Internet Social Networks

Social networking, among other things, refers to a category of Internet applications to help connect friends, business partners, or other individuals together using a variety of tools. Social networking sites go beyond posting information and allowing others to post comments. They facilitate the connection to other users with similar interests. Until now, these networks were primarily designed for use among adults for both professional and personal fulfillment. For business and industry, social networks connects buyers and sellers, employers and prospects, and otherwise facilitates the sharing of business opportunities. These networks can grow very quickly and be quite effective at making important business contacts. For example, on the Spoke Website (http://www.spoke.com), a user completes a simple personal profile (e.g name, title, company, contact information) and then clicks a button marked “build network.” A program is then downloaded from the Spoke website that mines the user’s Microsoft Outlook e-mail and contact database for information about who he/she knows and how frequently he/she maintains contact with them. In a few minutes, the user’s new, online “Spoke book’” is populated not only with the hundreds or thousands of contacts he/she had manually entered into his/her Outlook contacts list, but also with everyone she/he had ever exchanged e-mail with from that e-mail account. Spoke also rates the strength of these relationships based on how often and how recently the user e-mailed with each person, as well as whether he/she was the only recipient of a message or was simply part of a larger distribution list.

During the same time that social networks were being developed among business and industry, a more personal – much more personal – social network was also gaining popularity. Online dating services or relationship sites were, at first, a bit awkward and frankly hard to believe. I remember the sentiment in the mid 1990’s, “How could it be that a person could actually find their future spouse, his or her life partner – the person with whom they will be so very highly intimate with – by first ‘meeting’ via text communication and photographs? How can this be done without first making contact in person, or even on the phone? What if the person is a predator, sexual deviant, rapist, criminal – who knows who these people really are?” Some concerns still exist in the online dating world of today. However, they have become mainstream as compared to only ten or eleven short years ago when this service was seen as useful only for “geeks,” “loners,” or, for some other reason, the “undatable.” Today, personal matching networks such as eHarmony.com, Match.com, lavalife.com, chemistry.com, matchmaker.com, Yahoo! Personals, and date.com have millions of members who seek to make romantic connections, some of which result in marriage and others of which find their way in the better forgotten annals of dating history.

It was only a matter of time before youngsters, especially teenagers, discover the power of the Internet to foster peer relations – the staple of adolescence. It goes something like this: Johnny can connect with Sally, a “friend,” and explore her list of friends. Johnny notices Jennifer who catches his fancy and invites her to become one of his “friends.” Sally then explores John’s list, invites Adam to be a friend, and this is how the network grows exponentially. MySpace.com, the largest social networking site currently available, describes social networking in his way:

“Once you have your profile up and running, start inviting your friends to join in on the fun. By building your personal network, you can start expanding your circle of friends exponentially. Encourage your friends to invite their friends ... Learn their interests, read their online journals, and view their pictures. Browse through everyone’s “Friends List” and see whom you are connected to. You’ll be amazed at all the interesting people you are associated with through networks of mutual friends!”

In fact, social networking sites continue to get increasingly sophisticated including video, audio, instant chat, voice messages, classifieds, e-mailing, file swapping, links, voting, and much more. Other popular social networks include: ¹

• Facebook. Facebook is made up of many networks, each based around a company, region, or school. Join the networks that reflect your real-life communities to learn more about the people who work, live, or study around you. http://www.facebook.com/
• Faceparty. This site also has an adult section which can only be accessed with adult verification. http://www.faceparty.com/
• Friendster. This one also adds the ability to share unlimited personal files - especially video and photos - with your friends. http://www.friendster.com/
•  hi5. While on hi5, members discover friends, artists, and content. hi5 provides a platform for established artists, underground talent, and everyday people to all gain prominence amongst a worldwide audience. Members voice their opinions and increase the significance of an artist, a person, or a piece of content. http://www.hi5.com/
•  Piczo. This site uses free form tools which makes it super easy to have a website up and running within minutes. It also seems to cater exclusively to children, especially of late elementary or middle school ages. http://www.piczo.com/
•  Tickle. According to the company, the Tickle Social Network is the first social networking product to deliver deep user profiles that go beyond basic demographic data to include group affiliations, career history, and personality traits. http://connect.tickle.com/
•  Xanga. Xanga is a community of online diaries and journals. You can easily start your own free journal, share thoughts with your friends and meet new friends, too! http://www.xanga.com/