I'm looking for an online or freeware map application that allows me to chart where I know people across the globe. This would serve the same purpose as a paper map on the wall with pins in it but would have more flexibility (zoom-in, link to info about the place etc.) If, for example, I were planning a trip to Thailand, I could open the map app and see that I have a couple acquaintances there and where exactly they live. [more inside]
posted by yankeh on Nov 5, 2009 - 7 answers

Many workplaces ban social networking sites such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and so on. What are some of the reasons workplaces should allow (and even encourage) staff to use social networking sites? [more inside]
posted by Jaybo on Oct 14, 2009 - 20 answers

How does Facebook generate the list of friend icons on the left side of my profile screen? [more inside]
posted by jason's_planet on Oct 1, 2009 - 15 answers

What sort of guidelines should I provide for a friend for a crash course in social networking? [more inside]
posted by superbird on Aug 27, 2009 - 2 answers

Work is thinking about banning access to Gmail, Facebook, Hotmail and other third-party email and social networking sites. Help me convince them not to? [more inside]
posted by raf on Aug 14, 2009 - 37 answers

Let's say I wanted to educate myself to sort-of the equivalent of a Bachelor's Degree in Information and Data (not sure what the real degree would be called, but you get the idea). What should be in my syllabus? [more inside]
posted by Deathalicious on Jul 26, 2009 - 13 answers

I have a friend who is reasonably familiar with the commercial and news side of the web but is interested in using it for online social activities - I set her up on Facebook yesterday but I think what she's really looking for is a forum-based community where she can chat or discuss things with people in the evening after she has put the children to bed and she's on her own. Any suggestions? [more inside]
posted by nja on Jun 21, 2009 - 7 answers

Which university/college sites are doing social networking right? Which networks should colleges be involved with other than Facebook, Twitter and YouTube? [more inside]
posted by faunafrailty on May 11, 2009 - 5 answers

Ning: What's it good for? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on May 6, 2009 - 10 answers

with all this internet connectedness, I've met a few different people online (either through facebook, twitter or geni) who share my not-very-common last name, and we've tried to determine if we're related by relating some of the oldest relatives we know who share the surname, but usually we don't find any overlap. As a genealogical novice, what should my next steps be in trying to find out if we're actually distantly related or if some clerk at Ellis Island just liked to give a bunch of French/German immigrants the same last name? [more inside]
posted by jrishel on May 1, 2009 - 16 answers

Is there a way or tool to easily wed Twitter to Delicious, through sickness and in health? Preferably more health... [more inside]
posted by metalheart on Apr 4, 2009 - 3 answers

What should I include in a presentation about new internet technology and digital media in the classroom to a group of high school teachers? [more inside]
posted by davey_darling on Feb 22, 2009 - 4 answers

Can anyone point me to newspapers that have set up real social networks—not just registration, not just social media features like commenting or bookmarking, but real online communities where people post profiles, make connections, share news items, maybe form groups around news interests, and interact in other ways. [more inside]
posted by beagle on Jan 16, 2009 - 4 answers

I'm working on a short essay, and trying to get a general idea of how many hours per week the average person spends sending e-mails, talking on the phone, texting, etc. [more inside]
posted by sabotagerabbit on Nov 16, 2008 - 1 answer

What are some awesome Twitter feeds - cool people or information I need to know? [more inside]
posted by l33tpolicywonk on Nov 3, 2008 - 15 answers

What online or iPhone-based tool can I use to send text messages to a bunch of people at once? A related but larger question: what online social networking tools can I use to help connect a community of not-very-geeky people who know each other in real life? [more inside]
posted by ottereroticist on Nov 2, 2008 - 16 answers

Baby's online presence/scrapbook. Any recommendations for a site to keep family and friends informed while also archiving baby's early life? [more inside]
posted by k8t on Sep 12, 2008 - 11 answers

Help me find the website that will remind me how politically isolated I am among my peers. [more inside]
posted by DWRoelands on Sep 11, 2008 - 3 answers

Simple del.icio.us question, followed by extensions. First, I have an account and an organization I'm helping to launch has an account. What's the easiest way to move bookmarks to this new account? [more inside]
posted by carterk on Jul 29, 2008 - 3 answers

I live in Vermont. I work in a small town that has been directly affected by the recent Brooke Bennett tragedy (family involved 12 year old in sex ring and killed her, attempted to blame it on a MySpace predator) in an industry that is directly related to dealing with the aftermath. I am also reading Freakonomics, which amongst other things has persuaded me to look past media hype and compare numbers to actual relevant data. I have two questions [more inside]
posted by SirStan on Jul 2, 2008 - 13 answers

Somebody is joining social networking sites using my personal email address. Should I be concerned? [more inside]
posted by cobra_high_tigers on Jul 1, 2008 - 19 answers

Yet Another Social Networking Question: I'm looking for something that does well with different user groups. [more inside]
posted by chrisfromthelc on Jun 3, 2008 - 6 answers

Can anyone recommend software for a community forum / photo gallery / blog suitable for a corporate organisation? [more inside]
posted by hot soup girl on May 19, 2008 - 5 answers

