- MySpace
MySpace was one of the first prominate social networking sites. Within MySpace users could connect with one another through "friending" each other, as well as create individualized "profile pages" that could include nearly anything you could think of. This includes, music, video, survey results, links, personal info, bio information, blog posts, etc. Many MySpace users used their profile page to express who they were as individuals including their likes and dislikes. MySpace allows users to customize their profile page in nearly anyway they wish. This can be a great thing for those who have a good sense of what makes a page user friendly and easy to use, however it can also become sensory overload as many users put multiple video and/or music players on their sites, which make the user interface as you connect with others slightly overhwelming at times. - Linked In
LinkedIn is targetted towards professional networking. You can connect with people within one's own industry or similar industries. Linkin allows users to create and/or join various groups within their own organizations or other organizations. This increases the amount of connections one can make. Linked in seems to have become the "go to" place for those who are in the professional world. It is the new "business card" of the professional world, allowing people to share their contact information in a more dynamic way. Rather than giving someone your business card, if you invite them to a "LinkedIn" connection then you will be able to contact them in the future even if one or both parties has changed their contact information.
Linked in is a very streamlined user interface. There are very few options for customization, giving the user a very static experience throughout the site, allowing them to find the information they are looking for in a very simple and straightforward way. - Facebook
Facebook has become the largest and most well known social media site. Facebook has both static (uncustomizable) and dynamic (customizable) options for the user. Facebook has changed the user interface in various ways throughout the years. Currently users have control over their "Profile" page, allowing users to upload videos, pictures, notes (like blog posts) and other information. It also allows users to display various "boxes" of content from the various apps that users have developed. These boxes can display limitless types of information from user survey results, to a "daily fortune cookie". Each user has a "wall" which can be posted to by other users. Users can update their "status" letting other users know what they are doing. Users can post photos, text, and video to other people's walls.
Various "apps" have been developed for facebook including games, surveys, media, etc. These apps have increased the user experience to include the ability to connect with others through a myriad of ways. One can go to facebook to play games with friends in various settings.
Users can connect with others through "tagging" them in photos, media, notes, etc. This feature allows a user to see which friends are connecting with them.
Facebook's main module is currently the "news feed" the newsfeed contents can be controlled by the user. A user can control which type of feeds they want to see. Facebook creates feeds when a user interacts with Facebook, including when a user posts to another users wall, uploads photos or videos or updates their comments.
The above is just a short overview of three of the social networking sites. The following is an interesting video on social networking.
