Hit it and quit it.

For me, the simpler the better. I feel the reason why I dislike most of these social networking sites is the clutter and difficulty to use. Myspace and Twitter for example, are too cluttered with people customizing their own backgrounds. I understand that people feel like their page is more personal if the can customize the appearance, but for me its clutter. That being said, facebook just recently made the banner pictures customizable. I feel like you only have time to check one social networking site per day. Facebook, in my opinion, does the job. All of my friends have facebook, even though many are not active posters, but they stil check it daily. Maybe there are better social networking sites out there, but Facebook to me built such a powerhouse that it's gonna be hard to move all of the people even if another site has more to offer.

I personally have not tried all that many social media outlets. So far, the only one I have quit is Myspace. There really isn't a point to having a Facebook and a Myspace. Chances are you have the same friends and the same pictures, so there's only need for one account. Facebook has grown to be more popular than Myspace in recent years, meaning there's more people on it to friend and keep in touch with. In a few years time, there will probably be a similar website to Facebook, and that site will take over and people will slowly delete their Facebooks in order to stay with the quick pace of evolving social media. 

I think the "Hit it and quit it" comes from dropping social media sites that have lost out to better competition. A lot of social media trends fade because people stop using them- and once your friends aren't available through that anymore, it loses interest to you as well. The social networking sites that will stick around are the ones that have real substance to them, such as LinkedIn. It is a legitimate source for employment and social freedom, which will always be desirable. The reason Myspace faded so quickly is because it is so simple that it gave the competition room to improve and attract the same crowd which drew attention away from the original trend. The key to creating a site that will stick is to offer something unique not just a different version of what is out there, be sure that it is technologically fit, and promote positively. If it's worth trying, people will talk. Users will create the hype themselves; we decide the trends.

I agree with the hit it and quit it idea. I know that when I was in highschool Myspace was all the rage and all of your friends were on this website. But slowly Myspace became creepy and not cool. I was then invited by friend to join Facebook, during the days when you had to be invited in order to be a Facebook user. Over time all my friend were on Facebook. The next big thing was Twitter. I have had a Twitter for over 2 years and now just this past year my friends are catching on and everyone I know is getting one. Based on past experiences, I love to be the first of my friends to join a social media site. I like to be on top of the trend and get the hang of the site, utilize it heavily for a year or two, and then I proceed on to the next one.Just this past week I joined foursquare, I originally thought that this was an odd app because who cares where you are, but then again who cares what you're status is (facebook) who cares what you're doing (twitter.) For me I stick with all social media sites that I have an account with but not do utilize each to the same degree.

Take for instance Facebook, I have had one since I was a senior in high school. I used to religiously comment on friends' walls, post pictures, and change my profile picture. Nowadays I still go on it regularly but am less active on the website. On the other hand for Twitter I utilize much more nowadays than I used to. I retweet and follow much more news, brands, agencies than I had a few years ago. All in all as I matured so has my social media ability and usage.

This may sound a bit repetitive but I agree with most people here that Facebook is my most used social media outlet. There have definitely been times where I get bored with it and am about to start spending less them there but then the newest update will pull me back in. I think that’s why Facebook has done so well and will continue to stay relevant because they are able to evolve with the people who use the site. LinkedIn continues to stay a professional network and remain a staple in their niche of the industry. I am currently all about Twitter. I realize only a small population uses it but I feel like it is a great network for this industry. I like being able to network with people on a minimally personal level until I make a more valid connection. I started posting my blog and blogs from my internship on Delicious and Digg and have started to see some traffic come from those sites. They only take a couple of seconds to post on so I have been experimenting with them so see what kind of results I can get. I think location based networks are where I will be hitting it and quitting it a lot more often. There are a lot of new apps that spark my interest but loose it just as quickly. As they evolve I think creators of these apps will be taking into consideration user reviews if they want to stay the primary network.

I'm definitely a hit or quit it type of person when it comes to social media. I either love it, or hate it - with the exception of Twitter. I've yet to fall in love with Twitter like the rest of the world seems to have... I just can't get myself to really enjoy it or find much personal benefit from using it (other than when a professor tweeted quiz answers). Yet, I've kept my Twitter account, and continuously try to like it. However, for less lucky social media sites, I'm not as relentless at using them as I am with Twitter. I'm not into Squidoo, Digg, and Myspace, and I definitely won't use them in my free time. (Yes, I know I spent WAY too much time on Myspace in high school). However, my staples: Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube won't be going anytime soon!

