Social Media

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Social media is a phrase that is loosely tossed around a lot these days, and it is next to impossible to answer the question of what is social media. Is it social networking? Is it social bookmarking? Is it a wiki? What is Social Media?

Defining Social Media

Media is best described as an instrument on communication, like a newspaper or a radio, so by that definition, let us say social media is an instrument of social communication. So a website that doesn’t just offer information, but allows for interaction with viewers an reader while giving you information is a website that utilizes the social media scenario to the fullest. This interaction can be as simple as asking for your comments or letting you vote on an article, or it can be as complex as recommending movies to you based on the ratings of other people in your location with similar interests.

The traditional media is a one-way propagation of information where you can read the paper, listen to the radio, watch television, but you have very limited ability to opine, object, agree or just interact on the related matter. Social media is a two-way autobahn that gives you the ability to communicate and connect at instant if not live speeds.

A Guide to the Social Web

People often confuse social media with social news also known as citizen journalism because members of the press are often referred to as “the media.” Nonetheless a social news site is also a part of the social media scenario because it broadly falls into the same category i.e it is merely a type of social media and so are social networking and wikis. Stay updated as we regularly share the latest on the social interwebs on our blog.

What Are Social Media Websites?

Social media covers a large range of websites with one common link being the ability to interact with the website and other visitors. Here are some examples of social media websites:

  • Social Bookmarking: (Del.icio.us, StumbleUpon, Blinklist, Simpy) Interact by tagging websites and searching through websites bookmarked by other people.
  • Social News: (Digg, Propeller, Reddit) Interact by voting for articles and commenting on them.
  • Social Networking: (Facebook, Ping, Last.FM) Interact by adding friends, commenting on profiles, joining groups and having discussions.
  • Social Photo and Video Sharing: (YouTube, Vimeo, Flickr) Interact by sharing photos or videos and commenting on user submissions.
  • Wikis: (Wikipedia, Wikia, Qwiki) Interact by adding articles and editing existing articles.

And the above websites are not the only social media websites. Blogs be they personal, corporate or multi-user are excellent examples of social media sites as they are completely conversation oriented and invite a strong level f interaction amongst readers. Thus any website that invites you to interact with the site and with other visitors can be safely slotted into the definition of social media.

    so·cial me·di·a

    noun

    1. Websites and applications used for social networking
    Web definitions
    • Social media is media designed to be disseminated through social interaction, created using highly accessible and scalable publishing techniques. … en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_media
    • Social media are primarily Internet- and mobile-based tools for sharing and discussing information among human beings.[1] The term most often refers to activities that integrate technology, telecommunications and social interaction, and the construction of words, pictures, videos and audio. … www.creativemediafarm.com/information/glossary
    • Software tools that allow groups to generate content and engage in peer-to-peer conversations and exchange of content (examples are YouTube, Flickr, Facebook, MySpace etc) www.bottlepr.co.uk/glossary.html
    • The term social media describes media that is posed by the user and can take many different forms. Some types of social media are forums, message boards, blogs, wikis and podcasts. Social media applications include Google, Facebook and YouTube. www.searchenginepartner.com/SEO-glossary.html
    • Social media is any form of online publication or presence that allows end users to engage in multi-directional conversations in or around the content on the website. www.onlinematters.com/glossary.htm
    • A category of sites that is based on user participation and user-generated content. They include social networking sites like LinkedIn or Facebook, social bookmarking sites like Del.icio.us, social news sites like Digg or Reddit, and other sites that are centered on user interaction. searchenginewatch.com/define
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