Social Networking is such a huge thing these days. In person, on the internet, and now you can carry it with you. That’s right, on your phone. You now have the ability to network while say on the bus, on the job (though its trouble if your boss catches you.), you have the ability to network wherever and whenever. Think I’m lying? Fifty million people this year around the globe will be getting into social networking via the phone. By the time we get to 2011 its going to be up to one hindered and seventy four million people.

What are the reasons for this increase? Well one of the factors in this increase is the fact that now more than ever people have access to the broadband web. Fifteen years ago it was barely heard of to have a slow mo dial up connection. Now I don’t hardly know anyone myself who has anything less than DSL, with cable being the average and the super geek running with T1 lines. The fact that you can now have internet on your cell phone is also a big factor into why people are interacting via social networks through the phone.

Take for instance the company Helio. It’s a small up and coming cell phone which boasts some of the best phones in the business. Not only that they have some awesome services and an awesome web browser. In fact this web browser says it’s so fast that sometimes It beats your home networks connection. Now look at what they provide on their phones, you can access MySpace directly. Imagine that. Directly you can access MySpace, say your in the club hanging out with some of your fave friends and you want to advertise this online or make photos easier for them to get, well MySpace on Helio is to the rescue. You take the picture with that six megapixel phone and then you can upload it directly to MySpace and put it on your profile all in the club.

Looking at other companies they are not behind on this craze either. A lot of people may have heard of a company that’s getting bigger and bigger called cricket communications. Cricket phones are so big because of the fact that you can call and talk and text all day cheaper than the other services. You can do it unlimitedly and it doesn’t require any credit checks to get with them either. And so while they may not be Helio, they offer the net to their customers as well. Look at what they have… MySpace mobile, m3 communities, ad much much more. Even on a phone service that’s been touted as being cheap there are people that can connect to the webs mobile communities.

This is the future of networking. Imagine networking on the phone and web at the same time your networking in person, this is an amazing ability! So look forward to the new era of networking, it’s in the palm of your hand.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Digg.com a company and website that was founded three years by two technopiles is expanding into a social network environment. Now on Digg people that share the same type of interests will be able to network and get together. More and more sites are moving toward this direction as time progresses. The success of sites such as facebook or MySpace has created a need and a vacuum for this industry. Digg users will be able to not only speak to the user that share same interests but send shout’s out, or news articles to other users who have the same interests selected.

How is this to come to past? By the end of October dig will be launching its photo only section. This section will allow likeminded users to be able to post things to certain areas of the website. These pictures would be available only to users of the same interest group. Most of the other change that are to come out will happen by year’s end. Some other exciting features that are coming to digg is the ability for people to chat with other people of same interests and “friends.’ Message boards are the next biggest thing that is coming to dig, message boards will act like a ‘wall’ where people can send messages back and forth to one another.

The next newest thing to come to dig is the introduction of profile pages. Profile pages will become a huge thing on digg as digg places a higher emphasis on those pages. Now I don’t believe that digg will go the MySpace route, MySpace is more for personal socializing though it can serve many many different business purposes if it wishes to do so. However digg is especially focused towards techies so this will be an all new level of profiling. Expect to see flash, expect to see some html and other advanced coding languages as people begin using their skills to show off to other technopiles.

The other major thing that’s happening on Digg is the advertisement deal that was just signed. Microsoft will be the sole advertiser on the site now. Now I’d hate to have to guess how much cash digg just made by putting Microsoft on as its sole advertiser, but I’m not sure what that will do with the site. I mean, c’mon how many products does Microsoft have? How many products do they make? There’s only so much Microsoft that a man can see. And only so much Microsoft that a man can deal with, however it will be interesting to see what directions the ads go and how this contract is put to past.

So, social networkers! You now have a new site to go to, especially if you’re a techie. Looking forward to the features that were released on September 19th, the features coming in October and the features coming at the end of the year. Social networking will be a great activity on digg, so what are you waiting for, sign up today!!!

Popularity: 2% [?]