As mentioned in the post, it is hard to keep up with all of the social media platforms today. I think most people find their favorites and that is what they stick with. With so many different options out there today, it makes it difficult to have time and be an active user on all of them. Being aware of the options out there and knowing their capabilities, I believe, is extremely important. Different platforms can be useful at different times in your own life or your companies. Knowing what is most effective for certain situations can be a huge advantage for you. Taking this class has really allowed me to be exposed to many social media outlets, I was not previously aware of. I plan to continue this type of experimentation, to gain knowledge and understanding around these new platforms and possibly implement into my everyday life.

No one really has the time to try out every single social media phenom that pops up. I've actually found myself setting aside an hour in my planner daily for "social media time" where I attempt to find out what's happening in the wonderful and ever-changing social media world. I find that I get most knowledge of new sites from Twitter, short and to the point. I do think that you should try a site for at least a week or month just to see how it works and if it fits your personality/brand. Livejournal is middle school, Myspace is highschool, and Facebook is college. At least that's how I used to look at it. I can do without Squidoo, Foursquare, maybe one of two LivingSocial/Groupon sites, and the occasional YouTube is nice but I definitely like the idea of "Hit it and Quit it".

Social Media sites are difficult for me to understand I still don't use Twiter to often. I just get don't get why some peole tweet personal information. I get why business , class and groups use Twitter. I do use Facebook but I don't post to much personal information on it. I must admit I do like to pay the online games of Facebook. Blogger is aslo a site I set up a page on but did not go back on the site again. The site was not what I thought it would be.

I agree with the fact that Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn are staples - I highly doubt they will lose their value anytime soon. (In fact, I've been hearing that they will soon replace resumes when it comes to job searching.) I'm glad to be taking this class because it opened my eyes to many of the other social media sites out there. They are very interesting to learn about, as each one has their own unique features, strategy, and uses. 

As for the sites I have "hit and quit," the first one was certainly Myspace. It was great when I was first introduced to social media back in middle school and high school, and it taught me to use HTML code to personalize my profile. However, my perception of it now is just that - it's for youngsters. I see Facebook as an upgrade in comparison. I used Flickr quite frequently during a photography phase of mine in high school. Now, I simply use it as another resource for photos if I cannot find adequate results in Google Images. StumbleUpon is another I found hard to get into. I'd rather spend my time checking up on the other social media sites I use than searching for more things on the internet to fill my time.

To be honest, most of the social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Squidoo and Linkedin were completely "new" to me and this class has provided me with a great opportunity to experience as well as to learn what they are and why they are important. I have experienced and used the major social media sites throughout the given assignments. And now it is time to decide which one is more important as well as helpful to me in order to be successful in social media life because I will not be able to take advantage of all the social media sites as mentioned above. I will certainly stick to Facebook, Linkedin, Youtube and Twitter in the future.

I love social media (well, I only love Facebook).  I have Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook accounts.  I absolutely love Facebook like most people.  I'm used to using it, and to me it's very easy to use.  Twitter is a bit confusing to me.  Even though I know I should start using it more now and get comfortable with it, but I just don't understand it.  It looks very simple, but it just seems so complex to me.  I'm sure if I sat down and analyzed it, I would understand it, but I have Facebook and I am very comfortable with it.  I feel like LinkedIn is so hard to find people, I never understand how to add people.  I always have to wait until they find me and add me.  LinkedIn is pretty much a publicized resume, I am sure I will get used to it down the road since I am a graduating senior and will be entering the job market fairly shortly (eeeek!!!).  When I was in high school, I used Xanga a couple of times.  I guess it is pretty much just like any other blogging websites nowadays.  I enjoyed it for the time being; it was cute.  I will probably never go back to having a Xanga.  I like the concept of blogging, and would love to have a blog one day but not right now.  I would love to blog about food recipes and baking, but too bad I am not good at food recipes or baking.  Recently, I have gotten into YouTube.  I have been watching Timothy DelaGhetto on YouTube, and he is absolutely hilarious.  I wish I could upload random videos and get so many views!  YouTube is such a great place for aspiring singers/artists/actors can showcase their talent.  I love YouTube singers; I probably enjoy them more than real, famous singers.  With that said, I will most likely stick with Facebook and YouTube for now, but will eventually start using Twitter and LinkedIn more often due to career purposes.

