Hot Articles on Hot Topics

There are many social networking sites around which you can join. But if you want to start one on your own for a select group of individuals, you can make one yourself and the only thing you will need is open source software.

Open source software for social networking is free. It can be downloaded into your computer and then set up in a matter of days or weeks. To help you get started, here are some of examples which you can try out.

Pligg is an open source content management system. Its features include individual profiles, multiple authors, article rating, private messaging, advanced comment system, RSS feeds as well as the ability to import it as new articles, module system, smarty templates, spell check, support for multiple languages, live Ajax newsfeed and a URL blocklist. For you to use this, you will need PHP and MySQL.

Next is NewsCloud and from the name itself, you can already tell what it does and that is gives you the news. It doesn’t always have to be about current events happening around the world but other matters which revolve around your life which you choose to write about. You can even join discussions with other readers.

What distinguishes Drupal from the other content management systems around is that members get to vote on the articles posted there. It supports a wide variety of websites ranging from corporate brochures, community driven websites and personal blogs.

Think about what you’ve read so far. Does it reinforce what you already know about Social Networking? Or was there something completely new? What about the remaining paragraphs?

Dating sites have also used open source software for social networking and one example is Dolphin by Boonex. This program has been around for 6 years, used by more than 20,000 websites and has over 100,000 downloads. Those who made it say that it can do just about anything and the only limitation is in your imagination.

Most of the open source software programs for social networking so far are free. One that charges is PHPizabi but despite that there are still people willing to use it. Some of its features include being able to access it through your desktop, communicating with friends in the chat room and maintaining a contact system.

From dating, we move on education and one open source social networking program used by universities worldwide is Elgg. The reason why they use it is because members get to create their own profile and customize it to their own preferences. It also has comprehensive administration tools and applications so you can store files and create or participate in a forum.

Mugshot allows members to post pictures, music and videos. The designers are proud to say that while majority of the open source social networking programs are open source for only the client, theirs is also for the server. You can get updates from other sites and upload it here by choosing the web version or the downloaded version.

As you can see, there many open source software for social networking. You might think why create one when you can use one of the more popular ones like MySpace, YouTube or Linkendin and the best answer to give is that it is yours. Surely you have seen some flaws in many social networking sites and wish they could improve.

Instead of wishing and praying, you could take action on your own and maybe become better than them in the future.

Now might be a good time to write down the main points covered above. The act of putting it down on paper will help you remember what’s important about Social Networking.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, still letting you get Free Adsense Websites – every month!

The following article covers a topic that has recently moved to center stage–at least it seems that way. If you’ve been thinking you need to know more about it, here’s your opportunity.

There is still an ongoing debate on the direct benefits of making the use of social networking in education. Unfortunately for these online social networking sites, or SNS, their early reputation has long preceded their potentials. Facebook, Friendster and MySpace are just some examples of such sites which have created a stigma around themselves that technology per se does not deserve.

But with the lines blurring, it is interesting to know that a change is taking place, and it relates to what could be the productive role of online social networking in the lives of students.

Issue of safety and influence

Majority of the contents of online SNS are user generated. They are open to anyone who wishes to become a member. Because some users often post detailed and specific personal details (including addresses and phone numbers), compromising and unsuitable pictures, statements or other information, SNS are considered as a playground for online predators.

Students are getting in trouble with their school administrators for posting self incriminating and unacceptable pictures or information, which violate imposed school policies or code of conduct. School administrators, however, do not monitor the activities of their students in online social networking activities; but if their students’ online accounts that violate school policies are reported to them or are brought to their attention, then they may investigate the matter further.

Collaboration rather than conflict

I trust that what you’ve read so far has been informative. The following section should go a long way toward clearing up any uncertainty that may remain.

The challenge in utilizing the potentials of SNS in the lives of students lies in how to integrate such sites with academic practice. Initially, as expected, academic institutions had refused to accept the influence of social networking activities in the lives of their students. However, it is without a doubt that despite of the downsides, the internet is a powerful educational tool ? a virtual school grounds where students can meet and chat, and bring learning to them without having to leave their homes.

