What is Social Networking?

A social network service focuses on the building and verifying of online social networks for communities of people who share interests and activities, or who are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others, and which necessitates the use of software.

Most social network services are primarily web based and provide a collection of various ways for users to interact, such as chat, messaging, email, video, voice chat, file sharing, blogging, discussion groups, and so on.

Currently, almost no social networks charge money for membership.  Instead, companies like MySpace and Facebook sell online advertising on their site.

Users often try to "collect friends", or try to be linked to as many friends as possible.

Some users will create additional profiles that assume the identity of someone else, such as celebrities, politicians, or even their pets.

Potential Features:

• Free or low cast way to connect to others
• Users collect friends that they know in life, as well as people they've never met
• Blast messages allow users to let all their users know about an upcoming event or pressing issue
• Blogging, photo and file sharing, and messaging are often built in to the network
• Email and text message updates are available
• Users identify themselves with images, products, and music they feel are indicative of their themselves and their personalities
• Users can connect through outside groups structured around a central issue

Possible Library Applications:

• Easy way to connect to a large number of patronsLibraries with social networking pages can connect with one another
• Professional social networking tools like LinkedIn can bring professionals together for projects or studies
• Book and media based social networking can connect at home users with libraries in a new way
• Easier to build relationships with professionals you might otherwise be unable to meet

Popular Social Networks

Facebook

MySpace