by Leigh Goessl

Created on: September 18, 2009

Social networking is one of the most prominent activities people engage in when they log onto the Internet. What started off years ago as bulletin boards and other styles of message boards, initiated in the early platforms of networks such as America Online, has evolved and developed into so much more.

Today's social networks extend far beyond simple messages being exchanged back and forth between members.

In modern online social networks people have the ability to share photos, videos, websites, play interactive games, private message one another and much more, all done from one interface. There is no more navigating between different applications in order to share information.

Not only is the ease of sharing more efficient, but networking entails the ability to interact with many different people at once. In this day and age there are a multitude of social networks to choose from. Some people focus on one network and get to know their network intimately, while others join multiple networks.

What often lures people into the social networks of their choosing are the features offered and the type of niche interests that the website focuses on that brings people of like minds together. Here are some of the most popular social networking digs on the net:

*Facebook

In 2009 Facebook is on its way to surpassing MySpace as the most popular and highest ranked social network. Just a mere few years ago Facebook was a little known site that catered to colleges where only a few niche groups of the Internet community visited.

In 2006 membership was opened to the general public and popularity began to soar. Suddenly in the last two years from 2008-09, Facebook began more than a serious major player, it began to dominate the social networking scene.

All of a sudden people began opening Facebook accounts, but still very much participating in both MySpace. Over the course of time people began to abandon their MySpace accounts in favor of Facebook which is likely one of the reasons why Facebook is now positioned to become the most popular social networking website.

Facebook's popularity continues to explode and significant growth in membership continues to occur.

*MySpace

Still hanging in the top three most popular social networks, and to date still the most popular social networking site in the U.S., statistics suggest that 2009 is going to be MySpace's last year at the top of the social networking trend.

MySpace has been fighting a tough competition with Facebook in recent

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>