Social Networking websites, like facebook, digg, hi5, orkut, 12seconds, flickr, linkedIn, MySpace, Care2, Twitter and a lot more in coming have surfaced like a boon for any business. However, too much of everything is really detrinominal, even in the virtual world. With these supernumerary social networking websites, it becomes tedious to manage all the User IDs, email IDs and passwords for any business that is using all these websites for promotional activities or networking. Further, to ensure the privacy and security of all of these accounts, nobody sticks to a single password and User ID for every social networking site.Coming to the point, it's quite obvious that businesses are currently using social networks to do business networking, getting clients or building brand visibility. However, this leads us to one simple question. If I make accounts on all the popular websites that are existing in cyberspace and don't utilise even one of them properly, how is it going to benefit me. Some of us might go ahead and think on the 'something is better than nothing' approach. However, that is not how it works in the virtual world. Until and unless you do proper follow up of all your activities, chances are that your clients or prospective customers may end up feeling that your website, just like your activities, are just for attracting attention and don't hold any substance.

For instance, people may often misconstrue you for not replying back to their comments or being irresponsive to their add requests, giving an impression of low enthusiasm and carelessness that can cause you a great deal which can be a big turn down for your business. All this would nullify your previous efforts and time spent for all these activities.

To sum it all up, in order to derive benefit out of social networking communities, one needs to ensure that all the relevant updates are there on the account, comments or queries of the people you tried contacting are replied to on time, friend requests are being accepted promptly, and most importantly, you are taking a much interest in the other party's work as you want him to take in yours.

It is extremely important in the age of social networking for businesses to take up their initiatives seriously, since even one wrong move can ruin the efforts you have made over large period of time. I'm ending this post on this very note, clearly stating to all of you who are interested in, or are, using social networks to promote their businesses. Having thousands of contacts is of no use until you don't know what to do with them.

In my last post, I had talked about a new budding up concept on the web, that of “the social networking of the pets” which I kind of found weird yet cute that had really left me thinking “are pets luckier than humans?” Well, now in the coming is the social networking of the rich and famous. Yes !! You heard that right. With the entrance of a website called Spire into the fray, that prefers to call itself as the first hand social resource, giving you access to the knowledge, be it in regards of travel, champagnes & wines, elite ongoing cultural events, delicacies, wellness, best of hotels in the world and many more interests of the ultimate affluents, we might as well be looking at a whole new level of social networking.
One look at the website itself says it all! At first glance, you might mistake the website to be an out and out formal socialising platform (I'm not saying professional networking, but formal). However, once you do decide to go through the content posted on it, the line at the top states it as a clear hands-off for those who are not born with the silver spoon. The questions too, are typicxally high brow. One example I can see just right now in front of me starts off like A friend is looking for a villa to rent on an island in the carribean for a 40th bday celebration with friends... Whoa, whoever thought of posting that at an open platform?


While this is for sure a good idea in terms of providing the elite class with information that is relevant only to them, this is obviously some kind of a discrimination in the cyber world (Another time to say 'Whoever thought of that') Let's see how this shapes up in the near future.

First came the veterinary hospitals, then exclusive personalized pets' vets, followed by vet salons and special vet hotels where you can drop in your pets for the time you are holidaying, followed by vet matrimonies, now in the coming is social networking of the pets. I mean this entire scenario seems to be so absurd yet exciting, firming up my belief in the famous saying “Every dog Has Its Day.”Some of the websites like

Dogster
Catster.com
Hamsterster.com
Petster.com
Pawspot
Fuzzspot

have million of users registered with them and have been around since some time now. These websites let their users create attractive profiles for there pets, accommodating some very cute posing pics, tricks, hobbies, etc of their pets. And that's not all, pets even get to see the glimpses of other pets via the webcam feature(wow! I never thought that I could do that). Primarily, these websites allow dog owners to connect with each other so that, they can discuss and talk on common grounds and seek expert's advice for some of their queries in specific.. Frasnkly speaking, too much of this Dogsense is making me go bonkers ,guys. If such a trend continues, soon tomorrow we might even find Dog Political Parties coming up, which are being campaigned by their respective owners or the surname of the vetowner after his pet's name, or a proper theme marriage for them and also there can be a substantial market in the support of Dog Fashion Week!!!
Lucky Pets!!

