Social Networking: A Brief Overview

Theory on social networking talks about the relationships in the society in terms of ties and nodes. Nodes are then explained as an individual actor within the networks while ties are referred to the relationship comprises the actors. Nodes can have different kinds of ties.

A social network in a simple way to describe it is a map of all ties that are interrelated between the involved nodes. The network itself can distinguish social capital of each actor. The concepts are often exhibited in the diagram of the social network wherein both nodes and ties are in the same line.

The figures of the social networks assist and distinguish usefulness of a certain network to the nodes. Lots of loose connections can create weak ties while the tighter and smaller the network connection can be more practical to its members. However, loose connections can have more ideas and opportunities rather than the tight networks where there are only few ideas and opportunities can be brought out. To be precise, a certain group in a closed networks share the same opinions and opportunities to each other.

It is essential for a certain individual to achieve several of network connections rather than with a single network connection. Likewise, these persons can influence or even act as a broker into their social network by just interconnecting the two points of two network connection. This is called the structural holes filing.

The thought that brought out from social networking is that having acquaintances in order to unite one person to some other globally. This concept generates the famous six degrees phrase removing after an experiment done by Stanley Milgram. On his experiment, individuals from US were questioned if they reach a target by sending a message on the long chin acquaintances. The result was there are about five or six different steps involving the length of successful chains. Academic writers, essayist like Judith Kleinfield are just one who continues to search for this phenomenon.

At the current time, an Small World project at the University of Columbia finds that it was between five and seven levels of separation in connecting two people through internet communication specifically via e-mail.

First social networking websites created was the Classmates.com in 1995. It was then followed by the SixDegrees.com in 1997 which used Web contact model. In 1999, a development of two competing models (the Ciao.com by Dooyoo and ToLuna and Circle of trust which created by Epinions and Circle of Friends by Bishop, Jonathan) had been established. Jonathan Bishop also was the one who utilized Friendster in 2002. In reality, these are the most used methods in social networking. Aside from Friendster, Orkut a social network in Google site was then launched in 2004.

Social networking began to be considered as a component in strategies in the internet. It is estimated that there 200 social network sites globally in combining the existing social networking. Recently, there are founders who initially send out messages and invitations to join in their site. Blended networking on the other hand, is a social networking approach that merges both offline and online elements. MYSpace, for an instance has its own party scenes and music galleries.

The newest social networks online focused on niches which include art, tennis, travel, tours, golf, dogs, and even surgical management. Most of there are for public purposes which permits anyone to join. Organizations and corporation have their own access to private social network application which is called as Enterprise Relationship Management.

Moreover, recent social network have been developed by the integration in the marketplace called as Social Marketplace. Through the advent of the technology (Internet), it helps informal social networks to interact with other individuals around the world. A new type of networks that can be done by individuals is the link in web pages. These are can be review on their time and effort. Just like with Friendster, it creates continuity and connectivity to discovering new friends to other friends.

Lastly, Giblink is dignifies to became a leader through social networking and social marketplace adaptation. By sharing of their revenues among the member, it will make a great impact on this new business opportunity.