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Guide to Social Media and List of Sites - About.com  
Social Media - How It Works

Social Media Sites


Facebook - Friends, Pics, Chat
Twitter - "Follow Me!"  Less than 140 characters
LinkedIn - Professional Links, Jobs
Delicious - Social Bookmarking
Ning - Create Your Own Social Network
Bitly.com - Shortening Links for Twitter

Project-Based Collaboration Wikis
http://www.pbworks.com
http://www.wikispaces.com

YouTube "In Plain English" Videos
CommonCraft.com - "In Plain English"
Delicious.com - In Plain English
Wikis - Multiple Users Write In Pl English
Ning - How To Use (9 minutes)
About.com - Create a Ning Account

Blogging in Plain English

Blogging for Jobs - About.com
Blogging - Amazon


Social Networks or Social Media are many things to many people. Social Media web sites are server-based sites using a pre-designed "template" for the user to input information.

"Write Privileges."  Server-based web sites permit the site owner to choose who can "read" a site and who can "write" information to a site to be posted:

  • Traditional Web Sites. 
    • Write privileges to the folder on the "host Internet Service Provider's (ISP) server are owned exclusively by one person - the owner of the site with a the User ID and Password.
    • Read - All visitors have "Read" Privileges
  • Social Network Sites: 
    • Write Privileges: Often the site owner (You!) give "Write" privileges to others:
      • Facebook -
        • Write:  Friends can "write" to your wall, submit photographs, and "tag" you in other pictures they post.  But you select who your "friends" are. You select which "Friends" get Write Privileges
        • Write:  You can limit which friends can "Post" (Write) to your wall.  You "Hide" friends' posts if you don't want to read them, thereby limiting write privileges further.
        • Read.  You can limit what your friends can read about your Profile and other information. You limit read privileges based on a friend's "status."
        • Purposes:
          • Chat, email with friends
      • Twitter -
        • Write:  You have exclusive "Write" Privileges
        • Read  All others have Read privileges  They can "Follow" (read) your Tweets.
      • LinkedIn - Professional Links and Groups
        • Write: You choose which professional acquaintances or business colleagues can "write" to your LinkedIn home page.
        • Read: Only those who are "linked in" to your personal page can read all your information
      • Delicious.com - Social Bookmarking