Item 11: Social Networks - MySpace/Facebook

This one is all about doing - you will be setting up a profile on either Facebook or MySpace (or another social networking site if you are already a member of either of those).

Activities:

1. Set up an account at either MySpace or Facebook.
2. Add at least one friend to your account.
3. Write down your profile address so that you can submit it to the Participation Log.


1. Setting up an account

Go to either MySpace or Facebook. Actually, go to them both and take a look at them, and then pick one of them to try out for this Item. If you already have an account at one, then try the other. If you already have an account at both, try one of these other social network sites:

• LinkedIn
  
• ComicSpace for comic artists, writers, fans, etc.
• ficlets for storytelling, writing.
• Oort-Cloud for scifi authors, readers.
• TripUp for travel.
• Eons for the over 50 crowd.
• Retroland for people who love “retro” culture.

Setting up an account at any social network means filling out a form with some information about yourself. There will be a minimum amount that you have to do, but options to add a lot more. Be sure to come back to your account and add as much information as you feel comfortable adding, an also change some of the defaults to more accurately reflect who you are. You can upload a picture of yourself that others can see, but only if you have one on your computer somewhere, or on a disk or flash drive.

There are all kinds of ways of making your profile look more interesting - look at other people's profiles. If you want to know how they got them to look the way they do, ask them! MySpace can be modified to look all kinds of crazy. Facebook keeps the same standard look, but you can add all kinds of "applications" that have fun and interesting things to do on them.

2. Once you've set up a profile, search for people you know, people you work with, old friends from college, school or other workplaces, and ask at least one of them to be your friend.

3. Now, view your profile or look for a permanent link that you can use to point other people to your profile. If you want to know if it works, write it down or copy and paste it somewhere, sign out of your account, and then paste the URL that you copied into the address bar, and see if it takes you to your profile. Once you have a link that works, submit it to the Participation Log.