Social Networking for Online Promotion
November 12, 2008
Jonathan Haryanto asked:
By : Jonathan Haryanto
Social networking is increasingly popular, and have become wildly popular with a varied demographic. The birth of the social networking phenomenon has seen a shift in the way that many people browse the web, and especially in the way that people interact socially. Bebo, Facebook, Flickr, Friendster, LinkedIn, MySpace and Twitter are among other plethora of social networking sites out there on the net. They seem to have become unavoidable, and spring up wherever you go.
Everything about social networking is based on the profile. People spend hours updating their profiles just to let the world know whatever they happen to be doing. It seems that everyone is trying to live as their own mini celebrity, and suddenly everyone want to know your intimate details on everything from your address and date of birth to your musical tastes. The desire to have the most friends, or the most hits, makes people scramble to get as many friends as they can, even if they’ve never met the person. They add a vast swathe of plugins while bloggers and YouTube video makers are all trying to score as many hits as possible.
Each month there are billions of page views of ‘Web 2.0′ websites as people return time and time again to Social Networking Sites (SNS) like Facebook and MySpace, Social Media sites like YouTube and Blogger and Social Information sites like Wikipedia and Delicious. Cagora has recently launched the first Global Community Network consisting of more than 20,000 local and special interest communities that appeal to all generations. Cagora goes beyond Social Networking, Social Media and Social Information to provide Community Networking, Community Media and Community Information where Individuals , Businesses and Community Groups are all part of the same network.
The popularity of social networks has spurred many website owners to develop their own social networking website or to integrate social networking into their existing website. There are many reasons why you would want to build a social networking website or add one to your existing website. You may want to integrate social networking into your existing website to drive more traffic and expand your user base. Or if you have a company or group, you may want to benefit from a virtual pace to hangout, communicate, and share ideas, content, and files.
Whatever your reason, there are many social networking software platforms that offer distinct features to create your own social networking website, either independently or in conjunction with an existing website. Some are incredibly easy to use but offer limited customization while others require extensive technical knowledge but can run seamlessly with your website. With a little technical knowledge it is relatively easy to fully customize your own social network and even integrate it into your existing website. You also have the option to pay designers to create the perfect social networking add-on for your website. Most will also offer just about every imaginable feature you could want for your social network, making sure you do not loose out on functionality.
Some remotely hosted solutions give you the ability to customize your network’s URL so visitors to your existing site get a sense of congruence as they navigate from your main site to your social networking platform. They give webmasters more intricate control over layout by allowing webmasters to manipulate HTML headers, footers, and CSS styling. Although they take more skill to use, once developed they give your social networking site a more seamless and professional look. Some also offer unlimited storage for pictures, videos, audio, and videos for free. With this, your members will not have to worry about running out of space when sharing content. Others, however, have limits on storage capacity depending on the plan you purchase.
GoingOn is one such social networking software platform that webmasters who are looking for an innovative solution to their social networking needs can use. GoingOn is relatively new, and still in BETA status, which means that not all the modules are currently performing to their potential, but it will be the most feature rich platform among its competitors. GoingOn is easy to set up and requires little technical knowledge. It is also built using open source software which means that it will have even more potential for features and add-ons over time. Like its competitors GoingOn offers a selection of membership options. The paid packages allow webmasters to control advertising while the free packages are controlled by GoingOn.
However, if you need a perfectly functioning platform now, Ning or Kickapps are better options. They are also easier to set up than GoingOn and offer different pricing plans, and have more advanced functionality that can be used as an add on to an existing website.
Advertising on a social networking website created with a remotely hosted platform can very easy to set up and use, while some require more technological skill to set up but the results are worth it if you have the skill or can afford a web designer that does. Some platforms offer innovative advertising programs, while others don’t offer much advertising flexibility. Creators can get total control over advertising including collecting revenue, wile some platforms offer no control at all. Some offer innovative widgets that make promoting your social network easy even on a viral level, others are limited in functionality. So be sure to compare features.
With this free willed disclosure of all kinds of personal information and the ability to so easily carve out your own webspace has really opened up the Internet to the masses and released it from the grip of the computer geek, thus become a hacker’s paradise. Your name, address, date of birth and in fact just about everything about you could become available to hackers to use as they please. Sites such as Facebook and MySpace could become platforms for more serious Trojan attacks. So far social network sites have been hit by relatively harmless worms, adware and phishing attacks. However, with the amount of personal data so readily available it is certainly feasible that online banking data and other sensitive information could become compromised.
