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Online Communities

You can't talk about social networking without mentioning online community sites like Facebook, MySpace, and LinkedIn. While these three sites are by no means the end-all and be-all to social networking, they are three of the biggest players in the game.

What They Are

Online Communities are just that – virtual communities of people with similar interests, backgrounds, experiences, or friends.

Why Use Them

• Advertise Your Skills or Business – online communities are a great way to get your name out there. It's like going to a networking lunch, but you’re not limited by time, money, or distance. Another advantage is that you can "screen" people before deciding if they’re someone you want to talk to, and you can do it all while in your pajamas. There are millions of people at your fingertips, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• Find Old Friends – all of the big social networking sites have powerful search functions. You can type in the name of your high school and the year you graduated and see a list (with pictures!) of people from your graduating class.
• Keep in Touch – these sites are equipped with built-in e-mail, commenting, and Instant Message (IM) tools. You can have a private e-mail exchange, leave a quick note, or have a real-time conversation with a friend without picking up the phone or leaving your living room.
• Discover New Interests – sites like MySpace, LinkedIn, and Facebook can “read” your profile and suggest people you might know, groups you might be interested in, or music you might like. They even tailor ads to your location, industry, age, or interests.
• Stay Current – many news outlets, product lines, businesses, and non-profit organizations have created groups within online communities. Joining a group gives you access to exclusive updates, information, and events related to that group. They're sent to your home page, so you don’t have to go looking for them.
• Socialize – social networking sites allow you to see what your friends are doing. You can get updates on their statuses, their moods, their interests – even the events they're attending and the pictures they've posted! Sites like MySpace and Facebook even remind you when a friend's birthday is coming up.

How They Work

• Decide which one is right for you. Most social networking sites have a "specialty." For instance:
• LinkedIn is for business networking. People list their business resumes and write recommendations for current or former colleagues.
• MySpace attracts burgeoning artists. Most bands – established and up-and-coming – have a MySpace page. There, people can watch videos, view footage from shows, listen to songs, and keep up to date on tour dates.
• Facebook's focus is on all things social. It is primarily for staying in touch with friends and family.
• Sign Up – social networking sites are normally free and require only an e-mail address, user name (which you create yourself), and a password to join.
• Once you've joined, the site will send you a confirmation e-mail to make sure that you have entered a valid e-mail address and that you are who you say you are.
• You'll then be asked to log in with your user name/e-mail address and your password.
• Create Your Profile – Different sites ask for different information. Whatever site you choose, your profile is where you decide what you want people to know about you – where you work, what you do, your hobbies, your favorite books, your favorite movies, your age, your education.
• You should always have the choice to provide as little or as much information as you want.
• You can import a picture of yourself (or of anything, for that matter). People will see this picture when you use the site to write them an e-mail, request them as a friend, or if they search for your name. It will also appear on your profile page.
• On some sites, like MySpace, you can also add a song to your profile page. This song will then play when someone visits your page.
• Some sites also allow you to customize the overall look of your profile page. MySpace, for instance, lets you pick a theme for your page, which changes the background image, colors, fonts, and sometimes even the layout.
• Edit Your Settings – social networking sites know how important privacy is, so they all give you the option to customize your settings.  However, most default your privacy settings to allow anyone to view your information. You should check your settings as soon as you set up your account.

• Make Friends – most of these sites allow you to search for friends, family members, or colleagues by their names, e-mail addresses, companies, or the school(s) they attended.
• Many of these sites will "suggest" people you might know, based on the school you attended, where you work, groups you've joined, or mutual friends.
• Once you find someone you'd like to add as your friend, you have to request him. He then has the option to accept or reject your request.
• While sites differ on the exact term they use, most have a link or button that says something like "add as friend," "request friend," or "invite."
• Enjoy – feel free to explore and play with the site. Online communities have a wealth of information and entertaining extras like quizzes, games, photo albums, and blogs.

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