Gazali: Its about You

Are ready about you?

Yes, you. The future is all about you. The internet started way back in 1957. Since then its growth is enormous. Facebook alone commands more than 400 million active users and 50% of them log on in any given day. So much for productivity at work.

There are about 1,678,960 users in Singapore who are above 18 using Facebook. The total users in Singapore is about 1,927,180. Malaysia about 5,115,400. Indonesia 18,867,300 and Thailand 2,601,220. A potential commercial base of 28,511,100.

That's not including other social networking sites, like Twitter which now receives over 50 million status updates per day. Granted that the tweets sometimes can be downright irritating to boorish self promotion, the fact is, millions are updating and reading it. Every other person have an email address.

What does this mean to you? All this web 2.0 and what is exactly web 2.0? The term "Web 2.0" (2004–present) is commonly associated with web applications that facilitate interactive information sharing, interoperability, user-centered design, and collaboration on the World Wide Web.

Got it? Just think Facebook, Twitter and you'll get the gist of it.

Are you ready? It depends. It depends on your level of comfort in divulging stuff about yourself. Yes, you heard the horror stories of getting fired from your job because of Facebook and to much worse like a crime being committed and to being spied on.

It is actually simple. If you not comfortable with it, then don't do it. I have friends who aren't even on Facebook and we still meet up for drinks. Or, you could just network with only people that you have met personally. Do bear in mind, everything that is online, stays there even after you have deleted it years ago. Don't believe me? Then go here: 150 billion pages archived.

With that caveat out of the way, then let's go for the ride.

Central to Web 2.0 is to get an email address. I'd assume you have one already. Its actually good to have one in your own name or a close approximation to it, rather than something like suave995@email.com. Why? You may need it when applying a job.

Imagine if its havoc247@email.com, would your prospective employer seriously consider you? Unless you are in the creative or advertising field, though, after awhile it still gets tired.

Don't even think of using your company's email, everything emailed or posted to you, your employer have every right to read and inspect it. Besides the company might close down or you may leave.

Next is to register yourself on Facebook. Do upload a picture of yourself as the profile picture first, not some logo or your favorite whatever. Change it later after you get connected to your friends. The average user has about 130 friends.

If you don't have a picture, the chance of your friend adding you is lowered. Do remember, you name is not really unique, your picture is. I hardly add people without their actual pictures, unless I can verify it with their other photos on Facebook.

That's it, You are in the social network already. So start building your network.

My next post will be about Twitter, Plaxo and Linkedin and how to build up your professional resume online and use it to get a better employement.

And for those who have a business or want to start a business, I'll show you how to leverage the social network, and increase your profits without alienating your friends. If you have an physical shop, how to promote and generate traffic to your shop through the online social media.

What will it cost you? Just the time to read and experiment. Me? I'm just happy that you visited this blog and read the articles, and I'll be over the moon, if you leave comments.

Finally on blogging, if its your cup of tea. Don't get me wrong, even though this blog was started only in February 2010, I've always been writing since way back then, it comes with practice. Only now I'm comfortable writing it publicly. A little bit of ego does help and most bloggers are egoistical.

I'll try to post it regularly, no promises here, I do have a consulting job to do. Just subscribe through RSS or email and you get the info immediately.

Photo credits (in order of appearance):