Badoo, a social networking website which offers users the chance to pay to be popular while banning all advertising, is set to launch into an increasingly crowded UK market.
At the moment, Badoo is a relatively unknown web brand. However, Google recently rated it number two on its "fastest rising" list - behind the iPhone and ahead of Facebook - in its annual report based on the most popular web searches.
The fledgling company positions itself as a "natural evolution of existing social network and blogging sites".
Badoo's unusual business model works against the received wisdom of the primarily advertising-led efforts of established firms such as Facebook, MySpace and Bebo.
"We wanted to be advertising free in order to have a 'clean' site so our users weren't subject to adverts which we know can be a turnoff," said Neil Bryant, the managing director of Badoo.
Revenue is derived by technology named Rise Up. For $1 in the US, €1 in Europe's eurozone and £1 in the UK, users can choose to have their profile moved to the top of a rolling list of profiles - in a blend of Digg and a Reuters ticker - that all users can see.
"With Badoo users don't have to add friends - they have immediate access to get their profile in front of the site's entire online community," said Bryant.
For security, users can block any "undesirable" or annoying profiles from seeing, or appearing, on their web page as well as keep information such as birth dates secret.
Asked whether this Rise Up function can provide enough revenue, Bryant said that 20% of Badoo's 12.5 million users access the function once a month
Thus far, Badoo has developed a strong following in Latin American countries, as well as France, Spain and Italy.
Next year, cracking the UK is a top priority. However, until Badoo has significantly more customers than the current UK user base of around 100,000, the Rise Up function will remain free.
Badoo is also trying to carve a niche in the celebrity market, just as MySpace has in music and Bebo has with youth.
The website aims to approach celebrities to get them to build official profile pages - bogus profiles will be deleted.
"Badoo users love sharing information about themselves, their friends and celebrity so Badoo has decided that the quickest way to get the message out about the site is to get celebrities to spread and demonstrate the word," said Bryant.
A PR-led push, fronted by as an as-yet-unnamed celebrity, is due to launch in February.
Written by Mark Sweney: http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2007/dec/24/web20.digitalmedia
Monday, 24 December 2007
Wednesday, 21 November 2007
Facehooked!
Facebook seemed to come from nowhere to everywhere in 2007.
One person in eight in the UK has become a registered member.
Why has Facebook been so successful against stiff competition from other social network sites?
And as the company tries to turn its popularity into profits, will its millions of members stay faithful?
The site was launched by student Mark Zuckerberg with two friends in their dorm room at Harvard University in February 2004.
It was initially intended to let his fellow students check each other out and make friends online.
By December 2004 it had grown to have nearly a million users among students at top American colleges.
It arrived in the UK in 2006 and by March 2007 was making headlines as more than a million people had joined up.
Now seven million people in the UK are on Facebook and there are more than 50 million worldwide members.
Full article can be read here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7151690.stm
One person in eight in the UK has become a registered member.
Why has Facebook been so successful against stiff competition from other social network sites?
And as the company tries to turn its popularity into profits, will its millions of members stay faithful?
The site was launched by student Mark Zuckerberg with two friends in their dorm room at Harvard University in February 2004.
It was initially intended to let his fellow students check each other out and make friends online.
By December 2004 it had grown to have nearly a million users among students at top American colleges.
It arrived in the UK in 2006 and by March 2007 was making headlines as more than a million people had joined up.
Now seven million people in the UK are on Facebook and there are more than 50 million worldwide members.
Full article can be read here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7151690.stm
Friday, 2 November 2007
Murdoch: "Facebook and Myspace can co-exist"
Rupert Murdoch managed to utter the 'F" word as he delivered News Corporation's quarterly profit results - Facebook.
The social network site owned and run by Harvard graduate, Mark Zuckerberg, has exploded in use since it opened membership to the general public, boasting an audience of more than 50 million in its pitch to advertisers.
In July 2005, Mr Murdoch paid $US580 million for Facebook rival and market leader MySpace, and was keen to spruik its advantages.
