Social Networking Overview / Social Networking Review
Social Networking Websites Description / Review
A Social Networking Website focuses on building online communities of people who share interests and/or activities, or who are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others. Social Networking Websites allow users to stay in touch and share information with friends, family, and other community members via the Internet using profile pages. User profile pages include biographical information, pictures, videos, personal interests, blogs, etc. and can be open to the public for viewing or closed so only specified individuals can view them. Users can create friends lists which include only those users that they want to communicate and share profile information with.
Social Networking Websites are a great way to create new relationships / friendships with like-minded people who have similar interests. Because Social Networking is builted around the notion of community connections, recommendations from friends is an important part of this eco-system as our friends and family are the main influencers of what we do and consume. Social Networks are being used for getting information on jobs, what movies to buy, what music to listen, and anything else friends, family, and community members recommend to other users. Over the past few years, Social Networking has gone from generic websites which try to cater to all types of users, to more targeted services catering to specific groups / verticals. For example, their are Social Networking Websites exclusively for business professionals, Social Networking Websites for parents, Social Networking Websites for College Students, etc. These targeted websites provide more tools and features catered towards those audiences and provide more in-depth, revelant information for that specific group.
Category Tags / Keywords: social media, user-generated content, content sharing, Web 2.0, social network, social media, life stream
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What
to look for when choosing Social Networking Websites
Network Size / Number of Users
Social networks are for socializing with family and friends so the size of the network is critical to a great user experience. The more people there are in a network, the higher your chances of finding others with similar tastes, hobbies, etc.
Profile Page Customization
Profile page customization is the ability to change and update your profile page with information or other gadgets (radio players, calendars, etc.). The ability to quickly change your profile page without knowledge of HTML or other programming languages is critical in finding a social network. Look for sites that allow you to change your profile page with easy to use tools and templates.
Content Sharing Options
Sharing options entail the ability to share your personal information with the public or keep it limited to a few individuals, if you share anything at all. Social networking sites offer numerous levels of sharing so look for the sites with the most flexibility in this area.
Privacy Controls
Look for services that give you the ability to designate your personal information as private or publicly available. Also look for the ability to block certain users if they are spamming you or you just don't like them :).
Blogging Functionality
As blogging becomes the new millennium news room, it has also become increasingly important for social networks as users post their personal diaries. Look for easy to use, blog creation tools.
Alternative Ways to Communicate with Other Users
Alternative communication methods include instant messengers, email, site-messaging, video chat, etc. More and more social networks are offering new ways for users to communicate with one another. Look for sites with the most communication options as it will help you stay connected with those that you chose to connect with.
Channel / Content Depth
Content depth is the various content channels offered by social networks. These channels include music, books, movies, etc. and allow people interested in those areas to not only find other people interested in those items, but to also find content in those areas. Look for sites that offer a broad array of content channels.
Video Content
Video content is becoming increasingly popular and part of most social networks. Video content can include user generated content (home videos) as well as professionally produced content such as CNN news feeds. Look for sites that offer video content if you want to maximize your social networking experience.
Ability to Search for Other Users
Search functionality is critical as it allows you to narrow down your search and find those users that you want to socialize with or find webpages that you need. The more search options available when searching for users, the higher your chances are of finding the person or group you are looking for.
Editor Quick
Picks / Social Networking Recommendations
Quick Picks Name
Quick Picks Description
Quick Picks Winner
Largest User Network
If you are looking for the most users under one social networking roof, then there is no question that Facebook is the place. Facebook has finally trumped MySpace and all other social networking websites in terms of monthly traffic.
Facebook is the place for college students and is one of the most secure, reliable places to find new friends due to its email-based login system (requires all users to have a college email address).
Most business networking sites lost their luster when generic, non-focused social networks came on the scene. However, if you are strictly about business, LinkedIn has features and a network that will definitely meet your needs. No kids allowed in here!
TravBuddy.com is the best place for user-generated travel information. Users submit reviews of destinations, post pictures and blog of the travel experiences, and provide information that only those that have visited a specific destination can accurately share.
If you are over 40 and looking for a place to discuss life issues and connect with other like-minded +40 year olds, TBD is your spot. They seem to have the largest user base and the right tools for this demographic group.
If you are a feature nut and want lots of functionality, Facebook is the place. With the addition of the Facebook Applications, you can do just about anything with your Facebook account utilizing content and functionality from your favorite sites.
If you want to start your very own social network and don't have the time or money to build it, go to Ning. Ning allows you to set-up a social network and gives you a host of tools that help you control and moderate your network.
(short for the phrase "Web log") Blogs are web-based tools that allow users to post a topic (or entry) and allow other users to view this topic and post their respective comments/responses to the topic. Most social networking sites are based around blogging as they are the basis for communication among users. Easy to use blogging tools that clearly display topics and responses is critical is selecting a social networking site.
