The Social Networking Guide for Newbies

A mother reads a message from her son in Iraq, a student gets a job with Teach for America, a German rock band receives feedback on a new single, and your niece dumps her boyfriend. What do all of these events have in common? They all took place on a social network.

Social networking communities are Websites that provide an opportunity for you to contribute your opinions, interests, and skills to the largest creative work ever built by mankind: the Internet. Once solely the province of Web geeks and fast-typing youngsters, it is now a world where everyone -- from your postman to your office manager -- plays a role in the creation of new content available for the world to see.

Social networks can be your diary, your address book, a daily newspaper, and more. They combine all the connectivity of e-mail, snail mail, instant messages, phone calls, and even conversations at the local coffeehouse. They allow all the freedom of expression, opinion, and voice through online journals, chatting with friends, or even debating the thorniest political issues. Social networking is an infinite bulletin board and an ever-expanding sea of friends.

Online social networking communities have become more than teenage phenomena; they are now part of how all segments of society communicate, get information, and live. Channeling new technologies, these communities have made possible new ways of meeting people, checking in on loved ones, and spreading ideas … all from the comfort of your home or work computer.

This Newbie guide will help you navigate the first steps into full Web citizenship.

Part I: Getting Started

Step 1 - Finding the online social networks best suited for you.

Latest reports show there are more than 400 major social networks and thousands of smaller communities that offer some sort of business or personal networking.

Your first step should be determining which aspects of social networking interest you. Do you want to find your long-lost college roommate or do genealogical research? Are you the lone White Sox fan in Arizona? Do you want to be able to talk folk music and track down rare recordings? Are you in a band waiting for its big break? Do you want to see what other people in similar businesses in other parts of the country are doing? There is a social network that will fill your needs. For some, the large, general networks will be best; tracking down old friends is easier if there is no specific topic limiting the audience. For others, niche sites will serve better.

You can start by conducting a search on your favorite search engine. Simply type in your interest and add the phrase 'social network' in the search. Additionally, try conducting a search for directories of social networking sites. Once you identify a site that interests you, do a little exploring before you sign up and register. Many sites have an "about" section, rules of conduct, and privacy standards. This information will tell you a lot about the purpose, security, and integrity of the site.

Step 2 - Registration.
Once you select the site you wish to join, you need to register to establish an account. For networks such as MySpace or Facebook, you'll find that basic registration is free, painless, and instant.

The first thing all networks ask you to do is pick a username and password, and provide the network with your e-mail address. Choosing a good username is important, and your first real creative input to the network. It will affect how other users see you. If you plan to network for business, a plain, yet descriptive, username is best -- like the name of your company or part of your name. For interacting with friends, create something more fun. If there's something you love, let the world know.

Obviously, you'll want to choose a password with the same care you would for anything else. Remember, you are presenting some of your life details. You don't want anyone taking advantage of that.

After the initial set-up, you may be asked to choose a level of membership. As described above, the basic membership should be free. Paid memberships have more features, but are not necessary to get started.

Step 3 - Creating your User Profile.
All social networks will guide you to create a user profile. Often, this is the first thing other users will see about you and it's your first step toward contributing to your new community. Consider this a snapshot of yourself that other people on the network will be able to see. Through this tool, you can explain to everyone else why you are using the network, who you are, and what you are interested in. Some have second spaces to post more advanced items.

As with any new endeavor, use common sense and don't provide any private information.

Step 4 - Start networking.