Social Software

Mission Statement

Social Software conducts formal methodological studies of rational and irrational group behavior ranging from group knowledge and wisdom of the crowds to socio-informational phenomena ranging from bystander-, bandwagon-, and echo-chamber effects to informational cascades, herding, opinion, conviction bubbles etc. both analogously and digitally. The mission of Social Software is to give input to the broader public and decision makers about how the informational society and the technologies that it celebrates are prone to irrational information-phenomena (Infostorms) that may systematically bias and misdirect democratic information and decision processes, and how these problems may be avoided.

Members of Social Software

Vincent F. Hendricks

Director of Social Software, Copenhagen University

David Budtz Pedersen

Vice-Director of Social Software, Copenhagen University

Henrik Boensvang

University of Copenhagen

Rasmus Kræmmer Rendsvig

Future Generations leder, Lund University & University of Copenhagen

Main Themes

Models and simulations of rational and irrational group behavior, intervention prescriptions, online group behavior, bubble phenomena

Relevant publications by (or with contributions from) SoS

Books

Infostorms:  How to take information punches and save democracy. Vincent F. Hendricks (SoS) & Pelle G. Hansen (ABsC). New York: Copernicus Books / Springer, February 28, 2014

Papers

  1. “Infostorms”, with Pelle G. Hansen (ABsC), Rasmus K. Rendsvig (SoS), Metaphilosophy, Vol. 44, No. 3, April: 301-326
  1. “Bubbles”, in Johan van Benthem and Fenrong Liu, eds, Logic Across the University: Foundations and Application—Proceedings of the Tsinghua Logic Conference, Beijing, 14-16 October 2013. Volume 47: Studies in Logic. London: College Publications: 509-513. Reprinted in Logic and Interactive Rationality Yearbook, 2012
  1. “Science Bubbles”, with David Budtz Pedersen (SoS), DOI: 10.1007/s13347-013-0142-7. Online first, November 15, 2013. Printed in Philosophy & Technology: Volume 27, Issue 4 (2014): 503-518. Successful rating by Almetric 17.01.2014

2014.  “Logic and Learning”, with Nina Gierasimczuk and Dick de Jong, in Johan van Benthem on Logic and                             Information Dynamics, Baltag, Alexandru, Smets, Sonja (Eds.). Outstanding Contributions to Logic, Vol. 5.                   Dordrecht: Springer. DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-06025-5_10 / ISBN 978-3-319-06025-5

Relevant outreach

Op eds.

  1. Science Bubbles. Vincent F. Hendricks and David Budtz Pedersen (SoS), CrISSP.eu 23.11.13
  2. Den poppede forskning løber med pengene. Vincent F. Hendricks and David Budtz Pedersen (SoS), Videnskab.dk 26.11.13
  3. All those likes and upvotes are bad for democracy. Vincent F. Hendricks (SoS), The Conversation, 18.12.13 / Business Insider, 18.12.13
  4. From the art world to fashion to Twitter, we’re all living in bubbles. Vincent F. Hendricks (SoS), The Conversation, 08.01.14 / The Epoch Times, 12.01.14
  5. When Twitter Storms cause financial panic. Vincent F. Hendricks (SoS), The Conversation, 21.01.14 / The New Statesman, 22.01.14
  6. How Facebook changed what it means to ‘like’. Vincent F. Hendricks (SoS), The Conversation, 28.01.14 / PHYS.ORG, 28.01.14 / Science World Report 28.01.14
  7. If you really want to help a troubled teen, don’t like their YouTube video. Vincent F. Hendricks (SoS), The Conversation, 13.02.14 / Business Insider 14.02.14
  8. An economy based on social status will always be prone to crises. Vincent F. Hendricks (SoS), The Conversation, 18.02.14 / The Bull, 24.02.15 / NewPhilosopher, 13.03.14
  9. Yahoo can present top news but journalists decide what matters. Vincent F. Hendricks (SoS), The Conversation, 27.02.14 / Technology.org, 27.02.14
  10. In the digital age, the humanities can afford to go on the offensive. Vincent F. Hendricks (SoS), The Conversation, 19.03.14 / PHYS.ORG, 19.03.14, Live Science, 20.03.14
  11. When the town square is online, power lies with the people. Vincent F. Hendricks (SoS), The Conversation, 01.04.13 / Journalist’s Resource, Harvard Kennedy School, 02.04.14
  12. Oh, you have an opinion? Are you sure about that? Vincent F. Hendricks (SoS), The Conversation, 28.04.14
  13. When looking like Justin Bieber is worse than dodgy stock trading. Vincent F. Hendricks (SoS), The Conversation, 07.05.14 / The Week, 15.05.14
  14. The Strange Bubble Economics of Selfies. Vincent F. Hendricks (SoS), Mashable, 15.05.14
  15. The 21st century bystander effect happens every day online. Vincent F. Hendricks (SoS), The Conversation, 05.06.14 / PHYS.ORG 06.06.14 / New Philosopher, 25.06.14, UniversityPost 12.08.14