"Obviously MySpace's most talked about competitor is Facebook," Mr Murdoch conceded.
"While it has grown rapidly over the past several months, it is still only 45 per cent of MySpace in terms of unique users," he said.
But While the two sites battle it out for popularity, Mr Murdoch spoke of their ability to co-exist.
"The two platforms are very different in the user experience," he said.
"MySpace pages become a home on the internet, it's where they discover people, content and culture.
"Facebook, on the other hand, tends to be a web utility, similar to a phone.
Recent research conducted by 'Nielsen' has shown that 74 per cent of Facebook users are also Myspace users.
The social network site owned and run by Harvard graduate, Mark Zuckerberg, has exploded in use since it opened membership to the general public, boasting an audience of more than 50 million in its pitch to advertisers.
In July 2005, Mr Murdoch paid $US580 million for Facebook rival and market leader MySpace, and was keen to spruik its advantages.
"Obviously MySpace's most talked about competitor is Facebook," Mr Murdoch conceded.
"While it has grown rapidly over the past several months, it is still only 45 per cent of MySpace in terms of unique users," he said.
But While the two sites battle it out for popularity, Mr Murdoch spoke of their ability to co-exist.
"The two platforms are very different in the user experience," he said.
"MySpace pages become a home on the internet, it's where they discover people, content and culture.
"Facebook, on the other hand, tends to be a web utility, similar to a phone.
Recent research conducted by 'Nielsen' has shown that 74 per cent of Facebook users are also Myspace users.
Monday, 29 October 2007
IMPORTANT!!! PLEASE READ!!!
NEWSPAPER AND MAGAZINE PUBLISHING IN THE U.KEditors’ Code of Practice
This is the newspaper and periodical industry’s Code of Practice. It is framed and revised by the Editors’ Code Committee made up of independent editors of national, regional and local newspapers and magazines. The Press Complaints Commission, which has a majority of lay members, is charged with enforcing the Code, using it to adjudicate complaints. It was ratified by the PCC on the 1 August 2007. Clauses marked* are covered by exceptions relating to the public interest.
The Code
All members of the press have a duty to maintain the highest professional standards. The Code, which includes this preamble and the public interest exceptions below, sets the benchmark for those ethical standards, protecting both the rights of the individual and the public's right to know. It is the cornerstone of the system of self regulation to which the industry has made a binding commitment.
It is essential that an agreed code be honoured not only to the letter but in the full spirit. It should not be interpreted so narrowly as to compromise its commitment to respect the rights of the individual, nor so broadly that it constitutes an unnecessary interference with freedom of expression or prevents publication in the public interest.
It is the responsibility of editors and publishers to apply the Code to editorial material in both printed and online versions of publications. They should take care to ensure it is observed rigorously by all editorial staff and external contributors, including non-journalists.
Editors should co-operate swiftly with the PCC in the resolution of complaints. Any publication judged to have breached the Code must print the adjudication in full and with due prominence, including headline reference to the PCC.
1. Accuracy
* The press must take care not to publish inaccurate, misleading or distorted information, including pictures.
* A significant inaccuracy, misleading statement or distortion once recognised must be corrected, promptly and with due prominence, and - where appropriate - an apology published.
* The press, whilst free to be partisan, must distinguish clearly between comment, conjecture and fact.
* A publication must report fairly and accurately the outcome of an action for defamation to which it has been a party, unless an agreed settlement states otherwise, or an agreed statement is published.
2. Opportunity to reply
*A fair opportunity for reply to inaccuracies must be given when reasonably called for.
3. Privacy
* Everyone is entitled to respect for his or her private and family life, home, health and correspondence, including digital communications. Editors will be expected to justify intrusions into any individual's private life without consent.
* It is unacceptable to photograph individuals in a private place without their consent.
Note: Private places are public or private property where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy.
4. Harassment Privacy
* Journalists must not engage in intimidation, harassment or persistent pursuit.
* They must not persist in questioning, telephoning, pursuing or photographing individuals once asked to desist; nor remain on their property when asked to leave and must not follow them.
