Christos+D

Facebook
- Since facebook was launched in 2004 it now has more than 45 milion active users, and the faastest growing demographic is women over 55. - As Facebook has grown and become more accessible to mainstream audiences, its features have changed and its demographics are now very different from what they were at the start of the project. - It now offers advertising for businesses and the opportunity for businesses to to create 'fan pages' so that they can brand their product in this enviroment and even though it is a social netowrking site it has adapted to include opportunities for businesses and groups to have a presence.

Myspace
- Myspace is a simliar story to facebook as this site originally appealed to musicians who wanted a web presence but didn't havethe skills or money to build a website. - Myspace very quickly became an online community for young people to network socially, due to the ease of applying custom wallpapers and music to their site. There have been issues in the media with young people posting inappropriate pictures and details into Myspace and, as a consequence, putting themselves at risk. -As users migrated accross to Facebook, teh popularity of Myspace slumped and the site has been reclaimed by musicians looking for a space online on which to share their music and information about their gigs.

Twitter
- Is a micro-blogging tool that broadcasts up to 140 chracters-worth of observatiions, thoughts or links to information. In much the same way as sending a text message on a mobile telephone, users can use their mobile devices to broadcast a running commentary of their day, an even they are at, or their thoughts on the world. Users can also can use hash tags to categorise their tweets and include them as part of a greater conversation or commmentary. - Twitter has found its strength through large events such as elections and natural diasters, as users can get information out to the world more quickly than by traditional media - The danger with Twiter is that becasue there is no moderation and the enviromental is socail, most Twitter posts have been labelled as 'pointless babble'.

Other social networking tools
- The social networking landscape is quite dynamic and every day another site appears offline. Other tools include: + blogging sites such as Livejournal, Blogger, Wordpress and Tumblr + social media sites such as Flicker and Youtube, which allows users to upload, share and view various types of media content such as photos and videos. - Most are open to anyone to join, but you may need to get approved to access certain parts or features of these social network.

=Professional or work-based communities= - Professional communities generally havea very clear charter. Websites, discussion areas and mailing lists are set up with a clear purpose and often the community has rules on what and hwo information can be shared. - They are generally established to facilitate learning in a particular industry and discussion is kept strictly 'on topic'. To keep it private many have 'off topic' areas.

Verfication of membership status
- Memberships to these communities are oftenclosed,as the site is either owned by a professional assocation or a workplace. - Usernames in these communities tend to reflect the real name of the person behind the account, as often members are looking to build up their professional standing by contributing to discussions. - Members are generally truthful about who they work for and what they do.