Considerations before joining social network

By Allan Olingo

If you do not have a Twitter or Facebook account, you do not belong to this century. People of all ages and backgrounds have discovered that they can enrich their lives through the contacts they make on social networking sites. But what really informs your decision to join these sites?

Below are the criteria used to evaluate social networking sites.

Profiles

The heart and soul of social networking sites are the users’ personal profiles. It’s like their own Internet sanctuary, a place where they can express their thoughts and feelings, post photographs and show off their network of friends. The most popular social network, Facebook, thrives on this feature as it puts a strong emphasis on the user’s profile, making it easy to use yet still reflecting the user’s personality.

Security

Most of us are by now aware of the importance of Internet security. It can be a dangerous place to post personal information, but you can make use of your privacy settings to ward off any harmful intruders. Although most social networks have this tool, it is one of the key considerations before joining a particular site. Another concern that you should have before joining a site is safety. No one wants to deal with unsolicited friend requests or strange people commenting on your photos, posts and even links. The best social network sites keep profiles and search options private enough that the only people who can find you are conversant with you.

Features

What are you looking for when you join a site? A good social network should allow its users the luxury of features such as music sections, video uploads, groups, links and more. Members should be able to read biographies of their favourite music artistes from the artiste’s profile page as well as listen to their favourite songs and watch music videos within the social network site.

So, if you want to join a site, look out for features that appeal to you.

Ease of use

One of the main objectives of a social network is to find friends and expand relationships. Most of the big social networking websites allow members to search for other members in a safe and easy to use environment. Common search functions include search by name, city, school and email address. Therefore, if you are joining a social networking site to locate long lost friends, classmates or family, ensure the network facilitates this function.