THE SOCIAL NETWORK AS A DIFFUSION MEDIA AND SOURCE OF INFORMATION. THE USERS' FEEDBACK IN THE RESEARCH PROCESS

The paper focuses on the demonstration of expectations that the online feedback can generate to extend the resources in a specific research.

The study of existing water tank towers in the metropolitan area of Valencia, as a basis for the recognition of its heritage value of industrial type is the matter of a Final Degree Project recently completed at the Universitat Politècnica de València (Spain). Given that the field of action chosen was extensive and that there were currently no open inventories that collect the numerous cases of these peculiar constructions, we thought about the positive effect that society could provide through the network diffusion ways.

As soon as the student located the first items, he proceeded to photograph and film the towers in order to upload these images to an "instagram" profile (@TorresdeAgua). The chosen social network was selected based on its popularity, over all teenagers, and also on its purpose, being of maximum interest the photographic and exhibition idiosyncrasy that this network offers. Shortly after, this profile received suggestions from Internet users that allowed locating new towers and discarding some structures that were not really water towers. On adding the new items suggested by the users, these ones generated in turn more and more feedback in a kind of growing iterative process.

A phenomenon of symbiosis has been created. It involves the exchange of information between the student and Internet users, though on a global vision could be interpreted as the retribution to society for its involvement through an advance of knowledge that ultimately reverts in the interest of all citizens.

It should be noted that feedback has not only provided the location of new entries but also other contributions through the participants’ comments, such as those referred to the quality of the photographs, or even with the transfer of new unknown old images. However, feedback should not be overestimated, as it is about a non-systematic and discontinuous resource of information, which must necessarily be verified.