Social Networking

I joined three social networking sites, Classroom 2.0, a network of teachers and resources for the classroom, eastofanchorage.net, a forum for outdoor enthusiasts and those who love to climb, kayak, and kite, and Facebook, a social network designed for use outside of a work-related environment.

At first glance, Classroom 2.0 has an overwhelming amount of resources for members. It is built on top of Ning software. The main page of CR 2.0 has many features on the top menu. These include adding friends, photos, video, start a discussion, and edit your profile. Additionally, CR 2.0 has navigation links to wiki resources, My Page, members, news, forums, groups, and FAQ, videos, and photos.

It's important not to look too closely at the big picture when you first get started or you'll get overwhelmed. Take one feature at a time, check it out, and decide if it's something valuable. Personal settings are found at the top right when you log in. You can add or drop items from your personal page. Disussion are easy by way of a discussion box at the bottom of nearly every page in CR 2.0. There is a nice video tour given by the creator, Steve Hargadon, using Elluminate.

eastanchorage.net was created as more of an online journal by T. Kelsey. He prefers this format over the traditional blogs. The site encourages outdoor trip reports for all to read, but most of the posts are from T. Kelsey himself. eastanchorage.net functions much like our blackboard discussion forum. Most of the features on the UAS blackboard can be found on eastanchorage.net. I can post text and photos of my trips and view other posts from other members. To become a member, you must send the creator an email and he must approve your request.

Facebook.com is a fast growing network of social groups. I joined this one because I belong to an organization whose members get together and communication through Facebook. It's a very easy site to use and has many user friendly features, like viewing member photo galleries, using new web apps, joining new social groups, posting video, photos, and text. One of the most impressive qualities of Facebook is its' intuitive nature. Facebook recommends friends, notifies you of important information, and has an expansive cross-referencing database of friends. All of these features work in unison to create a highly interactive social experience.