In general, social networking services allow visitors to create an account (usually free) that includes a user-generated profile of themselves. Other users can search for the profile by keyword or URL. Social networking begins as users start “friending” other users. Most social networking services require both users to confirm that they wish to be friends before they are linked. In addition, social networking services usually have privacy controls that allow users to choose who can view their profiles or contact them.
Want to see social networking in action? Take a look at this 2-minute video:
Discovery Resources
The following blogs and articles relay the prevalence of social networking sites and how they are affecting our world today. Take a look at a few and detail your reactions in your Quest 8 blog.
- How Social Networks Work
- The Web of Social Networking
- Your Guide to Social Networking Online
- Social Networking Fuels New Web Boom
- List of Social Networking Websites
- Social Networking Websites Review
- How to Talk to Young People about Socializing Safely Online
- Social Networking Sites: Safety Tips for Tweens and Teens
- Building a Social Networking Environment at the Library
- Libraries Use MySpace to Attract Teens
Discovery Exercise
MySpace and Facebook were the most widely used social networking sites in 2007, but there are a few others out there that we’d like you to see, as well. Don’t worry about “finding” anything in particular, just take a look at the possibilities. Explore the following social networking sites’ Home Pages and view a few profiles. Watch a video, read a blog post, or listen to a song. Take a look at the “friends” section to see how users are connected. You won’t be able to become someone’s “friend” unless you have your own account with that social networking service, however.
Many of the sites display selected profiles on their Home Pages. Just click on a photograph to view the associated profile. Then click on a “friend’s” photograph to view his or her profile, and so on. We encourage you to search for profiles by keyword, too. Try your own searches, but use the following words if you need a little inspiration: football, charleston, knitting, cats, hiking, pizza, library, comedien . . . A page of results will appear. Just click on the blue links to view a profile.
Remember – you could encounter postings that may be offensive to you. Search and evaluate carefully! Blog about your discoveries when you’re finished exploring. Which sites did you find easiest to use, which sites would you consider creating an account with, how do you think social networking services could be useful to libraries, etc.
Bebo is the largest social networking site in the UK, Ireland, and New Zealand, and the third largest behind MySpace and Facebook in the United States. Officially launched in July 2005, Bebo has more than 34 million registered members viewing 7 billion monthly page views.
The Home, Music, Video, and Authors tabs display selected profiles. Just click on a photo to begin. You can also click on the Home tab and enter a keyword in the box above to begin your search.
With more than 48 million members worldwide, Friendster is a leading global online social network. Friendster prides itself in delivering a clean, user-friendly and interactive environment where users can easily connect with anyone around the world.
Click on one of the photographs on the Home Page to view a profile. You can also click on the Friendster link above the Search box and enter a keyword to view additional profiles. You can only search by Name or Email without logging in.
LinkedIn is a more specific social networking tool. It is an online network of more than 14 million experienced professionals from around the world, representing 150 industries.
You won’t be able to search LinkedIn as easily as the other sites. To get an idea of how the service works, scroll to the bottom of the Home Page and click on the LinkedIn Company Pages link. Click on any company’s name to view its profile. Then click on any employee’s name to view his or her detailed information. You can’t view a complete profile without signing in.
Founded in February 2004, Facebook is a part of millions of people’s lives and half of the users return daily. Facebook claims that they enable anyone, anywhere, to build complete applications that are useful and relevant to users’ particular needs.
Unfortunately, you can’t do much in Facebook without creating an account. You can search by keyword (library, for instance) to view a list of profiles, but you won’t be able to actually view them. For more on Facebook, click on the Tour link in the top right corner of the page.
According to recent polls, MySpace is the world's sixth most popular English-language website and the third most popular website in the United States, though it has topped the chart on various weeks. The service has gradually gained more popularity than similar websites to achieve nearly 80% of visits to online social networking websites. It has become an increasingly influential part of contemporary popular culture, especially in English speaking countries.
Selected profiles are shown under Cool New People on the Home Page. You can also click on the People link above the search box and enter a keyword to view a list of related profiles (try searching for Tech Trek 2.0). The Browse link at the top of the page allows you to enter specific criteria for searching and you can take a look at the Video, Music, and Comedy pages by clicking on the links at the top of the page.
Online safety is a concern for all social networking users. Click on the Safety Tips link at the bottom of the page to view suggestions and resources for staying protected on the web.
OPTIONAL: If you like what you’ve seen, you’re probably ready to create an account! Return to MySpace’s Home Page and click on the Learn More link in the Get Started on MySpace box. Click on Next to move through the tour. When you’re done, click on the Sign Up link and enter the required information.
Once you have an account, you’ll sign in on MySpace’s home page. Spend some time with the Edit Profile and Account Settings links. Return to the Tech Trek 2.0 page and click on the Friend link on the left side. This will initiate contact between the two profiles. You will receive a message once you have been “friended!”
Congratulations for going the extra mile! Don’t forget to blog about your experience when you’re done.
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