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    Your Guide to Social Networking Online

    by Mark Glaser
    August 29, 2007

    i-225151bf727c5fc382ea779e70a38187-Six Degrees Logo.JPG
    From time to time, I’ll give an overview of one broad MediaShift topic, annotated with online resources and plenty of tips. The idea is to help you understand the topic, learn the jargon, and take action. I’ve already covered blogging, citizen journalism, widgets and various other topics. This week I’ll look at the social networking phenomenon.

    Background

    Social networking websites help people connect with others who share their interests, build online profiles and share media such as photos, music and videos. The idea of social networks has been studied by sociologists for decades as they analyze the ties between people in families, organizations and even in towns or countries. According to Wikipedia,: “Research in a number of academic fields has shown that social networks operate on many levels, from families up to the level of nations, and play a critical role in determining the way problems are solved, organizations are run, and the degree to which individuals succeed in achieving their goals.”

    Early Internet applications such as Usenet and bulletin board systems allowed people to communicate and network, often in closed systems. But with the advent of the web in the mid-‘90s, people could connect in more visually appealing and public ways. Classmates.com let people connect with old classmates online, and SixDegrees.com offered a way to meet “friends of friends” — with its name referring to the six degrees of separation between everyone in the world.

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    After the dot-com bust in 2000, SixDegrees was shut down and eventually Friendster became the leader in social networking sites. A common feature of these services was the list of “friends” or contacts that each user maintained, driving usage of the site by people inviting more friends, who invited more friends, and so on and so on… Even though Friendster eventually collected millions of users, the service was plagued by technical issues and was strict about fake profiles known as “Fakesters,” which it deleted en masse.

    Social researcher danah boyd explains what went wrong for Friendster in her 2006 online essay:

    Freaks, geeks and queers all invaded Friendster in the early days and they made certain that all of their friends were there. They did so organically in clusters. This was very successful, until they felt alienated from the site. There is a tipping point to get on and a tipping point to get off. Once mass departure began with a few pissed-off folks, it spiraled quickly…Friendster was beginning to get mainstream American 20/30-somethings when it got bogged down by dreadfully slow servers…The slow servers made it very difficult (if not impossible) for mainstream users to engage. Frustrated, many lost interest before they really engaged.

    The Rise of MySpace and Facebook

    After Friendster started losing members in the U.S. and became popular in the Philippines, many people started moving over to newer services such as MySpace, which launched in 2003. MySpace founder Tom Anderson came across as a friendly presence, welcoming and “friending” each new member of the site. Bands and teens helped drive MySpace’s traffic through the roof, eventually hitting 115 million users worldwide.

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    i-77462526464106155a801a1c7aca1500-MySpace logo.gif

    Despite the garish look of MySpace profiles, the service was popular because it let people customize their pages, embed music and share videos with other friends. The popularity of MySpace led its parent company to sell the site to media giant News Corp. for $580 million in 2005. Not long afterward, a backlash started against MySpace, with analysts questioning the strength of the audience’s loyalty to the site and reports of sexual predators and safety issues flooding the media.

    “Certainly there are a large amount of people spending a large amount of time on this site,” Jupiter analyst Nate Elliot told ABCNews.com in early 2006. “But when you look at the huge numbers they throw out there — 50 [million], 60 million registered users — those are a mirage…the simple fact is that only a fraction of the registered users ever go back. And only a fraction of them use the site on any kind of regular basis.”

    The issue of teen safety on MySpace and other social networking sites such as Xanga led to many sites tightening their privacy policies and issuing safety guidelines.

    “There are only a small number of cases where something bad has actually happened,” researcher danah boyd told me for a story on MediaShift about MySpace. “Remember: Most of what you are hearing in the press turns out to not be associated with MySpace at all. Just because teens do something stupid/bad and they have a MySpace account does not mean that they did it because of MySpace. Teens are more likely to be abducted at school than on MySpace. Teens are more likely to die in their parents’ cars than be killed because of MySpace.”

