A Guide to Social Networks

By Daniel Nations, About.com Guide to Web Trends

Social Networks can be a great home on the web, can help you connect with people or reconnect
with long-lost friends, and can even help your career by making business contacts. Social
networks range from friends-based networks like Facebook and MySpace to music and movie
networks like Flixster and Last.FM to business social networks like LinkedIn and XING.
Social Networking Basics
Facebook
General and Friends-based Social Networks
Movie and Music Social Networks
Mobile Social Networks
Pet Social Networks
Hobby and Special Interest Social Networks
Business Social Networks
Reading and Books Social Networks

Social Networking Basics

What is a social network? Why should you join one? How can you get started with social
networking? If you are new to the world of social networks, these articles will give you the
basics.

· What is Social Networking?

· Why Get Involved With Social Networking?

· How to Get Started With Social Networking

· How to Create Your Own Social Network on Ning

Sponsored Links

Diet RageCreate a diet profile, use tools & make friends on ANY diet - Freewww.dietrage.com
Gay places world wideFind all gayplaces all over the world by just one
mouseclickwww.go2gay.com
Get Fans For FreeGet 1000's of Real FB Fans. Sign Up & Get Fans Free Now!
Twiends.com/FacebookFans
Facebook
It hasn't taken long for Facebook to become the most popular social network on the planet. With
the multitude of Facebook applications extending its use and the ease of Facebook Connect to
use as a login for various websites, Facebook has become our home on the web.

· Why Start Facebooking?

· How to Organize Facebook Friends

· How to Connect Twitter to Facebook

· Set Up a Web Feed on Facebook

· Create a Custom Facebook List

· More Facebook Tips

General and Friends-based Social Networks

General social networks do not focus on a particular topic or niche. Instead, they put the
emphasis on staying connected to your friends and connecting with new people. These friends-
based networks often allow you to join groups and connect with people who have similar
interests.

· Facebook

· MySpace

· Hi5

· More Friends-based Social Networks

· More School-based Social Networks

Movie and Music Social Networks

Movie and music social networks focus on connecting people to others who enjoy similar
interests in movies or music. They can be a great resource for finding more information about a
movie you enjoyed, discovering new music by checking out the playlists of people with similar
interests, or just kicking back and playing a movie trivia game.

· LastFM

· Flixster

· iLike

· More Movie and Music Social Networks

Mobile Social Networks
Mobile users constitute one of the biggest areas of growth in the online market. A number of
social networks have sprung up that cater to mobile users in order to better suit their needs.
These social networks can be great for arranging impromptu meetings while out on the town.

· Dodgeball

· Loopt

· Mozes

· More Mobile Social Networks

Pet Social Networks

Did you think social networks were limited to humans? Many different social networks have
sprung up devoted to our hairy, four-legged and sometimes slithering-on-their-stomach friends.
These pet-based social networks are not only great for meeting other pet owners, but also can be
an excellent resource if you are in dire need of finding adopters of a surprise litter.

· Catster

· Dogster

· More Pet Social Networks

Hobby and Special Interest Social Networks

Hobby and special interest social networks range from those devoted to biking or sports to those
who focus on sharing car reviews or dispensing medical advice. They can be a great source of
entertainment, information and a great place to go for advice.

· ActionProfiles

· FanIQ

· More Hobby and Special Interest Social Networks

Business Social Networks

Social networks aren't all about fun and games. Social networking in business goes back long
before the Internet when use of the 'buddy system' could be the best way to find a job. Business
social networks bring that buddy system into the digital age by allowing you to quickly and
easily maintain a list of business contacts and make new business connections.

· LinkedIn

· XING
 · Konnects

· More Business Social Networks

Reading and Books Social Networks

Just finished up with a great book and looking for something similar to read? Reading and book-
based social networks can be a great place to find people who share your taste in books. They are
a great way to get book reviews, let friends know what your are reading, recommend the latest
book that blew you away, and simply share information about literature.