Recently, the same school institutions had to see these SNS with a fresh eye. This technological socialization among students may just be a potentially effective partner in the education system. There should be an alliance, rather than a collision, between the online activities of students and academic goals. The challenge here is how to harness the promise of SNS and how to integrate it effectively with the traditional academic methods.

Of course it is not generally possible to directly incorporate SNS directly into the classrooms; such are tools primarily for socializing. But these tools have grown to a level so potentially useful among students that educators should not ignore its value. With optimism, this goal may be realized through the following:

* Paying attention and looking into social networking sites – School administrators must not express disproval of networking activities utterly without really understanding how it works. Exploring these sites will reveal what makes it popular among their students.

* Employing the educational worth of social networking activities – Educators may deliberately consider ways of extending classroom activities onto the internet. Online communities work by providing ways through which users interact. Deliberately thinking of projects and assignments to be executed by the students through SNS may make the most out of it.

Effectively diverting the influence of SNS to a more positive side will strengthen role of online technology to the students. The role of social networking in education may just be an integral part of the learning process of the students, and not merely a distraction.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, still letting you get Unlimited Web Hosting from ONLY $1/month

Social networking sites are now part of our culture especially when there are more than a hundred of them in cyberspace. While this may increase the number of friends you have, there are certain risks involved which is why you should keep in mind some social networking safety reminders.

Before you decide to join a social networking site, see how it works. Some social networking sites allow only members to view the profiles of other members while there are those that allow anyone even non-members to read it.

Since some people might take advantage of what you put on your profile so it is best to limit this access to people that you know. For instance, this should only be seen by your friends, your team, club, community group and family.

You shouldn’t also post anything that will make people you don’t know look for you like the name of your school, where you frequently hang out or where you work. One way of doing that is by not using your real name, age or hometown when you create your profile.

Don’t make the mistake of putting important personal information about yourself such as social security number, address, phone number or bank and credit card account numbers.

So what information could you post in a social networking site? The answer is simply anything you are comfortable with.

Most of this information comes straight from the Social Networking pros. Careful reading to the end virtually guarantees that you’ll know what they know.

Just remember that anyone can see it. You could talk about your dreams, what you want to be when you grow up or where do you plan to go to college. These examples are safe because it changes so it doesn’t matter if this is saved in other people’s computers.

Another thing that a lot of social networking sites allow you to do is post a photo. You are not required to but if you do, there is another security issue because the picture can be altered and posted in another site that you will not be very happy about.

The main purpose of joining a social network is to make friends. Since you can’t tell if the person is serious or just playing around, you should take some extra precautions. You can do this by asking your friends if they know this individual or simply typing their name in the search engine and see what comes up.

If there are no red flags and he or she wants to meet you, make sure that this is done in a public place and tell someone you know where you are going, who you are meeting and what time you will be back.

Listen to your gut and if at any point you feel uncomfortable, leave immediately. Should this person persist, get help. This matter should be reported to the police and to the social networking site so this individual’s membership is revoked and banned for life.

You should also tell others about your experience so if this person joins another social networking site, their membership will also be revoked. Should others encounter the same person or someone similar, they will know what to do so they don’t become the next victim.

There are risks involved when you meet someone through the web which is why even if social networking is a lot of fun, you should always keep in mind with these safety reminders.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, still letting you get Unlimited Web Hosting from ONLY $1/month

Current info about Social Networking is not always the easiest thing to locate. Fortunately, this report includes the latest Social Networking info available.

People’s lives nowadays are focused on one thing, catching up to everyone else. Everything is fast paced when it comes to career, opportunities and relationships. People barely have the time to stop and look around them to assess what they have and what’s going on in the world. Because of this hyped up and fast paced way of life people are barely connected with the people that matter the most.

Some friends and family never really know what is going on with each other. There is a solution to all of this and it’s what they call social networking, the question is why do people network in a network?

There are a lot of reasons why and here’s a short list of the reasons why:

1. Know new people. Just about every social networking websites says meet new people and the fact of the matter is that it’s what it’s actually all about. Meeting new people over social networking websites is the primary objective of having social networks. It’s like speed dating, people meet people assess if they like them or not and add them in their network of friends. It’s a great way of finding out how small the world is.

