Easy-to-use search directories help visitors navigate to online communities that focus on their hobbies, interests and passions.
• Enhanced Member Profile Page: Profile enhancements enable fellow members to learn more about whom they most want to connect with online, from their LifeDreams to blogs to photos they have uploaded.

With services as these, members are able to make new friends and possibly enhance their virtual meetings to actual meetings. Wellman has found this possibility to be true as he states that “most relationships formed in cyberspace continue in physical space,” (294).

Now, let’s see how strong these connections really are.

WEAK TIES

As members of a virtual community, Eons users most likely communicate with their fellow members on a need basis. Each member has the advantage of posting their ideas on message boards and their blog and wait for a response. Other members respond to those posts and provide some type of support. For the most part, users probably enjoy having connections as these. They know that they can vent to each other and receive advice without having to worry about forming best friend relationships. These weak ties are beneficial for a lot situations on Eons. When members simply want to exchange ideas or meet new friends, loose ties are in demand. Preece makes a comment that sums up this whole idea:

“The important point to make about weak ties is that they are relatively easy to maintain, and can be important for obtaining information, making new contacts, raising awareness of new ideas, and so on.”

STRONG TIES

While it is true that the majority of the connections formed on Eons will be weak ties, there still remains a possibility for strong ties to exist. Strong ties are known to survive between family members and friends in the physical world. Yet, it is possible for people to create these connections in virtual communities, as well. Online Communities tells us that:

“Many online relationships exhibit strong ties similar to offline relationships in that they are marked by: frequency, companionable contact, mutual reciprocity, supportiveness, and longevity. Some participants come to feel that their closest friends were members of their electronic group whom they seldom or never saw,” (177).

Eons members definitely have the opportunity to form these strong ties, but it is up to them to decide if they will be established. Users may favor some members over others, which may lead them to communicate more with each other as if they were friends in the physical world.

PURPOSE

According to Online Communities, the purpose of a community includes entities such as an interest, need, information exchange, or service that provides a reason for the community (10).

Under the “About Us” section, Eons’ founder, Jeff Taylor, states that his company is “all about celebrating life that begins at 50.” The company’s mission statement falls in direct relation with Taylor’s comment. It reads:

Eons is a 50+ media company inspiring a generation of boomers and seniors to live the biggest life possible.

With these statements, we can gather that Eons’ existence is to serve as a social network for the 50 plus generation.

PEOPLE

By examining the purpose of Eons, we already have a glimpse at the type of people that community aims to serve.

Preece states that:

People [of a community are those] who interact socially as they strive to satisfy their own needs or perform special roles, such as leading or moderating (10).

Examining its structure, we have to say that Eons strives to complete this task. The network targets a select group of individuals to form its community, and its structure is overseen by experienced leaders. The following description was placed on the website:

Eons is a 50-plus media company inspiring a generation of boomers and seniors to live the biggest life possible. Eons has attracted a team of renowned advisors and industry-leading partners and is backed by venture capital financing from General Catalyst Partners and Sequoia Capital.

Since its launch in July of this year, Eons has gained almost 90,000 registered users. This number does not include the lurkers who are simply visiting and observing the website. The 50 plus generation is steadily making its appearance in the virtual world, and Eons is the place where they can find others just like themselves.

POLICY

In most virtual communities, one can guarantee to find a list of rules that specifies what kinds of behaviors are prohibited on the network. Preece tells us that policies exist “in the form of tacit assumptions, rituals, protocols, rules, and laws that guide people’s interactions.

Eons is governed by a Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Under these rules, members are expected to uphold the guidelines and respect the requests of the Eons administration.

In the Terms of Use, the following is stated:

The terms of use (“TOU”) constitute a binding agreement — and the only agreement — between Eons and you governing your use of the Web site. By visiting the Web site, you agree to be bound by all of the terms and conditions of the TOU, whether you are a “Visitor” (which means you are just browsing at Eons) or a “Registered User” (which means you have registered with Eons).

Eons’ privacy policy covers the following:

• The information they collect and use, including how they generally use that information.
• What they share and disclose and why and to whom.
• What “ Cookies” and “Web beacons” are and how they use them.
• How to update and delete your account information.
• How you will be notified of changes to their Privacy Policy.
• How and whom to contact if you have questions or suggestions regarding their Privacy Policy.

The three entities that have been discussed form the structure of a community, and they each help determine what it is like.

Now, let’s see if Eons is actually usable.

1. Consistent- Software should use the same terms and procedures for achieving the same functionality.

For the most part, Eons maintains a consistent structure. Its design, which includes font, size, layout, etc., remains the same from page to page. However, at times, it is difficult to find certain links that one thinks would be easy to find on the home page.

2. Controllable- Users want to be in control; they want software that supports, not takes over. They want to be able to do what they want.

On Eons, members are able to control their personal profiles and maintain additional functions such as their groups and photos. They also have the ability to enlarge the size of the website’s font by clicking the large A in the top right hand corner of the webpages. Users can also use certain key settings in order to navigate through the website. In specific sections of the Eons website, users may find that they do not have access to certain content. Under its “Accessibility” section, Eons explains where it currently stands in reference to this subject. It states:

Due to the fact that some of our content and applications may be coded by or provided by third parties, it is not always possible to make that content as accessible as we would like. However, we are always working to improve the accessibility of our site for people with disabilities.

Preece informs us that “user interface designers face special challenges when attempting to serve the user population with physical and mental disabilities.” Yet, when such designs are achieved, being apart of an online community may bring greater possibilities for this group of users. Since the Eons population is comprised of the 50 plus generation, the company should have made usability for the disable one of its primary concerns. This does not imply that everyone 50 and over is disable, but rather, we, as a society, know that a lot of our disable citizens fall in this bracket.

3. Predictable- Software that is consistent and controllable is predictable too.

Since Eons is not completely consistent and controllable, I cannot simply state that it is predictable. However, it does carry some characteristics of being both predictable and unpredictable. Eons is predictable in the sense that the information listed by the company will conform to the groups that have been established. Yet, it is unpredictable in that you do not know what a member will post to the discussion boards or to their blogs.

From this examination, we see that Eons carries some usability issues, but hopefully, those problems will diminish as the company matures.