Are you a member of one or any of them? I just realized that I’m a member of a bunch of different social networking websites, but I don’t really use them - mostly because I don’t like spamming the people in my contact lists with e-mail invitations. However, if you’d LIKE to be associated with me or other Forumosans, let me know - I’ve created Forumosa groups in each of these networks. I think Orkut is invite only, so if you want an invite, e-mail me at maoman at gmail.com. Here are the major sites:
Can I be your bestest friend ?
When did facebook open up to the public? That must be somewhat recent.
I think the only one you really “need” is MySpace. Facebook comes in a distant second.
I guess linked in is pretty cool for networking or something. I thought Friendster died.
If I were you I’d focus on the MySpace account. You could actual do some “word spreading” there.
TIME Magazine online takes a look at Linked In - they call it “MySpace for professionals”.
I once received two e-mails from one of these sites informing me that my ex-husband had opened an account and had 2 friends. I always wondered if I, in my two e-mails guise, was both of those friends. In which case he actually had none.
I’ve just signed up to LinkedIn, which looks pretty cool. Besides, if Guy Kawasaki likes it, it must be.
I didn’t see any Forumosans on there from my address book except MTK, though.
Wow, I must be an old-timer techie. I was introduced (invited to join) Linkedin about 5 years ago, which I did back then. But I didn’t see much use for it so I let it sit idle for years without adding any contacts. Then recently I began to think it might have real potential as a professional networking site, so I’ve updated my profile and started adding lots of friends, colleagues and professional contacts. I’ve noticed that there seem to be lots of recruiters who use the site, apparently looking for potential applicants, and one can also find jobs through the site. Moreover, the more connections one has the more likely someone is to refer you to a prospect or refer the prospect to you. Consequently, I’ve noticed that some people in recruiting, PR, or with MBAs have 500+ contacts. With that many contacts, I would think it’s entirely possible good opportunities could arise through the site.
After all, I’ve had various jobs where my colleagues and I would attend conferences, cocktail parties and other events and hand out/pick up lots of business cards under the widely held belief that “networking” will lead to good opportunities. Well, times have changed. Now one can network more efficiently online. As a professional networking site I’m starting to believe Linkedin may indeed hold that potential.
Additionally, I used it recently to locate and reestablish contact with a good friend from 25 years ago, whom I had lost touch with; and another old friend from Taiwan whom I lost for a few years but am now back in touch with. So, even for those simple results I believe it’s already paid off. Moreover, it can function as a handy online rolodex of sorts.
Biggest flaw with Linkedin: once you inadvertently create two profiles (lots of people do that), there seems to be no way to delete one.
Incidentally, Linkedin does have competitors, such as Xing (which I understand is less US-centric as it’s available in many languages and has a larger percentage of members from outside the US). But Xing appears to require $ for more of its functions, whereas I see no need to pay for anything on Linkedin.
Facebook I just joined a few months ago, after the founder sold 1% for a billion dollars, or whatever, and I was curious what it was. It seems pretty cool. Definitely not a professional networking site – more for high school or college kids, who have lots of time to play around online, just goofing off. Not knocking it – it’s just a different concept, different target audience, etc. I’d like to improve my Facebook profile gradually, adding more fun applications, and communicating with friends more through it, but so far I really haven’t done that (other than my initial exploration), due to lack of time.
I also wonder if, for one who hopes to maximize potential online networking return through Linkedin/Xing, etc., if a goofy site at Facebook, etc., could offset the online image: whether a recruiter might find you on Linkedin and be interested, then turn to Facebook, read a bunch of smutty comments, drug and alcohol worship and other silliness and decide not to make a contact afterall. That is, maybe one is basically relegated to using online networking for either play or work but not both.
I haven’t checked out Myspace yet. Guess that’ll have to be next.
No online networkers out there?
Incidentally, I’ll respect his privacy and won’t mention his name, but I found it interesting when I recently discovered one active user of Linkedin (with 194 connections presently), who is a legendary figure in Silicon Valley and the development of the Internet, and was on the cover of Time magazine and numerous other publications, for having founded and served as Chairman, CEO, CTO, etc. of several successful companies, one of which was sold for over $4 billion, earned him personally hundreds of millions of dollars overnight before he was 30, and he married the daughter of a billionaire. Yet, despite all that success, he apparently still finds Linkedin useful.
Sometimes I wonder how many people will die and the leave the best parts of themselves scattered across the blogosphere, and whether or not that will ever interest anyone. Will they do a bunch of research and write a biography that sells a million copies and becomes a movie of the week earning billions of dollars in advertsing revenue for a television station?