Myspace

It’s easy to see that Myspace is the largest of all the social
networking sites. It contains four-fifths of the total population of people who
use Social Networking Sites. The nice thing about Myspace is its
customizability. The site can be worked with a good amount of HTML to look
however you want it to look. Also, because of its popularity, hundreds
of sites have sprung up to help you with your own Myspace page,
designing it to adding games or other programs. The downside to Myspace is also
its upside. Because the site is so popular with many friends you can
interact with, it has also been targeted by small companies that will
spam and send junk email to your account to try and sell their products.
Spam is a growing problem which is slowly causing people to switch to
other sites.

Facebook

Facebook is probably the most popular networking site when it comes to
College students. You may not be able to customize your own Facebook
page as much as Myspace can but Facebook has a unique feature that allows
you to add applications to your profile which serve as mini-webpages
or software programs. These can range anywhere from your Best Friends
application to playing Poker with other players on Facebook. Most of
these applications are developed by Facebook members and most anything goes
with these programs as long as their are no illegal implications with
them. Facebook is slowly growing and is excellent with preventing spam.
The problems with Facebook can be seen with the look of the site
itself as their is virtually no customizability with your own profile page.

Bebo

This site is very similar to other sites like Myspace and was
originally launched back in 2005 but never achieved the popularity of Myspace.
It is much better with dealing with spam than Myspace because it only
has 1.8% of the market share of Social Marketing Web sites. Bebo does
have a unique feature with Bebo Bands. People can create a profile for
their own band that showcases your new music and has featured artists such
as Paris Hilton and Kylie Minogue. And whereas Myspace has a friends
list, Bebo offers a fan section for those who enjoy your music. The
problems that arose with Bebo were that people found one in three people on
Bebo was under 18 years of age that showed detailed information about
the kids. It is also difficult to find friends on the site that may go
to your school or work.

Blackplanet

Blackplanet was one of the first Social Networking sites and boasts a
population of 16 million and primarily concentrates on Black Diaspora
(or those who originate from Africa and have spread throughout the
world). On the site, one can find African Americans to other blacks around
the world. The site is open to everyone of course but has the highest
concentration of blacks (as it isn’t just African Americans) of any of the
social networking sites. Blackplanet is currently run by Omar Winslow
who is an Internet analyst who frequently appears on TV. The downside
to Blackplanet is its lack of diversity on the site but at the same time
that’s the good part of it, as well. The site is a bit simplistic but
can be changed to adapt your style.

Xanga

Another site that started almost ten years ago, Xanga is primarily used
by teenagers. It differs from the other sites because it hosts not
only profiles but places to host videoblogs, weblogs, and Podcasts. It has
around 60 million users as of right now. You may have seen many videos
and ads displaying Xanga. Xanga has an extensive marketing campaign
that has been a bit shady at times but overall has been successful. Xanga
is nice because anyone in the world can use it as it has the ability
to be displayed in many different languages such as Chinese, Korean, and
Japanese. One of Xanga’s problems is that if you want to join their
premium service (which pretty much allows you to host more data) you have
to pay a monthly fee to use it.

iMeem

iMeem has grown enormously since 2006. Its primary purpose was to be a
typical blogging/hosting social site but eventually was soon just known
for its music hosting, a type of Napster if you will. Users could
upload their own music to the site as well as their own videos for others
to enjoy. After a month or so it attracted millions of more users. Just
like Youtube, others could upload their songs and have others leave
comments. It wasn’t meant for copyrighted materials but eventually their
was an explosion of illegally uploaded music on the site. Now all the
songs uploaded (unless owned by the uploader) are 30 second samples of
the song that can be purchased through iTunes as an option. Imeem still
goes strong with its videos though and should at least be looked at, not
to mention its blogs.

