Social Networking | MoreInfoGuru.com

Myspace: Social Networking Safety Tips

admin — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 15:24:49 +0000

Myspace-Why It Leads In Social Networking -

Today it’s easier than ever before to build a social network of friends, let them know what’s been going on in your life and keep them updated on your contact information. This is all thanks to the Internet and sites such as MySpace and other groups. While there are obvious benefits and advantages associated with using these sites, there are also some risks which you should be aware of.

One of the most frequent problems that many users simply are not aware of is that information, including pictures, that you post on the Web can be available for a very long time-in many cases for years. In addition, even though many people believe the information they are posting on MySpace and many other similar sites is only available for view by their friends it is quite possible for others to see the information as well. These other individuals can include future employers and even college and university admissions counselors as well as stalkers and identity thieves.

MySpace and other similar sites are based on the same concept as social networking in the non-Internet world. You are able to meet and connect with others through people you already know and through mutual interests. Sounds safe enough, right?

Not necessarily.

This concept encourages the provision of personal, and in some cases, confidential information. Far too often, users may not be as careful about the information they provide on a website like MySpace as they would if they were just meeting someone face to face, in person. Because the Internet provides a certain level of anonymity and there is a false sense of security due to the lack of physical interaction, users tend to be far more forthcoming with their personal information.

This information sharing can result in problems and even dangers; however. It can pose a personal safety risk as well as reveal information to people who may be important to your future that you would rather them not know.

There is an increasing trend among employers and recruiters as well as school admissions officers to take background checks farther than ever before. Today, people who hold control over your choices in college and employment are not only Googling potential prospects but they are also monitoring sites like MySpace to see what pops up as well. Just a few clicks and anything you have posted is available to be seen by virtually anyone: your future boss, spouse, in-laws- practically anyone.

About the Author

Maddie Grace Hollister is a part-time writer and member of the team Profile Pitstop. You can also read some of her works in Myspace blogs.

ShareThis

Are Social Networking Sites Violating Children?s Online Privacy Protection Act?

admin — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 06:31:55 +0000

Using Social Networking To Get Testimonials And Build Your Business -

Never before in our nation?s history has a technological revolution skirted governmental regulation like the internet. The industrial revolution saw the rise of giant corporations, followed by the legislation of strict corporate and securities law regulations. The newfound mobility of the country led to a more recent communications revolution as telegraph lines were installed along rail road tracks. Suddenly, any person in the country was virtually at the touch of a dial. Again, like a Pavlovian dog, the government followed suit by instituting strict regulations governing the use and control over the means of communication. Then we come to the true information revolution, of which we are still in the early years. The internet has expanded faster and more thoroughly than any of the previous technological revolutions. However, because the internet is not in one particular location, governmental internet regulation has been slow to react. Jurisdictional issues aside, governments have struggled to determine an efficient manner to regulate internet use, while still allowing for the ideas of free speech to flow freely.

Because of the openness of the internet and the anonymity involved, internet regulation is difficult to design and almost impossible to enforce.

The internet can be a great learning tool for school students of all ages, but online predators pose a significant threat to the most vulnerable group of internet users, children. Social networking sites continue to increase in popularity and expand in use. Myspace.com, facebook.com and classmates.com are only a few of the many networking sites available. Additionally, there are countless numbers of chat rooms available on the internet where a person?s identity can be rendered virtually untraceable. All of these sites and chat rooms pose significant threats to the welfare of children.

Partially in response to the expansion of these types of internet types, Congress passed the Children?s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 (?COPPA?). [For full text see, http://www.ftc.gov/ogc/coppa1.htm ] COPPA is aimed at websites that offer services directly to children under age 13, but it is also aimed at websites making their services available to children under age 13, despite not being the primary users. COPPA requires such websites to:

Post a privacy policy with links to the notice provided on the home page and at each area where the site or online service collects personal information from children;

Detail how the operator of the website uses the personal information and whether it is disclosed to third parties;

Describe every kind of information collected from children, such as, name, address, e-mail address, hobbies, and age;

Institute procedures that ?protect the confidentiality, security, and integrity of personal information collected from children.”