Other times I’m more introspective and philosophical, and during those times I like to finger paint while enjoying a delightful beverage, Nescafe perhaps. I stare off into the distance in a contemplative manner and somebody captures the moment on film for display on the side of a bus.
LinkedIn is very useful in getting a job; however, it can also be quite annoying. It’s been a couple of years since I’ve joined LinkedIn and ever since signing on, I’ve had a fairly steady stream of recruiters sending me messages. Some even manage to find my work number. My advice for those on LinkeIn – don’t link up with a recruiter. These guys are a dime a dozen and many of them don’t share their networks. Yet, they’re interested in linking up with you so they can look at your network and get additional leads from there.
I’ve managed to reconnected with old friends and colleagues through both Facebook and LinkedIn. From this perspective, these tools have been absolutely fantastic.
I don’t think this is the case, although people tend to believe it is. It’s funny that you would say it and not fall under that demographic. 
Check this page out: bloggersblog.com/cgi-bin/blo … og=1006061
And that article is from 2006.
I use both myspace and facebook. On myspace, I am “The Immarcescible ImaniOU” and facebook, I use my real name, although I am findable through the Forumosa group. My usage comes and goes depending on how much work I am trying to avoid doing.
Oh, gotcha. Like that shot of Hitler in prison?
I don’t think this is the case, although people tend to believe it is. It’s funny that you would say it and not fall under that demographic. [/quote]
I don’t know what you mean by big words like demogratic, but I’m a 15 year-old girl. Satisfied? :dance:
Anyway, I wasn’t judging by the people using it so much as by what the site has to offer. Admittedly, I haven’t spent a lot of time to explore all the applications on Facebook, but it seems there’s a lot of juvenile stuff like sending cute graphics to friends, naming friends as “most likely to…”, picking the university you want to go to, etc.
As I said, that’s not meant as criticism. The Web’s a big world with all kinds of people. There should be networks for everyone. [But, I accept your correction, that apparently the users on most of these sites are older than I realized.]
I like FB… I’m not crazy about all the goofy applications and constant spam associated with the same… but, I do like being able to post photos and to look at photos posted by my friends and the ability to quickly scan my friends and see what they are all up to. And it offers messaging, which is convenient.
I note that in the States FB does seem to be used more by a younger crowd (younger than me) while over here nearly everyone I know is on FB. Seems a good way for transient expats to keep in touch, and its great for that. But, I wish more of my friends from back home were on FB, too. I’ve got two nieces in Sweden who are actively on FB and who keep telling me that they will get their mom on… but, so far I haven’t seen her.
Facebook apps are IMHO totally lame. These will continue to be the largest annoyance of the site as there’s so much talk about advertising and creating word-of-mouth campaigns.
I “ignore” each dodgeball, cow, zombie, pinch, “What does your birthday mean?”, etc. invitation that is sent to me. I only keep my wall running.
It’s interesting to see the type of people that accept every single invitation that is sent to them. It’s like they’re afraid they’ll hurt their friends feelings by not accepting. (In reality, the friend sending the app doesn’t put any thought into the people they send it to. They just don’t pay attention to the “Unselect all” button.)
I do like Facebook for the way they organize the info. You can see where friends are going, new pics, what parties, etc. You can even catch up on a little gossip when people are quite free to announce anything on their walls.
MySpace was cool but a little more intrusive for the user. Music usually plays on each profile that you visit which can be difficult to browse at work. Most of the comments in MySpace are quite superficial as you don’t really know the person. “Ur hot”
Facebook does a great job of eliminating the random adds. If you can’t specify how you know the person (through work, school, another friend, etc.) Facebook will ask “Then why are you adding this person?”, which does make you stop and think.
I haven’t bothered with any of the networking sites, but then I’ve been content to live in my cave for the last year or so.
Part of the reason is that I have trouble with the idea of giving my information to someone else and them then owning it. Facebook is now being questioned by the UK government, for instance.
When will the wikinetworking site appear? You know, the one that doesn’t treat your personal data as open source or belonging to the site, but acknowledges that it belongs to the user.
Facebook apps are IMHO totally lame.[/quote]
Not all. I discovered Text Twirl a couple of weeks ago and I’m hooked. It’s like Scrabble without the board. You’re given the letters and come up with as many words as possible in two minutes. I find it addictive. In fact, I think I’ll sign off here for now to try better my score.
The Chuck Norris Legend app is funny. And I like the books app too. And getting to fight with my little sister without really hurting her, like we did when we were little (and more sheep to fling at each other). I mainly use them to keep in contact with people from my past.
My boss has a fake profile on facebook, which he uses to screen out virtually everyone who comes to apply. Silly little man. I fear for the boring-as-fuck coworkers that will be the only ones to pass his criteria (no party pics, etc.)