Patient privacy is an area in which medical professionals are obligated to protect. It is vital to any health care organization that the patient’s private information is safe and secure. Patients trust health care organizations with some of their most private information and have confidence in the organization that their information will not be shared with other individuals or organizations. Health care professionals are trained to handle the information and protect each individual patient that they assist.

Social Networks

With the creation of such social networking sites as Facebook and Twitter, health care professionals are starting to discuss work related issues on the Internet. This is one area that is starting to become more of a problem than most people realized. Social networking sites are a way for individuals to connect all over the world and almost anyone can have access to the information that is shared on social networking profiles.

Mostly everyone in the United States is using social networking sites to reach out to family, friends, co-workers, and other professionals. These social networking sites have grown to be a part of our daily lives and we are using them for work and personal gains. Medical professionals and students are starting to use these social networking sites to post pictures and statuses of their everyday life. These pictures and statuses are on their personal profiles, but may contain information from other people’s life. Many students feel they are entitled to post what they wish on their personal profiles, maintaining that the information is in fact personal and not subject to the same policies and guidelines that govern their professional behavior on campus¹. This is becoming more of an issue since medical professionals and students are posting information or pictures from patients they are assisting.

At UCLA, Dr. Parker has assigned a task force, which includes students, to devise guidelines that students can follow when making decisions about what to post and what to keep to themselves. “It’s going to be difficult,” he says. “Most students want us to provide them with education and guidelines, but not policies. It is a different culture; we always say we have to be culture-sensitive to our patients, but we have to be culture-sensitive to our students as well” (Park, 2009). This is a key element in how the future of our nation will be. We will have to adapt to social networking sites and how we interact with other individuals. While social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter have bad reputations from some people, it also is there to reach more individuals in a shorter amount of time. Doctors are able to reach out to other doctors from around the world in a matter of seconds. This allows health care professionals to ask questions or get advice from other professionals when they need it the most.

Ethics & Legal Issues

While we adapt to these social networking sites, we also have to be aware of any ethical and legal issues that may arise. It is vital that professionals do not use any of the patient’s personal information or photographs of their face if they do post anything on Facebook or Twitter. If they are reaching out to ask advice or post a picture, they can do so without causing any damage to the patient.

Health care professionals have to be aware of the state and federal laws that they could break if they post information about the patient such as name, Social Security number, address, test results and other personal information. Social networking sites can help health care professionals, but it is imperative that the patient’s well-being and trust are honored first. Health care professionals have to respect each patient’s personal information and ensure that they are not posting information related to the patient.

Social Networking Sites

It is essential that supervisors and managers explain the importance of protecting the patient’s personal information. Managers should have meetings with the employees and explain to them how to be professional on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. It is vital that each employee understands the significance of the repercussions of their acts if they post patient’s personal information.

Managers should go over the ethical issues that can arise if the professional does post inappropriate information. Managers should also go over the state and federal laws that they must uphold to each patient. Patients can sue the organization and the employee if their information gets posted to social networking sites. There can be many other legal issues that can arise if the organization does not control what is posted on their employee’s social networking profile.

Personal Profiles

One major solution that can keep health care organizations on top of what their health care professionals post on social networking sites is to have access to their social networking profile. They should be able to see what each employee of the organization posts each day and have it where it is mandatory that each employee allow the organization to see their profile. This can entail having the organization have its own profile page that employees can be friends with. This is a way where the organization can see the employee’s personal page, without violating any of the personal privacy.

There should also be rules and regulations that each employee must uphold if the employee chooses to have a social networking profile. It is vital to the organization that each employee that is among the organization understands how to properly use social networking sites.

Adapting to Change

Health care organizations have to adapt to the changes of the way individuals are interacting with each other. Social networking sites have become a part of everyone’s daily lives and it has raised more challenges for health care organizations to monitor. Health care professionals and students are using the social networking sites to talk about professional information to other individuals. This can be done without causing any problems for the health care organizations or its employees if the social networking sites are monitored and each individual employee knows how to properly use them.

It is up to the managers of the health care organizations to explain and set forth rules and regulations when using these social networking sites. These social networking sites can help employees discuss research and other various situations in the health care industry, but it is imperative that they use their best judgment and protect the patient’s personal information when doing so.