Page Tagging
Page tags are simply words that best identify a page or person who maintains a page. For example, if you are a skydiving fanatic, you should tag your page with phrases such as skydiving and skydiver so that when other users want to meet someone who skydives, your name and page shows up in the search results. Page tagging is important for allowing others to find your page or any kind of content (photos, videos, music, etc.) on the Internet.
Classifieds
Classifieds are collections of items that are for sell or that are wanted by users. Classifieds essentially connect consumers. Examples of classifieds include job postings, personals (i.e. people looking for dates), product listings (i.e. users trying to sell things such as electronics, houses, pets, etc.). Classifieds are a great way to find products that are relatively inexpensive because you typically communicate directly with the owner of the items.
Instant Messenger
Instant Messenger applications are programs that allow Internet users to communicate with each other in real-time using web-based chat or voice communication. Users typically download an instant messenger, create a profile (username and password), get their friends to download the same instant messenger, then chat with each other through web-chat or voice communication. Instant messengers have taken over traditional chatroom communication due to the fact that users can control the number of people they communicate with (i.e. direct one to one conversation) versus most chat rooms having multiple people (sometimes hundreds) chatting among one another.
Video Content
Video content is becoming increasingly popular and part of most social networks. Video content can include user generated content (home videos) as well as professionally produced content such as CNN news feeds.
Profile Page
This is the heart of any social networking site. A profile page is created by a user and has all of their personal information on it including biographical information, their blogs, pictures/photos, personal videos, personal likes/dislikes, and anything else about the users that he/she decides to post on this page. The profile page is the center for sharing and networking among users online. Profile pages can be public (i.e. anyone who comes to the page can see them) or they can be private and only seen by those designated by the creator of the profile page. The key to a good profile page is what types of information can posted on the page and how customizable the page is (i.e. colors, layouts, HTML/Non-HTML, etc.).
Multi-Lingual
As online networking become international, there is increasing demand for sites translate their offerings into multiple languages. This entails translating all site text and currencies into those of the new language. The most popular languages for site translations are English, Chinese, and Spanish. In some instances, there is not much translation but more content programming as many countries speak English but don't want to necessarily consume English (or Western content). In these instances, the sites remain in English but the content is localized and catered towards to target consumer (i.e. more Australian content for an Australian site or more British content for a UK site).
Photo Sharing
Photo sharing is extremely popular in today's Internet world. The ability for users to upload and share photos has become the driving force behind many recent Internet revolutions including social networking sites and photo sharing communities. Some sites offer a limited number of photo uploads and some offer unlimited photo uploads and sharing.
eCommerce / Retail
This entails the ability for users to purchase additional products or services. For example, users have the ability to buy related and unrelated items such as music, books, electronics all through this service using their existing account. If the user has to go to another site to purchase the item, then the referring site does not offer commerce but simply clicks users to another partner for purchase.
User Contests
Contests are becoming an increasingly popular way to keep users around and make sites more sticky. Contests involve offering users of a site the ability to win cash or prizes in some form of competitive arena including singing, drawing, video content, anything other type of contest whereby a winner can be determined.
Video Chat
Video chat is the ability to communicate with other users on the web via a chat or voice application but also see the person you are talking to at the same time through video screen.
Minimum Age to Join
Age required by the social networking site before you can register
Customize Skins
Customizable Skins allow users to change the look of their profile pages including colors, layouts, fonts, content boxes, etc. This is critical for users that don't like the default profile page looks.
ChatRooms
Chatrooms allow users to communicate in real-time through electronic messages in a "room" with multiple users. Chatrooms can range in size from 2 people to hundreds of people who are interacting with one another about specific topics.
Photos
Allows users to post photos of themselves or anything they want for others to see. You can sometimes limit which users can see your photos.
Max # of Photos
Some sites restrict the number of photos you can post on your profile.
Invite Friends to Join
Users can invite their friends to see their profile page content. This invite is usually in the form of an email sent to the friend which they can accept and subsequently join the site the invite came from.
Post Comments
Allows users to post messages (along with a picture in some cases) on another user's profile page for others to read.
Tags
Tags are words that allow users to categorize content and for other users to search for content.
Browse User Profiles
Allows users to browse a listing of profile pages of other users.
General Search
General search allows users to input search terms which if found anywhere on a user's profile, will show that user's profile.
Friends List
This is a list of users that you have allowed to join your friends network and gain access to all of your content (videos, photos, blog content, etc.).
Bulletins
Bulletins allow websites to post important messages for users to read and comment on
Ability Block Users
Allow users to block other users from sending them messages, commenting, or seeing content posted on a profile page.
Create User Groups
Allow users to create a group which is a # of users that share comment interest or discuss a particular topic. Groups can be invitation only or open to anyone who wants to join.
User Blogs
User blogs (web logs) allow users to post entries about any topic and have other users read and comment on these entries. Blogs are digital diaries that can be open to the public for anyone to read or comment on or seen by the owner of the blog or a select few users as defined by the blog owner.
Forums
Forums (commonly referred to as message boards) allow a company, or individual, to post an entry on a topic and have other users comment on those entries. Forums are very similar to blogs in structure and functionality.
Messaging / Mail
Messaging/Mail allows users to communicate with one another through private email messaging usually done through the web browser (not an email client).
Address Book
An address book is a digital black book that allows users to store the personal information of important people they want to keep in touch with. These address books can be integrated within social networks and allow users to very easily communicate with a group of users with a single click.
TV On Demand
TV On Demand is a service that allows users to watch their favorite TV programs from their computer on demand (searching and clicking on the show they like). Not all TV networks allow their content to be watched on-demand.
Videos
Allow users to watch video content submitted by users, professionals, or a website itself through the browser or some form of video player.
Music
Allow users to post and listen to (from a profile page) music from their favorite artists.
Music Videos
Provide users with music video content from bands/artists that can be watched through a web browser or other video player.
Games
Allow users to play games including card games, puzzle games, action games, trivia, etc.
Classifieds
Classifieds are collections of items that are for sell or that are wanted by users. Classifieds essentially connect consumers. Examples of classifieds include job postings, personals (i.e. people looking for dates), product listings (i.e. users trying t
Event Listings
Allow users and the website itself to post information on up and coming events including concerts, parties, conferences etc.
Book Category
Content category whereby users of similar interests communicate and discuss any and everything about the topic
Horoscopes Category
Content category whereby users of similar interests communicate and discuss any and everything about the topic
News Category
Content category whereby users of similar interests communicate and discuss any and everything about the topic
Sports Category
Content category whereby users of similar interests communicate and discuss any and everything about the topic
Weather Category
Content category whereby users of similar interests communicate and discuss any and everything about the topic
Multi-Lingual (Other Languages)
Content category whereby users of similar interests communicate and discuss any and everything about the topic
Adult / Sexual Content
Content category whereby users of similar interests communicate and discuss any and everything about the topic
Explicit Photos
Content category whereby users of similar interests communicate and discuss any and everything about the topic
Regional Group
Content category whereby users of similar interests communicate and discuss any and everything about the topic
Romance/Relationships Group
Content category whereby users of similar interests communicate and discuss any and everything about the topic
Games Group
Content category whereby users of similar interests communicate and discuss any and everything about the topic
Entertainment & Arts Group
Content category whereby users of similar interests communicate and discuss any and everything about the topic
Sports & Recreation Group
Content category whereby users of similar interests communicate and discuss any and everything about the topic
Automotive Groups
Content category whereby users of similar interests communicate and discuss any and everything about the topic
Hobbies & Crafts Group
Content category whereby users of similar interests communicate and discuss any and everything about the topic
Pets & Animals Group
Content category whereby users of similar interests communicate and discuss any and everything about the topic
Health & Wellness Group
Content category whereby users of similar interests communicate and discuss any and everything about the topic
Sexual Orientation Group
Content category whereby users of similar interests communicate and discuss any and everything about the topic
Jobs/Career Group
Content category whereby users of similar interests communicate and discuss any and everything about the topic
Cultures & Community Group
Content category whereby users of similar interests communicate and discuss any and everything about the topic
Family & Home Group
Content category whereby users of similar interests communicate and discuss any and everything about the topic
Fashion & Style Group
Content category whereby users of similar interests communicate and discuss any and everything about the topic
Food & Drink Group
Content category whereby users of similar interests communicate and discuss any and everything about the topic
Schools & Education Group
Content category whereby users of similar interests communicate and discuss any and everything about the topic
Religion & Beliefs Group
Content category whereby users of similar interests communicate and discuss any and everything about the topic
Computers & Internet Group
Content category whereby users of similar interests communicate and discuss any and everything about the topic
Government & Politics Group
Content category whereby users of similar interests communicate and discuss any and everything about the topic
Business & Finance Group
Content category whereby users of similar interests communicate and discuss any and everything about the topic
Science & History Group
Content category whereby users of similar interests communicate and discuss any and everything about the topic
Ability to Create a Group
Content category whereby users of similar interests communicate and discuss any and everything about the topic
Music Group
Content category whereby users of similar interests communicate and discuss any and everything about the topic
Travel Group
Content category whereby users of similar interests communicate and discuss any and everything about the topic
Diet & Fitness Group
Content category whereby users of similar interests communicate and discuss any and everything about the topic
Fan Clubs Group
Content category whereby users of similar interests communicate and discuss any and everything about the topic
Schools & Alumni Group
Content category whereby users of similar interests communicate and discuss any and everything about the topic
Film/Television Group
Content category whereby users of similar interests communicate and discuss any and everything about the topic
