JUNE 2008

Social Networking!

Seems like no matter where you turn these days it's everywhere. It's not a new phenomenon certainly. Wikipedia defines it as follows: A social network is a social structure made of nodes (which are generally individuals or organizations) that are tied by one or more specific types of interdependency, such as values, visions, ideas, financial exchange, friends, kinship, dislike, conflict, trade, web links, or airline routes. It actually ties into what is known as the "small world" phenomenon - the hypothesis that the chain of social acquaintances required to connect one arbitrary person to another arbitrary person anywhere in the world.

The concept gave rise to the famous phrase six degrees of separation back in 1967. Whether you're in FaceBook or My Space, whether you use it socially or professionally, social networking seems to be here to stay. You can find folks you haven't spoken to in decades, or just connect with others who have similar interests (be it personal or professional).

I'm a big fan of Linked In and have started to use it extensively for connecting with folks for job searching and referrals. For those of you who aren't familiar with Linked In, it's a business-oriented social networking site founded in December 2002. It's mainly used for professional networking. As of December 2007, its site traffic was 3.2 million visitors per month, growing at an annual rate of about 485%! As of May 2008, it had more than 20 million registered users, spanning 150 industries. If you want to be found or if you want to connect with others in your industry, LinkedIn is "the place to be." I'd welcome you to check out my LinkedIn profile at the link provided below. Come join my LinkedIn network! I'll accept virtually all invitations to connect, so let's "hook up" today!

www.linkedin.com/in/carolwenom

Looking forward to seeing you out there!