Yahoo 360

360 is still in its beta testing but is going strong. It helps that the
largest search engine in the world is running it. 360 runs just the
same way as Orkut or Myspace would run but whats really nice about 360 is
how it integrates and works with the other Yahoo applications and
programs. With 360 you can talk on your Yahoo Messenger directly on your
360 Page. It also works very well with LAUNCH (a program of Yahoo’s that
works as a radio tuner). 360 is very customizable and is very low on
spam because of its popularity. Something to definitely look into, 360 is
very likeable. The only bad part about it is it doesn’t have a very
high population but is great for those that use Yahoo a lot.

Classmates

If you’ve ever been on the web before, you’ve seen an add about
Classmates.com. This site is extremely different from the others as its
primary purpose is to find Classmates that once attended one of your schools.
As implied, the audience for this program leans more towards the older
spectrum. People that want to find what happened to their classmates
back in the 80s or 90s or even earlier will like this site. It’s a
worthless site for people born in the late 80s and past as those users
mainly use Myspace and Facebook to see what’s happening to their old high
school chums. So unless you’re thirty or older this site probably won’t
be worth your time, but if you happen to be older than it’s a great
site.

hi5

This site’s population consists mostly of those from Central America
and a good population of Asia. Most American users flock towards Myspace
and Facebook but for those who don’t know English as well lean towards
hi5. Hi5 is another type of site that is extremely customizable and
user friendly featuring the same ideas and programs such as Myspace. It
does have a unique aspect that differs from other programs with its
degrees of friends. There are three degrees in all. There is first degree
(which contains all of your immediate friends) second degree (which shows
the friends of your friends) and third (which shows the friends of
your friends of your friends). This program really helps finding friends
that you can’t find just by searching for their names.

Tagged

Tagged.com is simply a Myspace clone. It does exactly the same thing
but seems to have a bit more intrusive adds than Myspace. It’s population
ranges from all over the world but doesn’t have a specific country
that separates it from the others. Actually, the only thing that separates
it from other social networking sites is that its search engine is a
bit more advanced than others using meta tags on everything. It does
feature a youtube type video showing program integrated in the actual site
that is used fairly often. With a low population and uninteresting
adds, its easy to see why it’s so low on the popularity list.

LiveJournal

If you’re into blogging, then this is the site for you. Originally
named for Emos, LiveJournal has turned into the perfect site for getting
things off your chest. It does offer a friend adding program and another
that lets others just watch your blog. Pictures can also be added to
your blog in many different formats. But overall its a blogging
application. You also have the option of not having someone see your profile and
what you post and then it turns into an online Diary or Journal for
your use. Only about 1.8 million of the accounts are actually active as
of right now but the demographics of the site are primarily female
standing at two-thirds of the population. Strangely enough, most users are
American and Russian.

Gaiaonline

If you’re into Animé then you’re going to enjoy Gaia Online. In a
nutshell, Gaia Online is an Anime themed forum based web site. Users
(usually gamers). On this site however, people don’t own a page they can
customize but instead own an avatar that they can customize. But here’s
another catch. In order to change your avatar you must use Gaia Gold which
can be obtained through activities and flash games that the web site
offers. So if you’re really into gaming this could be the site for you.
It really stresses status as people just by looking at your avatar can
see how dedicated you are to the site and how much free time you have
on your hands. This site is kind of on the edges of Social Networking
but is trying to integrate it so as to much up to the giant Myspace.

Friendster

Believe it or not, Myspace wasn’t the top Social Networking Site on the
Internet since the start. Friendster, up until 2004, was the giant but
was soon surpassed by Myspace. Friendster offers the choice of
broadcasting any video from any video hosting site (except for Myspace Video)
which makes it very likeable especially if you’re a user of Revver.com.
Friendster also has an older population of people with most people
above 25 years of age. One of Friendster’s unique programs is its Circle
of Friends which shows and collects data about the relationships you
have with your listed friends and their information. So pretty much, if
you find a random person on their site, it can show you how you are
related to that person (e.g. This guy is my grandpa’s cousin’s best friend)
even if you have no idea who they are. Very cool feature on the site.