See how much you can learn about Social Networking when you take a little time to read a well-researched article? Don’t miss out on the rest of this great information.

2. Finding lost friends. If there’s a cheap way of finding a long lost friend it’s through social networking websites, it’s because people hate being left behind in all the techie stuff that they make their own network. One of the features that a lot of social networking websites have is the ?how are you connected? feature. It shows you the link that goes back to the person who introduced you to that person that you have on your network. Another feature is the ?friends you have in common? feature, this allows you to see who are the people you have in common in your network. And chances are if you have someone in common it’s easy to look for somebody else.

3. Chat away. If you got nothing better to do with your life, chat the day away. Forums or discussion boards on social networks are available for those people who have a lot to say but have nobody to talk to. I know it’s sad right?because of the power of freedom of speech everybody has the right audience to listen into what you got to say.

4. Be part of an interest group. One of the good things about social networking websites is that there’re always people who share what you like to do. Crazy as your hobby may sound there’s bound to be a few people doing what you do. Not so special anymore right? And all along you think that you’re weird because you like collecting stamps so you can lick them, but on second thought wouldn’t it be better to belong.

5. Blog. Blogging or weblogs are the current replacement of a journal. It’s a little space in cyberspace where you get to rant as much as you like, write poetry, curse at people, curse at the government, curse at the Idol judges, shares your thoughts on almost anything and everything under the sun.

6. Post your face in cyberspace. Wouldn’t it be great if there was a place where you can put all of those memories for people to envy? Indeed, social networking is a great way of showing off to your friends what you’ve accomplished and what other things you like to have.

Now you can be a confident expert on Social Networking. OK, maybe not an expert. But you should have something to bring to the table next time you join a discussion on Social Networking.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, now offering Unlimited Reseller Hosting from $5/month

Imagine the next time you join a discussion about Social Networking. When you start sharing the fascinating Social Networking facts below, your friends will be absolutely amazed.

It’s great to have friends but you have to admit that there are certain interests you or they have, which neither is not interested in. When this happens, it is time to expand our circle and that is just one of the advantages of social networking.

Social networking enables people who share the same interests to hang out together and this simply means that you are able to make new friends. If for example you are interested in basketball, no one there will get tired of talking about the players or the game which occurred last night or several years ago.

Since most social networking is done over the web, you get to meet individuals from other countries and learn about their culture. How many people do you know keep in touch with someone across the Atlantic or the Pacific? Given that you share something in common, you get to communicate with that person regularly that is very similar to hooking up with your friends after work or school.

From a business point of view, the first two advantages of social networking enable you to meet new clients and expand your business because most of these sites allow you to customize your webpage and provide links to your personal website.

Just to give you a few examples, there is Multiply, MySpace, Friendster, FaceBook and Classmates. With so many around, you won’t have a hard time looking for a social network that you like. You can even post ads here so you can inform other members of an event that you are hosting.

It’s really a good idea to probe a little deeper into the subject of Social Networking. What you learn may give you the confidence you need to venture into new areas.

The best part about becoming a member of a social network is that majority of these is free. This means that you don’t have to pay any fees. All you have to do is sign up by filling up the form and then activating the link when this is sent to you via email. Now that you are a member, you can invite other friends to join and look at other profiles.

The advantages of social networking will allow you to make new friends, promote your business and best of all, won’t cost you a thing. But there are some social networking sites that will require you to pay a fee. Before you sign up, consider if this value for your money.

Will social networking sites ever replace meeting people in social events and other gatherings? Of course not because all this medium does is give you more exposure. It allows you to put your best qualities out there especially when first impressions last.

When you join a social networking site, never post any private information about yourself unless you are ready to have people get in touch with you. You shouldn’t also put anything embarrassing about yourself because some people have been denied employment because of the information posted.

If there are ?privacy? settings in your social networking site, you are advised to use it so you can control who has access to your personal information.