Provide parents with contact information for all operators collecting or maintaining children’s personal information;

Allow parents to review, correct, and delete information about their children collected by such services; and

Obtain parental consent before collecting, using, or disclosing personal information about a child under the age of 13.

Services such as Myspace.com and facebook.com clearly run the risk of violating COPPA simply by allowing children under the age of 13 to use their services without providing parental notification. Companies offering such online services have a duty to institute procedures that demonstrate due diligence in verifying the ages of its users. Failure to implement proper procedures can give rise to substantial fines and potential civil liability. Recently, a social networking site named Xanga, which allows for the creation of blogs and personal web pages, was fined $1 million dollars by the Federal Trade Commission (FCC) for its failure to comply fully with the Child Online Privacy Protection Act. Xanga had been allowing children under the age of 13 to create online accounts without parental notification, and they also did not provide adequate means for parents to access their children?s accounts. The fine is the largest of its kind ever implemented under the COPPA. Other significant fines instituted by the Federal Trade Commission for violations of COPPA have been handed down to companies such as toysmart.com (no longer in existence), American Popcorn Company and Lisa Frank, Inc., all for violations of the COPPA.

As social networking sites continue to increase in popularity, so will the fines. Additionally, it is also likely that in the not so distant future we will see a push for statutorily created civil liability to allow parents to bring lawsuits partially based on COPPA violations. If you have a client that is thinking about beginning a networking site, or already has, it is important to ensure that all policies are in compliance with COPPA. COPPA has recently been renewed and will likely soon be expanded in its reach, as more and more predators lurk the internet through social networking sites. The best way to protect any clients that run such networking sites is to do everything possible to protect the children who use that site. Failure to do so may soon prove costly to both attorney and client.

About the Author:

This article was written by Nicholas J. Deleault, Pierce Law Center ?07. Nicholas writes select legal articles for the Law Firm of Goldstien and Clegg, a Massachusetts cyberlaw firm

ShareThis

Social Networking

admin — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 10:28:57 +0000

Four Tips on How to Use Social Networking Site for Zero Cost Publicity -

Social networking is one of the most popular forms of online networking to hit the information highway in the 21st Century. Social networking web sites like My Space and Friends have made it possible to connect with others all over the world and learn more about interesting people. You can use social networking web sites to publicize your business, promote a musical group, or just make some new friends. However, social networking has become one of the hottest ways to meet other single people because of the easy online interface and ability to create personal profiles. Understanding how social networking works for single people can help you make new friends and even start a new romance.

When you join a social networking site, you?re asked to create a profile for yourself. Some of these profiles are very basic and only ask you to list your age and location. Others are very detailed and ask questions about your body type, religion, relationship status, and hobbies. These detailed profiles are better for dating through social networking because they help to eliminate some of the wasted time that can occur when you only have a basic profile. If you only have your age and location listed, you can get messages from people whose interests just don?t match yours. If you have a detailed profile to view, you can find out if you?re interested in others by viewing their interests and backgrounds.

Another great thing about social networking is that you can stay pretty anonymous until you find out more about someone you?re corresponding with. Even if you have your first name in your profile, you don?t need to reveal your last name or any other identifying information about yourself until you feel that you can trust your e-mail partner. This can help you in one of two ways. First, it helps you stay anonymous so that you don?t have to feign interest in someone who keeps calling you when you?re not interested. Second, it helps you to stay safe because your personal information is kept private. The people you correspond with on social networking sites can?t access private information about you unless you offer to share it with them.

One tip to remember about social networking is that your profile will get more attention if you attach a picture of yourself when you create the profile. Even though looks are not everything, many people have a certain body type, height, or hair color that they are attracted to. If you?re a brunette and you don?t have a picture on your profile page, someone who has a preference for blonds might contact you. You may talk a few times before you reveal that you?re a brunette. If that person is set on dating a blond, you?ve both just wasted your time and missed out on opportunities for talking with people you?d be interested in dating. Social networking will continue to be popular with people all over the world. All you need to do to take advantage of it is create a profile and start chatting.

http://www.singlelifeat45.com

Adrian has been single for 45 years and knows the single’s lifestyles good and bad points. He has written may articles on the single life style and also on creating the correct mind set to achieve your goals.

