Given the slew of embarrassing stories you've no doubt seen about users accidentally sharing too-personal information, the idea of preserving privacy on a social network may seem like going outside during a thunderstorm and expecting to stay dry.
As the economy falls deeper into recession, many people have turned to LinkedIn, the social network for professionals, to job hunt and connect with contacts who might help them land a new gig. But career experts say your LinkedIn job-hunting efforts will all be for naught if you don't build your profile page properly and ensure that it is search-friendly for potential employers and recruiters.
So you thought Twitter was a waste of time? Just fun and games? Stupid even? Dell doesn't think so.
As Facebook has rocketed to its current position as the most popular social networking destination on the Web, some people have wondered whether there would be enough things for all of those millions of users to do once they arrived. That remains to be seen over the long term.
They start as a mild tremor at first: rumors of an Apple Phone and rumblings about Web 2.0, whispers about touch interfaces and flash storage.
Twitter is difficult to use because it's so easy to use. Once you've created an account, your Twitter page allows you to update your status and watch a scrolling list of status updates from your friends.
You have your Twitter. And your Facebook. And your Flickr. And your MySpace. And, if you're like most people, the list of Web sites you use to share information with your friends, family, and the world at large probably goes on, too.
Twitter users who thought friends were directing them to a "funny blog" Thursday ended up experiencing something completely different: a phishing scam.
Facebook's Application Verification Program, controversial due to its concept of charging developers to have their applications certified as "trustworthy," has run into technical problems.
The story is as old as the Web: A social network born among twenty-something college kids and young wired professionals sprouts up, apparently out of nowhere, and grows into a cultural phenomenon. Eventually, it reaches critical mass and explodes, its mushroom cloud drawing the attention of millions of Baby Boomers, leading to a huge influx of new users, which in turn triggers complaints from the youngsters who started it all. The invasion of the Boomers spurs some members of younger generations to flee the carnage (and the fallout) in search of fresher territory.
Lately it seems I can't go anywhere without running into a gaggle of social media consultants bloviating about the wonders of social network marketing. Sure, you've seen 'em, too. Slick shake-and-bake "experts" promising to help you leverage the power of Twitter and Facebook to raise your profile and, inexplicably, boost your profits. But scratch the surface on most of these claims and they instantly crumble. Meanwhile, it seems the only people making any money in social media are the consultants themselves.
When it comes to some aspects of finding a job by social networking, such as online reputation management, Sean Ryan, senior vice president of engineering and a hiring manager at online measurement tools vendor Lyris, has a completely opposite view than most. The vast majority of recruiting professionals say it's important to make sure there's nothing online that could be too personal or embarrassing or that might turn off potential employers doing a background check.
Twitter certainly has received a lot of media attention recently, with the Kutcher vs. CNN battle to see who would be the first to have a million followers. Oprah also had a show about the impact of Twitter on people's lives. According to comScore, Twitter grew 131 percent in March 2009.
Facebook users -- and their managers -- who are concerned about keeping control of their information should get themselves over to the social network's Privacy Settings page without delay.
A Nielsen report this week revealed that Twitter has an uncanny knack for hemorrhaging users. In fact, some 60 percent of new users bail on the service within a month. For those of us who've been tweeting for a couple of years, this isn't exactly a shocker. Many longtime users have gone through that initial period of wondering what, if any, use Twitter might be. And maybe it's better for everyone if those who don't get it refrain from tweeting until they do.