Boyd reading

If this were a strict question, the lesson that libraries should take away from the boyd reading is that libraries should be cognizant of where they advertise online, because certain networks appeal to certain audiences. If a library is in a lower-class area, it should advertise on MySpace, where it would receive the most attention. If a library is in an upper-class area, it should advertise on Facebook, where its users are likely to be members.

What propels this disparity? How many times has MySpace been on the news as a vehicle for pedophiles and stalkers? Many. How many times has Facebook gotten the same bad rap? None that I can recall. I don't believe that either service is inherently bad or for one class only, but because it's a social networking site, users will gravitate towards the site their friends are using. Because Facebook started out as a ".edu" only site, they naturally have more college-educated users. MySpace is open to all, and doesn't require any kind of credentials, making it accessible for the working class and beyond.

Ning

Overall, Ning seems like it would be great for use in a work environment, if you work with people who are accepting of new technologies and willing to participate. For the comparison, I love pros and cons, so here we go:

Pros:
- can be set to be totally private, including a member log-in and new member approval
- because of privacy settings, would be good for office/school setting
- nice templates, easy to customize
- easy to set up, add/drop features
- allows personalized domain name (for a fee)
- if used in business, allows for younger employees to keep Facebook/MySpace accounts separate from work

Cons:
- hefty price for ad removal, extra storage
- if used in business, must educate users on how to use Ning
- has potential for being a timewaster ala Facebook/MySpace
- may be automatically blocked by some business networks

Facebook screencast

I was totally new to Facebook, so I made myself a little tutorial on how to upload and change your profile picture.

Watch it here: how to change your Facebook picture

MySpace and Facebook stickiness

So when I first looked at this question, I interpreted "sticky" to mean difficult or awkward. I had to dig a little deeper to understand that "sticky" means what keeps people coming back. The obvious draw is the social aspect of it - if all your friends are doing it, you should be too. It's easy to keep tabs on your friends this way. Aside from being a personal, customizable web space, Facebook and MySpace have a kind of built-in Twitter aspect, your "status." Your status is basically like a tweet on Twitter - it's your mood, what you're doing, how you're feeling. Aside from that, there's the popularity contest side - the more "friends" you have, the more popular you are.

I never used Facebook or MySpace before this class (before this Monday, actually). Friends of mine who use Facebook and MySpace on a regular basis say they're a good way to keep in touch with people and to coordinate group activities. I always shunned them, because I wasn't interested in being "found;" I would rather see my friends in real life than virtually. But I can see the advantages - keeping in touch quickly and easily, sharing photos and videos.

If all else fails, both of these sites would make a great interface for stalkers.