ShareThis

Seven Top Tips For Gay Social Networking Success

admin — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 06:00:02 +0000

PG Dating and Social Networking webdevelopment Release -

As you know MySpace is a heaving hive of activity with millions of subscribers each vying for each others friendship and attention. If Kinsey is even close to right at least 10% of those people are gay or at least looking for some sort of attention from a member of the same sex. The fact is that the gay scene on MySpace is huge and growing at a rapid daily basis. Are you gay and love roller coasters? Guess what there are others out there! What if you like to hit the circuit each season, baby there are plenty of fish in that sea! Even the home body that only goes out to collect the paper and milk would be amazed at just who else loves labradores almost as much as he does. As a brief guide this article will give you my seven top tips to meeting and greeting on MySpace and other networking sites (yes there are even gay ones!)….

1. First things first you need an account! If you don’t have an account you aint welcome to the party! It’s pretty cut and dry like that. Dont stress, setting up an account is actually really easy. If you set aside a lazy 30 minutes you will be able to set up a profile that will have your ideal friends flocking in to join thier networks.

2. I don’t care how deep you are in the closet, you have to have a photo. Lets face it a picture tells a thousand words and if you dont have one what exactly are you saying? People are fickle and they want to see what they are in for. I highly recommend a good head shot, dont forget to smile (forget what those hard core EMO’s are doing, I would rather have one smiling friend then a hundred grumpy sullen people on my friends list. Ok Ok I understand that some of you are the left hand man of the president and you cant possibly have your picture on the net (national security you know). IF you cant have a head shot at least have something interesting and probably not stolen from the latest edition of playgirl. Gay people are smart and tend to know thier porn stars… Do you really want to be the 37th Jeff Stryker out there on MySpace? … Or perhaps you do.

3. Be honest! Call out to exactly the sort of people you want to meet. If you like rose gardens great! THere are tonnes of other gay gardeners out there just begging to meet you. There is not point in saying you are an avid gardener if all you are looking for is a torid one night stand with a United flight attendant. Let them know what you want, after all you might just get the upgrade you have been begging for.

4. Having made your space you can even pimp your space if you like. There are dozens of places now were you can add bells and whistles to make your site even more suited to yourself. You can add backgrounds, music, video… It really is amazing what you can do. As long as you can copy and paste, you can use these sites to make your space shine like you. Do a google search on mod myspace to find the better ones. One caviat tho. Remember that other people will have to read it, if you have so many things flashing that your ideal mates are going into fits, you may have gone over board. A little tinsel is nice, the whole freeking tree can be a bit overwhelming.

5. Get out there and find some friends… Ok you have set the ideal cyber love nest, lets get some friends to check it out. My number one trick is to do a search for what I am looking for. Almost all the social networking sites have search boxes, some more complex then others. I have found that the word gay and then what you are looking for will find you pages and pages of potential new friends. Check the top few out. Like the look? Go on be a devil and hit the “add to friends” button, you have nothing to lose and a great new friend to gain. What will happen is that your request will be sent to you new mate and they will either add you or not, no sweat most people are more then happy to meet new people. Guess what, they were in the same position as you some time, they will usually be there with open arms. Some people like to send a message with thier invite, if you like the personal touch, great, I have found that the chance of being added are much higher with a friendly email to introduce yourself.

6. Get to know your friends friends… Guess what if your new friends is a total roller coaster freek, chances are that his friends may be as well. Have a look at the friends of your new mates. As they say, birds of a feather flock together. As you expore and add more friends you will soon discover why these social sites are so addictive. As you add each new friend you are being introduced to a whole bunch of their friends… Before you know it you will have more friends then you can poke a stick at!

7. Don’t get too serious. This can be a fun activity and a great way to meet some cool people. As you go along there is a good chance that you will get a few rejections, it’s no sweat. Just give them a pass and check out thier friends I have found that just be being there, answering messages and engaging in some of the more fun aspects you will meet more then your share of fun, interesting people. Not everyone is going to be your cup of tea, thats life (not everyone like tea!) By not sweating the small stuff you will have a huge horizon of fun and potential.