A lot of experts say that social networking is here to stay so we have to take advantage of it. When you do join a social networking site, keep an open and see if this is exactly what you wanted. If not, cancel your account until you find the one that you like.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, who just joined this Free Website Traffic generation site

The number of social networking sites has increased rapidly and the vast majority is simply an off shoot of MySpace or Facebook. As a result, people don’t use it just to stay in touch with friends but to make new ones as long as they have the same interests, political views and activities.

As you can see, social networking sites cater to a diverse audience. This is why some specialize in business, religion, sex and a few other things. Each one allows you to post blogs, photos and videos. At the same time, your friends can post comments.

This begins by becoming a member. Each person has to fill up the form and answer a few questions. This normally includes what will be your username, age, gender, location, interests and an ?about me? section. You are not required but encouraged to upload a photo so people will be able to put a face to the name.

When it is finished, you get to choose the visibility of your profile. Can anyone see it or will this be limited only to your friends. The social networking site will ensure that your decision in this matter is respected.

Eventually your list of contacts will grow and this in essence is what social networking is all about. Some of those individuals are people you really know while the rest are acquaintances which could develop into something more in the future. You can leave messages when your contact is offline similar to webmail which many of us are already used to.

You can see that there’s practical value in learning more about Social Networking. Can you think of ways to apply what’s been covered so far?

But not social networking sites started this way. This just evolved later on and one good example is Classmates which was initially designed to help you find old colleagues from secondary school and college.

In order to compete with other social networking sites, developers have to come up with better features which the others don’t offer. Some examples of these include built-blogging, mobile interactions, RSS feeds, URL blocklist, application sharing, multiple language support, smarty templates, article rating, multiple authors and a lot more.

You just have to try each one to see if you are happy with their service. If you are not, then you can always close your account and open a new one somewhere else.

Despite all the fanfare, one thing that social networking sites are greatly concerned about is privacy primarily concerning the usage of the younger users. This is because they may be naïve enough to meet people on the net and sadly they become victims of a heinous crime. While most developers have taken steps to try and prevent this, the parents of those who use it need to do their share as well by monitoring how their kids use it and activating the security settings.

Social networking sites regardless of how big or small they are now have a lot in common. What distinguishes them is their target audience and what other features they may offer that will make you decide to sign up with them.

You can also read reviews or ask your friends about what social networking sites are they members of since you want to be in the same group. If you can’t decide, you can open several accounts and just take time to update and use them.

Now you can understand why there’s a growing interest in Social Networking. When people start looking for more information about Social Networking, you’ll be in a position to meet their needs.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, who just joined this Free Website Traffic generation site

The more you understand about any subject, the more interesting it becomes. As you read this article you’ll find that the subject of Social Networking is certainly no exception.

Social networking sites are very popular among teens because this is gives them a sense of belonging. While many say that this is part of growing up, there are risks involved, which is why they should be cautions.

Since they are not kids anymore, they more or less know which information of themselves should be made public. It is okay to talk about their hobbies, their favorite band or sport but not post their phone number or address since someone might call them up or visit them at home.

They should only add friends that they know in real life like their classmates, teachers and family members.

So no one outside their friends will be able to read anything that they posted, it is best that this is set to private. Doing so will prevent people who are not in the friend’s list from viewing their blogs or photos.

Before you post it, make sure that this is tasteful and not sexually provocative. You can make alterations using some programs to remove any identifying information.

They also should not post any plans like where they will be on the weekend to avoid meeting someone who could be a potential threat.

When they open an account, they should use a screen name and not their real name. It is also advisable not to mention their real age or gender as some sites require it.

How can you put a limit on learning more? The next section may contain that one little bit of wisdom that changes everything.

The only way your teen can log into their account is to type in their username or email address and password. The password must never be shared to anyone even their friends.

Should they encounter any harassment or negative comments on their profile, it must be ignored and reported to the administrator.

The time may come that someone they meet online will want to meet them in person. It is probably okay to do so after knowing this person for some time and not after chatting with them only once.

When they do decide to meet, they should still exercise caution by telling someone where they are going and who they are meeting. They could even bring a friend along so they will feel safe. Should things go well without any incident, then there won’t be any problems. But should the uneventful take place, they should be report this to the police and to the administrator so the one responsible for this will be punished.

