Social networks are the latest fashion among young and old. Social networking sites have become a great platform for people from different walks of life to express their views and ideas and meet people with similar interests. There are hundreds of social networking sites on the Internet that have attracted millions of web browsers.
This social media trend is quite new. It all started in 1995, when some of the first networking sites started. One of the first of these sites was Classmates.com. This site was meant to connect old classmates. Another site called SixDegrees.com became very popular in 1997. This site focused on indirect links between people. This site allowed users to create their profile and could send messages to other users on their “friends list”. Users could interact with members who had similar interests to theirs.
But the real boom in social networking came after 2004. Many networking sites were launched at this time. One of the most popular social networking sites today, Facebook launched in February 2004 and completely changed the face of social networking. Facebook CEO Mr. Mark Zuckerberg hit a full jackpot. He became the youngest self-made billionaire at the age of 23. Another couple, Michael and Xochi, created a website called Bebo, an extremely successful website, and sold it to AOL for $850 million, of which they made $600 million. No.
The success of Facebook inspired other companies to launch their own social networking sites. In March 2005, the Yahoo network called Yahoo 360º was launched. In the same year, one of the most successful social networking sites called MySpace was launched.
By the year 2005, MySpace had become extremely popular and was receiving more visits than Facebook, which was also growing very fast. Facebook’s popularity surged in 2007 when it allowed members to use plugins on its website. In addition to these, another networking site called Orkut, which was launched in 2004, has also become very popular. Right now, there are around 200 networking sites on the net.
The success of social networks lies in the simplicity and convenience they provide to users. These sites have given the world a whole new way to communicate and share their views, ideas and information. Millions of netizens log into these websites every day and it has almost become a part of their life.
Social networking websites not only provide us with a window to express our views, but are also used in the business world to expand commerce. Websites like LinkedIn.com help different professionals connect and interact with each other. LinkedIn.com has approximately 20 million users and the number is growing. These websites also provide entrepreneurs and merchants with a great place to meet and interact. Many sites are introducing the corporate model on their portals to provide companies with a meeting place.
These websites also help businesses by getting people to interact with each other. You can meet and interact with experts from different fields and share your ideas and views with them. You can also get their expert advice on various things. You can discuss ideas, projects, share images and documents with each other. If you’re looking for a new job or an opportunity to advance your career, these sites can introduce you to some very important people and companies. This can help you a lot in your career.
Many people these days also earn income from these websites. Most networking sites do not charge a registration fee. This is due to the fierce competition in the field of social media and also because, being a new phenomenon, most people will not find it essential enough to pay for it. But these sites still make millions of dollars each year by selling ad space on the website. This also serves as another reason not to charge members, as website owners want as much traffic to their websites as possible. Increased traffic will mean increased revenue from advertising sales.
Many sites also have other means of earning money; for example, creating a marketplace on the website where they sell different products or merchandise related to the website. Many goal-oriented professional websites also make money by selling information on different topics and social connections. One such website is LinkedIn.com.
Another way to earn money through these websites is by selling virtual goods like music, skins, avatars, etc. Some websites have also linked with other gaming websites and sell games on their behalf for revenue.
But as always, something bad always goes together with something good. Social networks have brought the world closer. It has allowed us to interact with people we don’t even know. It has brought the world closer. And that’s where your problem starts. Many scammers, criminals, pedophiles have used these sites as an achievement in their crimes. There have been many cases where underage children have prayed to kidnappers and pedophiles through these sites. Since we have never met the people we interact with on these sites, it is very easy to be fooled by them. It is especially dangerous for young children.
Many times, people get a little friendly with their online friends and give them a lot of personal information about their life. This is also very dangerous as there have been cases of identity theft based on the information provided on the networking sites. No, we are not saying that all social networking sites are bad and all members are there to cheat you. All we are saying is that these websites are potentially dangerous. You must be aware of them.
But if we measure the benefits and disadvantages of social networking websites, we will find that they are much more beneficial to society. These websites allow us to express our feelings. They help a community come together in the face of a threat or problem. Whenever there is a problem in the world, these sites have played a great role in informing the world about it.
These websites are for the people and by the people. Therefore, there is no chance of a cover-up on some hot topic. This helps society in more ways than one. It not only informs citizens about the real situation in their country, but also encourages them to come together and take action to solve problems.
Many networking websites encourage their members to use them for social good. They even help them collect charity and give out charity badges to people who work for a cause. Therefore, social networking sites are here to stay and will flourish more in the years to come.