References

¹ Park, A. (2009, September 23). Are med-student tweets breaching patient privacy? . Retrieved from http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1925430,00.html

Author Information

Brandon Clark is a junior in college studying in the health care industry field. He already has one degree in Pharmacy Practice and is studying for his second one in Health care information systems. He is the owner of a Four Wheel Drive Lift Kits website that sells Tuff Country Lift Kits. He enjoys school and working on his site, but he does enjoy relaxing more.

Using social media outlets like Twitter to connect and network with other people can help promote your business or blog.  But how do you find people to connect with on Twitter?  Using the “new Twitter” format, connecting with people has never been easier.  Here are some tips to help you find people on Twitter.

• Look at the “similar to you” list available in the “new Twitter” format

This list appears on the right side of the new Twitter page.  If you don’t see it, try clicking on the “lists” icon.  Scroll through the list and click the “follow” button for people, businesses, and causes that you wish to follow.  If you don’t think that a particular person or business is a match, click on the X at the top right hand corner of the tab to close out that option.

• Click on the “who to follow” bar at the top of the screen

Click on the “who to follow” bar at the top of your screen to find a list of people with similar interests as yourself.  You can scroll through the list and “follow” those who appear to be a match.  If you see a person or a business that does not appear to be a match, you can click on the “hide” button.

• Click on the “who to follow” bar and then click on the “find friends” tab at the top of the screen

You can search for your friends using this method  and find their Twitter accounts.  Then, you can follow them.  You can check for your friends on Hotmail, Yahoo, Gmail, AOL, and LinkedIn.

• Send your friends and business associates a personal invitation

You can also personally invite your friends or business associates to follow you by sending a message to their email address.  Simply click on the “invite friends” option at the right hand side of the screen on the “who to follow” screen, and type in the required information.

• Search by name

Probably the easiest way to find people is to simply type their name into the search box at the top of the screen.  You will either see a “no results” message on your screen, or a list of matches.  If you see matches, they will be listed on the left hand side of the page as well as the upper right hand side of the page. Matches include “tweets” or posts that have mentioned the name of the person for which you are searching.  Scroll through the lists to find the best match and “follow” that match.

Author Information

Darren Main writes on the topic of free people search and how to find people for free online.

The world of employment is a world of shifting trends, just like anything else. If you’re on the job hunt nowadays, then you may find that your Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn profile has more of an impact on your success than traditional job boards or employment agencies.  Recruiters are now actively using social media sites to find and screen employees. In effect they’re conducting a pre-interview virtual interview.

Sound confusing? Well that means that it’s time to learn some new rules for the modern world of job hunting. As if finding a job weren’t difficult enough already! The good news is that you can leverage your social media profiles to work in your favour, and if done well you’ll have more job searching power at your fingertips than ever before. Let’s take a look at the current state of play in the social recruiting space to help you get started.

Everything’s Going Social

Years ago, companies frequently used job boards to find new hires.  They would post a new job description on the job board, and then review all the applications that came flooding in.  However, in the last few years, particularly as the economy has worsened, but also as a result of the rise of the ubiquitous Internet, the flood has become a raging torrent.

It’s not unusual for a job opening to receive thousands of applications, which means that as an applicant it’s very easy to get lost amongst the noise. Most hiring managers don’t have the time to sift through every application they receive.

At the same time, social media sites like Facebook are evolving beyond their original design. Where once these sites used to be just tools for finding old classmates and making new friends, now they are used to create professional profiles and cultivate corporate images. This is of course especially prevalent on sites geared toward business networking, like LinkedIn.  In keeping with this trend, companies have begun to find that it is sometimes easier to head-hunt the applicants directly via their social media profiles, rather than open the application flood gates to the general population.

Be Careful What You Post!

It should come as no surprise that in addition to being used to find potential employees, social media sites are now also being used to screen and eliminate job candidates. What this means for you, is that you probably shouldn’t post pictures of wild drunken nights in Cancun, Ibiza, Bali, or any of the incriminating photo hotspots. In fact, from a job seeking perspective, it’s a good idea to not post anything that gives too much detail about your private life.

However, if you must post these sorts of photos, then make sure that your security settings are absolutely water tight, and don’t forget if that friend of a friend is actually your potential new boss!  Take this one step further –remember that the same rules apply once you’ve landed the job. It’s not unusual for people to be fired because of something found on their Facebook or MySpace page.

More Than Just Skills and Experience

When companies look for new hires, they’re not just looking for someone who has the skills to do the job.  They also want a good fit; they’re looking for a team player who shares their company’s values.