* Editors must ensure these principles are observed by those working for them and take care not to use non-compliant material from other sources.
5. Intrusion into grief or shock
* In cases involving personal grief or shock, enquiries and approaches must be made with sympathy and discretion and publication handled sensitively. This should not restrict the right to report legal proceedings, such as inquests.
* When reporting suicide, care should be taken to avoid excessive detail about the method used.
6. Children
* Young people should be free to complete their time at school without unnecessary intrusion.
* A child under 16 must not be interviewed or photographed on issues involving their own or another child’s welfare unless a custodial parent or similarly responsible adult consents.
* Pupils must not be approached or photographed at school without the permission of the school authorities.
* Minors must not be paid for material involving children’s welfare, nor parents or guardians for material about their children or wards, unless it is clearly in the child's interest.
* Editors must not use the fame, notoriety or position of a parent or guardian as sole justification for publishing details of a child’s private life.
7. Children in sex cases
* The press must not, even if legally free to do so, identify children under 16 who are victims or witnesses in cases involving sex offences.
* In any press report of a case involving a sexual offence against a child:
i) The child must not be identified.
ii) The adult may be identified.
iii) The word "incest" must not be used where a child victim might be identified.
iv) Care must be taken that nothing in the report implies the relationship between the accused and the child.
8. Hospitals
* Journalists must identify themselves and obtain permission from a responsible executive before entering non-public areas of hospitals or similar institutions to pursue enquiries.
* The restrictions on intruding into privacy are particularly relevant to enquiries about individuals in hospitals or similar institutions.
9. Reporting of Crime
* Relatives or friends of persons convicted or accused of crime should not generally be identified without their consent, unless they are genuinely relevant to the story.
* Particular regard should be paid to the potentially vulnerable position of children who witness, or are victims of, crime. This should not restrict the right to report legal proceedings.
10. Clandestine devices and subterfuge
* The press must not seek to obtain or publish material acquired by using hidden cameras or clandestine listening devices; or by intercepting private or mobile telephone calls, messages or emails; or by the unauthorised removal of documents, or photographs; or by accessing digitally-held private information without consent.
* Engaging in misrepresentation or subterfuge, including by agents or intermediaries, can generally be justified only in the public interest and then only when the material cannot be obtained by other means.
11. Victims of sexual assault
* The press must not identify victims of sexual assault or publish material likely to contribute to such identification unless there is adequate justification and they are legally free to do so.
12 Discrimination
* The press must avoid prejudicial or pejorative reference to an individual's race, colour, religion, gender, sexual orientation or to any physical or mental illness or disability.
* Details of an individual's race, colour, religion, sexual orientation, physical or mental illness or disability must be avoided unless genuinely relevant to the story.
13. Financial journalism
* Even where the law does not prohibit it, journalists must not use for their own profit financial information they receive in advance of its general publication, nor should they pass such information to others.
* They must not write about shares or securities in whose performance they know that they or their close families have a significant financial interest without disclosing the interest to the editor or financial editor.
* They must not buy or sell, either directly or through nominees or agents, shares or securities about which they have written recently or about which they intend to write in the near future.
14. Confidential sources
*Journalists have a moral obligation to protect confidential sources of information.
15. Witness payments in criminal trials
* No payment or offer of payment to a witness - or any person who may reasonably be expected to be called as a witness - should be made in any case once proceedings are active as defined by the Contempt of Court Act 1981.
* This prohibition lasts until the suspect has been freed unconditionally by police without charge or bail or the proceedings are otherwise discontinued; or has entered a guilty plea to the court; or, in the event of a not guilty plea, the court has announced its verdict.
* Where proceedings are not yet active but are likely and foreseeable, editors must not make or offer payment to any person who may reasonably be expected to be called as a witness, unless the information concerned ought demonstrably to be published in the public interest and there is an over-riding need to make or promise payment for this to be done; and all reasonable steps have been taken to ensure no financial dealings influence the evidence those witnesses give. In no circumstances should such payment be conditional on the outcome of a trial.
