Since web browsing has been the latest trend in gaining information today, social network sites have a big role in communications. These sites will help us re-connect with friends whom we haven’t seen for a long time, get updates from friends and relatives from distant countries and meet people whom we have same interests with. Because of its demands nowadays, social networking sites have increase in numbers but there are those network sites that are phenomenal and very useful in networking and communicating.
Here are some social networking sites that you should join to help you connect with friends and network with other people.

Facebook- is one the most visited social networking sites in the world. It has 70,278,000 unique visitors as of May 2009 according to comScore based on US Internet users. Facebook focus more on interactions and usage of their sites. Users can create profiles including photos and lists of personal interests, exchange private or public messages, join groups of friends, become a fan of the fan pages and even play games (Mafia, Poker, Farm Town, Pet Society, etc.)

MySpace- is the largest social networking site in the world. It offers networking with friends, personal profiles, blogs, groups, photos, music, and videos for all ages internationally. MySpace focuses on the music industry so users can get updates to concerts and albums of artist and look for bands or singers that they like. Unlike Facebook, users can customize their MySpace profile according to their taste.

Bebo- is a social networking site that is more popular in Ireland and UK. Most of their users are from younger generations. Bebo’s profile is also customizable which includes the “About me” section, comments section, photo albums, friends list and other modules of you favorites and interest.

Hi5- is a social networking site that is currently the twenty-fifth most popular website according to Alexa Internet. Like Bebo and MySpace, users can also customize their profiles according to their taste. Users profile also display user information, interests and comments from friends.

Tagged- is one of the fast rising social networking sites. Users can customize profiles, send messages, leave comments, post bulletins, customize status, browse photos, watch videos, play games, give gifts, give tags, chat and make friends.

I have to admit I am a Facebook addict. I spend my time going around the network from groups to applications and causes. As I was surfing the net today, I found it full of very interesting news about Facebook and decided to sum it up.

These are the Facebook Hot News that rocks the Facebook fans as of the publishing of this article.

1. The Pope on Facebook. To appeal to the computer savvy generation both young and adult is the purpose of the idea that the Pope will be on Facebook. Archbishop Claudio Celli headed this few steps of using social media sites to broaden the Pope’s connection with the people. The Pope has already a Youtube account with videos on some activities of the Pope.

2. When Facebook Cross Borders. Facebook accepted the Open ID policy today. Open ID policy allow users to log in to Facebook using a common log in identity that links your other social networks accounts such as myspace, yahoo, and gmail.

3. Facebook as a Substitute Service. The New Zealand High Court has ruled that Craig Axe shall be served substitutionally on his Facebook webpage. This decision was imitated from an Australian decision.

4. Facebook Video Chat. According to a Mashable article by Pete Cashmore, “Facebook is showing signs that it might venture to a Video calling feature. AllFacebook was the one spotted the clues. Upon reading Cashmore article, it made me realize the profound effect this step has for a more meaningful connection on Facebook.

These are just a few of the hottest news on the net about Facebook. The number 1 and number 4 news items really rocks me. A video chat talking to a friend from the other part of the pole really by far the most attention-grabbing news; by far it made me love Facebook even more.

With the advent of virtual currencies, another way of making money online was born. People on line from myspace, Hi5 and facebook and other social network now has billions on their account as they play games.

With this large amount of money, the user can buy gifts, cakes, house, cars and so many other staff. They had the financial freedom in their virtual world when they had lots of money.

I remember the application Yoville in Facebook which gives you means of earning and spending money. You can earn virtual dollars when you play tic-tac toe and report to the factory to work. So, what is the player’s motivation to earn such virtual currencies? They will have the financial power to buy house staff and decorate their house.

The game Yoville touched a human nature which is to collect things; to want the best of everything. In Yoville, a user can have something that they could not buy in the real world. You can own a two-floor condo unit and decorate it with the latest available staff. You can buy the latest laptop in the market and show it off to your friends. Psychologically it has become an outlet of frustrated dreams from the real world.

In the social network Hi5, virtual currencies are used to buy cakes, flowers, and so many kinds of gifts to give to your friends. When you send a cake to a friend though they could not eat it; you are sending the feelings of the cake to that friend. So receiving a love gift or a friendly cake can already make your day starts rightly.

Workers in China are known to play a game with virtual currencies and sold the virtual money on the game user in the west. So in this way the virtual money can be turned into a real currency through this process.

Experts though see a very complicated task ahead for the use and making of virtual currencies. And one problem can be that of huge fraud activities for there are no institutions that can monitor the exchange of virtual currencies online.

Thanks to the Internet, the generation of the 21st century is the most social yet.  Albeit electronically, there are literally millions more comments, kisses, pokes and hugs being made than there was ten years ago and with new innovations in complementary mobile technology, our frivolous communications are only set to increase.

Though sites such as Facebook, MySpace and Hi5 actively encourage the exchange of LOL banter, flirty pokes and affectionate hugs, the behind-the-scenes exchanges are far less friendly.  It is a multi-million dollar industry and the competitors are doing all they can to boost their user number and rule cyberspace.

By considering the case study of Spain, a country with 83% of its youngsters signed up to a social network, it is clear what the major weapon in this social war is – locality.  Though only 2 years old, the leading social network site in Spain is Tuenti and, perhaps not surprisingly, it is very much Made in Spain.  Not one of it’s 2,845,000 unique monthly visitors have to make an effort to translate their user options and what is more, each and every one of these users serve as an advertising medium for the site, encouraging their friends to sign up, get involved and put their life online.

The leap to success enjoyed by Tuenti has not gone unnoticed; the international social networking giants have been diligently taking note and gone on to take the necessary steps to compete – by taking on a national image.  Already MySpace has a delegation in Madrid and though Facebook are said to still only be looking, they already have a translated version of the site online, facebook.es.  A shrewd choice of language to make a translation into, by adapting their sites for Spanish speakers, the social networks are not only boosting their image within the Iberian Peninsula but in Latin America too -  something which the Mallorcan Wamba is very much aware of thanks to its 6,895,834 unique visitor statistic in July.

So which social network do you join?  Though each site clearly wants to keep their catchment demographic as wide as possible, as with all social groups, it is never long before labels and cliques are established.  Whilst Cristina Ruiz of Cocoloop describes Tuenti as being designed for the snobs of Spain, for example, Myspace is said to be the social foundation of the alternative crowd.   I

Whichever site it is you choose, there is no denying that the trend is on the increase and as each social network does its utmost to make itself indispensable to its users – from businesses promoting an event to school girls spreading some gossip – the one thing we can guarantee is that without a place online, you cannot begin to realise what you are missing.

For further reading:

http://www.elpais.com/articulo/portada/REDES/SOCIALES/GUERRA/elppor/20080822elptenpor_2/Tes