There have been a few interesting cases lately, that demonstrate the emergence of a hierarchical system in social media – which is by its very nature an open and representative medium.

Twitter recently introduced ‘verified accounts‘ , which is a way for celebrities and other high profile users to validate that the account is genuine (though this doesn’t encompass who is actually writing the tweets). Some argue that this is as a step in the right direction, adding validity and authenticity to the service that is occasionally by polluted by ‘fakes’.  One has to wonder though, how many  Twitter users  saw this as a problem that required a solution.

It also recently emerged with the launch of Facebok ‘vanity urls’ , that certain public figures (predominantly journalists) were reserved access to their own url, ahead of the midnight rush.

My kneejerk reaction to these examples is to question the criteria on which these accounts were granted exceptional treatment. Social media was meant to level the playing field and this begs a number of questions. Was online popularity and status as much of a consideration as offline status? Is the Twitter verification purely based on numbers of followers? Do high profile figures receive verification status, regardless of their activity on Twitter? My kneejerk reaction is also anger, as this flies directly in the face of what I love about social media – that it is an open, accessible and, most importantly, equal platform. A medium that encourages Facebook url parties , for example, only some  were granted VIP status while the rest of us had to wait in line.

Unfortunately, it is not as straightforward as that and such a reaction overlooks the deeper issues at play here. History shows that a hierarchical structure is necessary for the development and evolution of a society or system. The (albeit subtle) hierarchical structures developing within social media are evidence of the industry developing and maturing. It is new, we don’t adapt well to change and there will inevitably be a backlash. Practices such as verified accounts do ultimately add authority and credibility to the social media space.

There are also cases that serve to protect users of social media and freedom of information.

Youtube recently practiced this ‘exception to the rule’ , when they allowed the Whitehouse youtube channel to override the cooke rules set on the site. Privacy advocates had objected to cookies being set on a user’s account, which would allow Youtube to record all other videos viewed by the user.

Clearly this is not a black and white issue : as social media grows it is inevitably going to adapt from the true home-grown, grass roots nature that once defined it. This is necessary to the survival of the medium, but is it something we’re all prepared to accept

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