Social recruiting helps hiring managers find the people they need, because they can get an overall picture of who you are and not just what you can do.

What This Means For You

If you’re working on finding a job right now, use your social media profiles to help you search.  Contact possible employers and open a dialog.  Upload your resume, references, and portfolio so that recruiters can see it.  Maximize your chances of appearing in search results by having a complete, well developed, and up to date profile.

Make sure your profile shows you at your best – remember that you don’t want anything there that might turn them off.  Expand your network to include people who work at your employer of choice. Join in conversations, develop relationships and cultivate an appealing professional relationship.

Social media sites also allow you to find out more about a company before you apply with them.  Internet-savvy companies are now blogging on their Facebook or LinkedIn pages, which should provide you with some additional insight into the company values and type of day to day work activity.  You may also be able to find some commentary from previous employees or customers about the company on the web.

Has everyone had a positive experience with the company, or is the bulk of commentary exceedingly negative?  All of these sources of information should give you a better idea of what the company’s about, which is vitally important for the health of your career.

In summary, social recruiting has come of age. Companies are now reviewing social media profiles and incorporating them into their decision to hire or not hire, so use yours to your advantage.

Author Information

Mike Dunlop works for HirePulse, the home of premium contractors, consultants and freelancers.

Okay, I am exaggerating. I have a Facebook fan page for my automotive business (rarely updated, unfortunately) and can see how you might connect with customers with Facebook. But, it is also crowded by people who leave gratuitous pictures of their favorite domestic animal, regurgitate localized weather reports and offer many more distractions than I possibly can count. Facebook is kind of like Twitter, but with more characters allowed!

Now that I’ve given Facebook a sufficient dressing down, please allow me to explain how you can make LinkedIn work for you, but in ways which may not be as obvious to you. Not everyone on LinkedIn is looking for a job and some connections hardly qualify as “networking enhancing.”

Beyond the hype, some of the jewels found in LinkedIn are as follows:

You can put your resume online. I still maintain a hard copy of my resume in .doc and .pdf formats and can send them out as an attachment as needed, which is rare. But, I can also point people to my profile page which is my default online resume. Sure, I could manage it on here or on another site I control, but my LinkedIn profile page looks great and, importantly, is searchable on LinkedIn.

Speaking of personal information, LinkedIn allows you to solicit recommendations from clients who also use LinkedIn, with their recommendations posted right on the site pending your approval. There is no need for you to send “three references” with a hard copy of your resume; your recommendations are listed immediately after your resume and are categorized by the places where you’ve worked or by projects you have completed.

I’ve made good use of LinkedIn Answers a half dozen times as 2010 drew to the close, soliciting responses to questions I asked about all things automotive. Those answers, at least the best ones, were incorporated in articles I wrote for Auto Trends Magazine, my flagship automotive website. I have gained several new connections and have received feedback from some very influential people. In return, I link to personal or business websites or to LinkedIn profiles to show my “thanks” for their participation.

Local Groups — Admittedly, I haven’t taken advantage of the various LinkedIn inspired groups meeting in my area. But, I am glad to know that there are other business professionals who like to connect in person, providing much needed and welcome face-to-face opportunities for people. I follow several local based lists, taking note of meeting at various public venues held throughout the month.

Of course, you can easily encounter people who oversell themselves, lie or consistently leave negative feedback or answer questions without care. That’s common in any social media setting, but in LinkedIn I have found that the spammers and other malcontents usually quickly get bored and move on.

See Also — Getting Linked In For 2010

By now, most everyone has heard of social media and many businesses have at least attempted to incorporate social media in their marketing campaigns.  Social media has taken the online world by storm, first with MySpace and then with Facebook and Twitter, and these sites have completely revolutionized online marketing.

But where do we expect to see social media go in 2011?  For the most part, we don’t expect any big changes.  Social media is a growing phenomenon, and simply put, we expect it to continue growing.  Many companies, including small and mid-size businesses, are currently experimenting with using social media in their marketing campaigns.  Because social media marketing is a low-cost alternative to traditional marketing such as print ads and direct mail flyers, businesses are able to use it to reach more people while budgeting less for marketing overall.

A lot of businesses currently use online marketing and a large portion of those use social media in some fashion in their marketing campaigns.  The number of businesses marketing via social media outlets is expected to grow substantially in 2011. Some experts believe as much as 80 percent of businesses will have used social media marketing by the end of the year.  Businesses are also expected to start devoting more of their budgets to social media marketing, indicating that this form of marketing is leaving the experimentation stage and becoming more of an expected part of online marketing.