I recently came across an article on tmcnet that stated that mobile social networking is the next big thing after VoIP has also taken to the cellular platform. Fine, particularly after the desktop has almost shrunk to one's palm, thanks to PDAs. However, I have just one question... is browsing a social networking site on a 4X2 inch screen really as appealing as doing the same on a 17 inch one? What kind of an impact would reading one's scrap on orkut on such a reduced scale have on the end user? Particularly after he is accustomed to the desktop mode of social networking, would he be really willing to use the same interface on his mobile? I think not. While offering mobile social networking does have its advantages for the providers of these services (mind you, I'm talking about the likes of myspace, facebook, etc., not the telephony providers). Social networking today has definitely become the “in” thing with internet users of all age groups alike, thanks to their ease of use and various other benefits like traversing distances and meeting friends as well as using these websites to do professional networking (Yes, LinkdIn is the market leader, but nevertheless, casual networking sites are also eating up its share, bit by bit).

While on one hand we are feeling proud of technologies like WiFi, WiMax and the likes currently being used extensively, I personally feel that social networking is yet to be developed on a mobile platform. Taking reference from the article itself, Twitter has apparently become some kind of a leader in the mobile social networking platform. Websites like Next2Friends are also getting much attention due to their ability to 'FIND' one's friends. All in all, people are getting used to using their mobile handsets for various functionalities. But social networking still has a long way to go due to the many obstacles it has to face, not to mention anything about the security aspect which always exists. Maybe something like a converter that converts one's scraps,shouts,etc. into text messages would come in handy, but that would definitely steal the fun away. To sum it all up, there is still lot to be done before you can connect with peers around the world on your mobile phone via social networks, both at the mobile end as well as the social networking end.

Pretty recently, there have been unconfirmed reports of people who have found stunning revelations of their office colleagues, friends, relatives and every possible kind of contact through social networks. Your present boss could be the lousy dork your friend always cursed before he changed jobs; your current company could be one of the most likely contenders for the top spot on your social network's hate-list; worse, your current girlfriend could be the same girl who ruined your distant cousin's life. With situations like these, one is forced to question, is there really a dark side to social networking.The answer, my friends, is yes and no.

Yes, because of the detailed personal revelation options given in the leading networks of today. Some of the more popular topics include 'from my past relationships I have learnt' and 'my idea of a perfect date' and so on. I mean, why would anyone want to ask you all these things. True, there are options that only your friends can view these details, but nevertheless, there are some things that have to be kept private, which brings me to the point of social networks not having a dark side. I do agree that the level of personalisation is quite higher than what you might expect from a common platform, but not everything is required to be revealed. There is no social network that refuses to accept your registration if you don't tell them the colour of your bedroom walls or what you had for dinner last night. In the end, it's always the user who has to choose what he wants to reveal about himself. Remember, if you don't make the choices, the choices make you.

Information on? whatever? Yes, whatever! Googling that thing you wanted was the only thing that you knew till now was it? Well, links to a single keyword do not mean that you have all the information in the world about that thing. Quantity is surely not the substitute for quality.

I have been pondering upon this for a long time now. I have tried my hand at everything including forums, specific blogs, directories, and every other related thing. After browsing my way through every other source, I finally came to the conclusion that proper dedicated discussion platforms is the best solution to all your informative worries.

Portals like Yahoo answers and google pages have always been serving the info-hungry user at the drop of a hat. And what separates and puts them one notch above the others is that they are so in synchronization with practically everything you might wanna search.But the search engines here are from their parent site. So, when you search for a particular thing on portals like these, what you get is a mixture of varied elements with just a shade of what you exactly want to search. And whenever one is short on time and availability of adequate resources, one is destined to land up in a mess.

And, how does one go about filtering all this? Raise your voice, ask for just the proper information delivered on your clicks, make sure that your search is not merged with just anything. Not everyone out there is a techie knowing about the proper search syntaxes.

I will keep looking for all helpful pages with no nonsense. Hoping something good comes my way. Happy browsing.

