Tools+to+Communicate

**Social Networking**
On this page we look at tools that are primarily used to communicate with and reach out to others. The obvious examples are Facebook and MySpace. Interestingly enough there are others that are less obvious, and more focused such as [|Ning]. While the primary purpose is social networking, this tool allows you to set up your own networks (or join existing ones) based on your interests. One gets the impression there is more emphasis on the networking aspect. [|More about Ning]

Our course Ning [|Web20IBlounge] demonstrates the features of a Ning
 * It can be a private group or open to the public.
 * It allows members to communicate using blogs and discussion forums.
 * Members may upload audio and video - in other words, pix, video clips and podcasts.
 * Anyone can start a social network on any topic / area of interest and invite members to join.
 * The site is free (default) with the option to pay for specific services such as removal of ads.

On browsing through the various networks I found some that interested me. Two are mentioned below. [|The Global Education Collaborative] a network for teachers and students interested in global education. [|Web 2.0 4 Teachers] which is a network for educators interested in using and sharing about the use of Web 2.0 tools.

 This involves sending or receiving brief text or micromedia such as photos, short audio clips or 10-second video clips. The most popular example of this form of communication is [|Twitter]. The purpose is to discuss very specific subjects on a person-to-person level or to provide updates on what one is currently doing.
 * Microblogging**