Another trend we have seen in social media marketing is a lot of new contracting and consulting businesses springing up.  This is to be expected for a relatively new form of marketing that has taken on such epic proportions as social media.  In 2011, as social media marketing becomes more commonplace and businesses learn what to expect from it, we predict the number of contracting and consulting companies start to narrow.

Businesses are learning to be more results-focused, and marketing companies that don’t produce results are going to start to die out.  As a result, social media marketing as a whole will become a tighter, more results-driven market — good news for businesses who are serious about marketing.

As 2010 comes to a close and businesses start looking to the year ahead, the question on everybody’s lips is where social media marketing is headed in 2011 and beyond.  Predictions range from fantastical growth, to an epic failure — a sort of “social media bubble” that will burst in the coming year.  True enough, things can change pretty quickly in the world of online marketing.

Google announces some new factors in how they determine their search engine rankings, and suddenly everyone is on the new thing like flies on. But social media is a bit different.  It has shown that it is going to be around for a while, precisely because it is so popular with regular people, and so long as that is true, social media marketing will continue to be used and refined by businesses great and small.

Author Information

Kevin Harris is a freelance writer for Adobe.  Adobe software, such as customer management software, and services revolutionize how the world engages with ideas and information, anytime, anywhere, and through any medium.  They also offer many other services such as customer experience management.

Photo Credit: Dieter Joel Jagnow

Whether it is generic networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Orkut etc. or professional networking sites like LinkedIn, there is distinct advantage of becoming a member on these sites. Simply by registering yourself and specifying a few details, one can join a networking site and start using the available services.

A few sites (especially the professional networking sites) require one to complete a minimal profile so as to identify yourself and be easily found by similar social groups. By joining social media sites, one can be in touch with friends, colleagues and clients in no time. It becomes easier to know the preferences, tastes and schedule of an individual, company or group of people by adding the respective party into one’s network.

In the case of professional networks like LinkedIn, one can join various groups pertaining to the colleagues of a company, an industry, product line, position levels or even the classmates from graduate college. It is easy to track activities in the groups, know the latest developments in technology and the industry, become aware of ongoing and upcoming events and even get to know the job opportunities that are posted by members.

Social media is an easy way to talk to a selected circle of people, to search through friends, to join groups with similar likes and dislikes and to make new friends. Companies can directly talk to their end customers, convey information on new launches and certain events, and advise what changes are in the pipeline by just posting the info on the network. They can also better understand the needs of their key clients and this can help them design better products and increase profitability.

On a professional site like LinkedIn, professionals can list their experiences, skills, qualifications and other such details. There is also an option to post or receive recommendations to those within the network that helps to get a professional advantage and provide ready references to prospective employers.

On the negative side, social media sites are prone to fake profiles, fake identities and potentially compromised privacy. Though there are privacy options provided by almost all the sites what to share or what not to share, one must be careful with sensitive information and to ensure that a professional image is portrayed that is in line with the company brand.  A company should ensure their employees post professionally on social networking sites if it is to be viewed by potential customers.

Author Information

Claire Jarrett runs Marketing By Web, who offer PPC Management and is also an associate for PML Media, a Social Media Management company

SU Toolbar

When a stumble button is installed on the toolbar, users can surf the Internet and read everyone else’s finds and include some of their own. Do it enough times and you’ll become a stumble pro in no time, something I have written about extensively on this blog.

I’ve contributed tens of thousands of stumbles since I first joined in January 2007 and am quite familiar with this service. It hasn’t always been a bed of roses with SU, but what in life is perfect? For a brief period eBay owned the service, but now it is back in the rightful hands of two of its original owners and investors.

Let’s Celebrate!

SU is not letting this milestone pass without offering up a celebration. On June 17 at 8 p.m. in San Francisco, SU is inviting enthusiasts to the 111 Minna Gallery to mark the occasion. The SU team will be on hand, cocktails will be served and five iPads will be raffled. A DJ will be present, Sirron Norris will do live painting and you’re encouraged to take photographs.  You’ll also be able to take some SU schwag with you.

To reserve a place at this grand event, you’ll need to visit SU’s Facebook page to RSVP. Yes, even SU uses Facebook, but do they Twitter?!

Unfortunately, I won’t be in San Francisco to take in all of the festivities. More than likely I’ll be doing what I always do here on the east coast: stumbling and thumbing up your finds and leaving comments where appropriate.

