INTRODUCTION Social Networks: Social Networking is the grouping of individuals or organizations who have a common objective, interests and

or activities. Social Networking exists as a personal and direct social tie that links individuals who share similar values and beliefs. Social Networking exists in impersonal, formal, and instrumental forms. However Social Networking of today has reached new levels. efore the !nternet oom, Social Networking was restricted to "estivals and Social occasions like #arriages, irthday$s, %eligious #eetings, &onventions, 'itty (arties, Seminars, )xhibitions, "unctions, #ulti *evel #arketing #eetings etc. !t was common for people to interact with each other under such platforms. +ne came to know about their neighbours or ac,uaintances within such Social &ongregations. #ost Social occasions were then mostly meant for Socialising unless there was a specification for a Social occasion. However, in modern times Social Networking has got a new meaning and a new repute. -hough the meaning or definition of Social Networking is still the same but it has ac,uired a $New .vatar$ and this $.vatar$ has been made possible by the )mergence of the !nternet as a $&ommunication "acilitator$. !nitially Social Networking was promoted through &hat %ooms and #essengers which included the likes of /ahoo #essenger, #SN #essenger etc. and at the same time or so emerged +nline "orums, 0roups, &ommunities etc. ut this was just the beginning, what really took the Social Networking to new heights was the emergence of Social Network Service provided by various Social Networking 1ebsites. +ne of the "irst Social Networking 1ebsites was Six2egrees.com. !t was named after the six degrees of separation concept and allowed users to list friends, family members and ac,uaintances both on the site and externally. Soon, a number of Social Networking Service (roviders followed. -heglobe.com, 0eocities, -ripod.com etc. provided personal webpage facility through easy3to3use publishing tools and free or inexpensive web3space. 1hile some Social Network Sites like &lassmates.com 3 took a different approach by simply having people link to each other via email addresses. 1ith more new ideas emerged new Social Networking #ethods which were developed by the end of the 4556s. #any sites began to develop more advanced features for users to find and manage friends. -his newer generation of Social Networking sites began to flourish with the emergence of "riendster in 7667. "riendster was followed by #ySpace and *inked

and finally, ebo. However it was #ySpace that showcased Social Networking sites$ popularity. y 7668, #ySpace was reportedly getting more page views than 0oogle. "inally "acebook, launched in 7669, has since become the largest Social Networking Site in the 1orld. -oday, it is estimated that there are over 766 active sites using a wide variety of Social Networking models. Social networks allow user to communicate, collect : share their thoughts, ideas, photos and information$s with each other, either through internet on their computers or on mobile phonos. 'ataria et al... enlightened that ;-he initiation of web 7.6 tools and techni,ues resulted in a number of services and ideas< notable among them is Social networking,;=4>? ;Social networking sites are becoming more popular by the day. #illions people daily use social networking sites such as facebook.com, *inkedln.com, #y space, com and +rkut.com. Some of them are used for professional contacts, e.g. *inkcdln, while others arc primarily used for communication and entertainment. -he structure of a social networking site is ,uite simple. @sers register to the site, create their profile describing their interests and putting some personal information, and finally add friends.contacts to their profile. .dding a friend involves a confirmation step from the other party most of the times. -he view of a user$s profile is usually limited to the friends of that user, unless the user wants the profile to be public. !n that case, all users of the site can view it. Social networking sites also support the creation of groups and networks3;=A? ;-hanks to social networking sites, meeting someone in person has become a thing of the past $(oking$ has become the new handshake. #aking friends and renewing old ones is easy. -hus, meeting people and staying connected with classmates and a friend, is a major benefit of social networking sites.;=77? &omputer mediated discussions which creates the web of relationships are called social networking. Historical background of social networks: .ccording to the oyd : )llison ;-he first recognizable social network site launched in 455A, Six2egrees.com allowed users to create profiles, list their "riends and, beginning in 455>, surf the "riends lists. )ach of these features existed in some form before Six2egrees, of course. (rofiles existed on most major dating sites and many community sites. .!# and !&B buddy lists supported lists of "riends, although those "riends were not visible to others. &lassmates.com allowed people to affiliate

