Social networking is not new to the Inernet. Whether it be bulletin boards, email lists, FTP sites, or Gopher, the desire to form groups existed before HTTP and the “Web.” Tim Berners-Lee created the “Web” to provide a means for scientists to share information. The social networks of today are a natural evolution of the past. Social networking reflects the basic need of humans to congregate together and to share.
While traditional Web pages allowed us to share information, they lacked feedback. While traditional search engines, helped to find the content we sought, they also lacked feedback.
Blogs marked a turning point in Web interaction. Blogs eliminated the need to create a formal Web page for the content. A blogger could write and post, the software took care of the rest. Readers could make comments. Blogs could even become communities.
In the meantime, cell phones had text messaging. Text between individuals is one thing, but what about texting to a group. Along came Twitter with tweets as short messages. A person can send a tweet that is heard by their followers, and receive tweets from those whom they follow. A social network with tweets (micro blogs).
When you mix Internet messaging (chat), blogs, microblogs (tweet or status messages), blogs (notes), photos and videos, you have a social network applications such as Facebook, MySpace, Ning, and many others. Combine them into a stream of messages and you have live social networking. Top with social bookmarking, and you have a dynamic Internet based on sharing.
Non-profit organizations are based on a community of volunteers, or a social network. Some volunteers have never used a computer, while others actively particpate in Internet social networking. Others are stuck somewhere between knowing nothing about the Internet and being a social networking avangelist. All need to communicate, and through training everyone can share.
As introduction to the vaste world of social networking, I wrote a series of blogs on The American Legion W.R.I.T.E.S. While these blogs are aimed at American Legion Posts, Units, and Squadrons, the information applies to all non-profit organizations. The six blogs in this series are:
- Internet Presence through Social Networking
- Make Facebook the Centerpiece
- Tweets for Twitter
- Other Social Network Alternatives
- Social Networks and Social Engines
- Social Networking Live Feeds
Time to go back to Tweetmeme and track down some channels for senior citizens. I am still just an old geek.
Tags: social media, Social Networking