It's a wide-wide-web-world out there. With so much to choose from, So much to look on and so much and so forth, it gets really tough for the commoner to get what he exactly wants. Looking at whatever is being offered for each single entity on the web is like a hundred thousand cradles for a single spoon, each special in its own way.

What does one gain out of so many things for one thing? Nothing, I suppose. My personal experience speaks that i have just wasted my time in jumping from one website to another. Saying that getting to point zero was what i always did would be absolutely wrong, but if not ground zero, ground one or one point five for sure.

We generally have this habit of succumbing to anything which is attractive, decorated and polished. To see what is inside takes a whole life time for any of us, and thats the humble reason why we are in such huge numbers on every other website.

What's the whole point of it all? Well.. here is how it is -

It is YOUR connection, YOUR network, YOUR identity, and it is meant to be your way.Watch your way on the e-lane, choose the right connection, don't chase the rats and speak out on whatever you feel like.After all, someone else is earning money out of your time spent on the internet.

An honest word helps. Always does.

Games to indulge you, games to pace your time, games to entertain you. Games have always been a part of your daily-doings ever since you were young. Over the years, we have been witnessing different levels of gaming, each evolving to a complex successor over time. But in this whole process of on-growing complexity, all the simple game lovers have begun to feel left out. No one nowadays settles for anything less than wham-bam, zip-zap, or gung-ho. Gone are the days of serene backgrounds with an ever indulging slot, where one used to be hooked to a single gaming entity. It is not the same now. People seldom indulge in anything other than violent street-fights or heart skipping road-rash. Resting in peace is the slow slotter cuckoo you once used to shoot with your cartridge gun.

Leave the advance technology behind and tell me when did you last come across any single not-so-fad game which has taken a place in your memory forever? You will hardly remember one. We hardly have simple, easy, plain indulging games available. And in the process of finding one, you are bound to go round and round the world web.

I recently stumbled upon this portal called YouTring and found out that it has got games as well as other things like chat and video etc, integrated upon a single application called Tringpad. The games available were simple, easy on execution, primarily flash games, but so very interesting. It was like another website which provides you with everything under the sun, still focusing on effective deliverance of each product. Do have a look at it, you wont regret going there at all.

Eeehaa.. one is now able to stream anything.Absoloutely anything.And believe me when i say anything! There is a whole new world of videos and t.v channels and snippets and roles and oh so much awaiting you.

You know it is not a talk of long bygone past that we used to download videos from peer-to-peer softwares, wait for them endlessly to get queued, go to sleep while waiting for peers and oh when it used to be there on the hard disk...there used to be celebrations !

Now when you have specific video streaming sites where you have almost every single thing uploaded.It just seems like pressing that button to wash your blues away.Every thing is under a single click.and that too.. anytime.

Whats more? We have the television on the desktop, right in your monitor, with no cables or strings attached, the internet is your humble servant.and your viewing-wish is the netty's command.There are specific channels, dedicated streaming bits, networks on your choice and so and so on.

Well.. i can go on and on about all this! But you know what?... i will miss out on the show..!

Gotta get back to the couch..with no potato!

The world wide web is rennovated! Not in terms of appearence, but in terms of existential connectivity and the modes of working by the users.Could anyone believe that we will have a substitute for emails? The best thing to have happened to messaging?

Well..now we do have substitutes..and that too in multiple forms all over the blogosphere and the social networks.With the introduction of simpler forms of access like RSS and Google reader, it is so easy to keep a check on the latest by just clicking on a button in your toolbar, right at the choice of your placing on your desktop.Gone are the days of conventional methods of hovering in and around umpteen links to get to a certain place.

Those who have got tired of wading through piles of e-mailS, have moved most of their communications to social networking tools, especially blogs, to keep up with their co-workers and the rest of the world.

People are now making extremely effective use of a blog to track ideas, due dates, documents, and more.Be it a non-public or a public blog,it gets quite easy to accomplish getting every path converged, and converged to the level where everything is just a mere thought away!

The pace at which everything is shaping around on the web is unbelievable and if this continues for a longer period, then we might well see a whole new browsing concept emerging out of tiny toolbars closet.