By : Jonathan Haryanto
Social networking is increasingly popular, and have become wildly popular with a varied demographic. The birth of the social networking phenomenon has seen a shift in the way that many people browse the web, and especially in the way that people interact socially. Bebo, Facebook, Flickr, Friendster, LinkedIn, MySpace and Twitter are among other plethora of social networking sites out there on the net. They seem to have become unavoidable, and spring up wherever you go.
Everything about social networking is based on the profile. People spend hours updating their profiles just to let the world know whatever they happen to be doing. It seems that everyone is trying to live as their own mini celebrity, and suddenly everyone want to know your intimate details on everything from your address and date of birth to your musical tastes. The desire to have the most friends, or the most hits, makes people scramble to get as many friends as they can, even if they’ve never met the person. They add a vast swathe of plugins while bloggers and YouTube video makers are all trying to score as many hits as possible.
Each month there are billions of page views of ‘Web 2.0′ websites as people return time and time again to Social Networking Sites (SNS) like Facebook and MySpace, Social Media sites like YouTube and Blogger and Social Information sites like Wikipedia and Delicious. Cagora has recently launched the first Global Community Network consisting of more than 20,000 local and special interest communities that appeal to all generations. Cagora goes beyond Social Networking, Social Media and Social Information to provide Community Networking, Community Media and Community Information where Individuals , Businesses and Community Groups are all part of the same network.
The popularity of social networks has spurred many website owners to develop their own social networking website or to integrate social networking into their existing website. There are many reasons why you would want to build a social networking website or add one to your existing website. You may want to integrate social networking into your existing website to drive more traffic and expand your user base. Or if you have a company or group, you may want to benefit from a virtual pace to hangout, communicate, and share ideas, content, and files.
Whatever your reason, there are many social networking software platforms that offer distinct features to create your own social networking website, either independently or in conjunction with an existing website. Some are incredibly easy to use but offer limited customization while others require extensive technical knowledge but can run seamlessly with your website. With a little technical knowledge it is relatively easy to fully customize your own social network and even integrate it into your existing website. You also have the option to pay designers to create the perfect social networking add-on for your website. Most will also offer just about every imaginable feature you could want for your social network, making sure you do not loose out on functionality.
Some remotely hosted solutions give you the ability to customize your network’s URL so visitors to your existing site get a sense of congruence as they navigate from your main site to your social networking platform. They give webmasters more intricate control over layout by allowing webmasters to manipulate HTML headers, footers, and CSS styling. Although they take more skill to use, once developed they give your social networking site a more seamless and professional look. Some also offer unlimited storage for pictures, videos, audio, and videos for free. With this, your members will not have to worry about running out of space when sharing content. Others, however, have limits on storage capacity depending on the plan you purchase.
GoingOn is one such social networking software platform that webmasters who are looking for an innovative solution to their social networking needs can use. GoingOn is relatively new, and still in BETA status, which means that not all the modules are currently performing to their potential, but it will be the most feature rich platform among its competitors. GoingOn is easy to set up and requires little technical knowledge. It is also built using open source software which means that it will have even more potential for features and add-ons over time. Like its competitors GoingOn offers a selection of membership options. The paid packages allow webmasters to control advertising while the free packages are controlled by GoingOn.
However, if you need a perfectly functioning platform now, Ning or Kickapps are better options. They are also easier to set up than GoingOn and offer different pricing plans, and have more advanced functionality that can be used as an add on to an existing website.
Advertising on a social networking website created with a remotely hosted platform can very easy to set up and use, while some require more technological skill to set up but the results are worth it if you have the skill or can afford a web designer that does. Some platforms offer innovative advertising programs, while others don’t offer much advertising flexibility. Creators can get total control over advertising including collecting revenue, wile some platforms offer no control at all. Some offer innovative widgets that make promoting your social network easy even on a viral level, others are limited in functionality. So be sure to compare features.
With this free willed disclosure of all kinds of personal information and the ability to so easily carve out your own webspace has really opened up the Internet to the masses and released it from the grip of the computer geek, thus become a hacker’s paradise. Your name, address, date of birth and in fact just about everything about you could become available to hackers to use as they please. Sites such as Facebook and MySpace could become platforms for more serious Trojan attacks. So far social network sites have been hit by relatively harmless worms, adware and phishing attacks. However, with the amount of personal data so readily available it is certainly feasible that online banking data and other sensitive information could become compromised.
