Sociology of Hyperlink Networks of Web 1.0, Web 2.0, and Twitter: A Case Study of South Korea

This article illustrates the structural changes in hyperlink networks from Web 1.0 to Web 2.0 and describes Web 1.0 using hyperlink data obtained from websites of South Korean National Assembly members between 2000 and 2001. The websites were sparsely knitted and formed a hub-spike network. Hyperlinks were created to enhance the interface and navigation ability of websites. The article also examines how hyperlink patterns began to change in 2005 and 2006 when Web 2.0 (blogs) was introduced. A key difference between Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 was that the Assembly members were relatively well connected in the blogosphere. Furthermore, prominent Web 1.0 hubs with many links tended to disappear, but butterfly networks based on political homophily emerged. Finally, the hyperlink network of Twitter, a recent Web 2.0 application, is examined. Twitter’s network diagram shows that online social ties between politicians are becoming denser.