Orkut

Orkut is Google’s answer to Myspace and does it fairly well.
Originally, Google wanted it to take away competition from Myspace but it had a
different affect. Orkut attracted a high population of Brazilians and
then later a high concentrations of Indians (from India). It grew very
quickly in Iran as well but was soon outlawed by the government. Just
recently, the site announced that the whole interface of Orkut will be
redone to something totally different, so check out what it looks like
right now. There have been some legal implications involved with the site
that include hate groups being formed and also users distributing Child
Porn and drugs with the site, but they have been dealt with swiftly.
And if you don’t like those things, just avoid them and Orkut is a very
enjoyable experience.

Live Spaces

This Social Site is owned and operated by Microsoft. This site receives
a high amount of traffic ranging around 100,000,000 hits per month.
The unique thing about Spaces is that it offers a program called gadgets.
What these are pretty much are small programs that can be added to
your site for more customizability like games or flash programs that show
pictures or play music. Technologic wise, Live Spaces is the most
advanced and can be used even without having any friends or others looking
at your site. The problem arrises with this site when you don’t use
Internet Explorer, most people do use this so there isn’t a problem for
those who use Mozilla Firefox, they repeatedly receive problems running
Live Spaces as it’s a browser that wasn’t made by Microsoft.

Hoverspot

This site is interesting in that it’s nothing more than a cheaply done
myspace clone. It has received many users mainly do to the fact of
advertising rather than by word of mouth. It offers no redeeming qualities
or unique programs that could make it likeable. If you want to talk to
friends it could also be difficult to find some or any at all. The
interface is a bit difficult to get used to and tries to cram ads down your
throat whenever it can. Overall, not a very good web site and one that
should try and be avoided at all costs. Best to just stick with
Myspace if you’re thinking about doing this one.

BuzzNet

Buzznet is very similar to a typical social networking site, but how it
differs is rather than having the web page just about you, it focuses
more on a group or activity such as juggling, movies, or Fan Clubs for
Celebrities. The site is fairly new being created in 2005 and gained
notoriety for its Photo sharing which rivals that of Flickr. It also has
another program that’s very similar to Digg’s system where you can find
and share news articles or videos for others to view and that others
can vote for. But instead of voting, they refer to it as Buzzing. So if
you Buzz something a lot, it’s worth looking at. Buzznet has a little
bit of everything and really should be looked at if you work well in a
group.

Sconex

Sconex was specifically made for Teenagers, mostly high school
students, to interact with each other. It has many things similar to Facebook
in that one can post their class schedules and teachers or even make
blogs about what they did in Science class earlier that day. It’s very
user friendly and supports itself entirely with Adsense and a select other
advertising programs. The concern rises with the sexually explicit
photos that some High Schoolers post on their own pages. Parents are
concerned at these findings although they are no different than what is
posted on any other site.

MiGente

MiGente is made mostly for the Latin Community around the world and
boasts 2.5 million members. It’s a smaller site that usually only has
about 4,000 various people online at any given time but has been enjoyed
immensely by its members. It pretty much looks exactly like BlackPlanet
does mainly because it is owned and operated by the same people. So if
you have ever had any experience with BlackPlanet you’ll know what to
expect with MiGente. They have also just recently launched a music
sharing program to broadcast your own Latin based music.

myYearBook

There really isn’t anything too special about myYearBook but it is very
easy to use and easy to get started and is used mainly for kids aged
12-17. Recently, myYearBook signed a deal with CliffNotes to provide
free Cliff Notes on the site to those who are currently reading the High
School curriculum. It does have over a million users though and is
starting to pick up steam. The layout of the site seems to attract the
younger audiences with its bright colors and cutesy atmosphere.

Popularity: 8% [?]

To those who assured of their safety on the Internet, they should better think twice. The Internet is not an innocent virtual world that one can contain within the confines of a computer’s picture tube; it is more of a haven for fraudsters and criminals today than it has ever been.