    The year 2007 has been marked by the booming growth of MySpace rival Facebook, which started life in 2004 as a closed network for college students, and later high school students. Facebook made two important business decisions that led to its recent rise: 1) opening the site to all comers, and 2) letting people create mini-applications or widgets for the site. Facebook went from 8.9 million registered users in September 2006 to more than 37 million users now, with a higher growth rate than bigger rival MySpace. Whether those users will continue to come back — and just how many of them are “regular” users — remains an open question.

    Business Networking and Business Models

    Meanwhile, another trend paralleled the rise of the big social networking sites: smaller, more focused business social networking sites. The first one was Ryze, launched by entrepreneur Adrian Scott in 2001 to help him remember all his business contacts. Later came the more popular LinkedIn, which allows you to post your career trajectory and ask “connections” for jobs or business introductions. Both services bring in revenues by running advertising and selling premium services for power users.

    Along with the business networking sites, there have also been niche sites that cater to specific groups of people — or even pets. MyChurch is a social networking sites for church-goers, BlackPlanet is for African-Americans, and Dogster is for dogs, or, uh, dog owners who think their dogs should be socially networked. Plus, specialized services such as Ning have cropped up to let anyone create their own social networking site for friends or associates.

    American-based social networking sites such as Orkut (owned by Google), Hi5 and Friendster have also become popular in other countries, with Orkut catching fire in Brazil and India, Hi5 making waves in Europe and South America, and Friendster taking Southeast Asia by storm. Other services have had varying success overseas. (For more on this topic, see a separate in-depth report on MediaShift.)

    Despite the recent boom in popularity for social networking sites, there remains one sticky conundrum: How can these sites become consistently profitable? The problem is that people are used to getting these services for free, so very few sites charge people money to participate. And advertisers worry that their brand image will be tarnished by having ads running alongside questionable user-generated content. Facebook recently lost advertisers in the U.K. when they found their ads running on a Facebook group page dedicated to a far right-wing political group. The site later announced it would let advertisers limit the places on the site that its messages would run.

    Despite those problems, the big daddies of social networking, MySpace and Facebook, have started to figure out ways to bring in revenues. In early August, News Corp. reported that its Fox Interactive Media division (including MySpace) had turned a $10 million profit for the fiscal year ending June 30, with revenues of $550 million. News Corp. expects the division to bring in nearly $1 billion in revenues in the next fiscal year. Plus, Facebook projected it would take in $125 million in ad revenues this year, and planned to launch a targeted-ad solution that lets advertisers reach people based on their user profiles and interests, USA Today reported.

    The dilemma for social networking sites is that by the time they reach a critical mass for advertisers, they might also be seen as less innovative and edgy by early adopters, who could leave in droves. Plus, any attempt to use targeted advertising based on user profiles could trigger an exodus of people who don’t want their private information exploited for commercial purposes.

    Social Media and Big Media

    While social networking sites continued to evolve, they also inspired a swath of “social media” sites that let people share news, reviews, personal experiences and website favorites with others. The social news site Digg, which launched in December 2004, lets people nominate interesting news stories or blog posts, which are then voted on — or “Dugg” — by other users to get more prominent placement on the site. Regular users of Digg have their own profiles, and gain currency by getting stories featured on the site. A number of similar services such as Reddit and the revamped Netscape have also sprung up, with Netscape’s former general manager Jason Calacanis famously offering money to top Diggers to join Netscape as paid “anchors.”

    i-1ef7284f43b70e0805022e2ff9317368-Kevin Rose.jpg

    Digg founder Kevin Rose

    Social media sites go beyond just rating news stories. Photo-sharing site Flickr, now owned by Yahoo, lets people comment on others’ photos, join groups and add friends. Video-sharing site YouTube, now owned by Google, also became a huge phenomenon partly because it let people create user profiles, comment on videos and collect “subscribers” for their videos. Even a seemingly musty community built around an online encyclopedia, Wikipedia, has fostered loyalty with profiles, groups and discussion boards that let people, known as “Wikipedians,” bond through raging arguments and collaborations.