I completely agree, social networking sites are an amazing way to connect with people and interact with brands but there is so much it's overwhelming, especially when many of the sites are so similar, such as FourSquare and Facebook Places. I obviously spend most of my time on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube for fun updates about my friends and what's going on in the world. I choose who my friends are, who I follow, and what videos I search so the sites are very relevant to me. However sites like Squidoo and Stumble Upon just have too much content. I could get lost on sites like those for hours, but I really don't have that kind of time, so I tend to avoid them all together. Flickr is cool for pictures, but most of my friends use Facebook so I do not feel the need to bother with it. Social Networking Sites are only relevant to me if people or companies I am interested in use them too. With the vast array of sites out there, a handful of people use all of them, but not enough where I am willing to make 30 different profiles. I can see everyone I need on Facebook and Twitter so the other sites are as of now irrelevant to what I am looking for. 

The social media sites that I have accounts on and really love are LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. LinkedIn is a vital and essential site to be on to keep connected to my professional contacts, colleagues and new career prospects. LinkedIn has proven to me worthy of and true to its objective. I still Like Facebook and I will always keep. It is a very good tool to keep in contacts with family and close friends. Another aspect of Facebook that I really like is the fan and business pages. I can promote my small or home business through a Facebook page. The key to be successful though is to keep the page up-to-date and always updating and posting which, I admit, I don’t do (because I’m busy right now with many other things but I will get to it, I promise). I had a Twitter account before but never used it until this class and now I really like it. These are the three social media sites that I believe in and will continue using them. I also have accounts on other professional sites like AgencyScoop. I tried Google Profiles and didn’t get much from so I will quit that one. It is a good idea to try many of the social media sites and see which one suits your needs.

Personally,I think that although it is beneficial to use multiple different social networking sites, it is very challenging to use mroe than a few at a time and keep them all updated when you have a lot of other things going on.  If I used more than facebook, twitter and linkedin on a regular basis it would become way to time consuming on my part with school and work and other obligations.  It is definitely necessary to try many, but to quit the ones you dont find as beneficial to your own personal preference.  Experimenting with whats out there is very important when staying up to date on the internet, but I can only take so much of it.

Facebook is really the only site I use very frequently. I like it because this is where I can socialize with friends and family but the other sites really dont allow me to do that because no one else has these accounts except for maybe Twitter. Twitter is a site that I don't like.I really don't like using it and telling people what I am doing 24/7. Maybe in a few years when I am working it will be more useful to me to inform people about products and ideas. I also hit and quit SCVNGR. Like twitter, I don't like telling people where I am or where I have been. For me its just a privacy thing.

Timing is everything. This week's lesson on Location-Based Services was really an eye opener for me. My initial opinion of these apps like Foursquare and others are that they're just tips of the iceberg. Meaning, as cool as they are now, I suspect they will grow tremendously over the coming years due to their interconnectivity between customers and businesses. Both sides benefit from many of its features. I thought, wow this IS neat. Then, I went to work on the actual assignment using scvngr. All ready to dive in and to learn more about it, my initial reaction and opinion is a flat THUMBS DOWN. What a disappointment. It might be my age, but this is nothing more than a very elementary school game. Do people really have this kind of time? Do they really interact with businesses in this way? When they do visit an establishment, do they really participate in this manner? Me, on the other hand, enjoy being there or conversing with my guest, not sticking my nose in my phone and letting everyone know that I am having coffee. To me scvngr is a "QUIT". 

One thing I think really important for me to like a social media site is that most of my friends are there, and that's why I'm mostly using Chinese social media sites now. I like Facebook, I got an account, but I don't go and see it a lot. Although the most popular social medai website Renren actually copied a lot of staff from Facebook, I prefer using it because tons of my friends in China are on it.

Even the social media I'm on now are a little bit overwhelming for me. It takes a lot of my time and energy to keep up with all the things going on there, but I don't see all of them worth paying attention to. However, I guess it's my job to figure out how to use them wisely.

I know that there are tons of new sites out there in the social media world but honestly I am already overwhelmed by Facebook and Twitter. I love them, I just know I wouldn't want to take on any other site as they usually serve more as procrastination tools rather than anything else. Twitter is constantly updated, new things, every moment and it is crazy what new things can happen if you are away for a week, Spring Break for instance. I just feel like I am constantly playing catch up with all the new technological and site advancements that I am not really interested in being the first to try something new. Sure if I hear about a site I will probably check it out but I am content with the sites I have.

