Are Social Networking Websites For You?
Are you interested in meeting new people & increasing your
professional contacts online? If so, there is a good chance that you
have heard of social networking websites before. These include, but are
not limited to..Facebook, MySpace, Twitter & many,many
more.
Social networking websites are, in a way, like a community. They allow
internet users to connect with and communicate with each
other. Despite the fact that social networking websites have
rapidly grown in popularity plus their popularity is only expected
to keep on rising, there are many internet users who are
unsure as to whether or not social networking websites are for them.
Does this sound like you?
If you are interested in determining whether or not you should join an
online networking website, you are encouraged to think
about why those websites are so popular. Doing so will enable
you to determine why other internet users make the decision to
join an online social network. After that close examination,
you may even find that those are the same reasons why you should
or want to join. One of those reasons is the ability to
easily meet other internet users.
Before social networking websites, it was not so easy to meet other
internet users. If you tried, you would have to rely on chat
rooms or instant messaging services. As nice as these popular internet
features are, they are not always considered safe. With
chat rooms or instant messaging programs you were often given little
reassurance that a person was who they claimed to be.
Without profiles, there was no way that you could learn more about a
particular internet user, even if you wanted to. Social
networking websites have changed that.
Not only have social networking websites made it safer to meet people
online, it also allows you to meet people that have the
same or similar interests as yourself. Most social networking
websites allow you to create your own profile; in fact, many even
give you your own webpage. These profiles or pages will allow
you to share information on yourself, including your likes and
dislikes. Since all other network members should have the
same pages and profiles, it should be fairly easy for you to meet up
with other internet users, especially those who enjoy or believe in the
same things that you do.
Another one of the many reasons why you should join a social networking
website is because you literally have a wide variety of
different choices. As social networking websites increased in
popularity, so did the number of websites that could be found
online. Although Facebook & Twitter are often deemed the most
popular online social networking websites, there are many others
that are just as easy or as much fun to use. You should easily be able
to find those websites by performing a standard internet
search.
In your search, for social networking websites, you will come across a
number of different networks. Many of those sites will
have a particular focus. Unlike MySpace, which accepts just
about any internet user, there are online networks that aim to
accept internet users that have a particular hobby, view, or
belief. Online, it is not uncommon to find social networking
websites that focus on politics, religion, pets, sports, and
more. If you are unsure about joining an online networking
community, specialty networking sites may be your best bet. They are a
great way to test the waters and they are nice because
they automatically pair you with internet users who have the same
interests, views, or beliefs as you do.
Perhaps, the greatest reasons why should join a social networking
website is because most are free to use. Popular free networks
include Yahoo! 360, Orkut, Facebook, Twitter & MySpace. In
addition to free social networks, there are online networks in which
you are required to pay to join. Although you may not want to pay for
something that you can obtain for free elsewhere, you will
find that most paid networks offer you more membership benefits, when
compared to free social networking sites – or at least
they should.
Due to the fact that most social networking websites are free to use or
at least free to try, you are encouraged to give them a
shot. If you are unsatisfied with what you see, you can easily cancel
your membership, often at anytime.
One thing that you need to remember, regardless of what social
networking site you are on,
“what happens in Vegas – stays in Vegas” does NOT apply to
the Internet. What you post online, whether you think you
are doing so in a ‘Private’ area or not, can
always come back to bite you in the backside in the future. So
kids…be careful of what ‘pictures’ of yourself you post online
today, because in the future when you are interviewing for that dream
job, those images may come back to haunt you.
Have fun and be safe.
Steve Dougherty
