Social Networking Websites a New Fad

Social Networking Websites a New Fad

Many of us must have heard girl from Mumbai who died in shooting at Virginia Tech. However, what we may not have heard about is the phenomenal swell of goodwill messages and prayers that she has recived on her ID on a social networking website - 'Orkut.com'. Though the permise may be sad indeed, this is testimonial to the fact that there has been a surge in the usage of such websites.

The concept in itself is quite innovative. A social networking website is a virtual space where a user can create a profile and build a personal network that connects him to other users. They are a one-stop-shop for every kind of networking requirements. Right from making your own link containing personal information, to message boards, forums, communities, to others testimonials about you these websites offer it all and much more at a single place.

Such features open up doors to limitless possibilities. Users of such websites are able to do anything under the sun.... right from discussing the weather, to criticizing movies, to dating, to making friends, to getting prospective clients / customers for businesses, to even getting suggestions about certain products. The list can practically stretch as far as your imagination! Little wonder then, that they have become the newest fad globally. India is no exception. Infact, a more recent trend is that of a single user having multiple accounts in different networking websites.

With such response, there has been a constant rise in number of such sites and they have started getting exceedingly focused. For example "Econs.com - For people above 50', 'Gopets.com- Virtual Pets', 'Care2.com - An environment - related site'. But that is not all; there are other popular sites like Orkut, Hi5, MySpace, Facebooket al, which are more general in nature. The user-base is also wide and diverse, covering all ages, castes and countries. All you need is a computer with an internet connection and you are good to go!

However, being open-for-all sites, these networking websites do have their own evils.

Privacy issues like identity thefts, defamation and excessive personal information are common. Various communities are formed on controversial lines (The "I Hate India" community on Orkut created quite a scene). Besides, any kind of online interactions are always dangerous. Due to the addictive nature of such websites, many offices and colleges are complaining of employees and students wasting their productive time on them.

In general, any new idea will always come with its pros and cons. The bottom - line is that its the responsibility of the user to decide how he or she intends to use it.

Social Networking Websites a New Fad

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