Contacts
Focus on
Social Networking Sites
There are a growing number of social networks with Facebook pulling away from Myspace and Twitter on the march. Some people are “pre-networks” and do not join out of privacy reasons, and many that join only walled gardens such as Facebook to connect privately with friends, and then there are those who have embraced open networks and joined Twitter. Do you stick with your friends on Myspace or branch out and join others and meet new friends? Or even set up your own network on Ning?
Using social networks for connecting and socialising online through chat and messaging is a new cultural phenomenon albeit that divides us into the users and refusers. But it is now more than that. Your online presence is now your personal brand and social networks are the medium by which we promote it.
Social networking sites are becoming increasingly important to promote personal brands including blogs. It is not just about being there but also about participating and sharing i.e. having something to share with others, promoting others to promote you, and thereby building a valued presence. This may influence your choice of network. What personal information you build into your profile and share with others will depend on the network. The following are the major networks but there are lots more on the website that are niche sites that you may have something to share on.
A Twitter desktop client (Tweetdeck and Seesmic) makes Twitter more manageable through categorising who you follow. Many services like Twine allow you to forward your posts to Twitter. As an open network there are no limits to how followers you can gather.
As a private network it has limited opportunities beyond your friends, mainly in setting up groups and announcing events.
LinkedIn is a professional social network to promote your work experience and current projects. In this sense it is the best site to locate your resume. You connect with other professionals and join a network of professional peers to find work.
Delicious
You need this to manage your bookmarks which you can tag and describe. Build a specialist list and share with others.