Here are some of the pros and cons of the main public social networks:
- Pros: Easy place to start networking; short (140 character) bursts of information; good for link sharing. Read:
- Cons: Lack of conversation threading (although this is improving), not good for deep discussion; difficult to keep up with tweets when you are not online.
- Pros: Set up specifically for professional networking; Good for job searching. Lots of LinkedIn Groups. Read:
- Cons: Takes more of an “old school” networking approach.
- Pros: Good for friends and close family and other strong ties. Read:
- Cons: Beware changing privacy setting. Not so easy to control who sees your likes or comments. Still frowned upon in organisations.
Google+
- Pros: Good for threaded and deeper discussion. Google Hangouts are popular ways of meeting new people. Read:
- Cons: Newer network so fewer people connected there, and hasn’t quite taken off as Google hoped
Task
In a new Learning Log entry, answer these questions
- Which social networks have you joined? Do you agree with my analysis above?
- If you haven’t yet joined a social network or are looking to sign up for another, which do you propose join? And Why?