with their high school or college and surf the network for others who were also affiliated, but users could not create profiles or list "riends until years later. Six2egrees was the first to combine these features. Sis2egrees promoted itself as a tool to help people connect with and send messages to others. 1hile Six2egrees attracted millions of users, it failed to become a sustainable business and, in 7666, the service closed ;/ears ago when you referred to social networking< images of a happy hour cocktail or high tea with a group of friends would come to mind. -oday, the term has gone electronic and sociologically provides some of the same concepts but in a different manner face to face has become computer to computer.;C>4 Some social networks developed for some special community groups of the society as children, people at schools or companies in specific regions, high schools, colleges etc. &urrently social networking plays a momentous role in the world of digital information system.

Society: Some of the social content sites can be accessed for news, journals, articles, video games. +n some sites members can share photos, blogs, websites and other interests with friends. ;"accbook is kind of a $fantasy land$ where people can make up anything they want to command attention, they can live an alternative life if they choose, and no one is the wiser. -he fact that people accept these profiles at face value, and choose people as friends based on these profiles says a lot about our society. "or all our worries about information and identity theft, people are still seemingly naive when it comes to sites like "acebook, where they post intimate details with no thoughts to the conse,uences.;=74D Education: -oday$s role of social networks in different spheres of lifeE /ears ago when yon referred to social networking, images of a happy hour cocktail or high tea with a group of friends would come to mind. -oday, the term has gone electronic and sociologically provides some of the same concepts but in a different manner face to face has become computer to computer.;=>D Some social networks developed for some special community groups of the society as children, people at schools or companies in specific regions, high schools, colleges etc. &urrently social networking plays a momentous role in the world of digital information system. Social networking provides many opportunities for each private and expert purpose i.e., correct from connecting with household and buddies to like3minded professionals. Study also concludes the reality that individuals are logging on to social network websites like -witter< "acebook and *inked!n like by no means prior to. Social media has observerd a lot of alter more than yesteryear couple of years. .part from networking, it also enables individuals to educate other people to build up 74st century competencies. *et$s wait and watch the benefits and downsides of social media studyingE 1hat$s the distinction in between conventional and social networking studyingF -he conventional techni,ue is really a typical classroom type of studying with small

opportunity for interaction. Nevertheless, social networking studying takes the type of interaction which is really a extremely efficient type of active studying. !t assists network with individuals of comparable passion and objectives. !t assists to talk about suggestions and experiences, and ac,uire competencies implanted in actual life, unravel opportunities and suggest the path to success. ased on study, individuals start working to enhance their relations using their colleagues instead of safe a great pay package. !n 4 -elecom usiness, the management kept workers from meeting one another all through the coffee or lunch breaks. Soon, there was a drop within the employees$ efficiency ranges. -his, as a result, proves that social networks have a direct influence on the way individuals discover and work. Social network websites assist access info anytime and anyplace. !t also facilitates access of info of the diverse type on a given subject with ease and efficiency. &onse,uently, it supports lifelong studying processes and expert improvement. Social networking studying entails accessing info via a variety of visuals, text and perceptions on the given topic. !t also encourages 4 to actively participate by posting content material on social network websites. !t assists users post or express individual views, thereby producing tons of content material onto the website.