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Social Networking: Are They Really Communicating?
July 1, 2008
F. Aldo asked:
One of the 21st century’s youthful social phenomena is probably rewriting all known sociology textbooks. The authors of those textbooks never would have even dreamed of such things like instant messaging, texting (or SMS in some areas), MySpace, Friendster and blogging. Put the sociologists of yesteryears in today’s wired world and surely they would be left scratching their heads and wondering where the humanity in relationships has gone.
“Dude, you don’t get it!”
For those of us who probably “don’t get it”, we should reach really far back and call up the idea of pen pals. If you were one of those who had a pen pal, remember how you used to look forward to receiving your pal’s letter in the mail? Never mind if the letters came every other month, there was no other choice at the time. The main thing was that the pen pal cared enough to write and you enthusiastically wrote back. And what about the stories you shared in your letters? Detailed communication! Nowadays, there are text pals or text mates. A typical message would probably read: “C u l8r at 7″. The reply would be a simple “K”. Come to think of it, I suddenly feel sorry for K’s one-time inseparable partner, O.
This, I humbly submit, is where all humanity ends.
I am not implying that the human race will end because of social networking, but rather what makes us humans. Life in the 21st century has introduced humanity to a lot of exciting, new technology and it is a wonderful thing. So many things that were once tedious are now incredibly convenient tasks. I have to admit that texting has been useful for me as well but the difference is my relationship with those who are dear and close to me does not revolve around it. I do not say this to admonish today’s youth. The point is I still prefer the personal communication as far as my relatives and friends go.
A web analyst once remarked that the popularity of sites like MySpace and Friendster is due to the immediacy of the members’ personal information such as their hobbies, likes and dislikes, photos, as well as a level of anonymity for all the members. Up to this day, I still have a hard time reconciling how anonymity can be an ingredient in personal relationships. Does it not take away from real communication?
“Chill dude, we’re just having fun!”
Fair enough. I am just worrying that today’s teenagers’ idea of communication is using words made up of consonants and numbers and no vowels. Maybe this is also part of the convenience that technology has afforded us. It would be a pity if some of today’s youngsters become slaves of technology instead of putting it to good use for themselves. Picking up all these bad habits early will be harder for them to break later on.
“Dude, you worry too much.”
Maybe. Maybe not. I am only thinking back to what some sociologists and psychologists once said–that effective communication is the basis of harmonious relationships. So my logic is simple–every society strives for harmonious relationships and since societies are made up of various networks, then social networking needs effective communication. So start using those vowels again. Now let’s party, dude.
One of the 21st century’s youthful social phenomena is probably rewriting all known sociology textbooks. The authors of those textbooks never would have even dreamed of such things like instant messaging, texting (or SMS in some areas), MySpace, Friendster and blogging. Put the sociologists of yesteryears in today’s wired world and surely they would be left scratching their heads and wondering where the humanity in relationships has gone.
“Dude, you don’t get it!”
For those of us who probably “don’t get it”, we should reach really far back and call up the idea of pen pals. If you were one of those who had a pen pal, remember how you used to look forward to receiving your pal’s letter in the mail? Never mind if the letters came every other month, there was no other choice at the time. The main thing was that the pen pal cared enough to write and you enthusiastically wrote back. And what about the stories you shared in your letters? Detailed communication! Nowadays, there are text pals or text mates. A typical message would probably read: “C u l8r at 7″. The reply would be a simple “K”. Come to think of it, I suddenly feel sorry for K’s one-time inseparable partner, O.
This, I humbly submit, is where all humanity ends.
I am not implying that the human race will end because of social networking, but rather what makes us humans. Life in the 21st century has introduced humanity to a lot of exciting, new technology and it is a wonderful thing. So many things that were once tedious are now incredibly convenient tasks. I have to admit that texting has been useful for me as well but the difference is my relationship with those who are dear and close to me does not revolve around it. I do not say this to admonish today’s youth. The point is I still prefer the personal communication as far as my relatives and friends go.
A web analyst once remarked that the popularity of sites like MySpace and Friendster is due to the immediacy of the members’ personal information such as their hobbies, likes and dislikes, photos, as well as a level of anonymity for all the members. Up to this day, I still have a hard time reconciling how anonymity can be an ingredient in personal relationships. Does it not take away from real communication?
“Chill dude, we’re just having fun!”
