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Do you Twitter?

Article Excerpt
When I first heard the phrase "social networking," I thought it meant an online dating service. Then someone asked me, "Do you Twitter?" and I wasn't sure how to answer. When a friend asked me about "Web 2.0," I thought she meant that someone had invented a new Internet and nobody bothered to inform me.

These and similar terms, and the Web sites they relate to, are part of a new Internet vocabulary that describes the ways people connect with each other electronically. Social networking can be defined as a broad class of Web sites and services that allow people to connect with friends, family, and colleagues online, and to meet other people with similar interests or hobbies. (1)

The term "Web 2.0" refers to "a supposed second-generation of Internet-based services--such as social networking sites, wikis, communication tools, and folksonomies--that let people collaborate and share information online in ways previously unavailable." (2) Popular examples of these networking sites include Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter, MySpace, and Flickr.

Why should you care about social networking? The simple answer is that it allows you to communicate with colleagues and clients--and reach potential clients--without leaving your office. But like any method of networking, the process requires more effort than just signing up. You should consider several factors before taking the plunge, including your business goals--for instance, how you intend to market yourself to potential clients--your technology skills and preferences, your firm's policies on the use of Web sites, whom you want to reach, and, perhaps most important, your commitment to the concept....