    Because of the viral growth of social media and networking sites, Big Media has taken notice. Hearst bought teen social networking site eCrush, Sony bought social video site Grouper, and Disney bought teen virtual world Club Penguin, to name just a few. Plus, USAToday.com relaunched its site last March in a radical move toward social networking, letting anyone start an online profile and “vote” on recommending stories. While many users complained about the new look, USAToday said that it has helped spike traffic, which was up 20% in July 2007 over July 2006 traffic levels (though some question the numbers).

    Other newspaper and traditional media sites have added social networking-type features, letting people upload and share photos, comment on stories, and build their own customized news pages.

    But there comes a point of social networking saturation, where people just don’t have the time and energy to join yet one more site, create yet another profile and make even more “friends.” While social networking sites obviously serve a purpose in helping people connect, there’s only so many networks each of us can join — and only so many that will end up being profitable businesses.

    Terminology

    Here are some common terms used in the social networking world:

    Add: Noun and verb used on social networking sites around being added as a friend. For example: “Thanks for the add.”

    Avatar: Graphical representation of a user in a virtual world.

    Facebooking: Any act of using features on Facebook.

    Fakesters: Fictional profiles created on Friendster by users. Fakesters can be anything from celebrities to cities to inanimate objects.

    Orkuteiros: Brazilian Orkut aficionados. Orkut is a social network owned by Google that later became popular in Brazil and India.

    Profile pimping: Customizing MySpace profiles with designs and widgets that reflect a user’s personal style.

    Scraps: Public messages left on an Orkut user’s profile by other members.

    Widgets: Mini-applications or HTML code that people can embed onto social networking pages.

    Resources

    Check out these news articles, blog posts and resources to learn more about social networking:

    A Brief History of Social Networking Sites at NFi Studios

    Big Media’s Crush on Social Networking at New York Times

    Call It MyNewspaperSpace at AdAge

    Friendster frenzy has analysts puzzled from Reuters

    Getting Past the Echoes by Jon Lebkowsky at WorldChanging blog

    List of social networking sites at Wikipedia

    Profiting from Social Networking at BusinessWeek

    Social Network Ad Spending Keeps Rising

    Social network service entry at Wikipedia

    Social Network Sites: Definition and Conception by danah boyd and Nicole Ellison

    Social networking sites enjoy internet advertising boost at DirectTraffic.org

    Social Network Sites: My Definition by danah boyd

    Social-networking sites tempt investors by Hollywood Reporter

    Traditional Marketing Failing on Social Networks at VNUnet

    YASNS wiki with timeline of social networking history by danah boyd

    What do you think about social networking sites and social media? Which ones do you use and why? What other valuable resources do you know of online about social networking? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

    Additional reporting for this guide was done by Jennifer Woodard Maderazo.

    Photo of Kevin Rose by Scott Beale.

    UPDATE: One pioneering site I failed to mention was LiveJournal, a blogging platform that also has strong social networking features. MediaShift reader KayJay explains the draw in the comments:

    LJ allows you to build community on your terms, not the site’s terms. I now have friends all over the world whom I have actually even visited, going out of the country for the first time in my 40+ years of life. We get interested in each other’s lives, go through births, marriages, illnesses, deaths, graduations, relocations, career changes…over the course of time. I don’t have 37 million ‘friends,’ nor do I want them. What I do have is quality of interaction, from a site that encourages creativity, individuality, and community, with a clean interface that isn’t garish or juvenile, and without underestimating the intelligence of its user base and their ability to make a ‘home’ out of their LiveJournal.

    It’s not all about the networking. It’s about the social.

    UPDATE 2: Many people in the comments have mentioned that I’ve been lax in including international use of social networking sites. I’ve updated the post with a paragraph explaining the international success of some American-born social networking sites, with a link to Jennifer Woodard Maderazo’s excellent take on this subject previously on MediaShift.

    Tagged: facebook myspace social networking

    57 responses to “Your Guide to Social Networking Online”

    1. a few, unimaginatively named, others like socialstream and socialposter

    2. Great summary of the social networking scene, Mark. Thanks for mentioning our dog community, Dogster.com! We have a really loyal, wonderful community of animal lovers on our sites (we also have Catster.com for cats and their humans). We’re really excited that we’re close to 500,000 members at this point.

