[Gllug] [OT] Social networking - what's the point

[Ryan Cartwright]

Jason Clifford wrote:
> All this talk of social networking sites reminds me of something I thought 
> about a bit a couple of years ago - basically what's the point in these 
> things.

> Most seem to be used as little more than link exchanges.

With most of them I'd agree - I never use them and always found lists
like this or newsgroups (way back when they were useful) a better way to
"socialise" around the subjects I am interested in.

> The potential of social network is so much greater but I don't think 
> anyone has ever actually delivered on much, if any, of the actual 
> potential.
> 
> Jason
> 

Slight )okay blatant) trumpet blowing here but we run a site[1] which
extends our existing (25 year old) manual service for linking families
affected by disability. It's a little more niche than a typical
social-networking site as the categories are medical conditions,
location and/or family details.

Both the manual service (from which the charity, Contact a Family[2],
gets its name) and the web service put families in similar circumstances
in touch with each other. Often for many families - particularly those
affected by rare conditions - just being able to speak/mail someone who
is going through the same sorts of things is a great comfort and help.
Many support groups have been started as a result of the links we have
enabled. We had recent feedback from a parent in part of the UK whose
son is the only child in her country to have his condition. Through our
service she was able to get in touch with a mother in another part of
the UK who has a child with the same condition. She said that she wept
when she got a reply - her son is five and this is the first time she
has been able to speak with somebody else affected by that condition.

The web service is now two years old and although not as "popular" as
some others it does, IMHO, deliver on it's aim of putting people in
touch with each other in a way that does not expose them unless they
want to be. There's a £5 annual charge if you want to initiate contact
but it's free to post your details or reply to others.

Of course the site runs on LAMP. :o)

[1] http://www.makingcontact.org
[2] http://www.cafamily.org.uk


cheers
--
Ryan Cartwright
http://www.cafamily.org.uk/oss
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