Society: Some of the social content sites can be accessed for news, journals, articles, video games. +n some sites members can share photos, blogs, websites and other interests with friends. ;"acebook is kind of a $fantasy landG where people can make up anything they want to command attention, they can live an alternative life if they choose, and no one is the wiser. -he fact that people accept these profiles at face value, and choose people as friends based on these profiles says a lot about our society. "or all our worries about information and identity theft, people are still seemingly naive when it comes to sites like "acebook, where they post intimate details with no thoughts to the conse,uences.; Education: Social networking allows students to share their knowledge and experience on their subjects, collect : distribute the information on their researches. Social Network )ntertainment A5H )ducational (rofessional +ther 7IH 4IH 8H !n which they found that ;-he majority J>5 percentK of students use these networks for social reasons and entertainment .bout ,uarter J7I percentK of students uses social media for educational reasons, and 4I percent for professional reasons.; .s a part of our educational system, *ibraries arc also privileged to have Social networks. . librarian L library professional can share information with patrons, faculty, staff and students in the easiest way possible, by the assistance of social networking, which offers a. great way to do just that. 1ith social networking tools, each can create bookmark collections, share notices, and more. "acehook, Ning, #y Space, log, *inkedln and many more... -here arc so many tools which help to stay connected with students, library associations, authors, vendors etc... these arc not only disseminate the information to lots of people at a time but also updating students and faculty on new arrivals as well as it facilitate to converse with the library staff also. ;)thical codes have become static and the publication schedule in the scholarly literature cannot keep pace with the challenges facing the library profession. .

dynamic, democratic ethical discourse is needed to define a pragmatic ethics that will meet ongoing dilemmas facing libraries. Social networking tools, and blogs in particular, have become a means for facilitating that conversation through the advent of a community of contributors sharing their values, debating ideals, and creating a forum to address conflicting opinions. -his world of library bloggers has created a structure for an ongoing ethical discussion for libraries today.; 1here social networking offers some advantages to the libraries it is also fact that ;*ibraries do not always have the technical expertise to ensure that any information conveyed through "acebook remains secure. .lthough the risk appears to be minimal, libraries need to evaluate their use of these applications in the 1eb 7.6 environment; olitics : +ne of the objectives of the political social network is to bridging the communication gap between political leaders and voters. -hese Social networking sites are made for the people who are interested in politics< want to participate in discussion groups on hot topics related to politics and many more activities concerned the same field. ;#ySpace lias more than A,966 discussion groups related to politics...#ySpace also has user groups devoted to the ;truth; about the @.S. government$s involvement in the 5L44 attacks, the legalization of marijuana and the claim that %epublicans are better in bcd.;D5? ;!n the @S., social networking and social media are used by various government agencies as an effective method for the government to get public opinion and keep the public updated on their activity. "or example, N.S. has taken advantage of some sites including -witter and "lickr to aid the review of @S Human Space "light (lans &ommittee. However, the government, especially in the @', appears to have a paradoxical view of social networking demonstrated by some agencies still resisting full implementation.;C !usiness: usiness professionals have been using social network sites to promote their products and services, these are being used not only to promote their products and services but also to spread information and generate business relations. ;@nlike other communication mediums, social networking sites not only provide the ability for users to communicate with each other but also enable users to find like3minded individuals. +nce they discover each other, members can form ad hoc communities

based on their mutual interests. #ultiplied many times over, these individuals become the new power behind the old saying, $power of the masses.G -hus social networking sites help shift power from the company to die consumer as the masses are able to channel and exert their influence. .s social networking sites continue to grow in popularity, firms can no longer solely rely on traditional mediums Jprint, radio, -M, etc.K to enforce public perception of their product. &onversely, these new communication channels also provide organizations with a way to discover and maintain a persistent connection widi their most vocal constituents. y harnessing this social networking information organizations can use it to help identify their most influential consumers, drive participation in product development, and improve brand sentiment. 1hile some organizations may still ,uestion the business relevance of social networking, un3monitored conversations that impact their business are likely occurring online right now. .nd as many companies have learned, it is important to be involved itK those conversations. !n this case, ignorance is not bliss. @ltimately, social networks should be viewed as a channel that organizations need to monitor and engage m.;=4I? ;-hese networking sites also provide a better alternative to big budget marketing. /ou won$t have to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars to make your product known to the public. .ll that you need to do is get registered with a social networking site, invite people to add you up, and then voilaC /our marketing strategy is at work. Social media is a perfect extension of traditional networking< the big difference is that anyone can effectively extend themselves without geographical boundaries or personal introduction. Social media is also an extremely viable marketing solution that doesnNt re,uire a large budget or extensive resources. 1ith todayNs economy, there are few silver3bullets left for small businesses. *ike many effective !nternet marketing activities, intelligence combined with a good plan and follow3through can make a big difference, without a big price tag. .ny business can benefit from correctly used social media marketing. Selfish promotions are immediately shot down< meaningful promotions that provide value for your network are rewarded. -o be successful in social media marketing, businesses need to be interesting and in many cases O selfless. .ny business that can enlighten,

