Cybatar: New Social Network Description

Technology & Service

Design

www.cybatar.com © 2014, Red Diamond World/Cybatar.

Table of Contents Introduction ................................................................................................................ 3

Terminology ............................................................................................................... 4

Service Design ........................................................................................................... 5

Profile ..................................................................................................................... 5

Micro-blogging ........................................................................................................ 5

File Sharing ............................................................................................................ 5

Media Playing ......................................................................................................... 5

Messaging .............................................................................................................. 5

Collaboration .......................................................................................................... 6

Notifications ............................................................................................................ 6

Privacy .................................................................................................................... 6

Security ................................................................................................................... 6

Technology Design..................................................................................................... 8

Web User Interface ................................................................................................. 8

Mobile User Interface .............................................................................................. 8

Application Programming Interface ......................................................................... 8

SMS ........................................................................................................................ 9

Email ....................................................................................................................... 9

Mobile and Smart Phone Optimization and Applications .......................................... 10

Current Features List................................................................................................ 11

Comparative Analysis against Facebook and Twitter ............................................... 12

Freedom of Expression and Opinion .................................................................... 12

Protection of Privacy and Dignity .......................................................................... 12

Direct Audio and Document Uploads ................................................................... 12

Messaging ............................................................................................................ 13

Relationships ........................................................................................................ 13


Introduction Cybatar is an online social networking app that enables users to send and read short messages called “cybes”, send SMS messages, send and receive private messages, participate in groups called “spaces” and compose, compose and read notes and upload and share media files, view images and play multimedia files.

The purpose of this document is to provide information to help users and interested people to understand the app’s features and functions well, and to also understand Cybatar terminology or lingo. The document also gives a comparative analysis of the social network against Facebook and Twitter.


Terminology Cybe- a) A cybe is a post on Cybatar, created by the user and is either in text of file format. b) To cybe is to browse or post on Cybatar.

Cybing- Cybing is the act of browsing, posting or downloading files on Cybatar.

Cyber- a) A cyber is a person who cybes on Cybatar. b) A cyber is a person who created a post on Cybatar.

Space- A space is a forum that also functions as a page on Cybatar, users are able to either join it or follow it.

Stream- A stream is where the user’s personal posts (cybes) are displayed, on their profile.

Timeline- A timeline is a where all posts (cybes) by users who follow each other are displayed according to the time they were posted.

Linklist- A Linklist is a list of the user’s links to other websites.

Permalink- A permalink is a URL that points to a specific post (cybe).

Stick- Stick is a function on Cybatar used to emphasise the importance of a post (cybe) in a space.

Sticking- Sticking is the act of emphasising the importance of a post (cybe) in a space on Cybatar. This is synonymous to pinning something on a notice board.

Modules- Modules are optional functions, made available to the user to enable if they want to use them.

Following User- These are users subscribed to the user’s posts (cybes). They see everything that the user cybes in public.

User Following- These are users the user has subscribed to. The user sees everything that they cybe in public.


Service Design Profile User profile is the application representation of user information. Such information is supplied by the user to the website.

Cybatar users have the ability to create their own profile which is divided into a general and a communication section. This allows the user to supply as much information for their user profile.

Micro-blogging Micro-blogging is a web service that allows a subscriber to broadcast short messages to other subscribers to the service. Micro-blogging functions in the form of posts or updates on social networking services.

Cybatar has a microblogging service called “cybing”. Users can create text posts and broadcast them to their followers with the option of directly notifying certain users on the website about the post.

File Sharing File sharing is the practice of distributing or providing access to digital media. File sharing is done through uploads and embedded links sharing on social networking services.

Cybatar allows users to upload and distribute digital media through the micro-blogging widget. Users can upload any file format, expect of .exe to make them available to their followers and other users on Cybatar. Cybatar also allows embedded file sharing through which users can share files uploaded on other websites.

Media Playing A media player is a computer program for playing multimedia files. Media playing is the practice of using such a program and can be done in-site of out-of-site.

Cybatar allows users to play multimedia files and view images within the application and also allows users to play and view these files externally.

Messaging Messaging in social networking applications occurs in multiple ways which include private and public messaging and instant messaging.

Cybatar offers a private messaging and another messaging option not yet available on other major social networking services. Cybatar allows users to send mobile SMS messages to other users on the social network.


Collaboration Collaboration refers to processes that help multiple people interact and share information to achieve any common goal.

Cybatar provides users with a social collaboration environment through its Space module where users can vote on matters and work on the same note together to achieve a common goal. A user can create a note by writing the title and then other users within the space can open the note and contribute to it. When completed, the creator or initiator of the note can then make it go public.

Notifications Notifications are messages delivered to a user by a service to update them about certain events.

Cybatar’s notification system is real-time and can be delivered within site or through email. The user has the ability to set how he wants to receive notifications.

Privacy Privacy is the ability of an individual or group to seclude themselves, or information about themselves, and thereby express themselves selectively.

User privacy on Cybatar is very high. Users register with their real names which allows for verification by the administrator but are identified through usernames by other users on the social network. This allows users freedom without the fear of being victimized on the application.

Space owners cannot add users onto their spaces without their permission. Space owners can only send invites to users into their spaces and users can join if they are interested. Space owners can also control how other users join their space and the level of privacy in their space.

Cybatar allows users to tag others in posts and uploads (cybes) but does not display these tags publicly. Only the tagged user is notified about the tag to all users to enjoy privacy and avoid defamation. This also protects the user’s personality and prevents the use of the user’s name for public promotions.

Security Security is the degree of resistance to, or protection from, harm. The internet represents an insecure channel for exchanging information leading to a high risk of intrusion or fraud.