The presence of identity theft schemes such as phishings and social engineering are prevalent in forums and social networking websites. There is also the consistent threat of virus, trojans and worms that attack every computer network connected to the Internet. To add to the list, recent news on the 29,000 sexual offenders discovered last month by MySpace, a social networking website, has revealed of the Internet’s participation to make sexual offense against children and teens feasible and easier for offenders. Indeed, these sinisters at heart have built a virtual counterpart of the cold, dark streets and alleyways that we would never dare go and walk on by at night. And this time, these places don’t feel cold, not even dark; and the culprits are there even after dark.

To protect you and your loved ones from getting entangled with these web of complications on the World Wide Web, below are some of the worthwhile sites that can provide helpful information:

Learning Web Safety and Security

TechCorps: A non-profit organization that aims to promote technology awareness to everyone. It created this wonderful program that endows willing individuals (or volunteers) to be trained about the ins and outs of safety usage of the Internet and other similar technologies. Currently, it offers online technology resources through its two popular national technology programs, such as webTeacher and techs4schools.

i-Safe: Founded since 1998, this non-profit foundation was formally endorsed by the US Congress. It is not only a leader in Internet safety but also provides international, virtual training and i-Learn online.

SafetyNet : the American Academy of Pediatrics or AAP aims to promote the general health of children and teenagers. The Family Safety is a free downloadable tool that will provide web-based reports to parents regarding the Internet activity of their children and will automatically block access to any harmful website. With this, they will be able to protect their young from the harmful threats of the Internet.

CyberSmart: This site provides free tutorials on how to live accordingly in a digital world. The site enjoys full support and praise from teaching association locally and internationally.

Providing Education To Adults

Since kids are the most vulnerable users of the Internet, safety advocates are making sure that the parents of these kids are well-knowledgable on the matter.

FamilyEducation: This parenting and family site has a number of helpful articles and subject topics that teaches parents and teachers how be web-savvy and be aware and in the know if their children are using the Internet in the right way.

iKeepSafe: This site is a parenting resource center. Nonetheless, it provides helpful information to kids and educators alike. The site is very famous for its mascot, Faux Paw, making it more enticing to kids and those who are young at heart.

InternetSafetyAdvisor: This is an education blog site that gives numerous tips and topics for Internet safety and security, from cyber bullying, pornography, identity theft and many others.

SafeKids: This site is offers tips and tools for parents, educators and kids regarding Internet safety. It has an online safety quiz so you can know if you have enough knowledge to keep yourself secure in the Internet.

Safety and Security For The Kids

The Internet is a very dangerous place for a kid or teenager. The current news about sexual offenders using social networking websites as a way to seduce minors have elevated the issue to utmost importance.

Childnet International: A non-profit organization that works to improve the quality of Internet content, as well as awareness and Internet protection policies. It has various current projects such as Childnet Academy, KidSmart, ChatDanger, and Jenny’s Story.

GetNetWise: The site does not only give tutorials to parents and their kids but also provides links to safe websites for the kids. This is an online project created by the Internet Education Foundation, a non-profit organization that aims to improve Internet safety and security.

Creating Awareness To The Consumer

Creating public information articles, FAQs and kits about the dangers of surfing aimlessly in layman’s terms will engage the people more to be in the know and take the necessary precautions. The following websites are able to inform the public about the importance of Internet safety and security even if the reader does not have Internet knowledge.

StaySafe.Org: An educational site that aims to help consumers understand and manage the issues on security and safety on the Internet. Assessments on the technical and product solutions, as well as its possible behavioral effects are discussed. The site is funded by the Microsoft Corporation.

ConnectSafely: This is a forum for parents, educators and teens where they can share information and issues about safety in blogging and social networking. Avid forum posters claim that ConnectSafely.com is a social networking site about social networks.

NetMom: A site founded by Jean Armour Polly, it provides the latest news on Internet safety through its NetFamilyNews as well as provide various articles about the subject.

How To React To The Threat

The current theme used by advocates of Internet safety and security is to use social networking websites to further their cause. With this, the Internet is fast becoming a battleground between good and evil, wherein the public can freely decide which side to choose.

