Social networks - a virtual world of dating potential at your fingertips

 

 

Almost everyone is on the Internet these days.  At least one of five people have a  blog or two floating around cyberspace,  and generally, almost every person online belongs to at  least one on-line social  network. 

 

Ah, social networks – giant forums ( niche-specific or generalized), and site directories cyber-combined into big social extravaganzas. 

 

As a fairly new writer/blogger myself, I have met some really great people on these sites. I have made a few good blogger friends with whom I continually exchange ideas, opinions and blog-buddy support. Their help has been instrumental to any future blogging success I may have, and their willingness to give advice at a moment's notice, priceless.

 

Over the last few months of  writing and socializing with the masses, I've started to catch on to how great social networking is for, well, socializing in the dating sense. It has all the advantages of group participation in common fields of interest, interactions with a variety of individuals, and none of the hassles of having to meet face to face. And if one blogger doesn't play well with another, continued interaction with each other is not an obligation.

 

Another benefit of social networking is that it enables you to review on the sly,  the general make up of  a person just being themselves.  And often you'll see firsthand the pro's and any serious con's of someone before deciding to engage in some off-line networking with them.   Starting to see the benefits?

 

So here is a brief overview on a few of the biggest cyber-social networks on the Internet today. And yes, as I am quite the social blogger-fly, I belong to each of them myself:

 

Stumble Upon: This is one of my favorites!   Not only can you add friends and subscribers and file your favorite-interest pages and sites on your profile, but you end up networking with thousands of others as you stumble upon each other's cyber-contributions then visit intriguing profiles to check out what else they have. This is a very fun way to meet new people and feed your interests at the same time.  

 

If you find someone you’d like to get to know better you can play it crafty if you want:  Check his profile for websites he likes, find some he doesn't have and then add them to your profile - then lure him in by continued visits to his.  Or if you're more to the point, just subscribe to his SU page and send out the old friendship request.

 

 

 

 

 

Blogcatalog: This is another site I visit multiple times daily. It’s a giant directory of blogs on every topic imaginable. On your profile you can add friends, favorite blogs, and communicate with each other via your own Shout box. In addition, bloggers can participate in any of the dozens of discussion threads going on or join a special interest group, and get to know people that way. Five of my favorite bloggers and I keep in touch almost daily via the Shout box.

 

 

 

NOTE: The Shout box has a private mode for any private conversations you might want to hold with someone. 

 

 

 

Twitter: Every time I log on to Twitter I feel like I’m being spied upon naked through an open window by an unknown Peeping Tom. Could it be that dialog box that pops up and asks “What are you doing ?”   To me it seems like what they're really asking is “What are you wearing ?”

 

But if you can get through that phobia, Twitter is another good site to meet people and exchange random thoughts along with information. People hook up with each other by opting to “follow” them. You can choose to follow back or block them if you’d like. You can ask someone what they're doing to your heart’s content once they’re on your follower list.

 

This site would probably be my last choice for scoping out a potential date, due to the almost creepy feeling  I sometimes get of being secretly watched when I'm on Twitter. But maybe that’s just because people are following me and someone I can’t see is asking me what I’m doing/wearing every time I check in …

 

Here's a heads up for those of  you who prefer your Internet socializing and networking to be with those who are local to our area.  On every site I’ve been to, I've  found a number of members who hail from Sacramento and the surrounding areas and often post their location on their profiles.

 

Speaking of which, here are a few Sacramento-based blogs I found on Sacramenttop10.com.  They're a bit different from the actual social network biggees you just read about, but some of you may prefer a more simple venue anyway: