STEP 1: Introduction
Social networking is extremely popular and the sites can be broad or narrow in focus. Social networking sites are predicted to be the portal of the 21st Century. PC Magazine gives a brief history of web social networking:"Introduced in 2002, Friendster was the first social site, followed by MySpace a year later. Started by two friends, MySpace became extremely popular, and its parent company, Intermix, was acquired by News Corporation for $580 million two years after MySpace was launched. Facebook came out in 2004 initially targeting college students, but later welcoming everyone. Following Facebook were TagWorld and Tagged. TagWorld introduced tools for creating more personalized Web pages, and Tagged introduced the concept of building tag teams for teens with like interests. Social networking sites compete for attention much like the first Web portals when the Internet exploded onto the scene in the mid-1990s."
Discovery Exercise:
1. View the Common Craft Show video -- Social Networking in Plain English.
2. Browse through these different social networking sites:
MySpace - the Library's Multicultural MySpace
Facebook - Henry Madden Library's Facebook
Optional: A very interesting interview with Facebook's CEO -- 60 Minutes - Facebook
LinkedIn - Monica Fusich's LinkedIn Profile
Optional: View the Common Craft Show video -- What is LinkedIn?
Did you know? Sites like MySpace, Facebook and LinkedIn account for seven of the top 20 most visited Web sites in the world. For many users, especially the fully wired Net Generation, online social networks are not only a way to keep in touch, but a way of life.
3. Check out a couple of these sites:
Imeem - for music lovers.
ComicSpace - for comic artists, writers, fans, etc.
Ficlets - for storytelling, writing.
Fresno Arts - for Fresno-area artists
43 Things - for those who are goal-setting oriented.
Oort-Cloud - for sci-fi authors, readers.
Care2 - for those wishing to live a green life.
Eons - for the over-50 crowd.
Retroland -for people who love "retro" culture.
MiGente - for Hispanic Americans.
BlackPlanet - for African Americans.
Orkut - for Europeans, Brazilians and Indians.
4. Optional Read: How to Get Started With Social Networking: Picking the Right Social Network for You
5. Join Facebook (free! and very easy to sign up) and post a brief profile of yourself.
Find a friend from your department or the CSU Fresno community and make them your friend. Be sure to become a fan of the Henry Madden Library and the Arne Nixon Center!
Begin exploring and adding Facebook applications. A good way to do this is to see what other people at Fresno State have done and what groups they belong to. (hint: use the search box to look for people and groups)
6. Post a comment in the comments area below about which social networking sites you liked the best. Did you try one of the more specific ones? If so, which one and why would you recommend it?
10 comments:
I have used Facebook, Orkut and LinkedIn in the past and continue to use them - LinkedIn for professional networking and Facebook and Orkut for social networking. Orkut and Facebook tend to be very informal with asynchronous exchange of messages and pictures. LinkedIn seems more professional with an elaborate system of referrals and exchange of emails.
I was an early adopter of Facebook on campus way back in its first year. I have tried MySpace but have stopped out. I am involved in other social networks. I decided as a result of this program to try Linked In.
As a professional exchange of "social networking" I like LinkedIn alot. Found and was found by a few classmates via LinkedIn. The more time I spend there, the more I like it and can see a lot of possibilities to using it.
I would try LinkedIn but not the others. I try to get my students off of them and would only encourage their use in a professional setting. What happened to reading books?
I have had a blog for over a year, and just recently started using Facebook regularly. I have seen a few MySpace pages, but can't get used to the format -- too busy, and I feel frustrated that I don't know where and what everything is. Facebook has been pretty easy to figure out, though I find I discover new things fairly constantly. That makes it fun.
Anirban:
I am using Facebook, My Space, Orkut & IMVU - all for social networking. I like the environment of all of them, particularly Facebook :)
I have been using orkut for over 4yrs now, facebook almost 2yrs, LinkedIn for an year. Orkut nd FB for social networkin and LI for more professional networking. The transition from orkut to FB was very smooth. Found FB more interesting and interactive so eventually the use for orkut started to lessen, orkut being more informal. LinkedIn is more of professional information exchanges, haven't been so much into it.
I have been using orkut as well as facebook from past 4 yrs and 2 yrs resp. I started using social networking sites by the orkut and then I started using facebook oftenly. According to me , Facebook is more interesting with lots of applications ,fun . Not only that , its also user friendly.The more time I spent with that , More I liked it . I have not used Linkedln much but its an excellent environment for professional contacts. Allthese sited serves the main purpose of social networking with varieties and different aspects.
I created a MySpace for myself just before the craze began to take off a few years back. I now use Facebook as my primary social networking site. Most of my correspondence on my site is personal, though now, since the audience has expanded beyond college students, I maintain contact with teachers and other individuals who offer professional connections as well.
I started out with myspace my junior year of high school and was obsessed with it... my first year in Fresno and the residence halls were raving about facebook, hows it a more classy version of social networking, and I got really into that system up until the social networking culture labeled stalkerbook. which then it became more boring too.
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