"Oh how good is this social network...it has got everything, and it gives me goodies,...woosh i am loving it...my friendly neighbourhood on the net"...and so on..! Lately, few of my friends have been going gaga on all that applicative social networking has been gifting them with."It has been something of some sort which sums up every other thing one can strech his 'out of social networking-deliverance-imagination' to", says my friend latty.

The word my folks, is INDULGENCE.People are indulged in it like never before.Look at all what is going around you! have a closer look, and you will find that the web is not all that scattered now.For every users delight, now available at the grass root level of social networking, is the very cluster of all information, application and interaction.

Some of the biggest social.. networks are coming up with a new interactive model almost everyday, which according to the socio-pundits is the key to their existence and the hook for the user as well.ibibo is out with isuperstar, myspace with indihub, YouTring with tringpad including games, t.v, phone etc, orkut with horoscopes and slapster, and..phew..the list just goes on and on.Some portals like youtring have gone to the extent of providing the user with redemption and earning of points with which one can get free goodies, calls, electronica and much more.

Isn't all this simply fantabulous? with this much on the offering, one can hardly keep away from the glitter of all the interaction that comes out when communication is tied to applications.I for now want to enjoy this joyride to the max.

Hope you too do!

Times are changing, the internet is evolving and people are working on mutual grounds to get to the highest simplex.gone are the days of a single concept.today, its a multi-conceptual world, where one looks for everyone and everything else to get to their ease, when it comes down to the do-dailies.whether it is connecting with your friends, interacting and collecting information, enjoying games, shopping or any other related activity, we like to do it in style and with everyone else.

The average internet user has now grown on the levels of usage and the world continues to shrink to come down to our desktops. withseeing this, one can easily detect that the internetworking habitats need to undergo major functional changes.

The users have now developed the habit of filtering every thing which comes their online way.seclusion is no longer a hot-cake luring the sole online user and one can't withstand doing anything without adequent online connectivity.

The users now have the slightest of their online activity aknowledged by the web-world.whether its a blog post, a photo album posted online, any new game,a view on any product or any other piece of information that one wants to share http://www.youtring.com

With the rapid development in technologies, there is a huge demand for cheap communication. One can stay in touch with mobile phones, emails, video conferencing and the new IP telephony. Apart from mobile phone companies offering competitive packages for cheap calling, there are specific softwares which help people call to any place in the world from their computers. With the advent of internet, long distance calling methods have become even more simple and cost-effective.

Technology is advancing to make life easier and comfortable for you. People could not imagine that they would be able to make international calls at cheap prices. These days, international calls have become economical and affordable.

The word “Free” brings an excitement into one's mind but at the same time one feels that there must be a catch in this. But the concept of internet telephony allows you to make calls to any destination free of cost. People are always looking forward to avail the services which offer reliable communication at cheap prices. A popular method to make long distance free calls to your friends and family is through the internet.

The technology called Voice over Internet Protocol or VoIP that allows voice communications over the internet. The crystal clear voice quality is one of the impressive features of this technology. You can find a variety of service providers offering free Internet telephony. Generally, you are not charged for this service. You just require a broadband connection and a software which can be downloaded free of cost. You also need a microphone, speakers and a sound card. So, one can enjoy making free international calls without paying any bill. All the service providers come with advanced features and aim to make calls with great ease. Apart from a fantastic call quality, people can enjoy uninterrupted conversations. The software which is required to enjoy communication over the internet, is the most important part of this technology. These software are bundled with many other services and applications. It is an excellent alternative when one needs to make unlimited long distance calls. The VoIP technology allows making calls from a computer-to-computer, computer-to-phone and VoIP phone to a computer.

There are various call plans available and one can select the plan that is most suitable for their needs. Most business men opt for this option because their business demands frequent and regular networking with customers. The voice quality is guaranteed so one does not have to worry about the voice quality. You can find a clear reception is clear and free of all disturbances.

The simplest and cheapest way make calls is through VoIP. These calls are absolutely free and there is no need for any calling plans. You just have to pay your monthly internet service fee. This has proved to be the most cost-effective way for communicating to almost any corner of this world.

Before you choose a service provider to use internet telephony, you should definitely do a little bit of research first. This will make sure that you find the right plan for use. Compare the services they offer and ensure that there are no hidden costs involved. If you make a great deal of long distance calls, find a company that offers unlimited long distance free calls. So get the best possible deal in PC phone calls.