While some teens may think that they are not given any privacy, parents who decide to put the computer in an open area like the kitchen or family room are actually doing them a favor. This will let the parents know what sites they visit, what content they have downloaded and monitor their surfing habits.

When the teen is logged into a social networking site or simply hanging out with friends, it is important that they just be themselves. This means not being bullied or pressured to do something they don’t want to do or be something they aren’t which can only be achieved of course by knowing their limits.

They should also stop chatting with someone who asks about their physical features or what is their attitude toward sex because the individual who is asking just wants to have sex which is a classic case of manipulation and not true friendship.

That’s how things stand right now. Keep in mind that any subject can change over time, so be sure you keep up with the latest news.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, who just launched this URL Shortening Service, working exactly like TinyURL.com!

When was the last time you heard from your high school buddies? Are you one of those people who either hate or love high school reunions? Do you want to know what’s going on with your elementary school friends? What ever happened to the guy in high school that was voted most likely to succeed? Do you want to reconnect with old friends that you haven’t seen in years? Are these the questions that pop in your head when you look at your old yearbook? Or you just want to meet new people and have a little more spunk in your boring life? If your answer is yes to all of the questions then social networking websites are for you.

But what is social networking and aren’t you too old for this? To understand the concept of social networking we first have to know the fundamentals of it. First of all, social networking is a way of rekindling ties lost due to the stress of time, career, location and communication (or the lack of it). In short it’s like a reunion party 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days in a year.

Social networks were originally meant to keep a certain group of people sharing the same interests together. It is achieved by members of a network introducing new people into the group, it can be done personally but nowadays online social networking is more popular. And because the internet is filled to the brim with social networking websites it didn’t take long before people started using sites like these for meeting new people, starting personal relationships and meeting business relationships as well.

Now that we’ve covered those aspects of Social Networking, let’s turn to some of the other factors that need to be considered.

People who are engaged in social networking through the internet have varied communities of hobby enthusiasts, social groups, colleagues, practitioners of the same field, colleges and schools and even communities and cities. On the internet there are social networking sites that only allow access to people who share the same interest, there are also free for all sites that allow access to people who have diverse backgrounds and interests. In general, social networking sites are like hubs where people hang out to meet other people.

Some social networking sites also include people searches based on schools, countries, religion, preference and interests. In today’s society social networking sites allow people to maintain communication with friends and family members that are far away from each or have little time to go out and meet people.

An advantage of joining a social networking group is the ability to tell people about your status and progression. Sites like these also allow people to express their thoughts on certain topics and issues that they encounter on a daily basis. Social networking sites also allow people to showcase other talents that they have like groups interested in photography. Others also use social networking sites to gain access to people who could ultimately help them out in the future. It’s also a place where you have freedom to express your opinions on people, events and other topics that you have special interest in without having any fear of people judging you.

There are dozens of social networking sites for you to choose from on the Internet that cater to different kinds of people’ interests like MySpace, Orkut, Tagged, Multiply, Friendster, Yahoo space, MSN Space etc.

If you’ve picked some pointers about Social Networking that you can put into action, then by all means, do so. You won’t really be able to gain any benefits from your new knowledge if you don’t use it.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, who just launched this URL Shortening Service, working exactly like TinyURL.com!

When most people think of Social Networking, what comes to mind is usually basic information that’s not particularly interesting or beneficial. But there’s a lot more to Social Networking than just the basics.

Some people have searched high and low to find love. They have gone to bars and told a friend to hook them up but still no success. Should you give up? No because there you might just find it through social networking.

Social networking allows you to make new friends. In this case, finding Mr. or Mrs. Right so they can live happily ever after. For this to work, the first thing you have to do is become a member. Some of these sites allow you to join for free while there are others that will require you to pay a small fee.

After completing your profile, the social networking site will match your requirements with the existing database and then provide you with a list of some prospects.

What you will see in your account is the member’s photograph and brief version of who they are. If you want to know more, you can click on their profile. Should this person sound interesting, it is time to initiate contact and hopefully, that person will respond in kind.