I hope that this has been a useful primer to you in getting started in some gay social networking. More info is on it’s way so keep an eye on the horizon.

About the Author

Gef is a webmaster who was crazy enough to start his very own gay social net working site, 100% gay, exclusively for the gay market. Check out this hot new site today and begin your social network at My Gay Zone today, I’m waiting for ya! http://mygayzone.com

ShareThis

How To Use Social Networking To Promote Your Business Effectively

admin — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 17:06:59 +0000

Social Networking: How to Make it Work for Your Business -

Social networking what is it and why is it imperative that marketers get on board. Social networking is the process of using social tools and networks, which are widely available to the general public. Some of the most common and widely used social networks are sites such as Myspace, Squidoo, Classmates and Hi5. Some of the most common social tools are blogs, social book marking sites, social search engines and user driven news and content sites. This article describes the many different ways to take advantage of these free resources and use them to generate high quality traffic and leads to build your business.

——————————————————– SOCIAL NETWORKS ——————————————————– Social network integration is the process of plugging into the existing online structure of different social networks such as Myspace, Squidoo and Hi5. To effectively integrate into the above mentioned networks you must forget everything you know about marketing and direct sales. These social sites are not marketer friendly; instead they are “friend” friendly, meaning that these sites are built on the concept of “friends” and you, as the marketer must approach the users as such.

Heavy sale pitches and bulletin spamming are not effective methods to advertise and market in Myspace and other similar networks. On the other hand building a great list of friends, which you actually help on a regular basis, will generate a huge amount of interest in you and your business.

Think of these social networks as a huge popularity contest where all people want is to be liked. Why do you think people put their pictures on their profiles and ask users for their comments? It is for the simple reason that they love to get positive feedback because it makes them feel good about themselves. Your job in these social networks as a marketer is to help people feel good about themselves and develop meaningful relationships.

In order to find like-minded individuals to add as friends you should take a look at the thousands of groups that people form. In all of the above-mentioned social networks, there are options to start and join user groups. These groups will have a main theme such as “online marketing,” “body building” and many more. These groups are a great resource to find tons of other people who are interested in similar activities. This makes it much easier to develop relationships because you already relate to the other users by having similar interest.

Once you have a loyal group of friends you can them begin effectively using the bulletin system to send out Special Offers and Promotions. The reason the bulleting will work now, is because you now mean something to the other person, they have put your face to your name and are on a first name basis with you, so they are much more willing to open and read your bulletin than some random Joe you are spamming with your offer.

Another great use of groups is to create a joint venture with the owner of the group, as they have already established themselves as an authority and friend to their group members. Offer the group owners a percentage of sales in exchange for their endorsement of your product or offer to their group. This offer will benefit both you and the group owner and ultimately help build your credibility and popularity in the group.

Now there is a way you can speed up all of these processes and that is by using an automated friend adder type program. There are a few out there that you can buy, I use Badder Adder as I believe it is the best one available and the price is very reasonable. You can download a demo from http://www.Badder-Adder.net.

——————————————————– SOCIAL TOOLS ——————————————————– **Blogging and RSS Feeds: Blogs are great social tools because of their informal and personal approach to content. Instead of a visitor reading a formal sales pitch from a sales page, the visitor can read the actual thoughts and see the daily activities of the same marketer who wrote the sales pitch. This helps the marketer relate to the visitor on a more personal level, which in turn creates a sense of trust that ultimately helps to make the sale.

Blogs are responsible for the majority of your return traffic and backend sales. With that being said you should make daily post in your blog to keep your visitors coming back for more. Your post should be short and informative, but not boring and they should be written in your own voice and as informal as possible.

**Social Bookmarking: Social Bookmarking is a new phenomenon to hit the Internet and it is catching on very fast. Social Bookmarking sites are places where users can save and label (tag) their favorite websites. Some examples of Social Bookmarking websites are Del.icio.us, Furl, and Technoratti. These sites are great because the user can access these bookmarks from any computer with an Internet connection instead of having to be at a particular computer where their favorites are saved. These sites also allow users to share their book marked sites with one another, which gets the bookmarked sites extra traffic.

