Decentralized Social Network Management

Social networking sites have gained much popularity in the recent years because of the opportunities they give to people to connect to each other in an easy and timely manner, and to exchange and share various kinds of information. However, these sites are based on a centralised paradigm, which limits the mobility of their users, and ultimately, their chances to establish new relationships and benefit from diverse networking services. In this paper, we argue for a decentralised paradigm for social networking, in which users retain control of their profiles, and social networking sites focus on the delivery of innovative and competitive services. In this environment, both the social networking sites and their users will be able to develop to their full potential. This goal can be achieved by using a combination of semantic web technologies and tools, loosening the bind between the social network management and social networking web applications.