Number 319 - December 2009

Social Networking--What is it, really?
by Phil Sorrentino, Sarasota Personal Computer Users Group, Inc.
Social Networking is all over the news. mySpacebook, LinkedIn and Twitter are the ones that get the most play. So, what are they, really? Well, they're Websites that provide another way of keeping in touch with friends, family and associates. What are some older social networking methods. Maybe, the Telegram, the Telephone, Visiting on Sunday, Writing Letters. These are all ways of keeping in touch with your family and/or circle of friends. Yesterday we had these less technical ways of keeping in touch. Today we have the computer to help us keep in touch, via email, instant messaging, Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) telephone, and social networking. Social networking has encouraged new ways to communicate and share information. Social networking Websites are being used regularly by millions of people, and it now seems that social networking will become a regular part of everyday computer life.    Social Networking is probably the newest technology and revolves around an internet Website that provides social networking services. How about this for a definition of a Social Network: A site that allows individuals to construct a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system; to create a list of other users with whom they share a connection; and to view their list of connections and those made by others within the system. With that in mind, a social network focuses on building online communities of people who share interests and/or activities. Most social network services are web based and provide a variety of ways for users to interact, such as e-mail and instant messaging.    On many of the large Social Networking Sites, participants are not necessarily networking or looking to meet new people; instead, they are primarily communicating with people who are already a part of their extended social network, such as on Facebook and Twitter.    While it could be said that email and regular websites have most of the essential elements of social networks, the social networking sites make it easy to use. Here's a look at some of the more popular sites.    LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com) - LinkedIn is mostly for business people and professionals. People use it to maintain contacts and to develop new business opportunities. To use LinkedIn, you create a profile where you describe yourself, listing work and education history, skills, specialties, etc. Just like a resume. Once you have your profile, you start connecting to others. That's the driving force behind LinkedIn. You use your connections to promote yourself and build relationships.    Twitter (www.twitter.com) - Twitter is a micro blogging service. When it started out, people used it to tell others what they were doing at various times during the day. Now it has evolved into a way to tell people about your activities and then provide a link to further details. SPCUG as a group could have its own Twitter account. Once we had it, interested members could follow	it and receive our group information known as tweets delivered to them. A Twitter tweet has a limit of 140 characters. This may possibly be a substitute for our use of Constant Contact to contact the membership for changes in educational class schedules.    Facebook (www.facebook.com) - Facebook is sort of a cross between LinkedIn and Twitter. Facebook used to be mainly for students, but has become more mainstream. Like LinkedIn, you build a profile of yourself, where you talk about what your interests and hobbies are. Like Twitter, you can do micro blogging about things you want people to know. In Facebook, you have friends as opposed to connections or followers.    Users of Social Networks in general can upload a picture of themselves, create their profile' and can often be friends with other users. In most social networks, both users must confirm that they are friends before they are linked. For example, if Alice lists Bob as a friend, then Bob would have to approve Alice's friend request before they are listed as friends. Some social networking sites have a favorites feature that does not need approval from the other user. Social networks usually have privacy controls that allow the user to choose who can view their profile or contact them, etc.    Privacy on Social Networks is a big concern. On large social networks, there have been growing concerns about users giving out too much personal information and the threat of sexual predators. Users of these networks need to be aware of data theft and viruses. However, large networks often work with law enforcement to try to prevent such incidents.    Access to one's information is also of great concern. Many social networks such as Facebook, provide the user the choice of who can view their profile. This prevents unauthorized user(s) from accessing their information. To edit information on a social network account, the site usually requires you to login or provide an access code. This prevents unauthorized user(s) from editing an account such as posting pictures or changing personal information.    Social Networking is a promising new technology for staying in touch. Give it a try, there must be some group of people you would like to keep in touch with. Maybe we'll meet in the future on Facebook or Twitter or some now unknown social network. And for those of you who would like to keep in touch with other SPCUG members, right now, there is the Yahoo Group. If you still haven't joined the Yahoo Group, go to our website and click on the Yahoo Group, Join Now! button. I'm sure you'll enjoy the interaction and information available there.    Copyright 2009. This article is from the July 2009 issue of the Sarasota PC Monitor, the official monthly publication of the Sarasota Personal Computer Users Group, Inc., P.O. Box 15889, Sarasota, FL 34277-1889.
Number 319 - December 2009