Downright practical use of online Social Networks

I got this from @wilsonng, twitter. Very practical use of Online Social Networks:

http://scobleizer.com/2009/01/12/if-you-are-laid-off-heres-how-to-socially-network/

I started using social networking sites/networks when I was in college just for the sole reason of being into it. The girls. The network of friends that will come with it. So everything there was, from my point of view today, useless. If I remember right, on my Friendster account, my description of myself before was just "an average guy". Nothing intellectual about it, nothing really interesting about it. Who would be interested with someone who is average.

Having the opportunity of being with great and inspiring people on my first job, current one, I saw the difference of treatment with the online community. I wasn't very much active online, as I was offline, before. They had a wealth of friends, opportunities, learning and other open doors or windows from their networks. Blogs, online forums of every interesting kind, mailing lists, formal articles, events, professional networks, resources and knowledge that were there and that were taken advantage of. I guess it really helped build the attitude. Helping build the very powerful notion of "self-help", that the Internet exists not only for porn, multi -media downloads, game FAQs, walkthroughs, women, men, pirated and cracked software or tools. It's one, a pool of great wisdom and knowledge. Two, a very helpful friend if you need complete, mundane, and even fake answers. Three, a venue for great ways to meet interesting and intellectual people that can help you form your art/interest, or help improve it. Four, as said in the link above, a way to help you find a job.

Taking advantage of the opportunities, I have already changed my view on the internet. I now have sense on my sites. And coming off from my point of view of it before, I am now constantly reaching other audiences, not only those already in the community, but also those who still are clueless of how powerful "knowledge that is freely and easily available" is, like the internet. I had an experience of teaching people how to use the internet, explaining to them how powerful it is. A child answering me, "can I play games on it?", me saying in reply, "oh sure, you can do everything on the internet, after a game, you can look for answers to your homework or project". Me telling a guy about my age, "Chong di lang pang porno ang internet, interesado ka sa webdev diba? Try the MSDN Rampup site, or the Microsoft Learning website, those sites will give you tons of learning opportunities and all".

You hit two birds with one stone, you teach them "self-help", and you open them up to the opportunities found online.

To list a few of my networking sites :D
Twitter: http://twitter.com/nolem_blckhrt
Plurk: http://www.plurk.com/rdcimafranca
blogger: http://rdcimafranca.blogspot.com/
Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/4/908/b5

Still not a networking animal. In time I will be :D

A definition of Social Networking Service, from our friend, the free encyclopedia