YouTube DontYouForgetAboutMe channel: The link leads the public to a special channel in YouTube where it feeds all videos of missing children from all around the world in the hope of finally finding them again. This is a special project from the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC) to create awareness about missing children to the Internet public.

IC3: The IC3 is the Internet Crime Complaint Center that was established to provide a one center for all crime complaint related to the Internet. Families will be able to gain knowledge how to protect themselves from Internet crimes because of this site. The site actually posts actual Modus Operandi of Internet crimes for reference of the public.

OnGuard Online: The federal government aims to provide helpful and practical tips to consumers regarding safety in the Internet. It teaches people how to protect their identity in the Internet, while at the same time, avoid being victimized by Internet fraud. You can test your knowledge in securing your laptop and other similar quizzes on this page.

Mobile Internet: The New Battleground

Some people are not aware that access to the Internet is not only restricted to the Personal Computer, in the office or establishments. Because of the latest advancements in mobile technology, the Internet is within easy reach of any mobile subscribers even in their homes or while they are mobile. This means that the hazards that is present in the World Wide Web will now have a wider reach. Better take note of the following websites as reference to ensure safety from the hazards of the Internet:

WiredSafety : From the founders of the comprehensive sites on safety in the Internet, WiredKids, provides information to kids, parents, and educators that covers the World Wide Web and the mobile phone. It has volunteers numbering to more than 9,000 all over the world under the management of Parry Aftab, popular advocate of cyberspace safety. Another organization under its wing, the Teenangels, develops processes and software such as the Teenangels Chat Translator that can translate mobile lingos.

Fortiguard Center : The site does not only lists a variety of present viruses, trojans and worms present in the Internet, it also gives the latest news on mobile Internet viruses and threats. Visitors will definitely find information on anti-virus and how to avoid being a victim.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Social networking websites started out in email groups such as Yahoo Groups, MSN Hotmail Groups as well as other forms of email broadcasts. Through this email groups, people get to share a common interest and activities, which, in turn build rapport and bonding among the people who are part of the virtual community. Social networking websites tend to up the ante of this virtual community concept by integrating other media such as the webcam and Internet Relay Chatting (IRC) to simulate an almost real-time communication. Other than this, these websites provide space for members to post and share texts, blogs, pictures and images in their virtual world. Because of this, even people who are islands apart can communicate as if they were living within a small, tight community.

The privacy issues present in social networking websites such as MySpace, YouTube and others also became an opportunity for criminals such as extortionists and sexual abusers to proliferate. Anyone can make a profile and pose as a fictional character, which makes it more difficult for anyone or the authorities to track or identify. These people seek out innocent victims without putting too many risks on themselves. Organizations have attempted to standardize social networking website access as well as control the information present in the profile of its members.

These vulnerabilities are acknowledged by major social networking websites such as MySpace, that it even have liaised with law enforcement agencies in securing the website. Just last June 2007, MySpace reported its identification of 29,000 sexual offenders with profiles present on its site. This was a result of pressure from a number of attorney generals from different states who began questioning the lack of verification tools and the lack of control over who is able to access a member’s profile.

In the end, members of social networking websites must exercise caution and display a good sense of judgment when accepting invitation from other members that they do not personally know. Unfortunately, the most vulnerable members of these kinds of websites are children and teens. Major social networking websites have entered into partnerships with popular magazines, such as MySpace with the Seventeen magazine. They have been providing informative tips for both parents and their children on how to secure access to their profiles and implement basic verification of membership invitations.

Being vigilant, aware and in the know are the most basic things to equip yourself when joining social networking websites. Remember to always set the profile to private so that not anyone will be able to view it. Posting personal data like phone numbers, address, and complete names are not advisable. If you were undeceives as to whether or not you should post a particular information (such as your grade level, section, school and room number) or photos, always bear this in mind: the Internet is a public place, like a bulletin board. Once you posted on any site, it can be accessed by anyone, even by strangers. To protect yourself, don’t reveal too much about yourself.

Popularity: 1% [?]