      I think Dogster and Catster are really interesting because it’s not about humans. There are very few photos of people on the site, which helps make it a safe place for people of all ages to connect with other people who share their passion for animals.

      Thanks again for your post.

    3. Cathy Wu says:

      Thanks for the very informative entry! I enjoy learning about technology in a historic light. And I completely agree with the aspect of social-networking saturation.

    4. KayJay says:

      Maybe I’m just biased, but after five years on LiveJournal I’m constantly amazed that it (and its clones) never gets mentioned in social networking stories. Being on LJ changed my life, opened up new pathways for me, got me active in my hobby/lifestyle of ‘fandom,’ and is quite possibly the most versatile and adaptive social networking site out there. Media focuses too deeply on ‘number of users/registrations’ — I mean, really, what’s the difference between 37 million or a hundred million once you reach a certain point? It isn’t about the bodies, it’s about what happens on the site that makes it integral to your life.

      LJ allows you to build community on your terms, not the site’s terms. I now have friends all over the world whom I have actually even visited, going out of the country for the first time in my 40+ years of life. We get interested in each other’s lives, go through births, marriages, illnesses, deaths, graduations, relocations, career changes… over the course of time. I don’t have 37 million ‘friends’, nor do I want them. What I do have is quality of interaction, from a site that encourages creativity, individuality, and community, with a clean interface that isn’t garish or juvenile, and without underestimating the intelligence of its user base and their ability to make a “home” out of their LiveJournal.

      Is there anyone who has demographic information on gender and age of active users of all these sites? I’d bet there’s a clear segmentation between MySpace-type Jonny-come-lately’s and their gazillion friends of Tom and the small, comfortable, long-term living spaces found at LiveJournal.

      It’s not all about the networking. It’s about the social.

    5. casper says:

      KayJay: i agree with you. I have been on livejournal for 6 years and throughout those years i have met so many incredible people that i got the opportunity to meet in real life and form lasting friendships and relationships that i never accomplished through myspace or friendster. livejournal really does get overlooked in the social networking discussions

    6. sachen says:

      I have used all these social sites, and frankly it gets tiring how the masses migrate from one to another, so even if I try to stay loyal to one site, damn it if I find that activities wane and all of a sudden everyone is on Facebook, not Friendster anymore. This online social scene is so damn fickle.

    7. sachen says:

      One more thing, I work in the web industry, and it’s been quite hilarious to see these old geezers come in and say, “Oh yes I’m on fucking MySpace, and I want to promote my business on it. Can you put my business selling crap videos on MySpace?” They are the people who’ve tried to join the hype and driven the dream demographic off MySpace onto newer social networking sites.

    8. cifanic says:

      Thanks for the informative piece. I’ve forwarded to a few friends who are new or unfamiliar with social networking.

      A site I’ve run across that is quite forward thinking is Vox (http://www.vox.com…owned by Six Apart, the creators of Moveable type and Typepad). Vox allows for the easy incorporation of media and encourages a two-way form of blogging that I’ve yet to experience elsewhere.

      @ Sachen – totally agree. The way to drive a brand is via content and useful information! Putting up a myspace page and spamming users is the old school marketing strategy of throwing stuff to a wall and seeing what sticks.

    9. Creek says:

      Great coverage of social networking. I find it amazing just how sticky these sites are getting. They’re finding so many ways to keep their visitor coming back, that I can’t imagine how people are finding time to read everything, yet, still live a real life!

      I’m a perfect example, of someone who was caught by the Social Website Bug, quite unexpectedly. Last year, I found a Music CD trading site called lala (www.lala.com). It’s now much more than just CD trading, it also provides music streaming, etc.. ANYWAY… between the forum, the blurbs, the friendstrips, and everything else in between, my life was changed completely.