Years ago, when I was younger, I started off in the social media community by using Myspace. At that time, I didn't even know that by doing so, I was engaging in social media. As I got older, I was given a college username that allowed me to sign into Facebook. I was instantly hooked. I slowly "quit" using my Myspace and focused all my attention on Facebook. Throughout college I have "hit it and quite it" with multiple social media sites. The sites that have stuck with me are Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and obviously Facebook. I check my Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter at least once a day, if not more. I find tools on each site to be very valuable and useful. YouTube is simply fun and often informative. Overall, I love social media and am constantly intrigued as to everything it has to offer.

Although it seems like Twitter is more updated than Facebook is in this class, I personally prefer Facebook to Twitter since I get confused a lot when it comes to using Twitter. I use Facebook and Youtube on daily bases whereas I barely use Twitter. Also, I used to be a heavy Xanga user when it was more popular among teenagers before but I can't even remember what my account ID or password were. 

I've used quite a few new social media sites on my own, but I've tried quite a few more since taking this class. This past week, to try out the hit it and quit it, I visited ones I never looked that much into before. I joined Digg and del.ici.ous, which at first seemed like the same things - news stories. (I soon realized the del.ici.ous was for bookmarking these pages and Digg was for sharing them, more or less)

I'll stick with del.ici.ous, because I do bookmark A LOT of sites and it's hard to organize them using the bookmarking system on my computer. I won't stick with Digg though. I like reading news stories, but I don't feel the need to share them. And if I do, I'll just link it on people's facebook walls/emails myself.

I've only visited Squidoo a couple times since we our assignment. I don't have a need for it. I like Pandora, but I've tried Last.fm too. I looked at Trapster, a way to share police traps to other drivers; but I don't understand how people would share this info while driving! That's so dangerous!

I had fun trying these sites. I know there's a lot more for me to try, and I'll definitely try some more. Of the one's I looked into this past week, I'm really only interested in sticking with del.ici.ous. I can be a minimalist when it comes to surfing the web.

This really got me thinking about all the social media outlets that I have enjoyed enough to stick with, or drop like a bad habbit:

Myspace = Hit & Quit

Facebook = Hit, Quit & Hit again

Twitter = Hit

LinkedIn = Hit

Squidoo = Hit & Quit

SCVNGR = Hit & Quit

Quora = Hit

Was "bad habit" a pun? Not entirely. My love, hate relationship with Facebook is extensive. When I started graduate school last year, I found that I spent too much unnecessary time on the social media website - so I quit cold-turkey. However, after I became more comfortable with my time management skills and had my priorities in line, I decided to jump back on board. Other sites haven't been so lucky: Myspace, Squidoo and SCVNGR have all lost my interest. I think I gave up on Myspace because of Facebook - it was much cleaner, less work to maintain (remember all those codes for backgrounds and fonts?!), and my friends were digging the network. Squidoo is just boring. I would not go out of my way to find a page on Squidoo that I could easily Google or find on Quora (that I find more reputable). I find the location-based social networks to be too much work; I never remember to take out my phone, open the app, and check-in. What's the point of checking in anyway? I went to the mall and didn't find any incentatives for "checking in." I find this app gives my friends (and acquaintances) one more opportunity to stalk me and divulge into my life... I find no benefits.

Myspace was definitely my first social media experience, but after I discovered Facebook I "quit" Myspace. Facebook is my go-to site. Besides interacting with friends, Facebook is a great tool to follow brands, businesses and organizations. After a while I couldn't find any value in Myspace, Facebook seemed more user friendly and less cluttered. Twitter is another one of my favorites, I'm obsessed! Honestly, another website I'll probably drop is Squidoo. While lens making is relatively easy, even after our assignemtn I'm not sure how I can benefit from creating or managing them.

Just as everyone else has said, I am most consistent and really enjoy using Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin. I'm trying to spend more time on Twitter though as I feel like it'll be most advantageous to me in my career. Facebook can get a little to personal, and there's some information and pictures on there that probably aren't in the best interest of my future employers. Even though I have my settings set to private, once it's put on the internet it's still guaranteed to be out there somewhere. I check into my Linkedin now and then, but as of now I'm using that as just an online resume. However, I wish I could spend more time with that site as well - updating it and looking into more individuals and companies themselves.