educate, and entertain its audience will likely succeed in their social media marketing endeavors. Ty"es of Social Networking 4. "riendship Social Networking 3 -his is the basic Social Network &ommunity. "riends or "riendship Social Networking is the most popular Social Networking 1ebsites. (eople love to make friends +nline from all around the globe and these sites provide this opportunity. -hese Networks are not restricted to "riendship alone as one has the freedom to 2ate and even #atch making. So#e of t$e %riends$i" Social Networking: "riendster. #yspace. "riendsreunited. #ailfriends. Poomla Social Network. 7. 2ating Social Networking 3 Social Networking 2ating is the new mantra in the online world. -his types of networking is one of the hottest type of Networking based on attraction towards the opposite sex. Some of these 1ebsites provide free Social Networking 2irectory while others are paid. -hese Sites facilitates 2ating especially for those who don$t have the skill to propose a date in the real world. Q. usiness Social Networking 3 usiness Social Networking is a tool for Social

Network #arketing. !t is also referred as $&orporate Social Networking$ or $(rofessional Social Networks$. -hese Networks help a person to to advance within hisLher career or industry. 0enerally usiness &ompanies or &orporates have their own online community where in employees can interact with each other. -hey cam also answer ,uestions or ,ueries posted by customers which can give a person to impress hisLher employer. !f you$re a freelance copywriter, you may want to get involved in one of the many online writing communities where publishers and literary agents also tend to hang out. So#e of t$e !usiness Social Networking Sites:

 &anon (rofessional (hotographer &ommunity. *inked!n usiness Network. *(N, the *atino (rofessional Network. Six.part (rofessional logging &ommunity. 9. Hobbies Social Networking 3 (eople on the !nternet are involved in various activities related to their favourite hobby of pass time. Such people use the !nternet to conduct research on their favourite projects or topics of interest related to personal hobbies. Such like minded people either open their own 1ebsite or join existing 1ebsites related to their Hobbies and interact with people from around the world who share the same passion or interests. So#e of t$e Hobbies Social Networking &ebsites: .utomotive "orums. 0arden1eb. #usic Social Network. Sports (undit. Spout "ilm *overs &ommunity. /ou-ube Mideo Sharing. "lickr. 8. !nformational Social Networking 3 !nformational Social Networking are those websites which provide answers to people on various topics. "or example, if someone is looking for starting a business one needs to have information which involve a web search and it leads to the discovery of countless blogs, websites, and forums filled with people who are looking for the same kind of information. !nformational communities are often linked to from businesses like banks, retailers, and other companies that are using social networks as a way to interact with customers. !n these social networks there is a lot of $How3-o$ style information and advice columns written by professionals. So#e of t$e Infor#ational Social Networking Sites: 2o3!t3/ourself &ommunity.

 )How ;How3-o; !nformation. H0-M 2iscussion "orums. !nvestopedia Stock (icking &ommunity. I. )ducational Social Networking 3 )ducational Networks are mostly meant for students. Students collaborate with other students on academic projects, research or to interact with professors and teachers via blogs and classroom forums. )ducational social networks are becoming extremely popular within the educational system today. #ost of the &olleges and @niversities have their personal 1ebsites wherein only the students of respective !nstitutes can join. Some .lumni also have their own respective 1ebsites. So#e Educational Social Networking &ebsites: e(.*S School log 3 &onnects school students from around the world to promote world peace. 0o!!- 3 &ommunity for Students preparing for their School : oard )xams. !!ombay .lumni 3 !!ombay .lumni can connect and network with each other online. -he Student %oom 3 . @'3based student community. -he #ath "orum 3 . large educational network for math students. A. News Social Networking 3 -hese are large content websites where members publish news stories, commentary etc. -hese are involved in the dissemination of community content which if left unmonitored turns into a promotional gimmick filled with advertisements and self3promotion. So#e of t$e News Social Networking &ebsites: .ssociated &ontent. Helium. Now(ublic. Suite 464. -riond.