The future of VoIP really has lots more services to bring for you. The advantages of a VOIP service outweigh the disadvantages. The cheap service of making use of the internet to connect anywhere in the world for a less cost compared to the cost of the traditional telephone service.

Whatever your calling needs are, you can find a VoIP provider with a plan that suits you. You just need to know your needs, and what you want in the way of calling options. The quality of internet phone service has improved a lot in the recent years.

Playing online games is an amazing way to relieve yourself from your hectic schedule. These games not only entertain us but also make us mentally strong. Take a break from your monotonous routine. These thrilling games give an exciting experience to the users with their incredible features and user-friendly environment. People of all ages enjoy playing them because of the comfort of playing them from their homes. The gamer can get maximum entertainment by playing these games.This is a great way of interacting socially and exchanging ideas especially in multi player online games.

By playing online games, the gamer can build team efforts, develop togetherness and team spirits. If you are addicted to playing games, then you have reached your destination. Simply go online and download your favourite games. One can find so many categories to choose from the puzzle games, action games, adventure games and lots more.

Play online games with your friends and experience the multiplaying capabilities. Jump, kick, shoot, punch, do whatever you want. Play non stop and entertain yourself. With endless possibilities, one can indulge himself in his desired game. All you have to do is to log on to an online gaming site and start playing. You can also play unlimited games by taking yearly memberships. After going online, one can find a spectrum of games. The world of Internet has sufficient options to take care of your gaming needs. One would find numerous choices in the game titles offered online. The never ending choices is a treat for the gaming enthusiasts to enjoy games of all genres.

Get unlimited fun and entertainment with superb graphics and amazing sound quality. The online flash games are endowed with joysticks and shooting guns which make the games more enjoyable. These games are the latest craze among the masses. They kill your boredom and allow you to enhance your skills. The huge variety of games would never let you get bored.

Over the past few years, the online gaming is becoming more and more advanced & becoming a popular medium of entertainment. These games may range from simple text based games to hi-end games with superb graphics.

Keeping in mind today's economy, every person is running between various parts of globe in search of the best opportunities available for him. In this rat race, he requires to exchange notes of love and care with his dear ones. But expensive international calling rates make it difficult for him to converse with them even once in a week or so. All he needs is cheap calling rates that can fit into his pocket and thus, he becomes able to chat with his loved ones.

YouTring has made international calling a much easier task to perform. It has no longer been a nightmare for those people who are supposed to make international phone calls very often. With the introduction of cheap international calling rates, one can really feel at home by talking to his family or the near ones.

Most of the times, people skip making international calls or they avoid talking to their kin against their desires. Or some times they just loose contacts from their near ones reason being their unablility to get in touch due to high pulse rates, more charges or taxes etc. But these things will now become a matter of past as the rates of these phone calls have dropped significantly. It will no longer be a tiring job for the person to make international calls as they as they fall comfortably in his budget.

Cheap international phone calls has in a way condensed the globe and people are feeling nearer to each other despite the distance. These calls have not only strengthened the bonds but has made people accessible to each other. Making cheap phone calls is what everyone wishes as this makes them exchange pleasantries with their akin easily and they even don't need to spend much. World lives on the “cheap is the best policy” and YouTring brought this policy in the field of international calling as well.

Now, those people can again switch over to phone calling who had started searching other viable methods like e mails etc so as to get in touch with their near ones. Phone calling is always considered to be a better method in order to get in touch with one's relatives as one gets to hear the voice of the other person and cheap international phone calls have made this task extremely convenient.

Television is an extremely attractive and appealing medium. It has the power to captivate millions at once. But it is not always possible to carry a TV wherever we go. Circumstances sometimes may not allow us to reach out to a TV to watch our favourite shows. In these cases, iTV has given man an immense power to stay connected to the world with which he can catch up through his Computer itself.