Although we had to experiment and make an account with Squidoo, I haven't really had a chance to get back on there. The site didn't really do anything for me, I felt like if I had something of importance that I wanted to share with everyone I would post it on my blog. Speaking of the blog, I really wish I could find the time and motivation to continue writing with that. Hopefully one day (soon after I graduate in May) I'll be more consistent with it and find better and more interesting things to blog about that will appeal to my readers. I really do enjoy hearing about all these new social media sites, but I think it's easy for me to find the ones that I'll stay consistent with and ones that I will quit shortly after experimenting with.

There are tons of great social media sites but the ones that i use the most are Facebook, Twitter, and my Linked In now that this class has introduced me to it. I like facebook because it keeps to in touch with old friend and family members that aren't close in distance. Twitter is something that I to stay up to date on new businesses and to keep me laughing when im not having a good day. Linked In is a great place to meet people in the same job search as you and you can even meet companies and possibly get interviews to a future job. A social media that I hit and quit was myspace I never really got into it because it was so difficult for me to understand and once I found out about Facebook I deleted my myspace because I didn't see the purpose of it any longer.

Social Media sites are a very big part of many people's lives. Facebook is accessed multiple times a day from laptops and phones. The two sites that I use the most are linked in and Facebook. I like Linked In becuase I can build relationships with my clients at The State News and network for future careers. Facebook is something that I use for fun and to stay in touch with old friends. I haven't really got into Twitter but it's something that I am trying to use more. I have not downloaded the application on my phone and I think that is the main reason I am not a frequent Twitter users. I use the Facebook app on my phone daily and it keeps me connected to what's going on. I used to have a Myspace but I feel that those are more for younger people. Using socail network sites take a while for me to catch on to but once I become a frequent user I really enjoy spending time on them.

Social media has an incredibly addictive quality to it. Once you start, it is almost impossible to give it up. For me, the social media sites I visit the most are without a doubt Facebook, YouTube, and most recently Twitter. All of the other applications that I have tried out for this class such as Squidoo, and SCVNGR really do not capture my attention. I like the idea of LinkedIn, and I think when I enter the professional world it will be a very valuable asset. The most interesting victory story of media sites for me personally, is that of Twitter. At the beginning of the semester I was completely opposed to the idea. I have never been a "status updater" and hated the idea of posting my thoughts daily. However a few short months later, I am completely addicted. I am still not the most avid Tweeter, but I have been working on that. I like being able to follow celebrities and get a view of their lives, and personalities that you don't see in interviews, and on TV or the big screen. Facebook is without a doubt my most visited, it has taken the place of myspace, and before that livejournal. I am interested to see how long the Facebook craze lasts, and what, if anything is able to replace the grasp it has taken on our society. 

Social media websites are all of the rage these days, and I cannot see a day any time soon where the everyday significance of these sites will go away.  I use Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube daily and can also not see the day where that habit will disappear.  I can however say that Facebook gets the most clicks from me during the day.  After creating a Twitter account for this class I was excited by the opportunity the website brought.  Following my favorite celebrities and finding out what they were doing and thinking during the day was something new and exciting, and looking at verified accounts makes users feel like they are truly connected to those that seem untouchable.  I have yet to really experience FOURSQUARE and all that it has to offer.  Although Facebook takes away an element of privacy of very personal things such as pictures, education information, as well as past employer information, location-tracking applications takes a step too far.  Although I have negative feelings in regards to these types of applications I think it is very important to investigate what they have to offer and how they can advance business plans and marketing.  It is fascinating that new social media websites are created almost daily and creating traffic from different target audiences.  Many of the newest sites hitting the internet might have a new and fresh idea however the main social media outlets (Facebook, Twitter, Youtube) seem to hold to much power to let anything else in to the circle of popularity for too long. 

It's difficult to be loyal to numerous social media sites because of the time commitment many of them require. I regularly use Facebook, Twitter and Youtube. But, outside of these I mostly fall victim to the "hit it and quit it" method. As a public relations intern, I find it intriguing to learn about different tools that could potentially benefit the organization I intern for. That's mostly what I'm thinking about when I check out social media sites, not because I'm interested in using them personally.

Before Facebook, I was active on MySpace. Over the years, I completely switched to Facebook and have deleted my Myspace page entirely. Myspace developed a lot of spam and the security settings weren't as great as they are with Facebook (at least when I had it.) So, I decided that I needed to pick-and-choose which site I would rather be active with. Naturally, I chose Facebook.

