USABILITY AND USE REFERENCE IN THE SOCIAL NETWORK FACEBOOK: A NETNOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS OF TECHNOLOGICAL USERS

Abstract

This article presents a study about the preference of use in virtual social networks, using Facebook as object of study, to identify the motivational factors for the usability of this technology platform. The social network Facebook has been chosen to present a technological scenario of high sociability and virtual interaction. The methodology used was the netnography, being made through the collection of discussions in North American sites of news and forums online, where there is a large critical user participation on the internet, about the gains and frustrations in this context. The content analysis was performed comparing the categories of users found in the literature about values that motivate consumer technology, describing the hedonic, social, utilitarian values and perceptions of risk in consumption when related to lack of privacy. The results show two main groups of users of this technology and 7 subgroups. Therefore, the contribution of the study is that the formation of these groups may reflect technological usability of user groups around the world. The study also brings to the discussion issues related to the behaviors of the users of virtual networks which can be useful for businesses and their relationships with consumers and also the development of new knowledge from such criticism and demands that digital consumers expose about the technologies.