Social Network Sites are increasingly attracting the attention of academic and industry researchers intrigued by their affordability and reach. !nternet Social Networking is a Social (henomena of the 74st &entury and has become increasingly popular nowadays as there are a lot of sites that offer this service. Social Networking &ompanies are involved in Social Network 2evelopment through their sites that aim to build communities of people who share common interests and activities, or who are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others. Social Networking 1ebsites not only provide Social Network Service for the people but they also enhance their services through Social Network -emplate and Social Networking -ools. Some of these are +pen Source Social Networking Software available on the !nternet which can be downloaded for free. To" Social Networks "acebook #ySpace -witter ebo Rorpia "lixster *inked!n &lassmates.com *ast.fm Sanga adoo

"riendster Ning *inkedin.com hi8 +rkut Stumbleupon.com &are7

#igente Studivz del.icio.us #eetup.com

ros ' (d)antages of Social Networking &ebsites !nexpensive means for Socialising 3 . Social Networking Site is a virtual hub where people can chill out and discuss about anything. -he main purpose of general Social Networking 1ebsites is to serve as a social platform where people can reunite with old friends, stay connected with current ones, and even make new ac,uaintances. Since most of these offer "ree of &ost #embership, these are !nexpensive means for Socialising serving various personal needs.

)nhances %eal *ife Social Skills 3 1hen interacting with people online, one ac,uires a uni,ue perspective into their lives and their problems. 1hile sending messages and chatting one becomes aware of the textual communication which indirectly sharpens one$s communication skill which can be helpful in real life situations. 1hen one advises and in turn receives feedback and trust, it enables mind3sharing. !t provides an environment of research and insight. .lthough people do not want to be told, forced, spammed or made to do anything but when you involve them, the entire environment changes. &reation of (ositive Self3!mage 3 Social Networking Sites re,uire a profile to be created. 1hen one gets the chance to create a profile, one wants to showcase the best image of themselves by putting their best ,ualities online. -his attribute proves that one cares about hisLher reputation and to a certain extent what people think about them you 3 whether they are peers, relatives, classmates or future employers. +nline (resence 3 -hese Sites provide a platform for an individual to show hisLher (resence +nline. +ne can post his (ersonal (rofile which may includes one$s hobbies, descriptions, likes and dislikes, etc. 1ith +nline (resence one can flaunt hisLher abilities and can also gauge his social stature which boosts one$s self confidence or self esteem. Source of Self (romotion 3 Some use these networking sites to promote their blogs, to post bulletins and updates or to use them as a bridge to a future love interest. -hese also provide you the chance to showcase your talent which otherwise would remain confined to one$s own self. "or example if someone$s good in (hotography or "ashion, one can display his talent through these Sites. -hose looking for a job can also create a profile wherein they present their online resumes to be recruited by a company. #eans to (romote usiness 3 -hough Social Networking 1ebsites are meant for Socialising, they serve another purpose. -hat purpose is the (romotion of one$s own business. Social Networking 1ebsites generate a lot of business. -hese Sites enable the establishment of one$s business among a wide variety of prospective clients. +ne can have better promotional techni,ues by posting links to hisLher business site, visit community boards to learn about the members$ preferences, and even have ads only with minimal fees. +ne can truly maximize one$s own business potential by participating in Social Networking sites. .ddressing !mportant !ssues 3 .nother important purpose which these 1ebsites serve is that one can use it to address various social, environmental, political, economical issues. +ne can

