Social networking involves the simple act of grouping people.
Something we have been doing since our days of living in a cave.
Today in the age of instant messaging and information social networking has taken on a more significant persona.
Its instantaneity and spontaneity have changed the rules of normal discourse.
As is often the case with new technology there is an increase in new terminology.
Among these terms are social bookmarking, social networks, crowdsourcing, blogging, podcasting, commentary, folksonomy and Ezines.
Folksonomy is perhaps the most unusual term of the group.
It means social tagging and multiple users can add key words to shared information.
Ezines are digital online magazines and the subject matter is limitless.
Anyone may create an Ezine.
Social bookmarking is a way people share, organize, search, and/or follow on the internet.
This is not the same as sharing a file.
What is not shared is detailed information or actual websites.
What is shared are the bookmarks (some call this 'favorites') that reference the websites.
For example a website you save as a bookmark you are saving only that address (URL), and no information about what is on the site.
The value of keeping bookmarks or lists of sites is for future reference.
Crowdsourcing is taking a task that is normally given to an employee or a contracted person or company and assigning it to a group.
This is becoming popular among those of us in the business of writing.
An example is blur media.
com.
The purpose of crowdsourcing is to produce leveraging in order to achieve a business goal.
In our case, publishing our articles and books.
Podcasting involves blogging and digital audio technology (usually Mp3) and it is available on free servers.
Writers and film producers are taking advantage of this.
It's a way of getting excerpts of your works out into the public..
..
teasers.
A caution here.
It helps if you have a good speaking voice.
If you don't get a friend who does to read your 'stuff'.
Blogging has become such a part of our National mental image further definition is not necessary.
It is an effective way of getting your name out to the public.
However, your blogs must have relevance to public interest or you will not have a great deal of traffic to your blog site.
Commenting on other people's works, ideas, and blogs is another way of networking.
Generally, there is an exchange of ideas and other people get involved.
This builds a base of people who know you.
Writing articles for Ezines is not necessarily profitable in terms of hard cold cash.
Some sites do pay but only minimally.
The value for a writer is getting name recognition; a platform and brand.
Much work goes into Ezine creation and writing.
Videos are making a splash on popular YouTube.
com, Twitter.
com and Myspace.
com.
Most of these are not professionally produced.
Costs may be a factor.
There is a question as to how much revenue is generated in terms of books sales from video trailers.
Whether you choose to involve yourself in any of these promotional tools is a personal decision.
A Suggested site with additional information about these terms is listed below.
Getting published is just part of the struggle.
A medical doctor friend has advised we should use whatever helps us get well; be it traditional or alternative medicine.
That same holds true for the professional writer.
Use whatever helps you to be successful.
Disclaimer: I do not advocate creating a scandal or committing an illegal act to gain notoriety, or to willfully bad mouth someone just to get attention in the public media.
Defining the Social Networking Jargon Norman Wilson, PHD