Social Media Synthesis

Hi readers, today we have a guest post from Sophie. We are both members of the Ning community 20 something bloggers. Check out my blog post at her blog which is funny but may be NSFW. I'll be back soon with my own post I hope; finals and presentations are upon me.

Social Media Synthesis

As a new blogger, I've been venturing into social media with gusto. I randomly chose Wordpress as my blog platform, and from what I've heard it's one of the most sophisticated platforms available. So far I have been extremely pleased with my selection! With the many blogging platforms and social media currently available, my biggest surprise in this foray into blogging has been how easily these media interface with each other. Wordpress has made many widgets available to support applications such as Flickr, Twitter, Meebo, and Vodpod to name a few. The widgets in Wordpress sync effortlessly with their respective applications, making my life as a blogger infinitely easier. Many of these applications also promote instant updating and/or uploading via cellular device, which allows bloggers to share pictures or ideas at the drop of a hat. I think this sort of collaboration and synthesis is fabulous, and makes me excited to explore these media as I continue to my adventures in blogging!

Social Networking: Generalization vs. Specification

Today I am going to talk about online social networks. Most people have heard of the big ones like Facebook, Myspace, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc but there are tons of smaller ones that are out there. One in particular that I am fond of is Ning. This online platform lets you create your own social network and many have done just that. There are Ning networks for job seekers, pet lovers, book lovers, movie enthusiasts, people that love exercising, writers, social philanthropists and all types of career gurus. A couple that I belong to are TalentBar, Recruiter Earth, Recruiting Blogs and 20 Something Bloggers. Like most social networks, ning allows you to customize your page within your ning community. You can have a personalized background, banner and/or text/background colors. Another great feature is being able to manage all of your Ning networks by going to ning.com. Ning is a great place for people to socialize with others that share common interests. Is there a Ning community for your specific interest? If not, create one!