One of the aspects about Kongregate that I found to be most interesting is the way in which you can form your own social networks. Kongregate has both a fans and a friends section. I found this to be interesting because anyone can add you as a friend without your permission, thus becoming one of your fans. However, if you don't really want to be involved with someone on the site, you don't really have the power to deny their friend request because you don't have any power over their adding you. The only choice you get to make is whether you add them as a friend or leave them as just a fan of yours. I found this to be a unique way of doing things. And it is one that I'm not sure I like very much. While there is not much personal information on the site to be accessed by "friends", I find there to be something false about being able to add people as friends without their approval.
While this topic had little to do with the actual gaming aspect of the site, I do think it greatly impacts how people can communicate and network with other people on the site. This idea that you can create microcommunities of people that may be willing or unwilling participants creates an interesting dynamic when looking at the friends and fans section of Kongregate and the networking that it creates.
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