Cybatar’s identification method is the first step to increasing security on the website. Fraudsters do not have access to users’ official names making it impossible for them to do identity theft used in fraudulent messages.

Email addresses used to register on the application are not made available to the public and users have the choice of providing their contact information on their


profiles for other users to contact them. Users are not required to submit their mobile numbers during registration.

The website does not have any internal payment methods and does not require users’ payment details for anything which makes the website less attractive to con artists and fraudulent hackers who do phishing and pharming. This protects users from vulnerabilities.

Uploading and sharing of .exe installation files directly on the websites is not allowed. This reduces the risk of transfer and reception of viruses or harmful content on the site.

The website also uses an encrypted password method only.


Technology Design Cybatar provides a common platform for sending and receiving messages by the use of a wide range of delivery channels (figure 3). Cybatar can be accessed via Web User Interface, Mobile User Interface and Application Programming Interface (API) developed by a third party.

Figure 1 Cybatar Technology Design

Web User Interface A web user interface is the space where interactions between humans and the internet occur.

Cybatar users can access the application through any web browser on PC. This allows them to add data into the application and to receive data from the application through any computer device with internet access.

Mobile User Interface A mobile user interface is the space where interactions between humans and mobile devices occur.

Cybatar users can access the application on any mobile or smart phone device. This allows them to add data into the application and to receive data from the application through any mobile device with internet access.

Application Programming Interface An application programming interface specifies a software component in terms of its operations, their inputs and outputs and underlying types.

OUTPUT METHODS

Web User Interface Mobile User Interface SMS Email Application Programming Interface

Cybatar

INPUT METHODS

Web User Interface Mobile User Interface Application Programming Interface


Cybatar uses the Yii Code Generator as its API. Cybatar developers can create modules and applications to be added on it through this API.

SMS Short Message Service (SMS) is a text messaging service component of phone, web, or mobile.

Cybatar users can send SMS messages to other users through the web application to their mobile phones.

Email Cybatar uses the email services to send notifications to users.


Mobile and Smart Phone Optimization and Applications The Cybatar web application found on www.cybatar.com is optimized for mobile smart phone devices. The web application detects the device used to access it and then gives the user a website format optimized for that device.

Cybatar has a responsive design. This means that it serves the same HTML for one URL and uses CSS media queries to determine how the content is rendered on the client side. This removes the possible glitches of user-agent detection and frees users from redirects.

The web application is composed of HTML, JavaScript, and CSS and is an HTML5 app. This makes it a cross platform mobile application that works on multiple devices. This means that users do not necessarily need to download an app to use Cybatar since it is not just a website but an app.

Cybatar also has hybrid apps currently available for Android, Apple and Blackberry. Hybrid apps make it possible to embed HTML5 apps inside a thin native container.


Current Features List This is a list of current Cybatar features:

1. Private Messaging 2. SMS Messaging 3. Micro-blogging 4. Polling 5. Notes 6. File-sharing 7. Media Playing 8. Subscription (Following) 9. Social Collaboration 10. Breaking News 11. Birthdays


Comparative Analysis against Facebook and Twitter The social networking market is dominated by Facebook and Twitter and most internet users are members of these sites. Cybatar does have similar features and functions as these applications as a social network but also offers different features and functions from those offered by these services making it beneficial to become a member of Cybatar even if an internet user already has an account on Facebook and/or Twitter.

Below is a comparative analysis of Cybatar’s utility against Facebook and Twitter:

Freedom of Expression and Opinion The official identity of a user on Cybatar is completely confidential, unless the user chooses to express it on his/her bio or uses it as a username. This provides users, who could be potentially victimized because of their convictions the opportunity to express themselves without fear.

This is different from what you would find on Facebook and Twitter, where user official identities are disclosed. Users do use false identities on these sites but fraudulently. Cybatar lets them use their true identity when registering but encloses it.

Protection of Privacy and Dignity Cybatar uses private tags/mentions. Users can choose to notify specific users directly about a cybe they have posted but such a notification is kept between the cyber and the tagged user. This protects users from unwanted and harmful association. This therefore reduces negativity against tags and mentions making it easier for users to as many people as possible for a post without creating a nuisance.

Twitter and Facebook use public tags which end up invading user privacy and makes tags and mentions a nuisance and creates negativity towards them.

Users can tag others on Cybatar without the fear of negative from tagged users who can just ignore the cybe without the need to defend themselves if not associated and interested in it.

Direct Audio and Document Uploads Cybatar eliminates the need of third party websites for users to share multimedia and document files with other cybers. Even though the web app also allows embedded file sharing, the direct file sharing ability on a social network makes it a useful tool.


Facebook allows users to upload pictures and videos. Twitter also allows that to a certain extent. Neither of these websites lets users upload audio and document files even though they allow embedded third party file sharing. Cybatar makes the files available easily for downloads.

Messaging Cybatar has an SMS messaging feature which lets cybers send each other free SMS messages from the application.

Communication on Facebook and Twitter is only based in-app and users can not SMS each other. Users can use Cybatar for free offline messaging services.

Relationships Cybatar does not use an algorithm to suggest people cybers should follow. Communities are strongly built around trust, from the cyber’s comfort after seeing the potential user in a space, if they know each other or if the cyber’s sees someone he/she follows follow the person. This creates smaller and more real relationships between users.

Relationships on Twitter and Facebook are broader and unreal and are usually because of suggestions which pressure users to follow or add more friends. Users can use Cybatar for more intimate and personal posts in a community of people who really care and know them.

Cybatar: New Social Network Description

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