These days, it's almost the norm to punctuate conversations with
an old friend or a new acquaintance with the question –
“hey, are you on Facebook?”
Among other social networking tools, Facebook has become a
social phenomenon that has taken the world by storm in the last few
years. As the name suggests, social networking websites are
designed to help you connect and “socalise” online with
other Internet users.
Most of these sites are free and all you need to do is to
register for an account with your social network of choice.
Facebook is one of the most popular options but there are
others such as MySpace and Friendster.
There are also social networking sites to help forge collaborations
among business professionals and even help them explore new job
opportunities. These include LinkedIn (http://www.linkedin.com), Ecademy (http://www.ecademy.com) and PartnerUp (http://www.partnerup.com).
Regardless of the service you end up choosing, social networking
sites work on the common premise of grouping users into
communities.
For example, your community could consist of your friends and
relatives. You can share photos, videos and the latest developments
in your life with this circle through a social networking site.
There are also communities of people who belong the same
company, share the same hobby and those who support similar social
causes.
Social networks are extremely useful for reconnecting with old
class mate and friends you’ve lost touch with.
Some companies even use social networking sites to gather
customer feedback and disseminate information on product updates
and upcoming promotions.
You will be able to view pictures and videos posted by members
of your social network. You can also send them messages and even
challenge them to a casual online game.
However, you should not reveal sensitive information such as
your passwords and account names on your social networking page as
they could easily fall into the wrong hands. You should also avoid
accepting requests from strangers.
Getting started:
- Register for a social networking service of your choice
- Sign in to the site and customise your profile page
- Search for friends and contacts who are using the same
service
- Add them to your friends list
These days, it's almost the norm to punctuate conversations with an old friend or a new acquaintance with the question – “hey, are you on Facebook?”
Among other social networking tools, Facebook has become a social phenomenon that has taken the world by storm in the last few years. As the name suggests, social networking websites are designed to help you connect and “socalise” online with other Internet users.
