100 Things: Every Designer Needs to Know About People

66. People Expect Online Interactions to Follow Social Rules

There’s a lot of discussion about social media, but what does the term social media really mean now? Many people think about social media as “social” software or applications that you use to market your business or organization or brand more effectively online. But if you stop to think about it, you’ll realize that all online interactions are social interactions. Just the act of going to a Web site is a social interaction. Filling out a form at a government Web site to renew your automobile registration is a social interaction.

Rules for Social Interactions

When people interact with each other, they follow rules and guidelines for social interaction. Let’s say you’re sitting outside ...