Many More!

Congratulations to the SU Team and users: you’ve helped make SU what it is. I wonder how long it will take them to hit 20 million registered members? I say within the next two years!

If you have a website, you should be social bookmarking. Social bookmarking is the process of saving a webpage in a place where other people can see it (that’s the “social” part) and in many cases others vote on your submissions.

Why you should do this for your website is obvious. The more opportunities to share your web pages with others, the more visitors you will have. The more places you post links to your content, the better your website will rank in the search engines. The benefits are strongest when your material is voted up to the home page; many more people see the material and on many social bookmarking websites your link becomes DoFollow only once the membership have voted it “popular.”

How you should do social bookmarking is quite another thing, and I see people being burned in the process every day. People who don’t take the time to understand what social bookmarking is all about will at best have their submissions removed and at worst have their account and even their website banned. Here are the ten golden rules. With these in hand, you are unlikely to be burned and, with a little effort, you stand a great chance of reaping some substantial rewards.

1. GIVE. This is very simple. Just as in every situation in life, you have to give first before people will want to give to you. If you want others to help you promote your submissions, take time to support theirs. Vote for theirs. Comment on theirs. Favourite and share theirs. If you have not already figured out that this is the number one rule in networking, in personal relationships, in community involvement, in office politics, in…in…everything social (including social bookmarking), please retreat from the human race for a while until you figure it out.

2. LEARN THE TERRITORY. There is no list of golden rules that applies to every social bookmarking website. Each one is its own community and just as any two neighbourhoods are different, every two congregations are different and every two workplaces are different, so too are every two social bookmarking communities. For instance, if you submit your own material on Digg or Reddit, expect the community to thump you, to be voted down as a dirty rotten spammer. But you are only trying to promote your website? Sorry, that’s not what the site is for and the community does not want to be marketed to. You will have to find other ways than submitting your own pages. Tipd and MMO Social Network encourage you to submit your own material, and so the community is built of many self-promoters. Go figure.

3. FOLLOW THE RULES. In addition to the unwritten rules – what the community will accept – there are some basic rules that distinguish various social bookmarking websites. Some are topical. Zoomit accepts only Canadian pages. Tipd accepts only financial pages. MMO Social Network accepts only online money-making pages, whereas Sphinn accepts only online marketing pages (careful…there is a lot of overlap between these two, but not completely). Other rules are process-specific.  TipBo accepts only tips and advice; don’t try submitting news or funny videos. Newsvine accepts only news stories; don’t try submitting tips or amusing photos. At Plime you risk losing your account just by submitting and content you have a self-interest in. Break these rules, and you are not only a dirty rotten spammer, but a dirty rotten former member.

4. SUBMIT QUALITY. Don’t submit everything you see or everything you write. Most people will grow tired of you and the fluff you submit and gloss right over your submissions. Pick the best to submit.

5.NO HOME PAGES. Don’t submit your home page. It’s like the cover of a magazine; you wouldn’t tell a friend to read the really cool magazine cover, but rather a really interesting magazine article. There are some social bookmarking websites where anything goes – so it pays to take the time to know the territory and the rules – but at most social bookmarking websites, a home page is not considered content.

6. SUBMIT FOR FRIENDS. This is a great way even to make friends – submit the content of other users. I find myself doing this at Tipd, reading a blog post of another Tipd member, liking it, and submitting it. It’s a great way to earn brownie points from others who will be happy to help promote your submissions, too.

7. BE LOYAL. One way to establish a strong network of friends who will vote for your submissions and even submit your material is to make sure to constantly watch for their submissions and vote for them/comment on them. This does NOT mean you have to vote for everything they submit, even if you disagree with it, but if you disagree with much of what they submit, perhaps they are not the right friends for you.

8. BE ACTIVE. The more active you are, the more you’ll be seen. The more you are seen, the more people will check out your submissions and the more votes you will get. Vote, but also take some time to comment.

9. COMMENT. Commenting make you stand out. Not everybody pays attention to who votes for what, but they do pay attention to comments you make. You don’t have to comment on every submission you vote for. I tend to comment when a) a thought occurs to me and I feel like speaking my mind, b) the submitter is someone whose attention I would like to capture or c) when I realize I have been less active of late. If the submission is the submitter’s own blog, leave a comment there, too. They will appreciate it. It’s OK to leave a dissenting opinion, just make sure to always be respectful and polite. Toilet mouths might attract attention, but not the kind you want.

