Anything New about Social Networking?

By Mark Petticord

There’s really nothing new about Social Networking. People have been socializing and networking since the dawn of time. Technology just makes it easier.

In the last twenty years, technology has enabled us to connect and interact with each other from across the world, any time and any where for little or no cost.

Sure in the old days, if you had the money you could make long distance calls to Australia. Now, just open a free Skype account and talk to someone across the globe. And if you want your can even see each other at the same time via video camera.

Our youth of today are growing up in a new world In my life time I’ve experienced rotary phones and video phones. Record Players and MP3’s. Clunky black and white Televison and HD flat screen. My nephew didn’t even know what a Record Player was when he saw one at a thrift store a several years ago.

Although the history of social networking goes back farther, the new trend of social networking on the web began around 1995 with people wanting to reconnect with lost school friends. The trend expanded to sharing messages, music, and videos with people sharing pieces of their culture and life interests.

Because of the Internet, millions of consumers have every option imaginable for products and services. The customer rules the day and the old interruption marketing techniques don’t work. Businesses now see the advantages of social networking sites but in order to take advantage of these niche networks they have to be invited. Sure you can advertise in the side bar of Facebook but the smart companies create their own social phenomenon, like Apple did with ipod. Apple took reconnecting with old friends and sharing music to a new level.

Just for fun, I’ve listed a brief early history of the pioneering social networking sites. Since 2005, others like; YouTube, Squidoo, Ning, Linkedin, Plaxo, Twitter and hundreds more have joined the party… It’s hard to imagine where we ‘re going from here — holographs of your friends beamed into your living room?