* Any payment or offer of payment made to a person later cited to give evidence in proceedings must be disclosed to the prosecution and defence. The witness must be advised of this requirement.
16. Payment to criminals
* Payment or offers of payment for stories, pictures or information, which seek to exploit a particular crime or to glorify or glamorise crime in general, must not be made directly or via agents to convicted or confessed criminals or to their associates – who may include family, friends and colleagues.
* Editors invoking the public interest to justify payment or offers would need to demonstrate that there was good reason to believe the public interest would be served. If, despite payment, no public interest emerged, then the material should not be published.
The public interest
There may be exceptions to the clauses marked in bold where they can be demonstrated to be in the public interest.
1. The public interest includes, but is not confined to:
i) Detecting or exposing crime or serious impropriety.
ii) Protecting public health and safety.
iii) Preventing the public from being misled by an action or statement of an individual or organisation.
2. There is a public interest in freedom of expression itself.
3. Whenever the public interest is invoked, the PCC will require editors to demonstrate fully how the public interest was served.
4. The PCC will consider the extent to which material is already in the public domain, or will become so.
5. In cases involving children under 16, editors must demonstrate an exceptional public interest to over-ride the normally paramount interest of the child.
The PCC Guidance Notes used in this publication, details of how you can contact the Press Complaints Commission and the publication itself can be found here.
Thursday, 25 October 2007
Microsoft buys stake in Facebook
Microsoft has paid $240m (£117m) for a 1.6% stake in Facebook that values the hugely popular social networking site at $15bn (£7.3bn).
Facebook spurned an offer from Microsoft's rival Google, which was also keen to invest the site.
Microsoft will also sell internet ads for Facebook outside the United States as part of the deal that took several weeks of negotiating.
Microsoft already provides banner advertising and links on the US site.
Mark Zuckerberg started the online social networking site in his Harvard University dorm room less than four years ago.
Mr Zuckerberg, 23, has indicated he would like to hold off on an initial public offering for at least two more years.
He rebuffed a $1bn takeover offer from Yahoo last year.
Facebook hopes to become an advertising magnet by substantially increasing its current audience of nearly 50 million active users.
Facebook allows users to set up personal web pages and communicate with each other.
Google and Microsoft have crossed horns before for hot Internet properties.
Google beat Microsoft with a $1.65bn acquisition of online video sharing site YouTube last year.
Facebook expects to make a profit of $30m this year so on conventional valuations a $15bn price tag would look
Facebook spurned an offer from Microsoft's rival Google, which was also keen to invest the site.
Microsoft will also sell internet ads for Facebook outside the United States as part of the deal that took several weeks of negotiating.
Microsoft already provides banner advertising and links on the US site.
Mark Zuckerberg started the online social networking site in his Harvard University dorm room less than four years ago.
Mr Zuckerberg, 23, has indicated he would like to hold off on an initial public offering for at least two more years.
He rebuffed a $1bn takeover offer from Yahoo last year.
Facebook hopes to become an advertising magnet by substantially increasing its current audience of nearly 50 million active users.
Facebook allows users to set up personal web pages and communicate with each other.
Google and Microsoft have crossed horns before for hot Internet properties.
Google beat Microsoft with a $1.65bn acquisition of online video sharing site YouTube last year.
Facebook expects to make a profit of $30m this year so on conventional valuations a $15bn price tag would look
Thursday, 18 October 2007
HTML Tutorial
As part of my 'Web Creation and Design' course, what could seem more fundamental than learning HTML?
So using the tutorial below, I set out on a mission to become an expert in the space of 12 short minutes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnBBuIu10NU
So using the tutorial below, I set out on a mission to become an expert in the space of 12 short minutes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnBBuIu10NU
And twelve minutes on, I was none the wiser.
Even if you look past the fact that it is a completely unprofessional tutorial and you can't here what the fourteen year old computer geek is saying, then you are still faced with the lad belching mid way through - something deemed rather offputting to most of us. Quite simply its over before it even gets going. Some of the content is ok if you hang around long enough but for the first timer looking to learn about HTML, it may put you off for life.