Recently it was released that Google’s algorithm gives points to websites, which are socialized into these social bookmarking websites. This means hat the more occurrences of your website in these bookmarking engines the better ranking you get in Google. A quick way increase your website’s rank, is by signing up for a lot of these sites and bookmarking your website. I recommend onlyweb.com because it has 20 of the most popular bundled into one so you only have to bookmark your websites once and it is updated in over 20 social bookmarking sites. You can also subscribe to groups such as the Social Bookmarking yahoo group in which all of the users help each other out by bookmarking each other’s websites.

**Social Search Engines: Social Search engines are user driven search engines in which users vote on the most relevant content. These have not become main stream, but you can bet that in the near future they will be. You can see that Google has already integrated some aspects of a user based voting system when you take a closer look at the Google toolbar. If activated, the users have access to a voting interface where they can vote positively or negatively on any website they land on. As of now this voting system does not hold too much weight in the algorithm, but you can bet that it will very soon. For a quick rank helper, install the Google toolbar and vote positively for each and every web page of your website.

**User Driven Content: User driven content is another new phenomenon in which users can vote or digg on their favorite articles, news stories, videos and blogs. This Digg system can best be seen on Digg.com where the most popular stories will stay at the top where they will get a good amount of free publicity. This free publicity and digg voting system also tends to get the story indexed much higher in Google and other search engines. This user driven content site can be used to get your newly written articles voted to a popular level where they will get free publicity and ultimately bring free traffic to your website.

Social networking will be an integral part of the internet and it is up to you to either get on board or watch the wave pass you by. Don’t wait, start your social networking campaign today, signup and start developing your profiles and making friends. Spend at least one day a week advancing your network of friends and using the tools to promote your business.

About the Author

Adam Beazley Internet Marketing Consultant http://www.PlugInHomeBusiness.com

Do you know the Secrets to making money with Myspace? Well I do and you can too! http://www.MasteringMyspace.net

ShareThis

The Most Popular Social Networking Websites

admin — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 07:17:26 +0000

The Most Popular Social Networking Websites -

In case you haven’t heard of social networking sites, where in the heck have you been? They are super hot these days, and if you aren’t a member of one, then you need to join one right now. After all, you don’t want to miss out on the latest and greatest marketing tool created, a tool that will allow you to meet all kinds of people for business or personal reasons. In fact, social networking websites are rapidly becoming the most accepted way of communicating with others on the virtual space.

You might be wondering how social networking websites are different from other virtual communities or chat rooms where you can also stay in touch with other people. The primary difference is that with social networking websites you get to pick and choose who you communicate with and you aren’t flooded with messages from people you have no desire in chatting with or meeting.

You see, with social networking websites, you have a group of individuals who are the members of a network. They share a commonality of interest. They communicate with one another via an online platform and their community grows. Plus, some social networking sites are quite picky. You can only become a member if you are invited to join. So, in essence, someone has to vouch for you in order for you to become a member.

Today there are over 200 social networking websites that are available. However, there are only a few which are popular with a significant portion of the surfers. I will list a few for you to try.

Orkut, developed and launched in 2004, is Google’s offering to the growing domain of social networking websites. Although a pretty late entrant, Orkut has really caught the imagination of those who have joined the site. The good thing about Orkut is its simple design and ease of use. The website is being updated regularly with extra features being included. Of course, entry is restricted and you must get an invite to join the community. Once you are there, you can upload your profile, have photos in your album, and join communities you are interested in.

Next, let’s discuss another popular social networking site called MySpace. In fact, it is so popular that it registered more hits than Google for a month in 2005. Unlike Orkut, you don’t need an invitation to join. You simply visit MySpace.com, register, input your information and bam you’re a member. As a MySpace member, you can upload a profile, pictures, write blogs and even include video and music clips. And to top it all off, this site is completely free.

Classmates is another popular social networking site. It is actually the forerunner of all social networking websites and was started in 1995. The primary focus of the website is to reunite classmates who had lost touch over time. The basic membership comes free, but many of its services are restricted only to paid members. For example, you cannot search for an old classmate or read their profiles if you don’t pay. Because of these restrictions, it has not been able to grow as other networks are growing. But if you agree to pay the fee, you may really get value for your money.

