Social networking is not a fad that’s going to go away anytime soon. On the contrary, it’s becoming a part of mainstream computing. There are social networks geared towards niche audiences of all ages: the primary school set, the teens, the young workers, the boomers, and more.
As social networking gains its foothold and the audience begins to migrate through life from high school to college, from college to the workplace, and the workplace to beyond, they are beginning to take their social networks with them.

Social networking is not a fad. It’s not something kids are going to outgrow. It will become a part of the work/life skillset, and that’s why it’s so important we start understanding and documenting how the various tools work.

No one is doing a particularly good job of systematically documenting social networks as they appear on the scene. So put on your networking caps and we’ll dive in to looking at what makes one different from another and why we should care.

What are the characteristics they share?
1. Content is user generated. That’s right. It’s not the NY Times or CNN editors reporting. On a social network it’s all of us that are responsible for contributing to the conversation.
2. It all begins with a user profile. You set up a location on the site that reflects a bit of you and others will find you or you can invite them to join your network.
3. A database maps up the underlying relationship. Some people are under the misconception that a place like MySpace is a blank page where you fill out things about yourself. These “things” are items in a database. They are all searchable.
4. Most support all sorts of media. Music, video, photos, and web blogging tools are often all part of the social network’s toolbox.

Next up? Let’s look at some social networks for the youngest in the crowd. We’ll start with the popular Club Penguin.