Watching TV through Internet is a boon for the television lovers. Through this, they can watch TV on their computer screens and avail numerous benefits that come with it. For instance, the viewer has access to a wide variety of online stations and he gets to choose from numerous programs present online. He can have a list of all the programs made till the date on the desired fields. It can be world sports; to be specific, world basketball; to be more precise, all matches of Phoenix and to land up in the area of fascination, all matches in which Steve Nash of team Phoenix was there. All he needs to have is a high speed broadband connection and he can get what he wants at the time when he exactly yearns for it.

Besides, he becomes capable to watch free online services be it news, music, sports or movies at his own convenience. While he is able to watch adult TV in privacy, he can also install multiple softwares for kids to watch shows, episodes and programs from their rooms itself. Thus, with numerous benefits, this TV is gaining distinguished popularity these days.

Through online TV, one can avail free entertainment at the touch of his fingertips. He gets to watch online TV shows and thus he doesn't to have to participate in the remote wars. Further, he can enjoy numerous home made videos and has the power to pause and rewind so as to enjoy favorite parts of a show.

There are numerous Online TV websites available to choose from. For instance, YouTring and AOL etc. all with different sets of features and benefits. However, the ultimate decision rests in the hands of the viewer as to what exactly he wants to see. With iTV, one can see unseen or the censored parts of the shows as well without doctoring as online programming is uncensored and contains a lot of real things that happen world over. Furthermore, he gets to enjoy the entire original version of the program and most importantly, he doesn't has to wait for the show. He doesn't need to try hard to approach a TV whenever his preferred show screens on it. Thus, Internet TV is surely engendering the TV viewing.

YouTring is basically a combination of various Internet features under one domain name. Offering a rich array of features including social networking, IP telephony, online gaming, shopping, video & photo sharing, short messaging service and e-mails, the website aims to provide its users with a consolidated source for all their needs. Besides offering the aforementioned features, YouTring also offers a reward points system, as well as a refer-and-earn program. In the former, a user can earn Trings, as the online currency on YouTring to redeem them for calling and SMS plans as well as exciting products which include iPods and mobile phones etc. These Trings are earned by the user while he involves in various activities on the website such as uploading and sharing videos and photos, writing blogs, playing games, chatting with other users, etc. Under the refer and earn program, users get to earn Trings when the website gets new members resulting from the existing user's invites.

All the features of YouTring are available to the user once he downloads the websites application, named Tringpad, on his system. Unless mentioned otherwise, a majority of the features are available for free.

• SoftPhone: This is the telephony section of the website that offers users with calling options using IP telephony. Simply put, the softphone uses the Internet to make cost-effective phone calls around he world. The feature includes a contact list for storing one's contacts, a recharge option from the website itself and a call list that displays all incoming and outgoing call details. The main USP of the softphone lies in the fact that it can lead to major savings for a user when compared to normal telephony in case of long distance calls.
• Mingle: This is the community chatroom of the Tringpad. Users can chat with their peers and also engage in video conferencing via the Tringpad's unique voice-video-text chat interface.
• Cafe': The blogging section of YouTring, Cafe' is an amalgamation of blogging, participating in forums, sharing photos and videos and forming and joining groups based on one's interest. As mentioned earlier, all these activities lead to users earning Trings.
• iTV: The internet TV, or iTV for short, feature provides users with free viewing of TV channels from around the world via live video streaming. The picture quality is extremely clear and users can also upload their own channels by submitting the respective URLs. There are various sections such as news, movies, music, etc. that display channels pertaining to the same.
• Games: The gaming section of YouTring encompasses games across a variety of genres such as strategy, adventure, action arcade, etc. and allows users to play games online for free.
• SMS and E-mail: This section of the Tringpad provides users with the facility of sending SMS at cost effective rates and e-mails for free. Besides this, what makes this section unique is that the user can send mails from his account at various popular websites such as Yahoo, gmail, msn,etc. Since YouTring has tied up with the same for their e-mail service.
• Tring-Shop: This section allows users to shop for their favourite products online and get them delivered to their doorstep. Users can choose from a variety of brands under the categories of home entertainment, apparels and accessories, electronics, etc.

While there are many websites that are offering these services individually, YouTring's USP lies in the fact that it offers all these services under one roof, hence making it a one-of-a-kind potential bearing product. The website has received good response from the masses and is on the track to become one of the most influential online ventures of the present day.