create one$s own create social network as well. -he technology has made it possible that this can be done through #obile Social Networking as well. Cons or Disad)antages of Social Networking &ebsites Social Networking .ddiction 3 Social Networking has the tendency to become an addiction. . lot of time and effort are consumed in establishing great connections. Sometimes one is curious about others and starts to follow that person$s online activity which is facilitated by many sites. Sometimes one wants to create a uni,ue profile so that heLshe can stand out in the crowd, this re,uires time and when doesn$t stop unless one has finished the job. .t times when one starts doing all this he becomes addicted to these sites because it becomes one of his primary concern. -his can have adverse effect on a person$s ability to work efficiently and affects one$s health as well. (rivacy !ssues 3 )ndangerment to one$s (rivacy is one of topmost concern of those using these services. Social Networking Sites re,uire or give a person, the option to provide personal information such one$s name, location, and email address. 1hen one provides all this information it can be used for identity theft. .ny conman can copy one$s information and pretend to be $/ou$ when engaging in illegal activities. -his puts one$s safety and security in danger. +n needs to cautious as to what information heLshe is providing as it can be abused when someone else pretends to be $/ou$. "or example, they might offer you a job or want to meet up with you just to get your money. -his can lead to &yberstalking, where the stalker uses electronic media such as the !nternet to pursue or harass you. -rolling 3 1hen Social Networking Sites are occasionally used to emotionally abuse individuals, it is known as -rolling. -his has happened in the case of "acebook. !t is not rare for confrontations in the real world to be translated online. -rolling can occur in many different forms, such as Jbut not limited toK defacement of deceased personJsK tribute pages, calling ;.ustralians; ;.ustrians;, playing online pranks on volatile individuals and controversial comments with the intention to cause anger and cause arguments. Spamming 3 Social Networking Sites can sell one$s personal information to anyone who wants to buy it, including spammers and on line predators. )ven if the terms of understanding claim that no personal information will be sold, the site can change its policy at any time. &opyright !nfringement 3 !f blogs or other original content is published at a site, the site can take over copyright privileges in unlimited ways. "ew writers, artists and musicians are aware

of this and forget to read the terms of understanding in order to find out what can happen to their works. +nline ullying 3 . common phenomena adding to the disadvantages of Social Networking is +nline ullying. .lso known as &yber3 ullying, it is the virtual e,ual of the real3life ullying. Some sites put enough limitations as to what individuals can post when online. !ndividuals utilise this limitation to their favour when they post offensive remarks or pictures that could potentially cause a great amount of emotional pain for another individual. !n some cases one creates a profile for real life person in manner which can ruin that person$s repute by publishing offensive material. Spreading Negative Sentiments 3 Social Networking Sites have the potential of having the potential of Spreading Negative or .nt3Social #essages. -his can happen when a person has some news or information item to share with an audience. -his can spread like bushfire all around the world. .nd if this information happens to be negative or in bad taste, it can be potential threat to peace as it may be hard to undertake damage control.

NEED %OR THE STUD* O% ROS (ND CONS O% SOCI(+ NET&OR,INNeed of ros: -he mere concept of keeping in touch with all your friends on a single platform is intriguing. /ou can search a friend with whom youNve lost contact or create different groups to keep in touch with schoolLcollege friends and office colleagues simultaneously. /ou can form private groups where you can dicscuss various important aspects in the comfort of your room. .s you are constantly connected to your respective groups, it helps in more reunions and casual meets which otherwise seems a difficult task. esides friends, social networks help bind distinct people and varied cultures with a common interest. (eople start interacting on the basis of some common factors which could be anything from music to science and faith. !t allows connecting to numerous people concurrently. Social media is a new form of socializing rather its socializing in a more convenient way. #embers can spill out their feelings whether enjoyable or saddened. Sharing images you have clicked just hours before with a friend on a distant corner of the world is made possible. @sers can also upload videos, ,uotes and so on. Social networks are explored as a significant marketing and advertising platforms. &reating a company page and reaching a desired consumer base is made simple. !t creates an interactive atmosphere and one can find access to information instantly. &onducting polls and surveys further helps. &elebs, events, N0+s and so on promote their on3goings using these platforms. 'eeping in touch gets cost effective with social networks. #oreover, social networks which bring the world closer could be educative and inspiring too. Need of Cons: -hough you can stay connected with numerous people, it is very difficult to know who is genuine and who isnNt. !dentity theft and fraudulent activities can be used by malicious people on these sites.