Fair enough. I am just worrying that today’s teenagers’ idea of communication is using words made up of consonants and numbers and no vowels. Maybe this is also part of the convenience that technology has afforded us. It would be a pity if some of today’s youngsters become slaves of technology instead of putting it to good use for themselves. Picking up all these bad habits early will be harder for them to break later on.
“Dude, you worry too much.”
Maybe. Maybe not. I am only thinking back to what some sociologists and psychologists once said–that effective communication is the basis of harmonious relationships. So my logic is simple–every society strives for harmonious relationships and since societies are made up of various networks, then social networking needs effective communication. So start using those vowels again. Now let’s party, dude.
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Social Networking – Enhancing the Poker Experience
June 24, 2008
Gen Wright asked:
If you have been enjoying a game of poker as a hobby, you can now enhance that experience by joining a social network. First, a quick primer on what a social network is.
The Internet has been evolving rapidly. Traditionally, websites are all static pages with lots of useful information. Soon, people start to realize that the Internet is not just for sharing information but it can be used to communications as well. So we start to see a wide variety of communication applications launched. Such applications include email, instant messengers and VoIP technologies.
By then, many web developers started to look at different ways to make their websites more interactive and community based. Such websites allow visitors to register for an account, and interact with other members of the community through different tools such as forums, comments and rating widgets. These websites have become social networks.
Friendster and MySpace are true pioneers of the social networking space. They are the first social networking sites to have gained prominence in a very short time span. Facebook, another popular social networking website, became the fifth most popular website in the world with a few short years.
For sure, social networking has been on the rise on the Internet. One unique characteristic of a social networking site is that it allows people of the same interest group to come together and share a social experience.
For example, let’s say you enjoy a game of poker as a hobby. You can now go to a poker social networking site and register for an account. Once you are a registered member, certain privileges will be made available to you.
On the homepage of a poker social network, you will see the latest poker related news that are posted by other members of the community. As a member yourself, you can either vote for, or against the story. News stories that get the most number of positive votes will rank higher on the site. That means the story will get lots more exposure. You may also leave your comments and voice your opinions. Let the community know why you think a story is good or bad.
As a poker social network is specifically built for the poker audience, it is able to cater to the special needs of poker hobbyists. For instance, besides being able to comment and vote for your favorite poker story, you will also be able to see upcoming events and tournaments. Whether you want to join these events of tournaments is completely up to your own discretion.
At the end of the day, a poker social network will help enhance the poker experience because you can network with others who share the same interest as you. You can learn tips and strategies from other poker players, just by reading the content that they have posted. Participating in such a network will only make your games more enjoyable because you can now share the joy of playing poker with others.
If you have been enjoying a game of poker as a hobby, you can now enhance that experience by joining a social network. First, a quick primer on what a social network is.
The Internet has been evolving rapidly. Traditionally, websites are all static pages with lots of useful information. Soon, people start to realize that the Internet is not just for sharing information but it can be used to communications as well. So we start to see a wide variety of communication applications launched. Such applications include email, instant messengers and VoIP technologies.
By then, many web developers started to look at different ways to make their websites more interactive and community based. Such websites allow visitors to register for an account, and interact with other members of the community through different tools such as forums, comments and rating widgets. These websites have become social networks.
Friendster and MySpace are true pioneers of the social networking space. They are the first social networking sites to have gained prominence in a very short time span. Facebook, another popular social networking website, became the fifth most popular website in the world with a few short years.
For sure, social networking has been on the rise on the Internet. One unique characteristic of a social networking site is that it allows people of the same interest group to come together and share a social experience.
For example, let’s say you enjoy a game of poker as a hobby. You can now go to a poker social networking site and register for an account. Once you are a registered member, certain privileges will be made available to you.
On the homepage of a poker social network, you will see the latest poker related news that are posted by other members of the community. As a member yourself, you can either vote for, or against the story. News stories that get the most number of positive votes will rank higher on the site. That means the story will get lots more exposure. You may also leave your comments and voice your opinions. Let the community know why you think a story is good or bad.
As a poker social network is specifically built for the poker audience, it is able to cater to the special needs of poker hobbyists. For instance, besides being able to comment and vote for your favorite poker story, you will also be able to see upcoming events and tournaments. Whether you want to join these events of tournaments is completely up to your own discretion.
At the end of the day, a poker social network will help enhance the poker experience because you can network with others who share the same interest as you. You can learn tips and strategies from other poker players, just by reading the content that they have posted. Participating in such a network will only make your games more enjoyable because you can now share the joy of playing poker with others.
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!