Virtual Network
Introduction: It is easy to meet people and make contacts on the Internet. Social Networking now is only a click away.
Source: Vijay Times, VT Connect -pg 1.)
Copyright © 2005 Puja Goyal
There was a time when, in order to mingle, make contacts, get married etc, one had to attend social events or seminars and study groups. Social networking is the key to progress and growth one would say and no man lives in an island.
One would think that, in the age of the Internet, social networking would give way to privacy and aloofness to the individual, which would create isolated souls in a world full of humans who would sit in front of the computer and work away!! Social networking has leaked into the Internet and is now known as "Virtual Communities" or "Virtual Networking".
So who networks through the net?
Friends who want to talk Online, Single people who want to meet other Singles, Matchmakers who want to connect their friends with other friends, Families who want to keep in touch, Business people and co-workers interested in networking, Classmates and study partners, and anyone looking for long lost friends.
Where does one create a network or participate in one?
Many websites have been created where one could become a member and meet other individuals. You must be familiar with chat-rooms, discussion boards, forums and Web-Blogs. Taking it one step further, a new form of communication has been developed that combines all or some of these and is known as "Virtual Communities", e.g. Myspace, Orkut, Friendster, Yahoo Group, MSNSpace, Ryze.
How does one go about networking through the Internet?
A user chooses a Community commensurate with his wants and creates an account as a member; after which he fills information in accordance with the website regulations… he uploads his pictures, makes friends, networks, and creates a space for himself on the web.
Being a part of a website is easy and leaving it is even easier. If a Member finds that he does not want to be a member any more, he can leave as graciously as he joined.
Most websites like Orkut and Hi.com, have a different policy… a friend is invited by a friend to join a community, and then this invitation is extended to everyone else in their circle. This creates a network that keeps growing as the invitations increase.
Parental Supervision is essential for Youngsters!
Most websites are very clear about the age group they want to cater to because some have explicit content, and material that should not be accessed by children below 16 years of age or technical information which will not cater to non-professionals. They mention that in their community policy. It is important that parents supervise the communication of their children in these communities for safety reasons, even if a website claims that it is safe.
Precautions:
It takes us a lot of time to know an individual in real life. Although Internet is fun and meeting strangers through it creates a great deal of excitement, the point is that we don't know them. We do not know them even if they tell us who they are and send us their picture. So do we trust them? Most importantly would we allow the trust factor destroy our exploration of the net?
The Virtual Community has a "Dark" side to it. It allows an individual to be who ever they want to be. And care should be taken that a user should not allow himself to be misguided. The user should know what to do and what not to do; he should understand why he is there. With a rising number of Virtual relations, families have been broken, children have been misguided and a lot of grief has been inflicted on the individual. It is important that one does not loose touch with family and friends around them.
There are hackers, predators and stalkers. One should be smart enough and take care to NOT publicly post any personally identifiable information on the net.
What is personally identifiable information?
It’s any personal information that could be used to find or identify you in real life. This could be such information as your real name, address, telephone number, cell number, or links to websites or other profiles that might give this information away. This information could be misused to steal your identity, guess your passwords, cyber stalk or harass you or by predators who really want to hurt you. One such example can be seen in "The Net" starring Sandra Bullock.
If you feel harassed by someone then you do not have to continue the conversation. If you want to meet someone from the community, then do so but in a public place, and, remember to inform your folks about the meeting before doing so.
Internet is fun if you have the time for it. And social networking doesn’t always result in making those contacts that you want to make, even though many individuals have made friends, and even gotten married. If treaded with discretion instead of blind faith, one can make his "Virtual Community" experience worthwhile.
Source: Vijay Times, VT Connect -pg 1.)
Copyright © 2005 Puja Goyal
There was a time when, in order to mingle, make contacts, get married etc, one had to attend social events or seminars and study groups. Social networking is the key to progress and growth one would say and no man lives in an island.One would think that, in the age of the Internet, social networking would give way to privacy and aloofness to the individual, which would create isolated souls in a world full of humans who would sit in front of the computer and work away!! Social networking has leaked into the Internet and is now known as "Virtual Communities" or "Virtual Networking".
So who networks through the net?
Friends who want to talk Online, Single people who want to meet other Singles, Matchmakers who want to connect their friends with other friends, Families who want to keep in touch, Business people and co-workers interested in networking, Classmates and study partners, and anyone looking for long lost friends.
Where does one create a network or participate in one?
Many websites have been created where one could become a member and meet other individuals. You must be familiar with chat-rooms, discussion boards, forums and Web-Blogs. Taking it one step further, a new form of communication has been developed that combines all or some of these and is known as "Virtual Communities", e.g. Myspace, Orkut, Friendster, Yahoo Group, MSNSpace, Ryze.
How does one go about networking through the Internet?
A user chooses a Community commensurate with his wants and creates an account as a member; after which he fills information in accordance with the website regulations… he uploads his pictures, makes friends, networks, and creates a space for himself on the web.
Being a part of a website is easy and leaving it is even easier. If a Member finds that he does not want to be a member any more, he can leave as graciously as he joined.
Most websites like Orkut and Hi.com, have a different policy… a friend is invited by a friend to join a community, and then this invitation is extended to everyone else in their circle. This creates a network that keeps growing as the invitations increase.
Parental Supervision is essential for Youngsters!
Most websites are very clear about the age group they want to cater to because some have explicit content, and material that should not be accessed by children below 16 years of age or technical information which will not cater to non-professionals. They mention that in their community policy. It is important that parents supervise the communication of their children in these communities for safety reasons, even if a website claims that it is safe.
Precautions:
It takes us a lot of time to know an individual in real life. Although Internet is fun and meeting strangers through it creates a great deal of excitement, the point is that we don't know them. We do not know them even if they tell us who they are and send us their picture. So do we trust them? Most importantly would we allow the trust factor destroy our exploration of the net?
The Virtual Community has a "Dark" side to it. It allows an individual to be who ever they want to be. And care should be taken that a user should not allow himself to be misguided. The user should know what to do and what not to do; he should understand why he is there. With a rising number of Virtual relations, families have been broken, children have been misguided and a lot of grief has been inflicted on the individual. It is important that one does not loose touch with family and friends around them.
There are hackers, predators and stalkers. One should be smart enough and take care to NOT publicly post any personally identifiable information on the net.
What is personally identifiable information?
It’s any personal information that could be used to find or identify you in real life. This could be such information as your real name, address, telephone number, cell number, or links to websites or other profiles that might give this information away. This information could be misused to steal your identity, guess your passwords, cyber stalk or harass you or by predators who really want to hurt you. One such example can be seen in "The Net" starring Sandra Bullock.
If you feel harassed by someone then you do not have to continue the conversation. If you want to meet someone from the community, then do so but in a public place, and, remember to inform your folks about the meeting before doing so.
Internet is fun if you have the time for it. And social networking doesn’t always result in making those contacts that you want to make, even though many individuals have made friends, and even gotten married. If treaded with discretion instead of blind faith, one can make his "Virtual Community" experience worthwhile.
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