There are only a few people who do not use the social media. Especailly, the importance of social media has increased and it is even used in many business areas. In case of twitter, it is sometimes used instead of e-mail, because people can communicate faster and easily through the twitter. Pesonally, I use the Facebook, and Youtube daily, because it provides more fun compared to other social media websites. I used Twitter rarely, because I didn't find any worth function and fun for me; however, I'm still trying to stick into Twietter. This is because I found some potential and future benefits when people use it and most professors and instructors (including you!) seems to emphasize the importance of it. If it is needed for my future, I try to accept Twitter.

Social Media can be a frenemy because it requires time and comitment. This friend may not always reciprocate. I understand the importance of building a valuable network, but it requires effort. Rome wasn't built in a day and neither is your Twitter network. Twitter has been a difficult one for me to build. It seems like the conversations move too fast for me to keep up...but presistance is key.
One site that I gave up was Livejournal. I used to write in it when I was a youngin' in high school but I have since moved on to a more sophisticated platform- Wordpress! I like Wordpress a lot more because it allows me to track feedback a lot easier.

It is overwhelming because there are just so many different social media sites out there!  I use Facebook, Twitter and YouTube daily.  One social media site that I have not gotten on board with yet is Foursquare.  To me it seems weird to let everyone know where you are at all times.  I understand that it can be great for marketers to give incentive for visiting their business numerous times.  However, I feel that this crosses a line of privacy and it could even become dangerous.  Pretty soon, these social media sites will completely get rid of people’s privacy all together! That is what scares me the most about social media sites.

There are so many social media sites out there it is hard to try them all out. I personally use Facebook and Twitter all day long and those two sites are the ones I stick too. I enjoy watching youtube occasionally and will check it out when I hear about a new video but I don't have a channel or anything like that. This class has allowed me to learn more about other social media sites and try them out which is extremely beneficial for the future. But, for right now I'm sticking to Facebook and twitter.

I totally agree. I think that it's importantt to feel out all the new social media sites, but if they aren't for you and you don't want to be invested in it, then why waste your time? You can use that perfecting the sites you use most. Personally, I'm the biggest fans of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Facebook is how I connect with friends, Twitter is how I connect with celebrities, businesses and people I don't know but want to know, an LinkedIn is what I use to connect in a more professional setting with people I do know. When we tried Squidoo, I have to admit it was not my favorite thing. It was confusing and I still don't really see the point to it. It was interesting it learn about, but I don't see myself using it in the future. I'm also over Myspace. It was fun and cool in middle/high school but now I think its obsolete with Facebook nowadays. 

I cannot believe that there're actually so many social media website when I click the link. They are so many that I even do not heard of most of them before. I quiet some of the social medias mostly because my buddy are not on them. Therefore, I quiet. I know it is not a good idea for marketers because when speaking of business world, we always do not have friends and buddys. But still, from marketer's point of view, we go to the place where most people go to. The more people gather, the more profitable it could be and the more circulated messages would be. I sitck to facebook, twitter, youtube and wordpress because they're domain soical media and people go to those sites a lot. 

The social media sites I use depend on my needs at the time.  In highschool I had Myspace until I discovered Facebook and its features.  At the time I created a Facebook page you could tag people in photos and update your status which was something Myspace wasn't offering at the time.  The home page also made it easier to see what my friends were doing another feature that Myspace didn't offer.  Currently, I am finding myself on Twitter more than Facebook as I try to expand my professional network.  I also created a LinkedIn for this class that I frequently go on and update as things change to faciltate professional networking.  I'm sure within a few years something will come along that will make my current social media accounts obsolete, but until then the top social media site I use are Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

I am obsessed with Twitter. Definitely my favorite social media tool, which I just started using more regularly last semester. I was a bit hesitant about it at first, but now I am in love with it. It's a place where you can write almost any thought you have as well as check in with your friends and favorite businesses and people of interest. Facebook of course is another big one as a way to communicate with friends and see what everyone is up to. Now for the ones I have quit: Myspace and Google Profiles. No one I know really uses Myspace anymore. Why bother when Facebook is available and much more user friendly than Myspace? I love having the newsfeed and being able to easily access friends' pages that are all set up in the same way. I like the fact that there are uniform backgrounds and no music options to add. I want to post something on your wall or look at your pictures, not be bombarded with flashy backgrounds and a song you force me to listen to each time I visit your profile page. Another one I didn't really like was Google Profiles. I didn't understand the point of it and no one I know uses it, so it wasn't very beneficial to me. I do agree with the Hit It and Quit It approach though. I think it's important to know what is out there and using this approach is helpful in discovering which social media tools I will use and like and which ones I'll leave behind. After all, I used to be a huge hater on Twitter but now I sing nothing but praises!

