What are social networks?:
- These are online communities where people search, connect, socialise and meet. The easiest way to understand social networking is to think of it like a virtual common room - my friends, your friends, new friends.
- The general rule of 'Networks', is to sign up for a free account, complete your profile and begin to search for people you know. Once you've found and added 'Friends', you're now visible to their network and them to yours' - you've made a social connection.
- Used correctly, it's worth pointing out that these sites are highly addictive. Be clear about who you would like give access to your profile. The Privacy Settings within your profile should be read and understood. The site WiredSafety is a good resource in understanding the do's and dont's regarding your personal information.
- To summarise, social networking sites (or social sites) make your connections 'visible' and you now live online. You can begin your social networking journey below, for your information, we have attempted to list some categories for you to choose.
Business Social Networks:
LinkedIn is a social network for business professionals. Dedicated to helping professionals maintain a list of connections. They aid you in looking for a job, learn more about potential employers, what your contacts might be able to tell you, and complete your own job vacancies.
Friends Based Networks:
Facebook MySpace and Bebo These social networks place emphasis on staying connected to your friends and connecting with new people.
Entertainment Social Networks:
IMDB, Last.FM, Gamespot These focus on connecting people to others who enjoy similar interests in the arts, movies or music. They can be a great resource for finding more information about a movie, discovering new music, playing games or simply just relaxing online.
Photography Social Networks:
Flickr, Photobucket, Picasa Whether you want to display your pictures it's very easy and inexpensive to post images online.