      It’s crazy… the people that hang out there, are all obsessed! We can’t explain it either. But that’s what these sites do to people. I’ve found life-long friends on the site, and that alone is what keeps me coming back day after day. I think any site that helps to nurture the friend interaction, will do well.

    10. jean sakr says:

      excellent report, congratulations

    11. BrunoG says:

      Great report. But it’s not about social networking. It’s about social networking IN THE UNITED STATES. You seem to assume that the rest of the world doesn’t know any of this.

    12. Shrikant B says:

      This article, while informative, is really only about social networking in the US! Sites like Orkut, which you have not mentioned at all in the main article, are far more popular than friendster – if you go by no of active users! And it would have been nicer if you could have provided incisive dope on the strategy driving companies like google and yahoo which own most of the top social networking sites. How does one identify early which of the numerous sites are going to do well, what the tipping point is, and how does one predict the bandwagon effect…? (Google seems to be doing a phenom job at all of these)

    13. Mark,

      Since you added Live Journal may I recommend you add Ning a social network that Marc Andreessen is involved in and empowers it’s users to create their own niche social networks. It is a very innovative idea, growing and something to keep an eye on, IMHO.

    14. MyGrito says:

      What a great article! Very informative — almost complete: the only thing you were missing was us: MyGrito.com — a bilingual social networking site with a Latino twist. Latinos are the fastest growing minority in the country. We are 15% of the population now (expected to be 50 million by 2020 and over 102 million by 2050). Someone has to address us with a cool, hip, all-encompassing social networking site . . . politics included — and that, of course, would be MyGrito.com. Anyway, we invite you and everyone else to check us out.

      MyGrito.com
      Es tu grito.

    15. Good article. So good that I forwarded it to my friends. I have written my thoughts about the rise, plateau and fall of a social networking website on my blog:

      http://shahsa.blogspot.com/2007/09/rise-and-fall-of-social-networking.html

      hope you find it interesting!

      -saurabh

    16. Larry says:

      I’ve just launched MyOris.com an invitation only social network. It is working well with family to centralize family discussions (Wedding, birthdays, anniversary’s, reunions etc…)

      Most people comment that MyOris.com is like Myspace.com but much easier to use and understand.

      http://www.myoris.com

    17. Bob says:

      A great business social networking site is http://www.fastpitchnetworking.com. Not only can you network with other business professionals but there are a ton of features designed to help you market your business. You can post press releases, promote your blog, promote your podcast, add video, etc. (all of these are great features to create more of a web “footprint”) Its free to create a profile and their membership is very inexpensive.

    18. Bob says:

      A great business social networking site is http://www.fastpitchnetworking.com. Not only can you network with other business professionals but there are a ton of features designed to help you market your business. You can post press releases, promote your blog, promote your podcast, add video, etc. (all of these are great features to create more of a web “footprint”) Its free to create a profile.

    19. Bob says:

      A great business social networking site is http://www.fastpitchnetworking.com. Not only can you network with other business professionals but there are a ton of features designed to help you market your business. You can post press releases, promote your blog, promote your podcast, add video, etc. (all of these are great features to create more of a web “footprint”) Its free to create a profile.

    20. warren says:

      i look like a turkey

      will people still like me?

    21. warren says:

      i look like a turkey

      will people still like me?

    22. This was a great article. I really enjoyed it. I have only been social networking for the past couple of months, but this article has put much of it into perspective. My blog at http://www.thisistherealme.info was set up as sort of diary about social networking, rather than working on theory or history of social networking.

    23. Emirhan says:

      Thanks for a great article, which makes an interesting short history of social networking. I think social networking has grown from small beginnings, to being explosively successful. I think that anyone with an online business cannot afford to ignore the importance of social networking, as it is playing an increasing role in advertising and marketing.

    24. Bonnie says:

      I am doing a study on social networking and its relation ship to the new technologies. Your article was very help and it gives a very meaning full summary.
      By Bonnie

    25. Nancy Fox says:

      Great overview of the socianetworking arena.
      I am continually amazed, as is Kayjay, that the focus is all on the quantity of users and connections. In business, we know that it’s not how big your network is, but the quality of your connections. What is the influence quotient of the people in your network? Finally, advertisers on these sites are addressing the importance of targeted reach. This is the most basic aspect of any marketing campaign.
      The future is in in quality connections.