To be honest, I have to go with the crowd on this one. Facebook and Youtube are my top choices for social media go to's. Myspace just never quite got the hang of it like Facebook. Facebook is so user-friendly and the newsfeed is great. I wish that Twitter's newsfeed was more like Facebook's where it will say "show other posts" by so and so instead of cluttering up my whole feed. The thing I don't like about Twitter though, is adding all the applications for pictures, ect. Facebook seems to have everything all in one. It's easy to tag, pictures, videos, friend's list, location check-in, all at your fingertips. LinkedIn is also a great tool. However, the only beef I have with LinkedIn is that it can be so boring. For creative people, how does it show their creativity? It can link you to their personal website but I think sites like Facebook really help to show their personality through pictures, status updates, videos, ect. On the other hand, social media sites started out for fun and sometimes there is a line that shouldn't be crossed when it comes to personal and business. However, I wish that LinkedIn would switch up their site a little. Maybe with personalized profile backgrounds, or something!

After reading this post I have seen that my understanding of the diversity of social media sites is very narrow.  In my social media history the only sites I have frequently used are facebook and youtube, other than that I only go on twitter and linkedin from time to time.  The only social media site that I can think of trying and have completely stopped using is hulu.  For a few weeks I went on the site regularly but since that time I havn't visited the site in months.  I think the main reason is that I always just think of youtube when it comes to video content.  This post has completely opened me up to the different opportunities of social medai.  One site that I checked out after reading this post is Tribe, and it seems to have a pretty cool way of bringing people together.  I don't know if any of these other social media sites really stand a chance with me though, facebook may be too powerful.

The many different social networking sites that are out there all need to offer something different, but at the same time useful to the population in order to stick around. The problem with this over saturation of social media site is that a lot of them offer the same thing and they are unable to find niches that give them a competitive advantage versus the other thounsands of sites. What facebook has been able to do is be the pioneer in social networking and they remain to be on the cutting edge of what people want out of these sites by adding things like facebook places, relationship statuses and other gadgets to the site.

Learning a new social media tool can take a lot of time to comprehend and even more time to keep updated. I try to keep up to date on new media that comes out as well as maintain my social media sites but it's hard work! The tools I use everyday are Twitter, Facebook, Wordpress and Hootsuite. I think the reason I take a good chunk out of my day maintaining my presence on these sites is because I see them as marketable to future employers. Putting time into my blog, or putting something valuable or interesting into the Twitterverse could be seen as valuable by potential employers. I really don't see much value in Foursquare or myspace but if people find their niche in one of those sites then more power to them!

I myself love Facebook, Foursquare and youtube. I just recently started using Twitter again during this class and am now hooked especially because I just bought a smart phone and it provides great entertainment in class. I don't find much value in blogging for myself. I feel as though I will never get any exposure and I can't find the time to do it. With so many social media sites you have to be a bit selective and I guess writing is not my thing. I see tremendous value in a blog at the corporate level or if you are trying to start a small business but for personal use, not so much. 

Once I have lots of SNS accounts and in order to make it easy, I used a robot program to update them automatically and simultaneously. But later one accident happened. I update a tweet in which I express a little anger to my supervisor when I was an intern in a company. I knew she didn't sigh up for Twitter, but I forgot what I updated was transferred to my Facebook page she can read! From then on, I canceled the sync feature from all SNS and gradually droped some I don't like.
Now I am only active in those website most of my friends join. It's hard to refuse a SNS if your email get the invitation letters form your best friends asking to open an account frequently. That's why I go to a localized SNS in China more often than Facebook.

