I'm supposed to be refining my research question tonight...but after a killer test on Wednesday, I think my brain broke :) Really I've just decided to switch my attention to something a bit more entertaining. This week that has meant joining LinkedIn, a professional networking website.
This has brought me to today's blog post: a list of some of the most lucrative sites I have joined, as well as some I do not recommend professionally.
I just joined this network and it is currently top on my list. This is by far the most professional site, which I am mainly basing on the caliber of contacts that have joined. As described by a friend, "it makes me feel important having so many business/professional contacts!" Although it has been somewhat intimidating requesting contacts who I have not spoken with in months or even years, you are given the option to write a personal note that appears in their primary email account when sending a contact invitation. This was a great opportunity to reconnect with past professionals and colleagues with whom I have networked and keep my name fresh in the minds. So far the biggest convenience of LinkedIn is being able to import contacts directly from your email. The site shows you which of these are already members on LinkedIn and you can request them, or invite them to join. I still have a lot to learn about this site...which might be the only downside. There are just so many options for adding information and finding contacts and the layout is somewhat confusing. Regardless, it gets the job done.
Second on my list is a feature that I found via LinkedIn called SlideShare. This site allows quick and easy upload of your powerpoint presentations. You can work with this feature directly from LinkedIn, or create a SlideShare profile at:
www.slideshare.net. By creating tags, or keywords, for your presentations, users can search on a variety of topics. Also, in the 3 days I have had this account, I have been fortunate enough to have 2 of my presentations selected to be featured on the "Automotive Spotlight" page. Most impressive is the fact that I had no difficulties in uploading my presentation files, which are far to big for email. You can then download the presentation directly from the site. The only MAJOR disadvantage is that your file can be downloaded in original format, notes and all, which means the content that you might have spent months on, could easily be stolen and, um..."adopted". As a student, I feel that sharing knowledge is important and understand the risk, but in a professional environment, this is NOT an option. On the up-side, you do have the option to upload in a number of different formats, including pdf (which I think is my next step).
Carbonmade is the site I am currently using to host my design portfolio. The layout is simple, professional, and easy to navigate. The backend of the site also makes uploading and project organization very user-friendly. This is one account that I am currently paying for at a rate of $12/month (the "Whoo!" account), which allows me 50 projects and 500 hi-res. images and 10 video uploads. However, the best investment is the FREE membership, no strings attached. With this plan (labeled as the "Meh." account), you are allowed a respectable 5 projects and 35 images. You also have the option to turn projects off, or hide them, at any given time...perhaps you are catering towards a specific audience?
Flikr certainly seems to cater to the more "artsy" crowd. I use the site for public viewing of my blog albums, which are hopefully informational and interesting, but many users of this site are working at a far higher caliber; set to impress the world with their photographic and photoshopic techniques. Users can comment on other's photos, providing what is often helpful feedback. The biggest drawbacks are failures in uploading, and the significant amount of time it takes to create an entire album. I also find it frustrating to navigate from the backend and while viewing. Nonetheless, it is a reputable home for your images.
While I understand there are tons of other networking, and especially portfolio sites, these are my TOP recommendations. Below are links to a number of other sites with descriptions. Please also comment on your favorites that I may have not mentioned.
I joined this site over 2 years ago, when there were only about 20 other members from all of NCSU. I have not revisited the site until recently, and now that I am using LinkedIn, will probably remain inactive on Workster. If I spend any additional time on it and discover new advantages, the layout has changed significantly since my last long in, I will be sure to let you know. Certainly still worth checking out.
Anyone who's been in college over the past 5 years is all-too-familiar with facebook. I must be honest, I've grown to love the site. Its a wonderful way to reconnect or stay connected with friends and even family. Always controversial and confusing are the monthly changes to the site, which are sure to spark thousands of new "groups" protesting the updates. While I learn to accept some of the changes and forget the "old ways of facebook", the site has lost what I once considered a sense of professionalism. All the applications of mob wars and zombie attacks may be fun, but for me are just distracting. This site has revolutionized how many school groups connect and how friends plan the night's activities. It successfully connects you to large groups of people with simple note or event page. A college student not on facebook is a rarity, and in that sense, I think facebook has been the most successful at connecting people of like interests, but this is also a site I recommend for fun, not for professional use.
MySpace is essentially the original social networking site. I think that is also the most important thing to remember, that it is primarily for social purposes. I do not recommend this site professionally, and often come across crude material if I am browsing. I do however recommend joining if you are a music or entertainment fanatic, or plugging your own album. If you ever want to be on an MTV reality show, this is the site to join.
In future blogs I hope to add more site, especially portfolio sites, but I have not yet done much research into these. Some recommended by friends include: www.coroflot.com, www.viewbook.com, www.otherpeoplespixels.com, or my #1 recommendation of creating and hosting your own site. linked
To back track a bit...
Saturday was another big day, starting with the business meeting. At the annual business meeting, we discuss the rules and traditions of Phi Psi, extending membership, and hold the oral presentations, presented by each chapter. 
