9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great, great book for social media newbies, April 4, 2010
This review is from: Social Networking Spaces (Beginning) (Paperback)
This book is a must for the majority of us who want to be involved in social media, but didn't grow up with peer groups to help us out. The book is written in an engaging, informal style that allows learning without needing to memorize each and every word. Each chapter has a brief intro that tells you specifically what you can hope to gain by going through that chapter. Each ends with a summary Q&A related to the chapter and author's conclusion (brief, usually only 2-4 paragraphs)
For the most part, the chapters/topics are self contained; you can read them in any order or you can go sequentially. Personally, I chose the one topic at a time route, using my learning interests in the field as a guide. At this point, I have read and reread a few of the chapters, and browsed the remaining ones that I have not yet "grown into".
Prior to starting the book, I had signed up for a Twitter account, but not done much of anything with it. However, since I was intrigued by the way some people/organizations were using this service, I decided to start in the Twitter chapters (6 and 7). This book was a major help in getting me started: through it, I learned how to post a profile picture and the basics of Twitter etiquette and how to link to other services I might want to work with, including my existing blog. I also learned about short URLs, a piece of knowledge that in and of itself may be worth the price of this book.
After reading the Twitter chapters, I went back and read through the forwards and Chapter 1. The actionable possibilities put forth in the first chapter are truly mind opening, but you almost need to dabble with some of the media in the rest of the book before it really strikes you. Suggestion: skim through Chapter 1, and come back to it after any time you have done some toe dipping in one of the later sections.
The two chapters on Blogging would be very helpful to the novice, particularly one who had little experience with any type of page set up experience. They take you through step by step how to set up a working blog on Google. At the time I read these chapters, I had started a blog on Wordpress and had already worked through some of the kinks of blog set up. However, some of the suggestions for further development in the Q&A and conclusions helped me to improve my blog.
The LinkedIn chapters were the next I gravitated to, and although I had had a LinkedIn account for several years (which I had perpetuated half heartedly), I learned several things about using LinkedIn and available features that have since helped me make my page more robust and join additional groups.
The Meetup Chapter was also a good refresher for this social media program that also has a real face to face component. Again, I had been a member of Meetup for 4-5 years, had actually been a member of several Meetup groups, yet still found that there were a few tricks about the site I had not previously taken advantage of.
The big test was Facebook. I had contemplated setting up my own Facebook page for awhile, but for a number of reasons, had put this action on hold. While undertaking an Emerging media class, the time now seemed right. Chapter 3 is a great examination of the "nuts and bolts" of Facebook for one who has never attempted this media before. I recommend it thoroughly for all newbies. (In fact, I just went back and viewed it again a few minutes ago, and found another option for messaging that I had not known existed.)
To take a slight detour here, I think that the above hits on one of the highly useful aspects of "Social Networking Spaces", namely that you won't absorb everything you read before you try, but you can always go back and check.
But back to Facebook....there are 3 other chapters on Facebook, and they are particularly useful to those who want to use this resource as more than a place to interact with your friends. If you want to tell your story (or someone else's) or find out if your business can benefit by using Facebook, these chapters are a must view.
I'm not yet ready for Flickr or Youtube (except as a viewer) or Ning or Virtual Worlds or some of the other topics covered by the author, but I'm sure that when I am ready, this book will be a great starting point.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A powerful survey, any computer or general library will appreciate this, June 16, 2010
This review is from: Social Networking Spaces (Beginning) (Paperback)
Social Networking Spaces: From Facebook to Twitter and Everything In Between provides a fine tour of social networking systems, offering a user-friendly format to explore how to use social networks to connect with and share with family and friends. Eleven social network sites are 'toured' with details on using them with mobile devices, exchanging information and more. A powerful survey, any computer or general library will appreciate this.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An engaging and informative look at social networking, May 4, 2010
This review is from: Social Networking Spaces (Beginning) (Paperback)
Social Networking Spaces is a great resource for those looking to build or expand their understanding of social networking sites. The author's style is casual and engaging--it's like having a friend sit down with you and explain the ins and outs of Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and more. I normally have a difficult time staying focused on this type of book, but I had no trouble with this one.
I came to the book with a basic understanding of how many of these sites worked and how to set them up, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that every chapter offered me a better way to do things, or a use I hadn't previously imagined for each social network, such as traveling virtually using Second Life.
Since I'm not a "techie," I appreciated the use of lingo that I could easily understand. I recommend this book to anyone who's interested in using these popular social networking sites for personal or business use.
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