Social Network Websites

A social network website focuses on building online communities of people who share interests and/or activities, or who are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others. Most social network services are web based and provide a variety of ways for users to interact, such as e-mail and instant messaging services. Social networking has encouraged new ways to communicate and share information. Social networking websites are being used regularly by millions of people.

While it could be said that email and websites have most of the essential elements of social network services, the idea of proprietary encapsulated services has gained popular uptake recently. The main types of social networking services are those which contain category divisions (such as former school-year or classmates), means to connect with friends (usually with self-description pages) and a recommendation system linked to trust. There have been some attempts to standardize these services to avoid the need to duplicate entries of friends and interests, but this has led to some concerns about privacy.

Below is the list of some major active social networking websites:

Adult FriendFinder
Advogato
Amie Street
Anobii
aSmallWorld
Athlinks
Avatars United
Badoo
Bahu
Bebo
Bigadda
Biip
Black Planet
Broadcaster.com
Cloob
College Tonight
CouchSurfing
DevianART
Disaboom
dol2day
Don'tStayIn
Draugiem.lv
Elftown
Epernicus
Eons.com
Experience Project
Exploroo
Facebook
Faceparty
Faces.com
Fetlife
Flixster
Flickr
Fotolog
Friends Reunited
Friendster
Fruhstuckstreff
Fubar
Gaia Online
Gamer DNA
Gather.com
Geni.com
Goodreads
Gossipreport.com
Grono.net
Haboo
Hi5
Hospitality Club
Hyves
imeem
Indaba Music
IRC – Galleria
italki.com
InterNations
itsmy
iWiW
Jaiku
Jammer Direct
kaioo
Kaixin 001
Kiwibox
Last.fm
Library Thing
lifeknot
Linked In
Live Journal
Livemocha
Lunar Storm
Meetin
Meetup.com
Meettheboss
Mixi
mobikade
MocoSpace
MOG
Multiply
Muxlim
MyAnimeList
My Church
My Heritage
MyLife.com
MyLOL
MySpace
myYearbook
Nasza – klasa.pl
Netlog
Nexopia
Ning
Odnoklassniki
OkCupid
One.lv/One.lt/One.ee
OneClimate
OneWorldTV
Open Diary
Orkut
OUTeverywhere
Passportstamp
Pingsta
Plaxo
Playahead
Playboy U
Plurk
Present.ly
quarterlife
Ravelry
Research GATE
Reverbnation
Ryze
scispace.net
Shelfari
Skyrock
Social GO
Social Vibe
Sonico.com
Soundpedia
Stickam
StudiVZ
Tagged.com
talkbiznow
Taltopia
Traybuddy.com
Travellerspoint
tribe.net
Trombi.com
Tuenti.com
Tumblr
V Kontakte
Vampirefreaks
Viadeo
Vox
Wasabi
WAYN
Web Biographies
Windows Live Spaces
Wis.dm
WiserEarth
Xanga
Xianonei
XING
Xt3
Yammer
Yelp,Inc.
Youmeo
Zoo.gr