Social Networking

There are many practical applications for social networks. On a personal level, sites like Facebook allow you to stay in contact with family and friends, by receiving updates on where they are at and what (and how) they are doing. I find it very easy to track how my sons (who recently moved out on their own) are faring, which boy(s) my daughter in High School is corresponding with, and what my remote friends and relatives (scattered across the country) have been involved with.

On a professional level I coordinate software testing and support technical communications to faculty and staff at Michigan State University. I am currently looking for existing technical blogs and wikis hosted by MSU technical and support staff that I can join to, and be a trusted source of information for the software applications I have experience with. If there isn't a social media application for this at MSU, I will inquire about creating one. I've also used LinkedIn to find jobs and refer applicants to prospective employers.

There is much to benefit from, both personally and professionally, with using social networking sites to both obtain and share knowledge. The one objective I work towards is being selective with which social networking sites I subscribe to, and who I chose to trust information from. The goal to not overgrow my contacts and sites to the point that it is difficult to manage and effectively use them.