Latent ties are
those social network ties that are ‘‘technically possible but not activated socially’’
(p. 137). Facebook might make it easier to convert latent ties into weak ties, in that
the site provides personal information about others, makes visible one’s connections
to a wide range of individuals, and enables students to identify those who might be
useful in some capacity (such as the math major in a required calculus class), thus
1162Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication 12 (2007) 1143–1168 ª 2007 International Communication Association