I work as an admin for a social networking site, and I'm trying to figure out protocol for how to handle users who seem suicidal. [more inside]
posted by infinityjinx on May 19, 2008 - 4 answers

Are there established, respectable Agencies which can help a company market online using "Web 2.0" tactics – like Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, Youtube, blogs, widgets, etc.? [more inside]
posted by visual mechanic on May 12, 2008 - 2 answers

Out-of-the-box script for building a small social networking site? [more inside]
posted by jbickers on Apr 23, 2008 - 6 answers

Niche social networking setup that relies on symbols/emoticons and pre-set phrases to communicate? [more inside]
posted by lhall on Apr 9, 2008 - 2 answers

I'm in the market for a non-skeezy, community-oriented webcam hosting site. I'm pretty sure I came across such a thing several weeks ago but have no idea how to go about tracking it down again. [more inside]
posted by dorothy humbird on Mar 14, 2008 - 5 answers

What tools do you use to monitor the Blogosphere? [more inside]
posted by LakesideOrion on Feb 5, 2008 - 7 answers

What are the most successful social networking sites for children? Why have they succeeded? What are the worst? Why have they failed?
posted by bingo on Feb 2, 2008 - 11 answers

Social networking for research collaboration? [more inside]
posted by blueyellow on Jan 29, 2008 - 10 answers

Global social networking: I've assembled this list of the most popular social networking websites in the US, France, Germany, China, India, the UK, the Netherlands, Spain and Italy. Users of these sites: please help me make sure it's accurate! [more inside]
posted by lhall on Nov 30, 2007 - 14 answers

What are some clever web 2.0 / social networking tools to use to market a book to college aged kids in America these days? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Oct 19, 2007 - 11 answers

Myspace? Yuck. But I need to auto approve friends for the nonprofit where I work. All the programs I've seen to do this look like they're written by twelve year olds and/or are three day trials. Recommendations? [more inside]
posted by zazerr on Oct 4, 2007 - 4 answers

I'm either after a free, open source social networking app or a free, open source knowledge management app for my company's intranet. [more inside]
posted by TheDonF on Aug 13, 2007 - 8 answers

How much should I worry about having separate online and offline identities? [more inside]
posted by jacalata on Aug 7, 2007 - 35 answers

Can anyone recommend a social networking platform for building a self-hosted, professional interactive video/blog sharing site? [more inside]
posted by simpleperson on Jul 23, 2007 - 5 answers

How to track down my host family from six years ago? [more inside]
posted by sian on Jul 13, 2007 - 6 answers

Why do I get so many friend requests from people I don't know on Facebook? [more inside]
posted by bijou on Jun 29, 2007 - 15 answers

What are some examples of corporate websites that include a dialog (in the form of blogs, message boards, etc.) with the customer base, about how the company and its products, and the industry, are doing?
posted by bingo on May 20, 2007 - 15 answers

I need to find scholarly articles for a podcast assignment. My topic is online social networking. Advice? [more inside]
posted by pontouf on Apr 20, 2007 - 10 answers

How to build a posse, crew, entourage or social clique of men and women post-40s? [more inside]
posted by choragus on Feb 19, 2007 - 12 answers

Can anybody explain to me what the purpose/function of Cerkle.com is? [more inside]
posted by loquax on Feb 14, 2007 - 4 answers

Social Network Safari Hunt - Help me find my friends! [more inside]
posted by bkdelong on Nov 28, 2006 - 1 answer

I'm trying to find a place that I found a few weeks back. it's a social networking site, but designed around building music. It has a "sequencer" built into the website, and people can jointly build music on it. Anyone point me in the right direction?
posted by wflanagan on Sep 24, 2006 - 2 answers

Please inspire me! What are some of the big issues and buzzwords in online / digital media right now? Things like Web 2.0, social networking, user generated content, the long tail - what else? Bonus points for pointing out any fascinating articles on such subjects that I should be reading up on. Thanks.
posted by unclemonty on Aug 4, 2006 - 17 answers

Why is MySpace so popular? [more inside]
posted by stupidsexyFlanders on Jul 13, 2006 - 50 answers

What social networking sites are there for managing personal donations? I have some projects in mind that require more resources than I have available. I'd like to set up some system for people to donate both money & expertise to help me take my ideas & realize them. I could just put up a little writeup with a PayPal Donate button on my personal domain & point to it from various places I frequent, but I'd like to see if any of the donation-oriented social networking sites have any elements that'd make them a more attractive venue for my plea.
posted by scalefree on Jun 26, 2006 - 7 answers

I am not a programmer. I just know basic html and I design web sites in Front Page using tables. That's it. So, the question is, is there some sort of open source...thing...that will allow me to make a web site like myspace, such that members of a certain group of people will be able to come there and each sign up for an account, and make their own user page, and link to each other as they wish? [more inside]
posted by light bulb on May 6, 2006 - 12 answers

I'm looking to set up a small contact database/social networking site like Friends Reunited, but just for people who went to my college. It would be hosted on my Apache/MySQL/PHP site. Is there a php script that can do this?
posted by wibbler on Apr 30, 2006 - 5 answers