Social networking services take advantage of social software tools to create online places for people to meet, share photos and videos, send messages, play games and more.
Wikipedia outlines three primary types of social networks:
Sites which contain a specific category directory. Examples: Classmates.com
Sites used as a means to connect with friends or fans; often featuring customizable profile pages. Examples: Facebook, Orkut, MySpace
Sites which rely on recommender systems linked to trust, for professional networking. Examples: LinkedIn
Internal Social Networking vs External Social Networking
Broadly, there are two categories of social netorking sites: Internal Social Networking (ISN) and External Social Networking (ESN). ISNs are closed to all but members of a particular community-- employees of a company, students at a college or university, members of an organization. ESNs, a category which includes most social networking websites, are open to the public.
Profile
The first step to creating an account in most social networking sites is establishing a profile-- your public face within the online community. Depending on the social network, this profile might include a profile picture, personal information, hobbies, interests, relationship information.
Friends
Social networking sites allow you to make connections to other users in a variety of ways. Some will allow you to search for members you may already know by using your email contact list, others might connect you to members you've never met who share similar interests.
Uploads
Depending on the purpose of the website, an online community may allow you to upload content such as photos, videos, documents and more. Uploaded content can than be shared easily with other site members.
Privacy Settings
Most social networking sites allow you to control who can see what aspects of your profile. Some sites offer granular control, while others give you simplified options. Additionally, sites customarily allow members to avoid and/or block other users, if desired.
Widgets, Gadgets and Applications
Many social networking sites allow for some customization, whether it's changing the color or theme of your profile page, adding productivity tools or joining an online social game.
Click "Get Started-- Join!" at the bottom of the screen
Enter your full name
Create a Username-- this will be your Twitter identity (http://www.twitter.com/USERNAME)
Create a password
Provide your email address-- this will be the email to which Twitter will send notifications
Type the reCAPTCHA words
Click "Create my account"
Start tweeting!
Advanced Steps
While signed into Twitter, click "Settings" at the top of the screen
Click "Picture" to upload a profile picture
Click "Design" to customize the background of your Twitter page-- you can select from several Twitter themes, upload your own background image and change the colors of your Twitter page.
Want more information on Facebook? Visit Introduction to Facebook, a TLC workshop site with all the basics and a step-by-step guide to getting started.
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