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?