Even if you look past the fact that it is a completely unprofessional tutorial and you can't here what the fourteen year old computer geek is saying, then you are still faced with the lad belching mid way through - something deemed rather offputting to most of us. Quite simply its over before it even gets going. Some of the content is ok if you hang around long enough but for the first timer looking to learn about HTML, it may put you off for life.
However there are a number of good tutorials out there. I found that a brief look at http://www.w3schools.com/html/html_intro.asp was far more effective. It allows you to try for yourself and gives you a detailed account into HTML for the beginner.
But I realise that not everyone has bags of time on their hands. However if you can spare just a single minute, then the tutorial below could be what your looking for:
The title 'Create a Webpage in a single minute' is what drew me to this tutorial and I have to say, I was very impressed. Although it assumes some basic knowledge on behalf of the reader such as the use of Notepad as opposed to Word and the fact that you need to run Firefox, it is incredibly effective. Dont expect to be able to insert pictures and learn fancy layouts, but if its the basics that your after, then you need'nt look any further.
Wednesday, 10 October 2007
‘Facebook’: A complete waste of time or an invaluable tool for journalists?
Today I have been sent four drinks, a bunch of flowers and a pair of otters. I’ve discovered that my friend Nick is bored at work, Jenny is counting down the days to her birthday in seven months time and Alice is ill, but happy none the less. All seems a complete waste of time doesn’t it?But amazingly Facebook has nearly 40 million viewers, it is currently the 7th most visited website in the world and as a nation we are spending 233 million hours scouring the site every month. And it’s not just for the kids anymore. More importantly, the growth of Facebook points to a cultural shift. Today, people of all ages are getting increasingly comfortable with the idea of interacting with each other online; a trend we haven’t really seen before.
But despite the growth and the hype, we have to ask ourselves: What's in it for journalists? And what’s in it for Journalism as an industry?
Facebook has ultimately become a society within a society and within this Internet society are hundreds of stories that we may not hear about in the “real world”. Now it’s true that social networks have been key to journalists forever. I mean what journalist does not have a network of sources? However, what Facebook enables us to do is make it easy to expand this network and to send and receive messages to and from the entire network very quickly.
This social networking can also be an invaluable tool when looking for information for a story. With the site being used by so many, there is a good chance that someone caught up in the news for whatever right or wrong reason, could well have a Facebook page - a place on which they house their personal online identity.
But is there a danger in using this medium? As journalists, do we sometimes put the story before feelings of insensitivity in approaching potential sources? A number of publications used Facebook to their advantage during the Virginia Tech shootings. In the aftermath of the event, support groups were started by local students and through the site they were contacted to give their input on how the shootings affected them. In a backlash, groups were started by the same students in disgust over this tasteless 'new form of journalism’. A site that appears to be no more than flowers, drinks and otters, was being used as a instrument for covering mass murder.
However with a network spanning the globe, if used in the right ways, this tool could turn out to be invaluable. Any major news topic will have people wanting to voice their opinion. When working on articles, browsing for related Facebook groups may well provide good sources of information; sources that would not have been previously avaliable.
Facebook can also be credited for the way in which it has brought journalists together. The NUJ (National Union of Journalists) group on Facebook has 912 members whilst Journalism.co.uk has 1,202. Additionally, a group titled ‘Journalists and Facebook’ that discusses this so called ‘Facebook Journalism’ has proved immensely popular with those discussing their experiences. What’s more it could also prove to be a very useful tool for writers and editors alike, looking to connect with fellow workers they do not yet know. A quick search on Facebook opens up a world of journalists and editors. A quick look at their friends list opens up an awful lot more.
What Facebook has at the moment is potential; potential to open up a whole new world of online journalism. For most of us it connects us to people we know, re-unites us with people we forgot about and to information we care about. But perhaps the site really is nothing more than this? Surely it doesn’t have to always be journalism and surely it's okay to be selective with the technology and digital tools we use as journalists.
