Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, You Tube and Google+, yes, they’re all social networking sites but, why do some people think they are all the exact same thing? I think they’re NOT the same! They could all work for you in kind of the same way, but they’re still very different. It almost seems like each site has its own personality because once you sign up, it’s really YOUR personality coming through! You sign up and you make it your OWN!
Before the above mentioned sites, there were chat rooms and instant messaging, more about those in a bit.
This is how I use Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, You Tube and Google+…
Facebook – It sometimes feels like there's a party going on or it can be a chit chat kind of feel (depending on your “Friends”). People post that they’re at Burger King right now (sometimes along with a photo) or that they can’t decide if they want pizza or a beef sandwich for lunch and they ask what do you think, what should I have? A lot of goofy stuff gets posted as well as photos galore.
On Facebook, I have a ton of “Likes” so; my news feed is filled with all kinds of information relating to Graphic Design, Web Design, DJ’s (music), etc. In between, I have the “… going to the zoo tomorrow”, or “I had to wait 45 minutes just got my oil changed”, or well, you know, the silly stuff! LOL
One thing I like is that you can create lists. So I’ve created a few lists from my “Likes” where each list is related to one topic such as Adobe Software, Tutorial Sites, Recruiters/Staffing, etc. It's nice to be able to go to a certain list and see news feeds from my certain "Likes" lists.
Facebook does have a character limit. I can’t recall what that is.
Update: September 28, 2015 - Ok, at this time, Facebook no longer has a character limit of 500. Since bumping it up a few times in the past years, it's now over 63000 characters. Well, I guess you could say there still is a character limit but, it's quite larger than it was.
LinkedIn – My background consists of Graphic/Web Designer, Marketing Assistant/Coordinator & Administrative Assistant. I use LinkedIn to connect with others in my same field (but, it’s not like I’m not connected to other people that are not in my field because I am).
They have some great forums created by LinkedIn members in all kinds of fields and topics (you can create a forum too). You can ask questions and get some wonderful advice and/or you can answer questions and share your expertise and knowledge. Once you’ve joined about 55 forums, that’s it! You can’t join anymore. That’s a lot of forums. I can’t join anymore; I’ve maxed out my limit.
You can ask for and (hopefully) get a reference/references from people you already know from, for example, class mates or instructors, friends, co-workers and supervisors from past or present jobs. Of course, these people have to be in your LinkedIn network to write and post a reference on your profile. Well, you have to accept what was written first, then you can have it posted.
If you post that you’re seeking employment, you never know when one of your connections might see your post on their feed and contact you with some great job info and/or introduce you to someone who is looking for someone like you.
What better way to connect with hundreds and thousands of persons in your field. It’s like a great rolodex of like-minded professionals.
Twitter – It's all about who you're following and who is following you!
It seems to have started out as people posting what they were having for breakfast, that they are now watching such and such on TV, that they just got home and are tired, that tomorrow they have a dentist appointment. With only 140 characters though, you can only say so much! So, u mite have 2 rite in short code.
In the past few years, Twitter seems to have changed and has become more topic/news related. I mostly follow people/companies that are in my same field like graphic designers, web designers, or company’s like Adobe or restaurants and stores, etc. The people/companies I follow post news articles, software tutorials, restaurant info, etc. You know how it is.
Depending on who you’re following, your feed can contain anything from A to Z. Of course, there are still people out there posting their dinner menu; that they’re going on a bike ride; that they just got home from swimming, etc. So, like Facebook, there’s always someone posting silly stuff too.
You Tube – You can network through You Tube by having your own channel and by subscribing to other’s channels and/or becoming friends with other You Tubers. Everyone likes it when you leave comments and/or messages on their channels.
On my channels, I have posted multimedia projects that I have worked on at school in my multimedia class this last semester (of 2011). I would like to post more projects, but that will have to wait till I can buy my own camcorder so that I can record stuff. In the meantime, I'll be searching for channels to subscribe to.
Google+ – True! It is somewhat similar to Facebook but then again, I really don't think it is. One nice thing is that you don’t have character limits like you do on Facebook and on Twitter. On Google+ instead of News Feeds you have a Stream.
You create “circles” to put your friends, family and others in which helps keep them organized and categorized. You can make as many “circles” as you like for example, I have one for Graphic/Web Designers, one for Multimedia People, one for LinkedIn Connections, and others. Whatever fits your needs is what you create. Also, you can put people in more than one “circle” and, you don’t have to put people in a “circle” if they have you in one of theirs.
You can also start a “Hang out” or you can join one (no more than 10 people per “hang out”). The “Hang out” is just chatting or, it could be a meeting too. It’s business or pleasure or a combination of both.
CHAT ROOMS of the 90’s vs. TODAY’S SOCIAL NETWORKING
Years ago, back in the 90’s, chat rooms were the big thing. Just a few of the chat sites that were popular back then were Yahoo Chat, Excite Chat, Talk City, AOL, you could chat through MIRC, and others. Some of those may still be around.
I used to chat all the time through Talk City (the Chicago room). A friend and I used to hold chat room parties at dance clubs in different Chicagoland suburbs to meet and get to know those we were chatting with. It was fun and it was something to do. Chat rooms back then were more just being silly and shooting the breeze. I have pictures.
Through those chat rooms you could chat with people from all over the world and through some of them you could also have one on one web cam chats. There were also a lot of bots in some of the chat rooms. It was really annoying.
Back then, you were either on a PC or on Web TV (which they used to call the poor man’s computer). Only business people had PDA’s and they couldn’t do then what can be done today with a mobile phone. Technology sure has come a long way.
Good bye bots!! And these days, hello SPAM!! (Ok, spam has been around a long time, not just the canned SPAM, but e-mail spam).
INSTANT MESSAGING
Instant messaging is an earlier form of social networking but it has always been referred to as chat. Some of the popular IM clients were and still are Yahoo, AIM (AOL IM) and Windows Live Messenger. With texting though, I don’t think many people are on IM that much anymore. Whenever I login to Yahoo IM, (which is every once in a great while) there’s hardly no one on anymore.
IT’S ALL ABOUT YOU!!!
Each of the sites mentioned is so different and there’s so much more to say about them. In the end, these sites are all about YOU! It’s about one's experiences and expertise. It’s about sharing your knowledge, your stories and networking (which is big these days). You all have something to contribute. So what makes today’s social networking sites is YOU, all the people of the world, our family, our friends and our neighbors.
Who would have ever thought (many years ago before chat rooms) that you would be able to meet other people from more than half way around the world in an instant with just the click of a mouse!
Welcome to the world of SOCIAL NETWORKING. How you use these sites, is up to you. You can use them to your advantage or just for fun.
KEEPING UP!
For me, social networking is somewhat on the informational side such as subscribing to career related articles and news, job hunting, following someone to get creative tutorials and creative news articles and topics, keeping up with family and friends that don’t live right next door or live just five minutes away and of course networking.
I just wish I had the time to be able read each and every article that comes my way.