10. CUSTOM AVATAR. Avatars are those little pictures of you or of some image that is the visual representation of your account. And the obvious golden rule that so many people overlook. A “default avatar” says “spammer” at worst, or simply fails to attract interest at best. When I scan submissions on a site, I look for topics of interest in the heading of each submission and I also watch for friends in the avatars. If you don’t have a custom avatar, chances are I won’t even see you.

Follow these rules and you have a good chance you’ll get some of you material to become “popular” at some of the better social bookmarking websites.

Author Information

David Leonhardt is a professional SEO consultant in Canada who provides a free social bookmarketing tool for bloggers and webmasters.

In addition, SU appeared to be going the way of Reddit—gamed and controlled by nasty people whose idea of free speech is to hurl invectives at other users. Cowards!

But I stayed on and have no regrets with my decision. I certainly don’t use SU as frequently as I once did, but I have also found that most of the cowardly users have now been contained. Life is good and, if a March 2010 StatCounter GlobalStats survey of top social media sites is accurate, then sticking with SU was a good decision on my part.

Yes, SU rocks your world if you use it: only Facebook outperforms it in sending traffic your way.

According to Stat Counter, Facebook is credited with racking up 48 percent of all social media hits, but SU is a strong second as it adds 25 percent to that mix. And Twitter? Not as important as some might think, generating just 10 percent of all hits. YouTube, Reddit, Digg and MySpace round out the next four spots, offering small amounts of traffic in comparison.

SU has never been a dud when it comes to social media—far from it. As recently as June 2009, SU was ahead of Facebook, but the world’s most popular social networking site soon soared while SU began to slip. Recent traffic reports reveal that Facebook has lost some of its steam while SU has recaptured what it had lost, but in all likelihood it will remain Facebook first, StumbleUpon second, with everyone else a distant third or beyond.

One of my chief reasons for staying with SU is that I was connected with so many people through this service. As I contemplated dropping SU, I realized that I would be saying good-bye to a significant number of people I followed and who followed me.

There really wasn’t a reasonable alternative: I don’t use Facebook all that much and Twitter just doesn’t offer the scale of the others. Besides, my traffic stats continued to rise thanks to SU interaction, bringing visitors and new customers my way.

Every social media/networking site has its benefits and faults but Facebook, with more than 400 million users and StumbleUpon, with its nifty bookmarking arrangement, capture more than two-thirds of all social media hits.

Looks like I’ll have to rethink my Facebook strategy next!

EZBoard Yuku

As soon as I understood the term, I realized I participated in such an arrangement when I used EZBoard (now Yuku) to power my message board communities. That eventually proved a disaster–and the community’s undoing–when a 2005 security breach resulted in many member boards being erased with most of their information permanently deleted.

That’s another story, one I would much rather forget, but that incident lead me to explore my own hosting options. Today, I use WordPress exclusively on sites I manage and control. Lesson learned.

Ning employs a freemium model or least they do at the moment. According to The Wall Street Journal, Ning is getting rid of its free option and laying off 40 percent of its workforce. Ning expects that as it moves from free to paid services many of its members will leave, thus the cutback.

Revenue Generation

Ning’s decision is based largely on web advertising income or the lack of it. Some companies, such as Facebook, seem to have found their revenue generating cash cow, but then few sites have the scale of Facebook to attract a variety of lucrative advertisers. Like some newspapers, including the Journal, Ning believes promoting a paid model is in its best interest.

At the moment, Ning claims 46 million subscribers across 300,000 active networks. Many of these networks are managed by educators and non-profits, people who are attracted to this sort of arrangement. I haven’t confirmed what the paying model will be, but a base fee of $4.95 is being considered which is also what GoDaddy charges monthly to host your website on your domain.

PR Writer

Just this morning I registered for Ning and discovered I was already participating through another network. I established my own community, PR Writer, with tentative plans to develop it into something to attract people to my press release writing services. Ning didn’t ask me if I wanted a free account so I don’t know if I’ll get an upgrade request or have my account erased when the new business model is released next month.

In any case, I’ll hold back from adding anything to PR Writer until I see if my Ning account will be around and whether this option proves worthwhile for me.

Social Connection

Yes, there is a reason why Ning and arrangements like it can be beneficial: social networks of this kind make it easier for people to find you. For no other reason if Ning brings in some customers, then it might be worth paying the token fee to them each month.