 #oney swindlers can take advantage of customers by creating a fraud business page. -eenagers could gain access to censored content as there is no proper censorship method used while they may also make wrong friends. #oreover, getting the social board in a single page view seems cool but it could keep you glued to your desk for hours. 1eighing the pros and cons, itNs debatable to decide if social networks are amicable or not. However, a sound mind and the capability to distinguish the right from wrong seems a great way to deal with the factorsLpeople that donNt seem genuine on social networks.

+i#itations o Social Networks when it comes to internet marketing. 1ell ! say that these buzz are overhyped. Social networks like "acebook and -witter which are the most popular ones have their limitations. +f course lots of *!')S and SH.%)S somehow benefit an individual$s article or blog post. o However, let us put everything in perspective. "acebook$s wall and -witter$s feed is a continuous feed. +nly the most recent get$s the attention of users. ! say only the top Q part of the feed of wall post both in "acebook and -witter gets the most attention, the others are not getting enough attention no matter how nice is the topic you are sharing. o !n this regard, it is proposing a more targetted approach in terms of the time you do the sharing and tweeting at "acebook and -witter respectively. !f you are targetting a certain country, determine the time when people are usually logged in to their "acebook and -witter accounts. +therwise, your links are buried by the 1all updates that continuously come from their "acebook friends and -witter accounts they follow.T o Social networking is only effective in the sense that *ikes, Shares and -weets maybe interpreted by Search )ngines as votes on the ,uality of the site$s content or article or blog post. 1ith this being said, you may be thinking of buying "acebook *ikes from those who offer such services. o !t is caution against those types of lackhat techni,ues, they are ineffective since the complicated search engine algorithms especially 0oogle, detects such artificial ways of increasing likes and shares from "acebook. o .n internet marketer should focus on content, with good content the *ikes, Shares and -weets naturally follows. o Hence, it is to say, listbuilding is still the more effective way of internet marketing because you have the chance to deliver the message directly to the email of the

subscriber, instead of randomly wishing that your Shares, -weets and *ikes gets to be seen by others on "acebook and -witter.

Ob.ecti)es: -o identify and correctly answer ,uestions about different types of social networks -o take full advantage of the benefits of existing social networks -o navigate the social network of their choice in a safe manner #any business owners understand that it is important to be involved in social media, but they arenNt sure what exactly they are trying to accomplish by updating their status and posting new pictures. -he objective of social media marketing is to forge active relationships, converting the reader from passive observer into an active participant. -his creates a network of advocates capable of rapidly spreading your message across their own networks.

RE/IE& O% +ITER(TURE (nneke E#erson0 rof1 %oley has stated that the web has always been a social nother. Social

networking tool. "rom digital bulletin boards to email listservs to online chat rooms, the internet has transformed the way we communicate with one networking in the school setting has the potential to motivate student participation and deepen cultural understanding. Social networks emphasize collaboration and interaction within a learning community. -here is tremendous potential for this software to support the human interaction between teachers and students. "ace3to3face and online activities can be blended, creating multi3layered communities, which may add new resources and stimula to the in3classroom community. &ontrolled, private networks can connect students within a school, connect students within school districts, or connect students across the world. .nd these safe networks are the perfect UsandboxV to educate students to make informed choices in their UonlineV lives. -his simple, but often overlooked, life skill may be as essential as any other subject taught in 74st century schools today. )llison, N. ., Steinfield, &., : *ampe, &. J766AK. -he enefits of "acebook

