Explaining Social Networking Sites

Social networking is a term that gets bandied around a lot but what exactly does it mean

? What is a social network and what do people get out of it? Even though you may feel that you are too old for computers and the internet there are social networks for people of all ages. Once you find out what they are, you may feel less intimidated and more inclined to join one.

Simply put a social network is a form of online community where everyone has some sort of common interest. The website allows interaction between the members and thus you can meet people and make new friends. The basis of the interest can be anything be it stamp collecting, bingo, cooking or swimming. Any pursuit of human activity is the basis of a legitimate social network and most likely it already exists.

The explosion in social networks came with the advent of Web 2.0. Once people took a closer look at the internet they tried to see ways in which it could be improved. Out of this came the explosion of social network sites. Thus it should be no surprise that these sites make up some of the biggest and most popular destinations on the internet.

The biggest one is Facebook. This is growing at such a massive rate that no one has any clue where it will stop. It allows a person to create their own page and through that connect with other people. They can post photos, tell everyone about how they are feeling, invite people to a party or play a game of bingo with them. There are so many things that a person can do on Facebook it is almost impossible to list them all. It has reached the point where it is a bit strange if a person isn't on Facebook.

Facebook has stolen a lot of the thunder from MySpace. For a while the two were neck and neck but Facebook has surged on, this despite NewsCorp investing in MySpace. MySpace is more about music and this turned away many people who weren't really into music. Another thing that people didn't like was the interface although that has since been improved. It is trying to get back to equal footing with Facebook but many doubt that this will ever happen.

Dating sites are a very popular type of social networking genre. This is as they are a great way to meet people. Sites such as eHarmony, RSVP and Match are some of the biggest. Like anything in life there are nice people here and not so nice so you need to be cautious when entering sites of this nature. You should be careful whom you open up and confide with. They are successful though with thousands of people finding their spouse via a site of this nature.

When it comes to social networking sites, privacy is a huge issue. You don't want to give you personal details to anyone unless they are 100% trustworthy. There have been incidents in the past so you should be wary of this. For the most part, you will have a great time; there are always a few bad apples that will keep you on your toes.

by: Julia Winston

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