Part 6. Integrating it all

Web 2.0 technology is all about collaboration and integration. Therefore you should work as far as you can to integrate your different internet-based activities, letting people know what you’re doing, reading, listening to or watching. This helps to build up your identity, and also shares information with people that they may otherwise not know about.

Most websites these days provide facility to ‘share’ their contents (which would then display on Facebook, most likely), or one can bookmark it for future reference with Reddit or Digg. Most blogs (and many websites with dynamic content) allow for RSS feeds, which can then be stored in a feed reader (eg. Google reader) until you have time to read them.

One method of working that makes sense to me personally is to carry out some activity, such as posting a blog, which is fed through to various locations, such as LinkedIn, Facebook and feed readers. Then one can ‘alert the world’ to the presence of a new blog entry by microblogging on Twitter – which can feed through to Facebook, LinkedIn etc. The same can be done for a new photo album.

It is all about getting the various tools to work together, blending the different information types together to present a whole picture of the person behind them.

Some final tips:

1. Keep your personal information secure (eg. Phone numbers, birth date, address)
2. Always have the same photograph up.
3. Link everything to everything else. For example, where Facebook asks you for any websites on your Info, give them your twitter profile website, your blog site, your photo sharing site etc. This will show people consistency and alert them to the media that you use.

Part 5. What is available and what is it used for?

To do this section, I am going to make use of a social media tool called document sharing, as I have created a MS Powerpoint slideshow. Please access the following link to view today’s insight into social media.

Social Media Tools and Technologies

Part 4. What is Web 2.0 Technology?

“Web 2.0 is a category of new Internet tools and technologies created around the idea that the people who consume media, access the Internet, and use the Web shouldn't passively absorb what's available; rather, they should be active contributors, helping customize media and technology for their own purposes, as well as those of their communities.” - http://www.techsoup.org/toolkits/web2/

Essentially, therefore, if you use Facebook, you are using Web 2.0 technology without knowing it. And furthermore, if you were to read a news article on www.bbc.co.uk and then “share” it to Facebook, or put a link to it on your blog, you are using Web 2.0 technology.

By using Web 2.0 technology, you are saying ‘this is who I am’ and ‘this is what I’m interested in’. You are sharing information about yourself and your interests with those around you.

Part 3. What is Social Media?

Social media are those tools (generally internet-based) that facilitate social networking. The most commonly-used medium is Facebook, but there are other tools that are widely used but not recognised as social media as such.

These 'other' tools can include blogging sites, photo sharing sites, e-portfolio sites, etc.

Part 2. What is Social Networking?

A social network is a group of people who are connected in a variety of ways: friendship, work, skills, interests. We do social networking every day, probably without realising it. You know people who in turn know people who you may want to get to know for one reason or another.

Social networking has become synonymous with the use of social media that are freely available on the internet, such as Facebook. These media, however, simply facilitate social networking on a far greater scale than we would normally encounter in our day-to-day lives.

Part 1. Internet Identity – why?

It is important to build an identity for yourself on the internet and manage your online reputation. Why? Because, if you are a professional, or trying to market a good or your skills, you need to appear professional.

When going for jobs, nowadays the first thing that a prospective employer, or even a client, will do is to search for you on the internet ... probably using Google. If you had a binge night on Saturday night, and stuck photos of you (very drunk) up on Facebook, will you be hired? Not likely.

1. Identify what you want people to know you as. If you’re an Author, your internet identity needs to say ‘Author’. If you are a researcher, an internet marketing expert, or whatever, make sure your profile says that. EVERYWHERE!
2. ALWAYS have a photograph of yourself, and use the same photo on EVERY website. It must be clean, and look good. Full face, eyes open, smiling, is the recommendation.
3. Keep your profiles clean. This includes your own photos, links, blogs, and things others say. Be who you say you are.

Tip for the day: search for yourself on Google, and watch what comes up.

Intro to Social Media and Social Networking

As friends have been struggling getting to grips with Web 2.0 Technology, I have decided to blog some tips and tricks to get the ball rolling. This will probably be a 7-part discussion – unless other questions arise (and please do ask questions!).
The topics that I will be discussing are as follows:

Internet Identity
What is Social Networking?
What is Social Media?
What is Web 2.0 technology?
What is available and what is it used for?
Wiki
Social Networking
Blogging
Microblogging
Document sharing
Video sharing
Photo sharing
Social Bookmarking
E-portfolio
Integrating it all

I intend to post these daily for the next week, to help get people up and running.