But if we are to report on the world we live in, then we have to fully live in it. And anything we can do to open the doors to our newsrooms, and give people a glimpse inside, is an asset to readers. And with the incredible popularity of Facebook it has become part of our world, thus it becomes impossible to ignore it. At the moment it helps you find sources. Hopefully one day it will also help better sources find you.
Wednesday, 3 October 2007
Facebook: An Introduction
What are social networking sites?
They are a way of getting in touch with old friends and keeping in touch with current ones. Facebook allows each user to set up a "profile" of themselves, listing details of their school and university career, as well as allowing them to upload photos and video clips to share. Each person's profile can be viewed by people listed as "friends". Facebook friends can also post comments on each other's "wall" -a kind of instant email service.
MySpace and Bebo work in a similar way, although MySpace has become more known for its association with aspiring bands, who often upload their latest music on to their MySpace page in the hope that it will be spotted by bigwigs in the music industry.
Facebook also allows users to notify their friends of forthcoming events, and groups of common interest can be set up. There are groups covering everything from the state of the chicken nugget to the vagaries of Adam Smith's moral philosophy.
New features seem to appear daily. Members can now hug and high-five each other, and even set up an electronic aquarium or do some pruning in their virtual garden. A new language has stemmed from social networking sites, too, for example "poke" is an electronic greeting between Facebook members. The latest edition of the Collins dictionary included the word "me-media" to describe internet sites like MySpace and Facebook.
Exactly how popular are they?
MySpace, bought by Rupert Murdoch for $580m (£283m) in 2005, remains the most popular in the UK, with about 6.5 million users. But its rivals Facebook and Bebo are hot on its heels, with Facebook growing 19 times faster than MySpace.
Although Facebook started out as a site for US college students, it is relatively more popular with UK internet users. According to the internet market research firm NetRatings, if Bebo and Facebook continue to grow at their current rate, they will be as popular as MySpace by September.
Bebo's success is more limited to the UK, but its users spend more time on it than the other sites. It has had particular success in Ireland, where it claims to be the country's No 1 internet site.
Who is joining Facebook?
At the rate Facebook is growing, the question should really be, who isn't? It claims to have 30 million users around the world, with 150,00 joining each day. Although it used to be open only to undergraduates and graduates from certain universities and colleges, it has recently been opened up for anyone to join, and it is no longer the preserve of the 18 to 24 age group.
A recent survey by analysts at comScore Media Metrix found that the most dramatic growth in the use of social networking sites was occurring among 25- to 34-year-olds, and the number of users aged 35 and older had grown by 98 per cent between May 2006 and May 2007.
Jack Flanagan, the company's executive vice-president, said: "Since the decision to open MySpace registration to everyone, the internet networking site has seen visitors from all age groups flood the site.
"As the overall visitation to Facebook continues to grow, the demographic composition of the site will likely more closely resemble that of the total internet audience."
In other words, we may all soon be signing up.
So should we all be on it?
Several politicians seem to think so. Many have been queuing up to gain the youthful kudos that goes with joining Facebook. All the contenders for Labour's deputy leadership created a Facebook page, with the exception of Jon Cruddas. David Miliband has also signed up. Even Prince William created a profile, before having to take it down after being bombarded with "pokes" and friend requests. Lily Allen's musings on her MySpace page have helped it gather a loyal readership.
Despite the hype, there are downsides to joining the social networking phenomenon. Oxford University's student union urged its members to tighten their Facebook profile privacy settings earlier this month after discovering that dons were trawling the site for evidence of post-exam misbehaviour. And it's not just students who need be concerned. More employers are scouring Facebook to check up on current or prospective employees, meaning that it might not be a good idea to be too revealing online about your private life.
Should we all join Facebook?
Yes...
* It is an easy way of finding old friends and keeping in touch with new ones
* You can organise events and outings without endless phoning around
* Their rate of growth suggests most of us will be logging on to a social networking site soon
No...
