Social networking is defined as a social structure made up of individuals and/or organizations that are linked by shared interests, political views, or activities. There are several popular websites such as eBay, Match.com, eHarmoney.com, Myspace, and Facebook. People can use these sites for several purposes, either to shop, to meet potential boyfriends/girlfriends, or to keep in touch with family and friends. All in all, these sites allow individuals to connect to the global community without leaving their home.

Social networks have been around since the 1960’s but have become more popular since the creation of the internet. America Online (AOL) was the flagship of the social networking movement in the early 1990’s with the Instant Message (IM) and electronic mail. It has become more advanced through the years and now, we all hear about peoples’ "Top 8" from Myspace or the blog someone wrote about a political issue. Due to convenience, people are more frequently shopping on online auctions than going to the mall. Even dating has become a matter of convenience. Instead of taking the gamble of meeting people on the outside realm, online dating has allowed users to scope out profiles and communicate with individuals of similar interests online instead of publicly meeting. With a click of a button, people can fulfill their daily lives without walking out the front door.

There are several security and privacy issues with social networks. For example on the more popular social networking websites such as Myspace and Facebook, there are profiles that are available to everyone to view. These profiles can contain personal information such as phone numbers, email and home addresses as well as photos. Prospective employers are also able to view these profiles to make decisions about a potential employee. This creates a severe invasion of privacy to the members of many social networks.

For the financial social networks such as eBay and Overstock.com, there are problems with security of personal financial information. These websites allow individuals to purchase items from other individuals through auctions. They do not offer a guarantee of payment to the person selling the product or ensure the product reaches the purchaser. There is also a problem with individual’s financial information being released, such as a checking account number which can lead to identity theft.

Social networks were created to help people connect to others. In the workplace, it has enabled businesses to become more efficient. Social networks have allowed for employees to work from home, telework, and for remote businesses to connect to their central office. This has allowed businesses to cut spending and has had positive affects on the environment.

Social networking has also assisted people with keeping in touch with friends. By e-mail or instant messaging, friends and family are able to communicate with loved ones all over the world. Blogging is another way people can communicate with the world. The creation of blogs has allowed people to publish personal diaries about their life as well as, expressing their thought on various issues. People reading these blogs can comment to the author regarding their thoughts and opinions to the issues discussed.

Galileo is a resource available at the Horace W. Sturgis Library at Kennesaw State University. It is an online resource that can be accessed on the KSU website or in the library itself. It is Net ID and password protected. This online library can supply updated information to students for reports or essays and is very user friendly.

Hoovers Company Records provide detailed descriptions of companies. This website allows you to search any company and will give information such as the CEO or owner, the profits they make annually, competitors, and an overview of the company as a whole. This website is also Net ID and password protected and available on the Kennesaw State University Website.

Wikipedia is a popular online encyclopedia. This website is updated frequently, so the information supplied is always up to date. It also gives people an opportunity to update the website themselves.

eBay is a social networking website that allows individuals to sell and purchase products in an online auction. This enables people to shop without leaving their homes and get great bargains. It also allows people to sell unwanted items.

Match.com is a social networking website for online dating. This website allows people to view profiles and meet on the internet. Each profile contains photos and information about each person.

Sawxheads is a social networking website that brings Boston Red Sox fan together. This website allows individuals to chat with each other and get up to date information regarding their favorite baseball team.