In conclusion, if you are truly interested in becoming a part of the fastest growing trend which is social networking, you should give it a try. You’ll be pleasantly surprised and might just meet some great friends and acquaintances in the process.

About the Author

Lana Hampton of http://LanaHampton.com is your guide to easy, up-to-date and lucrative social networking strategies. Visit http://www.socialnetworkingstrategies.com to download her free MySpace report today.

ShareThis

Whitefield Academy partners with communitey(sm) for Social Networking

admin — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:08:12 +0000

Creating a Borderless World through Social Networking -

Whitefield Academy will be the first educational institution to partner with communitey(sm)(http://www.communitey.net) as their destination for “community resourcing.” Uniting all Whitefield families through an exclusive online community gives the school a unique tool among private schools.

“Harnessing the collective assets of a community to meet the needs of the individuals and the group is what “community resourcing is all about,” said Michael Q. Parker, founder and president of communitey. “We’re delighted Whitefield chose to partner with communitey to fulfill this need.”

By adopting communitey, the school can create an outstanding community experience for all the school’s families every day of the year. Whitefield families are quickly embracing the site and enjoying immediate benefits.

About the Author

Press Inquiries: Michael Q. Parker, QCP Media, LLC; www.communitey.net; mqparker@qcpmedia.com; 770.541.7322

ShareThis

Social Networking Software - A Good Investment For Your Online Business

admin — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:01:41 +0000

How to Market Your Business Using Social Networking -

Increasing traffic to your website has become difficult in recent years due to the growth of a number of websites offering similar products and services. If you want to attract more people to your website, you can try out and install social networking software, which is networking software that allows users to interact with their friends, family members and business associates.

Cheap Investment Option

Investing in social networking software does not mean that you will have to redesign your existing website. The software can be installed on any type of website, be it a commercial or an online community website. Investing in social networking is relatively cheaper than employing any other form of Internet marketing strategy or tools because social networking software investment costs are limited only to the actual price of this software and its implementation. If you install good social networking software, you may not have to make additional investments in marketing your website.

How It Works

People who visit your website will probably register themselves for a membership in your software. They will then send invitations to their friends requesting them to register on your website. With time, this will result in a chain reaction and very soon, your website will see an increase in overall traffic. Increased traffic will most probably lead to a parallel increase in advertising revenues that you earn from your website, as companies prefer advertising on websites that have a large number of regular users. This can be favorable to you, especially if you have a content-based website that is solely dependent on advertising revenues. Increased traffic also benefits commercial websites because the more the number of visitors, the more is the probability that a product or service will be purchased. This means that your website will now earn more revenues, which is necessary for the long term success of your business.

Many online companies have successfully added social networking software to their websites and are reaping the benefits associated with the use of this social networking software. You can also install the software on your website to allow people to find long-lost friends, keep in touch with existing friends, chat with each other, share news and views, share digital photographs, and upload their images.

All these tools will help users to relate to your website, which in turn will help in building customer loyalty (customer loyalty=$$$). This is necessary because your website is not the only one that will be using the software. If you are not successful in building customer loyalty, your visitors are most likely to keep hopping from one website to another until they find the best one. When selecting social networking software make sure that it is fast and has all the necessary tools that will help in attracting and retaining Internet users. This is the key to using this social networking software effectively in order to successfully grow your Internet business idea.

About the Author

social networking software, online community website, Internet business idea

ShareThis

Social Networking | MoreInfoGuru.com

Myspace: Social Networking Safety Tips

Abo­ut th­e Auth­o­r­

Are Social Networking Sites Violating Children?s Online Privacy Protection Act?

Social Networking

Seven Top Tips For Gay Social Networking Success

A­bout­ t­he A­ut­hor­

How To Use Social Networking To Promote Your Business Effectively

Abo­u­t th­e­ Au­th­o­r­

The Most Popular Social Networking Websites

Abo­­u­t the Au­tho­­r­

Whitefield Academy partners with communitey(sm) for Social Networking

Ab­ou­t th­e Au­th­or

Social Networking Software - A Good Investment For Your Online Business

A­bout­ t­h­e A­ut­h­or­

About the Author

About the Author

About the Author

About the Author

About the Author

About the Author