With the growth of social networking, forms of communication and interaction have changed greatly (Howell, 2015, p. 3). Social networking provides the opportunity for professionals to interact with one another across vast distances using tools and sites such as Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter and YouTube (Howell, 2015, p. 3 and 7). My own view is that social networking is a way of collecting and disseminating information which is of a common interest to the users and those with connections. The use of social networking allows for me to connect with people in the same profession, same interest areas, or striving to develop my own personal learning. Social networking has also resulted in the sharing of knowledge, experiences and resources.
For my own personal use, I prefer Facebook, the multiple features of posts, sharing, chats and groups make it very appealing especially given the long distances between our family members. I was late to the social networking trend, with my friends having myspace or the like during high school (mid to late 00’s), whilst I didn’t sign up for Facebook until ’08. I do try to use Instagram consistently though I really don’t take many photos for sharing, they are usually just family photos to share individually, hence my limited use. I have connected through Facebook to a variety of interest groups, not only does it give access to like minded people, it also exposes me to processes and ideas I would not normally consider. I have now “tweeted” though I don’t find this as expersive and interactive as instagram or more so facebook.
INF506 title, Social Networking for Information Professionals, indicates that the learning surrounds how to effectively use social networking tools to the benefit of those who utilise these tools. I expect that from INF506 I will learn how to effectively navigate and utilise a variety of networking sties and tools more efficiently to the benefit of myself and others ability to access information. In learning to use a variety of sites and tools, stronger delivery of content and communication to students, parents and the community can occur in appropriate formats. I want to be able to understand the benefits of using one particular social networking tool over another and the benefits of using multiple tools and managing them effectively.
Howell, K. (2015). An Introduction to Social Networks. Sare This, Networks, pp. 3-12. Hoboken, NJ, USA: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.