Probably the most interesting part of this class is the fact that a lot of these assignments  revolve around exploring social media sites and learning more about the big ways people are connecting today.  Obviously I knew all about Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and a couple other before the class, but other sites like Squidoo, SCVNGR, Twellow or Brightkite I've never even began to look into.  Like most college students, I too am on facebook daily, and also just to try and build up for the job scene soon I've been working on making my LinkedIn as impressive as possible (although I still haven't even came close to perfecting it, facebook's just too much of a distraction ha).  Twitter though, as popular as it is, I just don't get it.  I understand that you can follow people and make huge amounts of connections, but can't you make these exact same connections on Facebook or LinkedIn or anything?  Yeah, people can tweet big news of whatever might be on their mind or whatever might be happening in their company, but isn't this just the EXACT same thing as a Facebook status?  I feel like everything you can do on Twitter you can do on Facebook... only Facebook has way more to offer.  I still have my twitter account, I'm still trying to make connections, and I'm still planning on doing the Live Tweeting and I'll continue to give it a fair chance, but I just don't see the point in this social phenomenon...

Hit it and Quit it is good advice from a Social Media expert. The realm of social media can be overwhelming, especially if you are in a field where you are expected to know all of them. It is good to try everything and just stick with what works best for you. Obviously, I'm a facebook-aholic and a Twitter fan and I am slowly gaining momentum in the LinkedIn world. However, I have chosen to quit Squidoo, Google Profiles, and as much as I love a good YouTube video, I will probably never be creative enough to actually create and upload content to the site.

I have hit and quit: Foursquare, Squidoo, Google Profiles, and soon, my blog. I gave them a fair shot, but they didn't serve a purpse for me. The biggest road block was that I couldn't connect with my friends in these places. Twritter has gained momentum among some of my friends, so it's probably going to replace Facebook for me soon and I love that I can see updates on companies and trends as well. I thought I might reach a new audience with my blog, but 2 months later, I'm nowhere and I feel like I'm writing into thin air. It's really nice when these sites can connect and that a status on twitter can easily be carried over to facebook, and vice versa. Even on Facebook, I'm noticing people using hashtags in their posts. I like what I'm using now (Twitter, Facebook) and am hopeful for SCVNGR (get on BlackBerry!) and Foodspotting

I came a bit late to the social media game. I resisted it for a long time, but naturally, I am now a facebook addict. I have been on the site for less than a year, so MySpace was long gone. I had created a LinkedIn profile a long time ago, but never really updated it until beginning this class. I can definitely see that site becoming more important to me. Since I still don't have a smartphone, I have yet to fully explore location-based services such as foursquare. I might use twitter more if it was mobile. If I am at home in front of my computer, why tweet when I could post a status update or email? So how do I spend my time in front of the computer? Answer=Reddit. I am on that site multiple times a day. So much so, that when I leave I forget that I can't upvote or downvote things on other sites (which is frustrating). I have heard of Digg, but never fully explored it because Reddit gives me exactly what I want via subreddits that can be personalized. YouTube is a given. The problem with other social media sites is that all of my friends are on facebook, so it seems like even if something better comes along, everyone is so invested in facebook that it isn't worth the switch. I will definitely check out some of the places you mentioned though, just to see what else is out there!

Before I joined this class I used Facebook on a regular basis. I would occasionally use Twitter and LinkedIn. I used Facebook for the most obvious reasons, which is to keep in touch with my friends, especially with the ones that go to a different school than me. I would use Twitter when I was at events for fun or work related when people would say interesting things or when something exciting happened. I used LinkedIn more when I first created the account and now find myself going to the site once and awhile. I know that this is one site that I should be using more often though. I feel that everyone used MySpace when we were in high school and then right before we came to college we all moved to Facebook. I never liked the setup on MySpace and only used it because my friends were on there, so it was nice that everyone eventually moved to Facebook. I didn't like Squidoo because I had a hard time setting it up. I thought it needed to be more self explanatory that it was. I definitely will not be using that site anymore. 

There are many social media sites available to us and I do believe it is important to try them out to figure out which ones we do like and which ones we don't. Before this class, I had a Facebook, which I do not plan on getting rid of anytime soon. Facebook allows me to keep in contact with classmates, friends and family members in a quick, and easily accessible manner. I was not too happy when we were assigned to create our own Twitter page, but I can tell you I ended up really enjoying Twitter. I probably won't use Twitter as much as Facebook because I don't like tweeting my own personal stuff, but I do think it is cool that you can become informed with celebrities. I think its really a fun thing because you can see what celebrities are doing on a day to day basis and it really brings them down to a level where one can understand that they too are just normal people like all of us. I stopped using Myspace years ago when I started using Facebook, and I really don't see me using Linkedin until I am ready to job hunt. One website I have been interested in is StumbleUpon.com. I definitely see myself becoming more familiar with it as I am intrigued with the information provided on the site.