The first point of contact is usually through email. If things are going well, then you can exchange telephone numbers and get to know each other some more. The next step is considered to be a ?big? decision because it is here that you will decide to meet this person for the first time and hope that things will work out.

The information about Social Networking presented here will do one of two things: either it will reinforce what you know about Social Networking or it will teach you something new. Both are good outcomes.

You should be cautious because it is really scary to meet someone you have never met before. Remember that just because he or she says this is who they are doesn’t necessarily mean that it is true so if at any point you feel something amiss, it is best to end it and find someone else.

You should schedule the meet in a private place, bring a friend along or tell your friends who you are meeting so if anything should happen, they can report it to the authorities.

But there are some individuals who use social networking sites for other purposes. For instance, there are specialty dating sites that are designed to hook people up. Another name for it is called a swinger’s club and you could have a lot of fun as long as you are open-minded about it.

Before you join a social networking site looking for love or any other purpose, you should be sure that it has systems in place that is designed to protect your personal information so it cannot be hacked especially when incidents of identity theft are on the rise.

Will social networking make you finally meet true love? The answer is no but there is always that possibility. You just have to put yourself out there and hope for the best because that is all anyone can ask for.

There are hundreds of social networking sites that can help you find love and it does not cater only to men or women but also to gays and lesbians as well. If you believe that there is someone out there, sign up, become a member and post your profile. If things are not going so well, post your profile in another site because you are selling yourself to someone who is interested in accepting you for whom you are.

That’s how things stand right now. Keep in mind that any subject can change over time, so be sure you keep up with the latest news.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, who just launched this URL Shortening Service, working exactly like TinyURL.com!

There are hundreds of social networking sites and chances are your kids are members of a few of them. As a parent, you should help your kids navigate through this site and others so they don’t fall victim to pedophiles and other threats.

This is why parents should teach the kids about what information should remain private. If they fail to do so, they may accidentally tell someone exactly where you live, what is your phone number, you social security number and your current financial status.

Since they are required to give a screen name, tell them not to use their real name but rather something else which does not give them away.

The social networking site they are a member of surely has privacy settings. As a parent, help your kid activate it or teach them how to use it because there is a reason why web developers decided to install it.

You should also teach your kids to use their better judgment when they decide to put information about themselves in their profiles. They must be comfortable with whatever they put because this will be viewed by their classmates, teachers, college admission officers and even employers.

With today’s technology, you don’t need a laptop or a desktop to log into a social networking site. You can also do this by simply using your cell phone. To limit how much time that your kid is spending on the web, buy them a phone that does not have this function. After all, the cell phone is used for SMS and calling.

If you base what you do on inaccurate information, you might be unpleasantly surprised by the consequences. Make sure you get the whole Social Networking story from informed sources.

Believe it or not, bullying has moved from the school into cyberspace and there are many ways of doing it. Some examples of this are the spreading of rumors online to getting threatening messages in your inbox or cell phone. Some kids have taken their own lives because of it so if you don’t want this to happen to your child, take steps so you can monitor them.

The best way is to have open communication with them. Should they bring this matter up to you, tell them to delete the account in this social networking site and just open a new one elsewhere. This will make them more careful in accepting people who want to be their friends.

Aside from cyber bullying, parents should also talk to their kids about sex. It is better that they hear this from you rather from some stranger who is more likely a sexual predator.

If they feel threatened by someone and don’t know what to do, help them report it to the police and the social networking site so this person can be banned.

An effective way of keeping tabs on your kid’s is to search for their name through blog sites and search engines. If there is nothing posted, then they are safe.

Keeping your kid’s safe is one of the things that we have to do as parents. We may not be with them 24/7 but there are ways by which we can make sure that they are safe until the time comes that they can fend themselves.

On the part of the social networking site, they have privacy policies in place. You just have to understand the features and privacy controls it in order to use it.

That’s the latest from the Social Networking authorities. Once you’re familiar with these ideas, you’ll be ready to move to the next level.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, who just launched this URL Shortening Service, working exactly like TinyURL.com!