W;"riendsE; Social &apital and &ollege Students$ @se of +nline Social Network Sites. Pournal of &omputer3#ediated &ommunication, 47J9K, 449Q344I>. have stated that research focuses in examining how "acebook helps create andLor maintain social capital. -o do this the researchers identify the differences between bonding social capital and bridging social capital. -he former represents relationships with strong ties while the latter means weak ties among members in a social network. -o test these assumptions >66 undergraduate #S@ students were surveyed. -he "acebook intensity scale was used to measure self assessed "acebook behavior, engagement in "acebook activities and attitudes toward the SNS. .lso content published and expected audience was measured and psychological well being. -he results showed that "acebook served as a tool to create bridging social capital and not bonding social capital proving that SNS$s Jin this caseK served to create weak social ties. However this SNS served to maintain previous relationship. .mong the findings they also noticed that subjective well being played a part on bringing social capital. 1hile one increased the other lowered Jthe variables are negative correlatedK. -he authors concluded stating that

;not necessarily remove people from their offline world but may indeed be used to support relationships; eer, 2. J766>K. eers essay is a response to boyd$s and )llison$s J766AK paper on definitions, history and scholarship of Social Network Sites JSNSK. -he author puts into ,uestion the definitions that boyd and )llison choose for SNS and also the concept of ;"riends; within SNSs. He argues that SNSs are as much part of the real world because the content in them seeks to communicate aspects of the offline life. )xplaining that the practice of SNSs is so popular that this could become part of the socializing process in general. !n contrast the author suggests that more research is needed to define these terms instead of having a scholar define them in such an early stage. +ther than providing a counter opinion to boyd : )llison J766AK, eer suggest a very important point of view when analyzing SNSs. He suggests that these type of tools should be perceived as tools that maintain and change the capitalist system. Buestioning the democratic purpose of these sites must be vital to understand how producers are becoming consumers of the same product they consume J;prosumer; %itzerK. -hus a new form of capitalism is being fostered. -hird parties are taking advantage of the data inputed by users in order to advance their own agendas. Not only that but advertisement are being injected more and more in these websites. -he Neo3#arxist perspective that venue for future research on the topic. Hargittai, ). J766AK. 2ifferences among users and non3users of social network sites. Pournal of &omputer3#ediated &ommunication, 4QJ4K, 7AI375A. stated that the study explored who was more likely to join to certain social network sites over others. -he sites considered in this study wereE "acebook, #yspace, Ranga, +rkut and "riendster. -he author proposes that users Jcollege freshmansK select a site regarding offline identities likeE ethnic group, living context and parents level of education and sex. -he findings suggested that hispanics wil use facebook more than any other ethnic group. 1hile .sians and .sian .merican will use Sanga and "riendster. .lso the findings suggest that ;there seems to be a positive relationship between parental schooling and the use of "acebook and Ranga, and a negative relationship between parental education and the use of #ySpace. !n addition students that live with their parents would be less involve in social network sites in contrast with students that live eer uses to analyze SNS provide the

alone or in dorms. Suggesting that those that dont live with their parents spend more time mantaining their relationships online than those that live with their parents. .lso suggesting that ;online actions and interactions cannot be seen as a tabula rasa activities, independent of existing iffline identities. !n that sense researchers must be cautious not to generalize results of SNS when conducting research if only one site is being considered. Haythornthwaite, &. J7668K. Social networks and !nternet connectivity effects. !nformation, &ommunication : Society, >J7K, 478349A pointed out that research studies seeks to understand the relationship between media use Jtype of information sharedK and the tie strength of individuals between a network. -wo groups were used to assess the issueE co3located researchers and distance learners. !t states that the type of communication differs on the type of relationship and not on the medium. "urthermore it states that the type of relationship will dictate the type of medium that will be used. !n addition it suggests that the strong tie will remain intact regardless of the medium while the weak tie will perish in regard of the medium use i.e. the distance learners stopped using the virtual classrooms tools when not re,uire to do so.