      Nancy Fox
      http://www.sociabling.blogspot.com

    26. Social networking – perhaps you’ve heard of it before, but are not quite sure what it means?

      Social networking is the grouping of individuals into specific groups, like small rural communities or a neighborhood subdivision… if you will. Although social networking is possible in person, especially in schools or in the workplace, it is most popular online. This is because unlike most high schools, colleges, or workplaces, the internet is filled with millions of individuals who are looking to meet other internet users and develop friendships and business relationships, too.

      When it comes to online social networking, websites are commonly used. These websites are known as social sites. Social networking websites function like an online community of internet users. Depending on the website in question, many of these online community members share a common interest such as hobbies, religion, or politics. Once you are granted access to a social networking website you can begin to socialize. This socialization may include reading the profile pages of other members and possibly even contacting them.

      The friends that you can make are just one of the many benefits to social networking online. Another one of those benefits includes diversity because the internet gives individuals, from all around the world, access to social networking sties. This means that although you are in the United States, you could develop an online friendship with someone in Oregon or Switzerland. Not only will you make a new friend, but you just might learn a thing or two about a new culture and new languages. And, learning is always a good thing.

      As mentioned, social networking often involves grouping specific individuals or organizations together. While there are a number of social networking websites that focus on particular interests, there are others that do not. The websites without a main focus are often referred to as “traditional” social networking websites and usually have open memberships. This means that anyone can become a member, no matter what their hobbies, beliefs, or views are. However, once you are inside this online community, you can begin to create your own network of friends and eliminate members that do not share common interests or goals.

      As I’m sure you’re aware, there are dangers associated with social networking. We hear special reports from famous TV personalities and many “special investigative reports,” too. The dangers often involve online predators or individuals who claim to be someone that they are not. Although danger does exist with networking online, it also exists with networking out in the real world, too. Just like you’re advised when meeting strangers at a bar, school, or work — you are also advised to proceed with caution online. By being aware of your surroundings and who you are talking to, you should be able to safely enjoy social networking online. Just use common sense and listen to your inner voice; it will tell you when something doesn’t feel right.

      Once you’ve convinced yourself that you are sufficiently informed, you can begin to search for networking communities to join.

      VideoMartini.com

      Fiplee.com

      DilnDosti.com

    27. Kat says:

      I believe there is another professional networking site called Xing out there — I belive it too is more internationally-based.

      This was a great read! Thanks.

    28. Great article and source of information for a new social networker like me. Thanks!

    29. Social networking information is very usefull…thanks! I will use in our resource of social networking tips/facts.

      sandy
      megastarmedia.com

    30. Good post. In order to keep up with all of these social networking sites, I created a directory called SiteRapture which lists over 300 social networking websites along with other web 2.0 websites. Here is the link to the list of social networking websites.

    31. I run an event on social networking and mobile social networking and I am finding that large corporate companies are starting utilise the power of social networking. For example clubs and associations have found it a great way of creating a community. How do you think social networks will develop to keep interest and loyalty ?
      http://www.socialnetworking-forum.com/

    32. Moe Jame says:

      After I was done reading it, I noticed that this article is more than a year old, but still very relevant. The major change from a year to now that I can think of, is the notion of “industry-specific social network” for professionals like DrConnected (drconnected.com), a social network for Doctors and Allied Health. One of the challenge for next year will be to sustain the mobile-integration of the major social network. It already started this year. It will be interesting to see how the trend will go. Again, great article.

    33. Joanne says:

      Hi, I just finished transcribing all the interviews for The Social Media Bible (www.TheSocialMediaBible.com). I was hired virtually by the author. I only mention this as a testament to the power of social media, or as I like to call it, Social Media ².

      I urge all to go to and listen to these nearly 50 interviews with the top SVP’s and founders of the major social media companies world wide, Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, Twitter, LinkedIn, MySpace, etc. They are 30+/- minute podcasts about how each social media technology is being used for business.

