Social Networking Sites ANALYZED!

NOTE: A mirror entry is posted in my Multiply account.

Friendster. The social networking site that started it all. I can't say much for this uh, site, because I've "discovered" (used, actually) it relatively recently--third year college, to be exact--and my best friend Irish even made my account. I was that . . . uninterested. :)

Maybe because I had Multiply first. And now, I rarely open my Friendster account--once a week can be considered a rare occurrence. My indifference towards my Friendster account is manifested by the simple 5-character password I have for it. Even you can guess it under 10 tries. (Wanna try? Ha ha)

The verdict: If you have many technologically-challenged friends--or just want to have 400+ people to call "friends"--and stay connected with them but not uh, committed, Friendster is the one for you.

Multiply. I came upon this social network site--my very first--because I wanted an avenue for my blogs--some are nonsensical while some are, well, relevant. I had them on Blogger--under sariefa.blogspot.com--but I figured no one was reading them, and I think I need people's feedbacks to get better at blogging. (You be the judge if I got better :D) And also my blockmates (those who remained after a bunch left. hehe) had Multiply accounts since birth--Ha ha--and I figured if we had to bridge the gap--kasi nga the ones who remained in Area Studies weren't that close--Multiply was one way of doing it. And I guess I was right. :)

The verdict: If you're one thought-ful (meaning: marami kang thoughts Hahaha) individual and you want to (and don't mind to) share it to the world, and you have gazillions of pictures and want to people to comment on them, Multiply is your thang. Ha ha

Facebook. If I remember correctly, it was Teppie who invited me to create a Facebook account--whose layout was hideous then. (Anyone remember the Facebook Wall before? Ang pangit sobraaaa.) Well, between the current layout and the one that came before it, I liked the previous one. But I guess Facebook was looking to develop their "create-a-quiz" application/s.

Anyway, I used my Facebook mostly for stalking purposes, at first. Multiply has this "viewed by" option--just like Friendster (but even that can be turned off)--which makes it non-stalker friendly. But tada! Facebook has no "viewed by" option whatsoever. And what I like about it more is that whenever a friend--the one you're stalking, for example--gets "tagged" anywhere within Facebook you're allowed to see it. See, stalker-friendly?

The verdict: If you don't mind--and actually like--killing time answering "which (whatever TVshow/TV show character/cartoon character/singer/band/band member/president/era/douche-bag/film/film character here) are you?" quizzes, and playing "role-playing games" for pets, poker, mafias and even farmers, and commenting on other people's results, this is it! Ha ha

Tagged. I can't remember how in the world did I make a Tagged account. All I can remember is that I had three friends--Raizel, Harold and uh, I forgot the last one. Hehe. I am indiferrent to this account to the point that I don't even have a profile picture. Even a fake one of some artist I like--wala. I also forgot which password I used. I have found no use/no sense in continuing to open--have I opened it more than once?--this account. I don't even care that it exists. I can waste no time in deleting it. Ha ha

The verdict: It's old and badly needs reformatting. Hey, did Tagged developers forgot that even the most successful account-making sites re-layout, re-format to keep Netizens clicking. (Ex: Yahoo Mail to Yahoo Mail Beta, Friendster increased the number of allowable albums and pictures, Multiply now has the AutoUploader feature, Facebook constantly changes its layout for more user-friendly viewing/using, and so on.)

Plurk. Like with Facebook, it is Teppie who constantly--before--sends me email invitations to join yet another social networking site. This time it involves karma points, "says" "shares" and other verb that can replace the linking verb "is" in the sentence: Jo Ann is... The more frequent one posts a "plurk" or a status, the higher the karma points. Right?

I have found no urge to create a Plurk account because:

1) I think it's too much stalker-ish;

2) It's tedious--I have to go online everyday (which I actually do, but I'd rather spend it Googling whatever and whoever or downloading music);

3) I think I'd have less "contacts" who would follow and reply to my plurks; and

4) I think I have no--or low, at best--creativity to think of reply-able, interesting-enough plurks.

The verdict: This is for people who are always online and does not mind sharing their stuff--thoughts, actions and feelings--to the world every second something comes up! :)

Twitter. I remember Ma'am Doti Jose saying something in class about the high-end and poor side of things. (Kung mayaman ka, you call it allergies. Kapag mahirap, galis--or worse. Kapag mayaman liberated--or maybe, promiscuous. Kapag mahirap, pokpok. And so on..) And I say this with no intent to offend whatsoever, pero I think Plurk is for the masang Pinoy--or "common tao"--while Twitter is for the more sosyal beings, the high-ups in the Filipino social ladder.

I first heard of Twitter just this March lang yata. I read Paolo Lorenzana's article on Supreme in The Philippine Star about Georgina Wilson being addicted to Twitter. From then on, I Google-d. Ha ha. I learned that Wilson is like our toned-down, more intelligent Lindsay Lohan--I only use her as a point of reference because of her Twittering habits. Some well-known Twitters are Twiterring couple Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher, whose tweets on Susan Boyle jumpstarted her popularity online, John Mayer--who, by the way, Twitters everything daw, and even Catt Sadler from E! Daily Ten.

The verdict: You have to be famous or interesting to deliriously creative (tweets are like, Facebook status-es on Exra Joss Haha) for people to constantly "follow" your tweets.