* The personal information can be used by identity thieves if you post too much
* Everyone from your past will be able to track you down, whether you want them to or not
* Employers are now using the sites to check up on the behaviour of their staff
By Michael Savage
http://news.independent.co.uk/sci_tech/article2802586.ece
They are a way of getting in touch with old friends and keeping in touch with current ones. Facebook allows each user to set up a "profile" of themselves, listing details of their school and university career, as well as allowing them to upload photos and video clips to share. Each person's profile can be viewed by people listed as "friends". Facebook friends can also post comments on each other's "wall" -a kind of instant email service.
MySpace and Bebo work in a similar way, although MySpace has become more known for its association with aspiring bands, who often upload their latest music on to their MySpace page in the hope that it will be spotted by bigwigs in the music industry.
Facebook also allows users to notify their friends of forthcoming events, and groups of common interest can be set up. There are groups covering everything from the state of the chicken nugget to the vagaries of Adam Smith's moral philosophy.
New features seem to appear daily. Members can now hug and high-five each other, and even set up an electronic aquarium or do some pruning in their virtual garden. A new language has stemmed from social networking sites, too, for example "poke" is an electronic greeting between Facebook members. The latest edition of the Collins dictionary included the word "me-media" to describe internet sites like MySpace and Facebook.
Exactly how popular are they?
MySpace, bought by Rupert Murdoch for $580m (£283m) in 2005, remains the most popular in the UK, with about 6.5 million users. But its rivals Facebook and Bebo are hot on its heels, with Facebook growing 19 times faster than MySpace.
Although Facebook started out as a site for US college students, it is relatively more popular with UK internet users. According to the internet market research firm NetRatings, if Bebo and Facebook continue to grow at their current rate, they will be as popular as MySpace by September.
Bebo's success is more limited to the UK, but its users spend more time on it than the other sites. It has had particular success in Ireland, where it claims to be the country's No 1 internet site.
Who is joining Facebook?
At the rate Facebook is growing, the question should really be, who isn't? It claims to have 30 million users around the world, with 150,00 joining each day. Although it used to be open only to undergraduates and graduates from certain universities and colleges, it has recently been opened up for anyone to join, and it is no longer the preserve of the 18 to 24 age group.
A recent survey by analysts at comScore Media Metrix found that the most dramatic growth in the use of social networking sites was occurring among 25- to 34-year-olds, and the number of users aged 35 and older had grown by 98 per cent between May 2006 and May 2007.
Jack Flanagan, the company's executive vice-president, said: "Since the decision to open MySpace registration to everyone, the internet networking site has seen visitors from all age groups flood the site.
"As the overall visitation to Facebook continues to grow, the demographic composition of the site will likely more closely resemble that of the total internet audience."
In other words, we may all soon be signing up.
So should we all be on it?
Several politicians seem to think so. Many have been queuing up to gain the youthful kudos that goes with joining Facebook. All the contenders for Labour's deputy leadership created a Facebook page, with the exception of Jon Cruddas. David Miliband has also signed up. Even Prince William created a profile, before having to take it down after being bombarded with "pokes" and friend requests. Lily Allen's musings on her MySpace page have helped it gather a loyal readership.
Despite the hype, there are downsides to joining the social networking phenomenon. Oxford University's student union urged its members to tighten their Facebook profile privacy settings earlier this month after discovering that dons were trawling the site for evidence of post-exam misbehaviour. And it's not just students who need be concerned. More employers are scouring Facebook to check up on current or prospective employees, meaning that it might not be a good idea to be too revealing online about your private life.
Should we all join Facebook?
Yes...
* It is an easy way of finding old friends and keeping in touch with new ones
* You can organise events and outings without endless phoning around
* Their rate of growth suggests most of us will be logging on to a social networking site soon
No...
* The personal information can be used by identity thieves if you post too much
* Everyone from your past will be able to track you down, whether you want them to or not
* Employers are now using the sites to check up on the behaviour of their staff
By Michael Savage
http://news.independent.co.uk/sci_tech/article2802586.ece
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