    34. Frank says:

      One of the good article yet unlike other social site the matter is difference from others, only fantasy, away from the reality.

    35. Frank says:

      The Article “Business Networking and Business model” provide a better way for the people who don’t have idea about the how social networking works and the various site available.
      Before reading this article i only knew about uoha (http://www.uoha.com) now i know many

    36. Frank says:

      The Article “Business Networking and Business model” provide a better way for the people who don’t have idea about the how social networking works and the various site available.
      Before reading this article i only knew about uoha (http://www.uoha.com) now i know many

    37. Social networking websites blogs Or Business Social Networking are a big change is peoples life’s these Social networking websites and blogs are changing the way people look at the Internet, f you look around the web you will find great social networking websites like facebook myspace bebo uoha.com and many more Social networking website out there!
      I hope the Social networking era can help the Webcomunity more theit is doing now!

    38. Lee says:

      Thanks for this article. Interesting.

    39. kennny says:

      no hype honest internet business,free to start then only ten dollors a month,includes web page

    40. Ajay says:

      http://www.whzzz.com a fresh, new concept in online social networking, it allows you to organize and combine all of your online profiles such as Facebook, MySpace, Linkedin, & multiply into just ONE “Whzzz Key” profile.

    41. Jay says:

      To all law enforcement, first responders, military, corrections and emergency service dispatchers. There is a new networking site for you. It is http://www.bythebadge.com.Come and check it out.

    42. Jay says:

      Also, does anyone know what the original networking site was that started all of this?

    43. Blastoff Network says:

      I’m interested in seeing what the next step in the evolution of social networks is going to be. For now most of them are just spam havens. Myspace being one of the worst. Facebook seems like its getting there. So far with linkedin I have had mixed results. Blastoff network will be an interesting mix of social network and web hub. Only time will tell.

    44. Muneera Al Sabah says:

      There are some things I read on this article that is really intersting knowing that a social network like Facebook first was used only by students in highschool, and now its everywhere in the world. Although, I’m suprised how social networking came on the internet by storm, in the past people used to use websites like http://www.piczo.com to create their own websites and have friends and families do their own too and connect through those website but now everyone has their own profile and new ways to connect throughtout the world.

    45. Kawthar Al Bahbahani says:

      This article in is fact too American. The writer seems to forget thst many of these websites are not known in other countries.

    46. Kawthar Al Bahbahani says:

      I do believe that this articleis too american. the writer seems to forget that many of these social networks are not known in other countries.

    47. zainab al-hilal says:

      Networking is way for people to communicate with each other it is an easy way that can be any time. Also, there is alot of information that i do not know about it, so my knowledge about this topic is increase.

      thank you

    48. Cheryl H says:

      Great article. I tend to avoid the mainstream social networking sites in favor of the smaller niche networks. These platforms built with the custom social networking software seem to be more relevant and interesting overall.
      Cheryl
      PLANETwebfoot

    49. My thoughts exactly. Niche social networking websites allow the user to engage in target specific content, while the mainstream social networking sites are more suitable to see what family and friends are doing.

      Social Networking Software

    50. William says:

      A good and growing social network for business professionals is Profession Junction.

    51. Lydia says:

      great article, here’s some more info:

      /www.life123.com/technology/internet/online-social-networking/social-networking-with-immediate-family-empty-nest.shtml

    52. Jesse Reed says:

      Another thing that is great about some of these networks is that you can chat in real time with anyone in the world, whether it is a family member, a friend, or someone that is halfway around the world. Amazing!

      http://www.handbagfashions.org

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    56. Val says:

      Regards to what Bob siad: Social Networking sites do help vastly to quickly spread the word, generating traffic/sales/custom, etc: However, I feel that the use of such sites ‘degrades’ the product in question as the average ‘small’ company ends up (and are expected to) lower their prices in order to ‘keep up’ with the bigger established companies on the internet!
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    57. Niche online community websites are growing at an amazing rate. This is a great article for anyone new to social networking to get started.

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